There is a cluster of health factors that can come together and practically guarantee that heart disease, diabetes and/or stroke will be in your future, and you will be facing your mortality long before you should.

It’s Metabolic Syndrome.

Metabolic Syndrome is a collection of health issues (that are rampant in our society today) that spell DANGER.

They include:

• Obesity

• High blood pressure

• Elevated blood glucose

• Elevated triglycerides

• Low HDL cholesterol

• A high concentration of belly fat (being an “apple shape”)

Let’s take a closer look at the four primary causes behind Metabolic Syndrome and discuss ways you can help prevent it or fight back.

Metabolic Syndrome Cause #1: SAD

Metabolic Syndrome is sad, but the SAD I’m referring to is the Standard American Diet, which can cause an absolute train wreck of ill health in your body.

The Standard American Diet is typically characterized as follows:

High amounts of:

• Refined carbohydrates--These create repeated floods of glucose into the bloodstream, which can eventually lead to insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes.

• Processed food—Many of the artificial ingredients and chemicals in packaged foods must be processed by the liver and/or kidneys and create enormous amounts of acid wastes.

• Fast food—This typically includes lots of refined carbs, foods fried in vegetable oils (which are highly inflammatory), and foods that are severely lacking any measure of freshness or nutritional value.

Low amounts of:

• Fresh fruits and vegetables

• Fiber and naturally occurring nutrients

• Unadulterated meats, poultry or fish

• Healthy fats

Metabolic Syndrome Cause #2: Lack of movement

According to Harvard Medical School, only about 30 percent of Americans engage in any form of regular exercise.

So, is it any wonder that three out of four of us are overweight or obese (including our children!), high blood pressure is through the roof and elevated cholesterol/statin use is exploding?

Regular exercise helps prevent and counteract ALL of those issues, but most people would rather walk through a den of snakes than exercise.

Metabolic Syndrome Cause #3: The magic pill mentality

Although medications are useful in some cases, the fact is that ours is a medication-dependent society, and the average person is looking for “that magic pill” to solve their health issues, instead of doing their part to encourage good health—like having a healthy diet and exercising.

Not only can medications NOT undo the effects of a poor diet and physical inactivity, but they also interfere with the proper functioning of your body’s cells, tissues and organs (manifesting as side effects) and create acid wastes that your body (especially your liver and kidneys) must eliminate.

Metabolic Syndrome Cause #4: Uric acid

Research has shown uric acid plays a role in Metabolic Syndrome.

Uric acid is a normal waste product removed from the body by your kidneys and intestines and released in your urine and stool. And if your kidneys are working properly and your BMs are regular and healthy, uric acid typically isn’t a problem.

But unfortunately, many people are stressing their kidneys with food chemicals and medications and have anything-but-normal bowel movements, so uric acid levels can run high.

Elevated levels of uric acid are associated with Metabolic Syndrome, and recent studies have shown it appears to actually disrupt your metabolism.

Help prevent it or turn it around!

Metabolic Syndrome paints a deeply concerning picture, and you simply can’tsit back and hope your number doesn’t come up.

But the great news is, there is PLENTY you can do to help prevent Metabolic Syndrome or help fight back if you’re already heading toward it!

Here are six highly effective measures you can take:

Support your microbiome

The safe elimination of harmful food and medication wastes through your intestinal tract depends on a strong gut wall.

If your gut wall is weak and too porous (known as leaky gut) toxins and wastes have an "open door" to seep back into your bloodstream and trigger inflammation.

Unfortunately, many people have unhealthy gut environments due to our typical diets. Refined carbs feed the harmful bacteria in your gut which can in turn irritate the intestinal lining and contribute to leaky gut.

But probiotic supplementation can help encourage a healthier gut environment and more regular bowel movements. Probiotics help to support and repopulate your microbiome with friendly, helpful bacteria that can help counteract the harmful effects of dangerous microbes.

And for a top-shelf probiotic that can help support YOUR healthy gut wall, Super Shield multi-strain probiotic formula is a fantastic option.

Our 13 strains of well-researched probiotic bacteria are ready to take their place along the gut wall, support your immune and digestive health and encourage more regular BMs.

Engage in regular exercise

When it comes to shedding excess pounds, strengthening your heart, lowering your blood pressure and expelling wastes and toxins, nothing beats regular exercise.

Notice I said both “regular” and “exercise” in the same sentence.

By “regular” I mean something that you do at least four to five times a week.

And by “exercise” I mean an activity that raises your heart rate and makes you sweat.

Get your doctor’s OK and start moving. If you need guidance, seek out the assistance of a personal trainer—they will help develop an exercise routine that’s right for you.

Minimize refined carbs, processed foods and fast foods 

Strive to do most of your grocery shopping around the outer perimeter of the store—where the fresh, real foods are located. Fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, poultry and fish, real butter, eggs, dairy and healthy fats (like coconut oil and olive oil).

Make most of your meals proteins and vegetables. Let pasta or pizza be an occasional treat—not a regular thing.

And drive right by the fast food drive-thru.

Embrace the power of Omega-3 fats

Numerous studies prove that Omega-3 essential fatty acids support cardiovascular health by helping to keep artery walls flexible, reduce the process of plaque growth, promote healthier triglyceride levels, prevent blood clotting, encourage a stable heart rhythm, and lower blood pressure! 

These life-saving fats are found in fatty fish—but that's not something that most people eat on a daily basis.

We're also not getting the Omega-3s in meat, milk and eggs like we used to because the animals raised for our food supply are now being fed a grain-based diet (which lacks Omega-3 EFAs) versus being allowed to graze in Omega-3 rich pastures.

That's why supplementation with an Omega-3 fish oil formula like VitalMega-3 is so wise for so many people.

VitalMega-3 provides 1,200 mg of Omega-3s in every daily two-capsule serving, including the all-important EPA and DHA in the 3:2 ratio recommended by experts. 

Consider medication alternatives 

In addition to opening you up to a plethora of side effects, medications also create harmful, inflammatory acid residue in your system.

If you are on any medications, talk to your doctor about alternatives, or see if you can wean off them altogether with a solid & natural backup plan.

And keep in mind you might not need some or all of them any longer if you start eating better and exercising!

Get enough Vitamin D 

Vitamin D is crucial to counteracting Metabolic Syndrome.

Studies have shown that the lower the level of blood Vitamin D, the greater the occurrence of Metabolic Syndrome. 

This makes sense when you consider the role Vitamin D plays in heart health, immune system health and the proper functioning of all your cells.

But Vitamin D is also a very common deficiency, especially this time of year in the geographic areas where people see very little sunlight.

To ensure you have health-supporting levels of this vital nutrient year-round, our Optimum DK Formula with Fruitex-B is the way to go.

Optimum DK Formula provides a therapeutic 5,000 IU’s of Vitamin D3 in each dose, plus its partner nutrients Vitamins K1 and K2 and the mineral boron, as these nutrients work in tandem to support your cardiovascular and immune health.

Metabolic Syndrome can spell disaster and even raise your risk of an early death, but you are not defenseless against it!

Take the bull by the horns and DO YOUR PART to fight back now.

To your health,

Sherry Brescia