Limiting foods that cause dramatic spikes in glucose, such as sugar and refined carbohydrates, can help fight insulin resistance, which may be a cause of metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome isn't a single medical condition; rather, it's a combination of health concerns -- including high blood pressure, excess fat around your waist, high LDL and triglyceride levels and high blood sugar -- that increase your risk for heart disease and type 2 diabetes. The foods you eat can have a major impact on metabolic syndrome and help prevent more serious health problems.
Limiting Carbohydrates
No food has as great an impact on your blood sugar and insulin levels as carbohydrates. Only carbohydrates raise blood sugar levels. Fat, protein and fiber slow digestion and help keep blood sugar stable. You don't want to eliminate carbs -- you just want to choose high-fiber nutrient-dense carbs that won't spike glucose levels. Use the glycemic index as your guide; the glycemic index measures how fast a food will cause glucose to rise -- the lower the GI score, the slower your blood sugar reacts. Foods are scored from 1 to 100 and any food that scores below 55 is considered a low-GI food. Several popular diets use the glycemic index, including the South Beach and the Zone diets.
Lower Your Sodium Intake
If you have high blood pressure, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute recommends you consume no more than 1,500 mg of sodium daily. The DASH, or Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, plan suggests that you eat vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fish, poultry, nuts and low-fat dairy products. It focuses on eating foods rich in potassium, calcium, and magnesium -- minerals that can lower blood pressure. Although not specifically a weight-loss diet, the DASH approach can help with the symptoms of metabolic syndrome and may help you lose water weight and stop retaining fluids.
Choosing Healthy Fats
The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends limiting dietary cholesterol, saturated fat and trans fats. You'll need to be an avid label reader to fight metabolic syndrome and decrease your risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. MayoClinic.com advises that you shouldn't consume more than 150 mg of dietary cholesterol daily and should avoid foods that list "partially-hydrogenated" oils in the ingredients -- those are always trans fats. Watch out for commercially baked crackers, cookies, cakes and snack foods, which often contain trans fats. Choose unsaturated fats, such as oil and vegetable oils, and also consume polyunsaturated omega-3 fats, found in cold-water fish, flax seeds and walnuts. Omega-3s can help lower triglyceride levels and fight high cholesterol.
Exercise and Weight Loss
No diet plan is complete without exercise. The AHA advises 30 minutes of moderate-intensity activity most days of the week, but MayoClinic.com states that you need between 30 and 60 minutes of exercise every day. Losing just 10 percent of your body weight can improve insulin resistance and lower your risk of diabetes and heart disease, but a BMI less than 25 is ideal.
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