Metabolic Syndrome Diet: Foods to Eat & Avoid

Metabolic Syndrome Diet: Foods to Eat & Avoid

Metabolic syndrome consists of a number of health issues that a person has all at the same time. These issues are high Blood Pressure, extra fat around the midsection, increased blood sugar readings, and cholesterol levels that are abnormal. When these are all happening together you have an increased chance of a Stroke, Diabetes and Heart Disease.

If you have just one of these issues you do not have metabolic syndrome. If you do have it, you can turn things around by making important lifestyle changes.

What to Include in a Metabolic Syndrome Diet
Even if you do not lose any weight, if you change the foods that you eat you can improve your blood pressure, reduce your blood glucose levels, and correct your cholesterol numbers. Here are some foods that you might want to include if you are starting a metabolic syndrome diet.

1. Increase Your Fiber
When you add more fiber to your diet you will find that you are not as hungry because the fiber fills you up faster. Foods that have more fiber include whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables nuts, avocadoes and vegetables that are in the cabbage family.

2. Add More Fruits and Vegetables


You have been hearing this for years but eating fresh fruits and veggies can help you to not get metabolic syndrome and may even keep you from getting certain kinds of Cancer. Keep in mind serving sizes for each group: fruits and vegetables- 1/2 cup; leafy greens – 1 cup; fruit or vegetable juice – 1/2 cup; dried fruit – 1/4 cup. Remember that fresh is best, anything processed is just adding unnecessary preservatives to your diet.

3. Eat Healthy Salads


Many people think by eating a salad they are automatically eating healthy but it is what you put on your salad that could make it just as bad as eating a hamburger. Always get your salad dressing on the side or you can end up adding nearly 1000 calories to your healthy meal. Instead of using creamy salad dressings or those that are full of fat, switch to balsamic vinegar, salsa, lemon juice, or rice vinegar.

4. Know Your Fats


If you’re not sure which fats are good for you and should be a part of your metabolic syndrome diet, here is a simple list:

• Good: Omega-3, omega-6, monounsaturated fats


• Bad: Animal fats, saturated fats,trans-fats

You will find omega-3 fats through fish oil supplements, walnuts, soybeans, and flaxseed. Omega-6 oils can be found in sunflower oil, corn oil, safflower oil, soybean oil, and cottonseed oil. Monounsaturated fats are also a very healthy choice and are plentiful in nuts, canola oil, and olive oil. Even though these fats are good for you, as is anything, use in moderation.

What to Avoid for a Metabolic Syndrome Diet
If you are dealing with metabolic syndrome, you should first work on lowering your blood pressure and LDL cholesterol levels. These are both contributing factors in heart disease. If you are diabetic, you should also focus on reducing your blood sugar levels.

Here are some things to avoid for a heart-healthy eating plan:

1. Unhealthy Fats


The two types of fat that will raise your cholesterol numbers are trans-fat and saturated fat. Foods that have saturated fats are usually from animals. Trans fats can be found in foods that use hydrogenated fats and oils like most prepackaged sweet treats (cake, cookies, pies, and coffee creamers). Trans fats can also be found in the fat and meat of animals. On a heart-healthy diet, you should limit your intake of saturated fat to 5 to 6 percent each day.

2. Sodium


Too much salt is not a good thing for any diet, including a metabolic syndrome diet. With added salt and sodium in most of our foods, adding salt at the table just increases the problem. Too much salt will cause you to retain fluids, which affects your blood pressure levels. The suggested amount of sodium is not more than 2,300 milligrams each day. For people who have high blood pressure, you may want to keep it below that.

3. Alcohol


This category is not a requirement for a healthy diet. In fact, all it does is add to your triglyceride levels, which is a specific kind of fat that is located in the blood, and increases your blood pressure. Because alcohol has no nutritional value, it is just excess calories which could result in added weight. The amount of drinks that a man can have each day is two; for a woman, it is no more than one. One serving of alcohol equals:

• Beer – 12 ounces


• Wine – 5 ounces


• Liquor – 1 1/2 ounces

Dietary Tips to Follow
For a healthy metabolic syndrome diet, simply knowing what to include and what to avoid is not enough, you should also keep a healthy eating habits.

• Don’t skip breakfast. In fact, you should eat shortly after waking up in the morning.


• Eat smaller meals. When you spread out your meals so that you eat every 3 or 4 hours, you will keep your energy levels even and not be so hungry. Substitute your 2 larger meals for smaller meals and snacks consumed more frequently.


• Eat half of your usual meal. Portion control will do a good deal to help get your metabolic syndrome under control. When you are having lunch or dinner at a restaurant, split your meal with someone or ask your server to put half of your meal in a container to take home.

Metabolic Syndrome

Metabolic Syndrome






Metabolic syndrome is not itself a disease but is the collection of conditions such as increased blood sugar level, increased Blood Pressure, increased cholesterol level and excess of body fat on the waist portion. All the above conditions put together is likely to cause heart disease and Stroke. Many people have these conditions for long time, but it is not necessary that you have developed metabolic syndrome.

These conditions will increase the risk of many serious diseases. It is necessary for you to take regular medications and modify your lifestyle to prevent any serious complications. Certain metabolic risk factors like high blood pressure, insulin resistance and cholesterol abnormalities can come together in the same individual, constituting metabolic syndrome. This syndrome is also called as syndrome X or dysmetabolic syndrome.

American Heart Association has considered some of the following features to be present on the individual to develop metabolic syndrome.

• The waistline of the individual should be measuring 102 cm or above in men and 85 cm or above in women
• His/her serum triglyceride score should be 150mg/dl or even more
• HDL cholesterol rating should be 40mg/dl or even below in men and 50mg/dl or below in women
• The individual should have high blood pressure measuring 130/85 or even more
• He/she should have blood sugar reading (fasting) of 100mg/dl or more

For a person to have metabolic syndrome he/she should have at least 3 of the above traits.

Symptoms :

The person affected with metabolic syndrome will be obese; will have increased blood pressure, high blood sugar level and high cholesterol level.

Having more number of symptoms poses greater risk to your health than having one or two metabolic conditions. On an average, 30-35% of the total population in the America have metabolic syndrome. The figure is almost the same in European countries also. Metabolic syndrome increases with age and aged people with one symptom is likely to develop more symptoms of this disorder.

Causes :

Three major factors namely medical conditions, environmental conditions and genetics play a vital role in metabolic syndrome. Individuals with family history of high blood pressure and diabetes have increased chance for developing the same conditions in their life. Hence genetics influence the component of metabolic syndrome.

People are likely to gain weight due to eating fast foods, sedentary lifestyle and stressful working hours. All these factors together contribute to the development of metabolic syndrome. Obesity is one of the highest risk factor for causing this disorder. Around 60-65% of the obese people will have metabolic syndrome. Adults who are gaining pounds each year are likely to develop this syndrome. Smoking, drinking, hormonal changes and unhealthy eating habits are some other factors that cause metabolic syndrome.

Who are at risk?

You are at risk to develop metabolic syndrome, if you are

Obese: BMI index of above 25 increases the risk very much.

Aged: If you are above 60 years with blood sugar and Hypertension then you are likely to develop metabolic syndrome.

Medical Conditions: People with history of medical conditions like diabetes, heart problems, hypertension and Fatty Liver disease have increased risk for developing it.

Race: Asians and Hispanics have great risk of getting this syndrome.

Tests and Diagnoses :

Your doctor will check your health condition and look for the above medical conditions like obesity, cardiovascular disease, blood sugar and blood cholesterol. He may order for blood culture, blood glucose test and measure your blood pressure for confirming the disorder.

Treatment :

There is no cure for metabolic syndrome, but you can manage to stay in control by taking regular medications and by changing your lifestyle. To begin with, if you are obese, you need to do workouts for reducing pounds. Do exercises daily for minimum 30 minutes. Stick on to healthy diet and avoid fatty foods and fast foods. It is the major cause for increased weight. You can consult your doctor to take DASH diet and limit unhealthy fats in your diet.

Smoking and drinking can cause adverse effect on your metabolism and increase the risk of developing several complications. Now many programs are available to quit smoking and drinking. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables that contain fiber which helps to lower the insulin levels. It is wise to lose weight through sustained healthy diet and exercises rather than resorting to Weight Loss pills that cause side effects.

Prevention :

Maintain your weight and indulge in plenty of physical activity. This will prevent you from developing more symptoms of metabolic syndrome. It will reduce the risk of getting heart disease and diabetes.