Metabolic Optimisation

Linked with Insulin Resistance 

Normally, your digestive system breaks down the foods you eat into glucose. Insulin is a hormone made by your pancreas that helps glucose enter your cells to be used as fuel and reduce high levels of sugar in the blood which can cause health problems. Think of the insulin as a hormone which knock on the door of the cells to let the glucose enter.
In people with insulin resistance, cells dont respond normally to insulin and glucose can't enter the cells as easily. In the analogy, insulin is knocking on the door but the cells cannot hear the knock as
well, so insulin has to knock more loudly (increased concentrations of insulin) to be heard. As a result, your blood sugar levels rise even as your body churns out more and more insulin to try to lower your
blood sugar. Rising sugars in the blood (glucose spikes) can be irritating to the lining of the bloodvessels (endothelium) and cause inflammation.

"But I have a slow metabolism"

When people think about metabolism, they think of themselves as “fast metabolisers” (don’t put on any weight despite how much they eat) or “slow metabolisers” (no matter how little they eat they put on weight). There is also a common misconception that it is just down to genetics and there is nothing that can be done about it. Scientific studies are proving that although there is a genetic influence, epigenetics (how your behaviours and environment can cause changes that affect the way your genes work) are just as important. This is good news as this means that our lifestyles can contribute directly to our health and we have agency over them. Modification and optimisation of the 6 pillars, will help greatly and reduce the risk of chronic disease.

What are the criteria for metabolic syndrome?

There have been multiple proposed definitions for metabolic syndrome over the past twenty years, but the most widely used is the NCEP ATP III definition. This is also the most clinically applicable, as the criteria are all measurements that are easily accessible to doctors. 
At least 3 of the 5 following criteria must be met to diagnose a person with metabolic syndrome: 

• Abdominal obesity: waist circumference of ≥102 cm in men and ≥88 cm in women (note South Asians will have similar risks at lower waist circumferences).

• Hypertriglyceridemia: ≥150 mg/dl (1.695 mmol/L) 

• Low HDL-C: <40 mg/dL (1.04 mmol/dL) in men and <50 mg/dL (1.30 mmol/dL) in women 

• High blood pressure (BP): &gt;130/85 mmHg 

• High fasting glucose: >10 mg/dl (6.1 mmol/L)

What are the symptoms of metabolic syndrome?

Most commonly, patients suffering from metabolic syndrome will exhibit: 

• Abdominal obesity- apple shape.

• High levels of uric acid in the blood-a by-product of metabolism which can lead to gout in

• some patients.

• High blood pressure.

• High Cholesterol

• Resistance to Insulin-one of the first changes which if unchecked will lead on to pre-diabetes

• and then full-blown Diabetes Type 2. The whole “journey” can take 15 years.

• Tired all the time-particularly after meals when sugar levels increase rapidly then drop rapidly glucose spikes). This can be accompanied by seeking out calorie and sugar dense foods.

• Inability to focus properly – also known as ‘brain fog’ with irritability.

• Acanthosis nigricans– browning (hyperpigmentation) of folds of skin such as on the neck, armpits, groin and between the buttocks, can be associated with skin tags.

• Metabolic syndrome is closely linked to central obesity-“belly fat”).