Metabolic Syndrome is on the rise, especially among adults that have gained fat around their midsections and are much less physically active compared to their teen years. About two thirds of us are overweight and exercise deficient, and up to 40% of adults have this condition and many of them don't even know it. Metabolic Syndrome (sometimes called Syndrome X) describes a cluster of conditions that can put you at high risk for major diseases. The first signs of this condition are you may be carrying extra body fat and your waist size measures greater than 102 cm for men and 89 cm for women. But a big belly isn't just somewhere you store this extra weight. From your body's standpoint, fat around the middle is a very different kind of fat than, say, fat on your thighs or backside. It's much easier for this kind of fat to get into the bloodstream, where it can wreak havoc accelerating aging and increasing the risk of major diseases. That's because one of the hallmark signs of Metabolic Syndrome - insulin resistance - causes fat to be stored in dangerous areas, such as deep in the abdomen or around major organs such as the liver, heart, kidneys etc. And the more sugar you eat, the higher your risk for this nasty villain to invade your body. Having this condition can explain why you frequently feel fatigued and sluggish both physically and mentally especially after a meal. Are you slowly gaining weight - and having difficulty losing it? Is your health slipping slowly away and you don't know why? Do you feel you are aging faster than you should be? These are also all of the symptoms of Metabolic Syndrome which can set the stage for catastrophic health problems later on down the road. This process develops over a course of years or decades, often going unnoticed until symptoms of ill health appear, and then it is often too late. Diets, high in calories and saturated fat and low in fiber along with a lack of regular physical activity contributes to the risk factors for Metabolic Syndrome. After all it is the body's way of resisting excessive sugar and carbohydrate levels from highly refined and processed foods such as baked goods, packaged cereals and sugary drinks etc. The good news is that when a serious exercise program is initiated, one that contains at least 60% strength training exercise the first type of fat to go is this dangerous type of fat. Muscle tissue needs to be used. If it isn't used enough through vigorous work or strength training exercise muscle cells become resistant to insulin. If muscle isn't used, it is broken down. With less muscle the body's metabolism is less efficient. As dangerous fat stores increase, insulin resistance worsens. Regular exercise primes your cells for activity. To get the energy you need for exercise, your body uses insulin to move sugar and fat into cells where they are burned as fuel and harmlessly dissipated. More muscle tissue means more insulin receptors, which helps reverse insulin resistance. This allows the muscle, in essence, to work away and reduce excess body fat. This simple cure is a potent tool to reduce your risk of this modern day health destroyer.
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