Updated: 12/12/2021
You might already know that you need to lose a few pounds. You don’t feel great in your clothes anymore and tasks such as tying shoes are getting harder to do. But do you know if you also have high blood pressure? What about your cholesterol or blood sugar levels? Does diabetes run in your family? If you are approaching 60 years old, these are questions you may want to ask yourself and get tested for at your next physical. Why 60? I find many of my patients start developing complications from metabolic syndrome around this age. But that doesn’t mean it’s too late to improve your health!
Did you miss part 1 of this series? You can check it out here. Metabolic syndrome is a combination of health problems but medication doesn’t have to be the only option to treat them. You CAN lose weight, manage blood sugar, and improve heart health naturally while taking less medication.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not completely against using medication for the treatment of high blood sugar, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. I recognize there are some people who absolutely need them. BUT, wouldn’t life be better with less or even without medication if lifestyle changes could be the way to manage your health?
If you are ready to get back to that life, here are 3 simple steps you can take right now:
Step 1: Measure your waist circumference. This can be done easily at home. Knowing your waist circumference is more important than the number on the scale. Where you carry the weight is a better indicator of health status. A large waist circumference (35 inches for women or 40 inches for men) puts an adult at risk for developing high blood pressure and high blood sugar.
But where exactly do you measure your waist? First, grab a flexible measuring tape. If you have a sewing kit tucked away in the closet somewhere, they usually include one. Otherwise, you can use a piece of yarn or ribbon and lay it against a measuring tape or ruler that is not as flexible. Watch the video below where I show you how to measure your waist circumference and know if you are in the right spot each time for accurate results.
Step 2: Check your blood pressure. Don’t have your blood pressure result from the doctor’s office? Invest in your own blood pressure monitor. If you don’t want to get an at-home monitor, you can do it for free at a kiosk in most grocery stores located by the pharmacy. Do a quick Google search for “blood pressure kiosk near me”. If you can’t find it, ask the pharmacist if they have one available. A healthy blood pressure is around 120/80 mmHg and should be no higher than 130/85 mmHg.
Step 3: Get lab work done through your primary care doctor. If you haven’t already this year, schedule your yearly physical with your doctor. While it’s best to go through your doctor for this sort of thing and discuss the results with them, there is an option to get them done without a doctor’s order. Check out Pixel through LabCorp if you have a facility near you. However, if you have insurance, it will usually save you money by going through your doctor anyway.
What labs should you ask for?
If anyone in your family has a history of heart attacks, strokes, and/or diabetes, request a lipid panel. When your parents and/or siblings have these conditions, this puts you at a greater chance of having the same. (You can thank them later.) A lipid panel includes total cholesterol, HDL, LDL, and triglyceride levels. If HDL is lower than 40 and/or LDL is higher than 100 and/or triglycerides are higher than 150, these results are not normal. When you make an appointment with me, I will spend the time to go over these results with you and discuss how the Mediterranean diet may improve them.
If you have a family history of diabetes or a personal history of gestational diabetes (high blood sugar while pregnant), ask for a fasting glucose to see if you have high blood sugar. A normal fasting blood sugar should be between 85-100. If it is higher than that, request a HgbA1c which is usually used to diagnose pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes.
Knowing your numbers and where you are starting is the first step to combating metabolic syndrome. Be sure to check out part 3 of this series on how to use the information you’ve obtained so far get you on your way to medication freedom.