Metabolic Syndrome

About 35% of adults in the United States have metabolic syndrome, a serious medical condition that raises your risk for heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. A person with metabolic syndrome is twice as likely to have a heart attack or stroke and 5 times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than someone without it!

What is metabolic syndrome?

Metabolic syndrome is not a specific disease, but rather a group of risk factors. You have metabolic syndrome if you have 3 or more of the following:

A large waist circumference (over 35 inches for women and over 40 inches for men)

High triglycerides (a fat found in the blood) or you already take a medication to lower your triglycerides (> or =150mg/dL)

Low good (HDL) cholesterol (less than 40mg per dL for men and less than 50mg per dL for women)

High blood pressure (less than or equal to 135/85) or you already take a medication to lower your blood pressure

Elevated fasting blood sugar (or “prediabetes”) (greater than or equal to 110 mg/dL)

How to lower your risk of metabolic syndrome

Here is the good news. Metabolic syndrome is closely related to lifestyle choices. If you make the commitment to a healthy lifestyle, you have the power to successfully treat your condition or prevent it from happening in the first place. These 10 steps can help you get started:

• Get a checkup. Healthy or not, if you haven’t had one in over a year, it’s time to visit your health care provider. If you have any of the risk factors listed above, it is much easier to treat if caught early.
• Take medical advice seriously and return for all follow-up visits to your health care provider. If you cannot follow your treatment plan, discuss trying a different plan that may be more likely to maintain. 
• Embrace lifestyle change. Though genetics and age do play a part, the main cause of metabolic syndrome is an unhealthy lifestyle. If you make positive changes in your eating patterns and physical activity, you can reverse metabolic syndrome.
• Aim for a modest weight loss. Your health can improve in a big way by losing just 5–10% of your current body weight. Start slow with small goals.
• Make a plan. Sure, losing weight is all about eating less and moving more. But how are you going to do it? Begin by setting small, reachable goals related to diet and exercise.
• Educate yourself on what changes need to be made to your diet. The DASH diet, Mediterranean diet, and MyPlate are safe and evidence-based eating plans that can improve your health. 
• Keep a food log. This is a very effective tool for weight loss. 
• Get moving. You can’t get healthy without getting active. Aim for 150 minutes of moderate activity per week. Walking is a great way to get this in! 
• Find an accountability partner. Having a friend or family member who supports your efforts and will check in with you on a regular basis is invaluable. 
• Don’t forget the other “biggies”. Though they are not part of metabolic syndrome, smoking and high bad (LDL) cholesterol are still major risk factors for heart disease. 

source

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Upper Rogue River Hike/Run
After taking care of business in the morning, a friend and I headed to the upper Rogue River area (above Natural Bridge) for a fun afternoon of hiking, running, photography and a little foraging.
The views were spectacular even though the lighting wasn't the best for photography.

~Feelin' Alive!~