The Health Gazette

Did you gain 40 pounds in a year? Does it seem like working out doesn’t help? Are you afraid that your friends and family think that you secretly binge when they don’t see you? You’re not alone. Close to 4 million Americans weight more than 300 lbs. One of many causes behind the need for more and more fabric to cover our bodies is Syndrome X, a disease related to insulin resistance.

You may have heard Syndrome X being called Metabolic Syndrome, Insulin Resistance or Metabolic Syndrome X before. Although it’s overlooked by several medical professionals, this disease is very common. Some statistics reveal that up to 1 in 3 people could suffer from it. Syndrome X is a precursor stage to Type 2Diabetes. Those who have Syndrome X have a high insulin level and they can’t process all the insulin created from their diet. As a consequence, they develop a resistance to insulin.

Your pancreas creates insulin. When eating certain foods, your body creates even more insulin. If your body is resistant to insulin, you can’t properly process glucose, and as a consequence, your pancreas tries to remedy the situation by producing even more insulin. Glucose is used as an energy source or fuel for your body. When glucose isn’t processed, it turns into fat. When your body keeps producing it without processing it, your thighs, hips, buttocks, stomach and arms get fatter.

High insulin levels may be associated with weight gain and difficulty with weight loss, hypertension and heart disease, other blood sugar level problems (e.g., hypoglycemia), and some imbalances related to menstruation. Genetics are partly to blame for Syndrome X but the main cause is people’s lifestyle. The main culprit for most people is decades of eating processed foods, high starch foods, simple sugars, smoking, not exercising and high stress levels.

What can you do about Syndrome X? You can start to take action today by exercising, drinking more water and avoiding all sugars, starches and processed foods. Greatly reduce or remove caffeine from your diet. Aim to get a third of your food intake from vegetables (and no, French fries don’t count as a vegetable). Talk to your doctor and get tested for sugar levels. By changing your diet and including exercise such as walking, you’ll be surprised at how fast the weight will finally disappear from your body. You’ll get more energy and will see the world more clearly. You deserve a better life, so take action today.