Metabolic syndrome is the term used to describe a cluster of disorders that are estimated to account for 75% of global health care costs. If you are suffering from 3 or more of the following conditions, it is likely that you have metabolic syndrome:

Abdominal obesity
High blood pressure (hypertension)
Heart disease
Pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes
High triglycerides
Low HDL cholesterol
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Certain types of cancer
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome
Dementia

It used to be thought that all of these problems began with weight-gain; if you eat too much and don't get enough exercise you'll get fat and develop health problems. On the face of it, that would appear to be true, but when you take a closer look at exactly who has metabolic syndrome, the picture isn't so clear. In fact, 40% of normal weight adults are suffering from metabolic syndrome and 20% of overweight adults are otherwise healthy. So if being overweight is not the cause of metabolic syndrome, what is?

The answer is high blood insulin levels or hyperinsulinaemia. Insulin is hormone created in the pancreas that acts as a nutrient sensor to allow the preservation of stored energy. In other words, insulin promotes the storage of energy from food in the liver, muscles and fat cells. It must be present for fat storage and it prevents the breakdown of stored fat in the body. The foods that stimulate the body to produce the most insulin are those that contain sugars and refined carbohydrates. Insulin is essential for life; we can't live without it. In a healthy individual who has not eaten for several hours, blood insulin levels will be very low. After a meal, blood insulin levels will increase naturally to ensure that the energy absorbed by the body can be stored for future use. When this job is done, insulin levels will drop back down again and stay low until the next meal. However, for a number of reasons, insulin levels can become chronically raised. For some people, this is caused by a genetic tendency towards insulin resistance but for many, their insulin levels are high for extended periods of time simply because they consume lots sugar and processed carbohydrates and snack frequently. Chronically high levels of insulin, or hyperinsulinaemia cause inflammation throughout the body, and if hyperinsulinaemia persists, it will eventually trigger metabolic syndrome.

The good news is that metabolic syndrome can be managed and even reversed through simple dietary changes. By cutting out sugar and the highly processed carbohydrates found in processed food, ditching the snacks and increasing the length of time between your meals you can reduce your insulin levels and reclaim your health.

If you'd like support to lose weight and manage chronic health conditions contact:

Helen Chauhan, Integrative Nutrition Health Coach

Iris Family Medicine, 1486 High St, Glen Iris

Tel 9509 2144

Email helen@helenchauhan.com.au

One of the reasons calorie-restricted diets tend to fail is because they make you really hungry and can increase food cravings. This is because calorie-restricted diets change the hormones that control hunger and satiety so that when you lose weight, your body will fight to put the weight back on. Your hormones drive you to eat more and you are caught in a trap of yo-yo dieting.

A low carbohydrate / ketogenic diet works very differently as it suppresses appetite in a number of different ways. When you start eating more fat and cut out the precessed carbs and sugar you tend to stop experiencing the blood sugar swings that most people eating a standard western diet will suffer. You experience less intense hunger and your cravings for carb-heavy meals disappear.

Once your body starts to burn fat for fuel and your blood ketone levels rise , your appetite will be suppressed in more subtle and significant ways because ketones can control hunger and satiety hormones. Studies have shown that ketones impact cholecystokinin (CCK), a hormone which makes you feel full, and ghrelin, the “hunger hormone.”

Your intestines release CCK after you eat. It is a powerful regulator of food intake; if you inject people with CCK, they will cut their meals short. When you lose weight, your body will secrete less CCK, so you will want to eat more than before you started dieting. However, a recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that being in nutritional ketosis (when you are burning fat for fuel) raised CCK to pre-weight loss levels thereby reducing the risk of over-eating and post-diet weight gain.

Ghrelin, the “hunger hormone” increases appetite. It’s released from your stomach and intestines, with blood levels reaching their highest point when you have not eaten for a long time. When you eat a meal, ghrelin levels drop. If you inject a person with ghrelin, they eat much more. Usually, when people lose weight, their ghrelin levels increase making them feel more hungry. However, several studies of dieters following a ketogenic diet have shown that ketosis completely suppresses the increase in ghrelin levels that usually occur with weight loss. In fact, one study showed that individuals with ketone levels higher than 0.3mmols had lower ghrelin levels after they lost weight compared with their baseline at the start of the trial.

Increased appetite following weight loss is one of the key factors in weight regain. A low-carbohydrate, high fat (ketogenic) diet helps you to control your hunger hormones instead of fighting against them.

If you'd like to know more or access support to lose weight and control your appetite contact:

Helen Chauhan, Integrative Nutrition Health Coach

Iris Family Medicine, 1486 High St, Glen Iris

Tel 9509 2144

Email helen@helenchauhan.com

Your Essential Guide to Metabolic Syndrome

Stop Counting Calories & Start Controlling Your Hunger Hormones