64 64 EATINGWEATINGWELL ELL JULY/AUGUST 2019JULY/AUGUST 2019
O
besity, elevated blood sugar, high blood pressure, unhealthy
cholesterol or triglyceride levels—any one of these conditions
on its own is cause for concern. But a whopping 34 percent
of U.S. adults have at least three of them (up from 25 percent two
decades ago), a perfect storm of health problems, called metabolic
syndrome, that doubles the risk for type 2 diabetes and bumps up the
odds of heart disease fivefold. Whether you have some or all of the
hallmarks of metabolic syndrome, here are four steps to help you get
to a healthier place.
THE NUMBERS
Metabolic syndrome
is a cluster of at least
3 of these measures:
Waist measurement
≥35 inches (women)
≥40 inches (men)
Triglycerides
≥150 mg/dL
HDL cholesterol
≤50 mg/dL (women)
≤40 mg/dL (men)
Blood pressure
≥130/85 mmHg
Fasting blood sugar
≥100 mg/dL
LEIGH BEISCH; STYLING: EMILY CANEER (FOOD), GLENN JENKINS (PROPS)
Metabolically
Speaking
AFFECTING 1 IN 3 AMERICANS, METABOLIC SYNDROME HAS
HIT AN ALL-TIME HIGH. HERE’S WHAT TO KNOW AND HOW
TO TAKE CONTROL. BY CHRISTINE YU
- Beyond Avocado Toast Get more ways to enjoy avocado at eatingwell.com/avocado
FIX
GUAC OUT Your avocado ob-
session is probably a good thing.
People who eat, on average, half
an avocado a day have lower
body weight, BMI and waist cir-
cumference, cutting their odds of
developing metabolic syndrome
by half, according to a study
published in Nutri tion Journal.
Granted, avocado eaters may
have an overall healthier diet, but
a review of 31 studies published
in Phytotherapy Research sug-
gests that the buttery fruit itself
can improve cholesterol levels.
Thank avocado’s healthy mono-
unsaturated fats, which help
lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and
boost HDL (the good kind).
SCALE BACK A study published
in Mayo Clinic Proceedings found
that obese and overweight people
who shed at least 15 percent of
their body weight—and kept it off
for a year—had a 37 percent lower
risk of metabolic syndrome. Even
a 5 percent drop can improve
insulin sensitivity and reduce belly
fat (another risk factor).
STRIKE A POSE Physical activity
is key for countering metabolic
syndrome, and, good news: yoga
counts. Obese and overweight
dieters—who either had meta-
bolic syndrome or were at risk
for it—saw their waistlines shrink
about an inch after two weeks
of daily yoga sessions. Their
LDL cholesterol and BMI also
dropped. Plus, other research
shows that getting bendy for an
hour, three times a week, reduces
inflammation in people who have
metabolic syndrome, helping to
alleviate conditions like diabetes
and heart disease.
STARCH IT As if you needed a
reason to enjoy carbs, a study
published in Scientific Reports
suggests that a special type
called resistant starch may help.
People with metabolic syndrome
who ate about 10 grams of the
stuff daily improved their cho-
lesterol in 12 weeks. These perks
may come from the carb’s pre-
biotic effects: this starch resists
digestion until it gets to the large
intestine, where it feeds certain
good gut bacteria that convert
cholesterol into a form that can
be excreted from the body. Get
your fix from white beans (4 g
resistant starch per 1/2 cup), green
bananas (4 g per medium fruit) or
cooked, cooled potatoes (the pro-
cess turns starch into the resistant
kind, 10 g per medium spud).
