Diabetes / Insulin Resistence

This one has my name all over it:

http://www.carbs-information.com/metabolic-syndrome-x.htm

What is Metabolic Syndrome X?

Metabolic Syndrome X - a term first coined by a group of researchers at Stanford University - is a metabolic imbalance characterized by a collection of signs and symptoms which include the following:

* Chronic abdominal obesity or adiposity (excessive fat tissue around the abdomen) with associated raised cholesterol, leading to an increased risk of heart disease.
* Atherogenic dyslipidemia (high triglycerides and low HDL cholesterol, which stimulates "furring" or "clogging" of the arteries to the heart and brain) leading to increased risk of heart disease and stroke.
* Hypertension (raised blood pressure) another risk factor for heart disease.
* Insulin resistance, hyperinsulimia, glucose intolerance (the body can’t properly use insulin or blood sugar) leading to increased risk of diabetes and obesity (Diabesity®).

Metabolic Syndrome X - aka Insulin Resistance Syndrome

Metabolic syndrome is also known as Insulin Resistance Syndrome, a metabolic disorder in which the body suffers from chronic insensitivity to the hormone insulin, which is released by the pancreas to permit the utilization of glucose by the cells. Patients with insulin resistance are therefore unable to use insulin efficiently and frequently develop type 2 diabetes.
What Causes Metabolic Syndrome X?

The main known causes of metabolic syndrome are a combination of (a) genetic factors; (b) obesity; and (c) lack of exercise. Other influences include: nutritional deficiencies of certain minerals, and liver dysfunction and/or fatty liver.

How do you Know if You Have Metabolic Syndrome X?

There are no universal diagnostic criteria for metabolic syndrome. One widely used set of diagnostic criteria are those proposed by the Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Adult Treatment Panel III).

According to these ATP III criteria, metabolic syndrome X is identified by the presence of three or more of these elements:

* Abdominal obesity as measured by waist circumference:
Men - Greater than 40 inches
Women - Greater than 35 inches
* Blood HDL cholesterol:
Men - Less than 40 mg/dL
Women - Less than 50 mg/dL
* Fasting blood triglycerides greater than or equal to 150 mg/dL
* Blood pressure greater than or equal to 130/85 mmHg
* Fasting glucose greater than or equal to 110 mg/dL

What are the Consequences of Metabolic Syndrome X?

Patients with metabolic syndrome X have an increased risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and peripheral vascular disease, and type 2 diabetes.

How is Metabolic Syndrome X Treated?

The most effective way to reduce insulin resistance in overweight and obese people is through weight loss and increased physical activity. Some research indicates that using a low-glycemic-index diet can help to reduce insulin insensitivity and improve the regulation of glucose metabolism.

For example, if you're overweight, simply losing up to 10 percent of your current body weight can bring blood pressure down and increase your cells' sensitivity to insulin. Exercise is an important component of weight loss. It also raises HDL blood levels, even without weight loss.

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"Glycimic Index" is an important tool:

http://www.everydiet.org/diet/glycemic-index

Low Glycemic Index Diets

The Glycemic Index (GI) was originally devised to help diabetics. The index is a ranking of carbohydrate foods which measures the rate at which the blood glucose (or blood sugar) levels rise when a particular food is eaten.

Pure glucose has a rating of 100 – so there nearer a food is to 100, the higher it’s GI rating is. This indicates how quickly the food is converted to blood sugar, and, how quickly the blood sugar levels will drop. Foods with a low GI rating will be absorbed more slowly, helping to keep blood sugar levels constant.

Typical GI Diet

A typical low glycemic index diet is low in fat and high in carbohydrates — but specifically low-GI carbs. Often a simple change from high GI carbs, to low GI carbs may bring about weight loss. It may also give the feeling of more energy, due to less blood sugar / insulin spikes during the day.

Breakfast
Oatmeal with raisins and skim milk.
Orange juice.


Lunch
Vegetable soup with sourdough bread.
Plums.

Dinner
Lean beef bolognese on wholemeal pasta.
Green salad.
Low-fat yogurt.

Drinks
Water, tea (skim milk), herbal teas.

What About Glycemic Load?

Glycemic Index alone does not provide enough information about the glycemic affect of a food. For example; carrots have a high GI, but you would have to eat boxes and boxes of them to have any pronounced affect on blood sugar. This is because the amount of carbohydrate in carrot is very small.

To calculate glycemic load (GL): Simply multiply the GI by the amount of carbohydrate and divide by 100.

For example; an 80g serve of carrot with a GI of 92 has 4.2g per serve. 92 X 4.2 / 100 = 3.9