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TN50#72, Close the Gate, 16 May 2022

Hi Team,

Metabolic Syndrome, also known as Insulin Resistance Syndrome, is the gateway to dead, IMO.

Metabolic Syndrome is defined as 3 or more of the following: a large waste line, high blood pressure, high blood sugar levels, high triglycerides and low HDL cholesterol.

This is the 2020 list of leading causes of death in the US:

  • Heart disease: 696,962
  • Cancer: 602,350
  • COVID-19: 350,831
  • Accidents (unintentional injuries): 200,955
  • Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases): 160,264
  • Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 152,657
  • Alzheimer’s disease: 134,242
  • Diabetes: 102,188
  • Influenza and Pneumonia: 53,544
  • Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis: 52,547

I put every one of these leading causes of death, minus Accidents, into the googles with the following: “and metabolic syndrome”, guess what I found?  Correct-a-Mundo, all 9 that I looked at had an association with Metabolic Syndrome (meaning, people with metabolic syndrome die of all 9 of these causes more than people without metabolic syndrome do)  Now to be clear, I felt very strongly that this would be the case but I did the 20 minutes of work anyway to feel good about writing this.

Here’s the recommended treatment for Metabolic (Insulin Resistance) Syndrome from the NIH:

  • Aim for a healthy weight – EAT/MOVE
  • Choose heart healthy foods – EAT
  • Get regular physical exercise – MOVE
  • Manage Stress – SLEEP/THINK
  • Quit smoking – THINK
  • Get enough good quality sleep – SLEEP

Wow, sounds like a great set of principles to coach on.

OK back to the “gateway to dead”; where are you in relation to the gate?

  • Some of you are running in the opposite direction and running hard.
  • Some of you are moving toward the gate but you think it’s a long way off, it isn’t.
  • Some of you are still trying to figure out where this gate I’m talking about actually is, call me and I’ll explain the metaphor.
  • Some of you may be through the gate and you may think it’s too late for you, it isn’t too late but times a ticking.

I call myself a Personal Performance Coach because it sounds cooler than Insulin Sensitivity Coach but everything I coach my clients on is designed to improve their insulin sensitivity which is the opposite of insulin resistance or metabolic syndrome.  Need help or know someone who does, give me a call.

As always, please let me know any thoughts or comments you have on this and share the post with your team or anyone who might find it useful.