Diabetes is much more of a health epidemic than "swine flu" but it probably doesn't make for as food of a headline so it is not on our minds every day as much as it needs to be. In the spirit of prevention, we decided to discuss a pre-diabetic condition called Insulin Resistance Syndrome (IRS).
The standard American diet (S.A.D.) is calorie-dense and nutrient-poor. High animal protein, high fat, and processed carbohydrates create a biochemical environment in the body that leads to inflammation, increased fat storage, and blood sugar problems. There is a relatively new syndrome that is directly correlated to an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, and premature death. The name of the condition is insulin resistance, which is sometime called Metabolic Syndrome or Syndrome X.
Here is a good list of healthy food choices from the ADA:
Knowing what to eat can be confusing. Everywhere you turn, there is news about what is or isn't good for you. Some basic principles have weathered the fad diets, and have stood the test of time. Here are a few tips on making healthful food choices for you and your entire family.
Eat lots of vegetables and fruits. Try picking from the rainbow of colors available to maximize variety.
Eat non-starchy vegetables such as spinach, carrots, broccoli or green beans with meals.
- Choose whole grain foods over processed grain products. Try brown rice with your stir fry or whole wheat spaghetti with your favorite pasta sauce.
- Include dried beans (like kidney or pinto beans) and lentils into your meals.
Include fish in your meals 2-3 times a week.
- Choose lean meats like cuts of beef and pork that end in "loin" such as pork loin and sirloin. Remove the skin from chicken and turkey.
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Choose non-fat dairy such as skim milk, non-fat yogurt and non-fat cheese.
- Choose water and calorie-free "diet" drinks instead of regular soda, fruit punch, sweet tea and other sugar-sweetened drinks.
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Choose liquid oils for cooking instead of solid fats that can be high in saturated and trans fats. Remember that fats are high in calories. If you're trying to lose weight, watch your portion sizes of added fats.
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Cut back on high calorie snack foods and desserts like chips, cookies, cakes, and full-fat ice cream.
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Eating too much of even healthful foods can lead to weight gain. Watch your portion sizes.
Insulin Resistance manifests when the cells of the body become resistant to the effect of insulin. Insulin is a hormone that acts like a key that opens the lock to the door of the cells allowing glucose (blood sugar) to enter and provide energy for the cell. However, if glucose has been excessive in the blood (due mainly to unhealthy food choices), then the key (insulin) can "wear out" the lock (insulin receptor) over time, making the cell "insulin resistant." When the glucose is blocked from entering the cell, it stays in the bloodstream and causes a lot of problems like inflammation, free radical damage, and excess fat storage.
You are at risk of metabolic syndrome if you have any three of the following five characteristics:
1) Waistline more than 35 inches for a woman, more than 40 inches for a man
2) Fasting serum glucose over 100 mg/dL
3) Triglycerides (blood fats) over 150 mg/dL
4) HDL less than 50 mg/dL for a woman and less than 40 mg/dL for a man
5) Blood pressure over 130/85 or someone requiring blood pressure medication
This syndrome is related to excessive consumption of refined carbohydrates that rapidly metabolize into sugar and is connected to weight gain, elevated cholesterol and triglycerides, hypertension, diabetes, atherosclerosis, polycystic ovary disease, magnesium loss, acidic pH, decreased serum phosphorus, and Candida overgrowth. Eventually the level of insulin is high enough in the bloodstream that it becomes a significant health issue itself. Vitamin, mineral and other nutritional deficiencies are also predisposing factors along with lack of exercise and poor food choices.
An article written in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) estimates that nearly 25% of Americans (now about 75 million) have Syndrome X. The rate in Latin Americans is about 33%. And most likely, another sizable group is hovering just under qualifying levels in one or more of the parameters that define this metabolic disorder. The survey reported in this article was completed from 1988-1994. Has the situation improved since? Twenty percent (20%) of American children are overweight. Twenty-five percent (25%) ages 4-10 and 21% of those ages 11-18 have early signs of Type 2 diabetes demonstrated through impaired glucose intolerance.
Get Tested Today At Pure Prescriptions
We are now offering an Insulin Resistance Syndrome blood chemistry panel that includes a lipid panel (cholesterol, LDL, HDL, VLDL, LDL/HDL ratio, triglycerides), fasting glucose, C-Reactive Protein (CRP), and homocysteine.
Key Sources:
http://www.diabetes.org
Ford ES, Giles WH, Dietz WH "Prevalence of the Metabolic Syndrome among US Adults: finding from the Third national Health and Nutrition Examination Survey." JAMA 2002, Jan. 16; 287(3):356-9.
Bonora E, Kiechl S, et al. “Prevalence of insulin resistance in metabolic disorders: the Bruneck Study. Diabetes, October, 1998; 47:1643-1649.
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