The main purpose of glucose is to be used as fuel for cells in body to produce energy. Unprocessed glucose translates into fat. If body keeps making it and it's not being processed, where does it go? Hips, thighs, stomach, and buttocks, that's where!

In addition to hypertension and heart disease, elevated insulin may be associated with weight gain and difficulty with weight loss, other blood sugar problems such as hypoglycemia, and some menstrual related imbalances.

Genetics can be partially responsible for causing this disease. Lifestyle is much more likely, however. In many cases years of high starch, processed foods, simple sugars, lack of exercise, smoking, and increased stress may be culprit for Metabolic Syndrome X.

Now what? For starters, start exercising today. Increase water intake and totally omit starches, sugars, processed foods from your diet. You want to eat foods that are low on "glycemic index". Do an online search and print a copy of index out for quick reference. Limit or omit caffeine. Try to maintain at least one third of your daily food intake to vegetables. Ask your doctor to test your sugar levels. Change what you're eating and get walking and you'll be amazed as pounds start to fall off. The fatigue and fuzziness will start to disappear and in turn you'll feel much better.

Joe Serpico is webmaster at aa-fitness-guide.com. For much more information regarding exercise, health, nutrition, and fitness, visit http://www.aa-fitness-guide.com

Know your metabolic rate

-------------------------- Do you know how many calories you need to eat each day for your body to function? The government-mandated food content labels you see in stores assume you have a need for 2,000 calories a day. But that's an average, and it's not specific enough for someone working to lose weight or keep weight off. "Your size and gender have a lot to do with your calorie needs," says Spaulding-Albright. "Dieters don't want to be eating 2,000 calories when they only need 1,800." Your resting metabolic rate (RMR) is simply minimum number of calories you need each day to support your body's functions. If you get a lot of exercise, your calorie needs may be much higher than your RMR. So how do you estimate your RMR and your real-world calorie needs? The best way, says Spaulding-Albright, is to contact hospitals or clinics in your area; they have sophisticated equipment that can give a good assessment. You can also sit down with a dietitian or personal trainer, who know how to make reliable estimates by calculating your age, height, gender, and other measures. You'll also find many free RMR calculators on Internet. These are helpful, but not most accurate. If you chose this route, try several RMR calculators to get a good approximation.

Eat a bigger breakfast

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The idea here is to get your major calorie load in earlier in day rather than later," says Spaulding-Albright. "There's that old saying, 'Eat breakfast like a king, eat lunch like a prince, and eat dinner like a pauper,'" she says. "That's actually a help for dieters." When you eat more of your daily calories earlier, it gives your body a better chance of burning those calories over course of a day. Eating a really heavy dinner is a bad idea, she says, because those calories have little chance of being used.

Eat five small meals a day

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Eat small, eat often. You may have heard this bit of advice before, but it is one of dieting maxims most easily brushed aside in course of a busy day, says Spaulding-Albright. "When weight loss plateaus, which is not unusual when you've lost a significant amount of weight, this can sometimes help kick in some additional weight loss," she says. "It makes you feel more satisfied and helps deal with cravings."

Think positive thoughts

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"Always go with dieting positives, rather than negatives," says Fitzgerald. "You're actively adding good things to your life. You're eating more good foods, which improves your overall health. You're getting daily exercise, which improves your mood, burns calories, and makes you stronger."

Source: WebMD

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