Metabolic Resistance Diet

If you suffer from metabolic syndrome, you're at risk for heart disease and diabetes. The Metabolic Diet, created by a Canadian sports medicine doctor, purports to help you lose weight and improve your metabolism. While this radical diet may work, it is not without risk. Seek medical advice before embarking on the Metabolic Diet.

Metabolic Syndrome

The metabolic syndrome is a combination of disorders that affect your metabolism and increase your risk of heart disease, stroke or diabetes, including obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and insulin resistance, according to the Mayo Clinic. People who carry excess weight around their middle, those older than 60, Hispanics, Asians and people with a family history of diabetes face a higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome. A body mass index, or BMI, higher than 25 also increases your risk.

Metabolic Diet

The Metabolic Diet strictly limits carbohydrates and provides unlimited amounts of protein. Like the Atkins Diet, the Metabolic Diet limits carbohydrates to 30 g a day, about the amount in a single slice of bread. The Metabolic Diet, created by Dr. Mauro di Pasquale, a Toronto physician, permits you to gradually reduce your carbohydrate intake if you find a sudden restriction difficult. For five days a week, your diet is based on eating steak, hamburger, lobster, chicken and other protein, as well as dairy products, including high-fat cheese, eggs, butter and sunflower seeds. Mayonnaise is an approved condiment, and you can enjoy as much diet soda as you wish.

Supplements

Metabolic Diet followers are encouraged to use supplements available online through Dr. Pasquale. A six-week regimen of a group of supplements called Cellusol, designed to help you lose fat without losing muscle, costs around $200. Lipoflush, a "revolutionary weight loss formula" that contains vitamins and more than a dozen herbs, including ginger, green tea extract and cinnamon, supposedly flushes away body fat for $70. Dr. Pasquale, a former champion weightlifter, also encourages exercise and sells products, such as Exersol, to augment training efforts.

Moderate Weight Loss Plan

Lifestyle changes, including weight loss, can reduce your risk of diabetes and heart disease. However, a moderate, balanced diet can help you achieve this goal without depriving you of important nutrients. A balanced weight-loss diet, as recommended by the United States Department of Agriculture, would include 1,500 calories from the following food groups: fruit, three servings; vegetables, four servings; carbohydrates, four to eight servings; and protein and dairy, three to seven servings. You can also include three to five servings of healthy fats, and up to 75 calories of sugar daily. The USDA diet, similar to diets recommended by the nonprofit Mayo Clinic, recommends just 6 oz. of protein. The Mayo Clinic encourages people with metabolic syndrome to include beans in their diets as legumes provide low-fat protein and fiber that aids digestion and improves the metabolism.

Metabolism-Boosting Foods

Other foods not included in the Metabolic Diet may improve your metabolism. According to Leslie Beck, a registered dietitian who writes regularly for "The Globe and Mail," foods that contain vitamin C, vitamin D and calcium can give your metabolism and weight loss efforts a lift. She recommends eating low-fat dairy products, citrus fruits and broccoli in your diet to obtain calcium and vitamin C. Vitamin D, found most often in fortified beverages and breakfast cereals, can also be obtained by eating egg yolks.