Diet and Metabolic Syndrome 🆙

Minor lifestyle changes can prevent or significantly slow the progress of the metabolic syndrome.

To do this, it is sufficient to combine a little exercise with a correct diet that favors weight loss and maintenance of a healthy weight.

What is the metabolic syndrome?

Diet and Metabolic Syndrome In many cases, a person with metabolic syndrome is not really sick but has a high probability of becoming one if he does not adopt a healthier lifestyle.

The metabolic syndrome is therefore a warning that invites us to regularize our habits (stress, nutrition and physical activity) before it is too late.

Precisely because those who suffer from metabolic syndrome are not yet sick most of the time, the dietary recommendations that are given reflect exactly those proposed to the general population, but their application must be more careful and rigorous.

What to eat

If you think you are at risk of metabolic syndrome, it is still a good rule to contact a doctor, both to evaluate this hypothesis and to receive personalized advice on diet and exercise.

In all likelihood, the specialist will recommend paying particular attention to the consumption of simple carbohydrates (primarily those contained in soft drinks, fruit juices and sweet snacks), the sodium intake and the intake of animal and vegetable fats (margarine ). Caloric moderation is also very important, since being overweight is the common thread that binds most cases of metabolic syndrome; consequently, reaching the ideal weight allows (in most cases) to rebalance the glycemic, blood pressure and lipidemic values.

At the same time the patient will be encouraged not to salt the dishes, to avoid foods rich in sodium and to eat more fruits and vegetables, controlling the consumption of alcohol.

Other useful tips for people with metabolic syndrome:

distribute the nutrients evenly in the various meals, avoiding those based on carbohydrates only (for example 100 grams of white pasta increase the blood sugar level more and more quickly than 100 grams of tuna and tomato pasta and are also less satiating)
Do not eat too large meals but divide the caloric intake into at least four / five meals a day; in fact, remember that to keep blood sugar under control, not only the quality but also the quantity of nutrients taken with the diet is very important (as it is logical to think a teaspoon of sugar, despite having a high glycemic index, causes an increase in blood glucose less than 100 g of wholemeal pasta)
Never combine two foods rich in carbohydrates in the same meal (lunch or dinner), so, for example, do not eat bread and pasta, bread and potatoes or rice and dessert at the same time. Instead, it is recommended to combine these foods with others rich in fiber such as vegetables.
Learn to cook while saving fats and oils as much as possible, possibly adding them raw at the end of cooking.
Reduce the consumption of salt (without completely excluding it from the diet), still prefer the iodized one and enhance the flavor of foods with spices, lemon or traditional / balsamic vinegar

Foods to Avoid or Moderate

RED LIGHT: abstention or sporadic consumption

Margarine with hydrogenated fats
spirits
Lard - bacon - sausages - fatty pork - fatty meats
Fatty cheeses
Fatty sausages (salami - mortadella - coppa - offal)
Fries
Sweets, snacks
Egg red
Sweetened drinks
Butter
Tropical oils

ORANGE TRAFFIC LIGHT: moderate consumption

Non-hydrogenated vegetable fats
Semi-fat cheeses
Semi-fat red meats
Whole milk and yogurt
Wine and beer
Fresh pasta
Cooked ham, speck
Ceilings
Dried Fruit
Crustaceans, eel, capitone
Sugary fruit (figs, grapes and bananas) especially if ripe
Fruit juices

TRAFFIC LIGHT YELLOW - do not abuse it

Raw vegetable oils
Lean meats
Semi-skimmed milk and / or yogurt
Lean cheeses
Whole egg
Lean raw ham, bresaola
Lean pork
Pasta or rice
Potatoes
Bread
Egg white
Fully skimmed milk and / or yogurt
Fish (at least 3-4 times a week, shellfish and molluscs only once a week)
Legumes with or without pasta (beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas, broad beans)

Recommended Foods

GREEN TRAFFIC LIGHT: TO BE CONSUMED FREELY

Seasonal vegetable soups (preferable: asparagus, chard, broccoli, artichokes, mushrooms, endive, spinach, cabbage, pumpkin, zucchini)
Fresh unsweetened fruit
Vegetables in general

Example Diet for Metabolic Syndrome "