You Are What You Eat
We have all heard the saying “You are what you eat”, and it is true. Proteins from food build you up, carbohydrates fuel the body and fats are in charge of flexibility of our joints and skin, they maintain our mental health and influence our immune system. Eating well can restore and maintain good health, and even treat the cause of disease. That makes it the least expensive way to promote health in the short and long run.
Learning the risks of a poor diet, diseases related to it and ultimately — what to eat in order to be healthy can save your life. No one can do this for you, you are the one who chooses what to eat and drink. Obesity and metabolic syndrome ar at an all time high and many are dying from complications, as a matter of fact…
OBESITY AND MORTALITY.
According to the National Institutes of Health, obesity and overweight together are the second leading cause of preventable death in the United States, close behind tobacco use (3). An estimated 300,000 deaths per year are due to the obesity epidemic (57).
Obesity: Facts, Figures, (Guidelineshttps://www.wvdhhr.org/bph/oehp/obesity/mortality.htm
What is metabolic syndrome?
Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of conditions that include increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, or abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels that occurs together, increasing your risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes and other serious diseases. Having two or more of these conditions means that you have metabolic syndrome.
If you have metabolic syndrome or any of its components, easy lifestyle changes can delay or even prevent the development of serious health problems. You won’t believe how great you will feel when you make just a few simple changes.
Symptoms
Metabolic syndrome is linked to being overweight, obese and very little activity. Having a large waist circumference is a visible sign of being overweight. It’s also linked to a condition called insulin resistance. Insulin is a hormone made by your pancreas that turns your food into glycogen which is used by every cell in your body however when you become “resistant” it doesn’t stop producing and turns out more and more insulin. Glucose levels (sugar)continue to rise and because it cannot be controlled it eventually brings about type 2 diabetes.
Statistics from (http://easo.org/education-portal/obesity-facts-figures/) state:
Obesity Facts & Figures: World Health Organization Fact sheet N°311
Key facts
· Worldwide obesity has nearly doubled since 1980.
· In 2008, more than 1.4 billion adults, 20 and older, were overweight. Of these over 200 million men and nearly 300 million women were obese.
· 35% of adults aged 20 and over were overweight in 2008, and 11% were obese.
· 65% of the world’s population live in countries where overweight and obesity kills more people than underweight.
· Overweight and obesity are the fifth leading risk for global deaths. At least 2.8 million adults die each year as a result of being overweight or obese.
· 44% of the diabetes burden, 23% of the ischaemic heart disease burden and between 7% and 41% of certain cancer burdens are attributable to overweight and obesity.
· More than 40 million children under the age of five were overweight in 2011.
· Obesity is preventable.
The following factors increase your chances of having metabolic syndrome:
· Obesity. Carrying too much weight, especially in your abdomen,.
· Diabetes. You’re more likely to have metabolic syndrome if you had diabetes during pregnancy (gestational diabetes) or if you have a family history of type 2 diabetes. If you don’t start to make lifestyle changes to control your excess weight, (which can lead to insulin resistance), your glucose levels will continue to increase. This will bring about diabetes.
· Age. Your risk of metabolic syndrome increases with age.
· Other diseases. Your risk of metabolic syndrome is higher if you’ve ever had cardiovascular disease, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease or polycystic ovary syndrome.
· Cardiovascular disease. High cholesterol and high blood pressure can contribute to the buildup of plaques in your arteries. These plaques can narrow and harden your arteries, which can lead to a heart attack or stroke.
There is great news and it isn’t difficult to do. When your body is healthy and is given what it needs IT CAN HEAL ITSELF!! It is very important that your body has the right balance so that it can begin the healing process. You will feel better and look amazing. You can be the very best that you can be naturally. Stay tuned and learn simple things that you can do to improve your health and lower your chances of disease.
