Metabolic Syndrome X (also known as Insulin Resistance Syndrome, Syndrome X, and Metabolic Syndrome) is the label for a common cluster of health conditions caused largely by inactivity and over consumption of refined sugars, refined grains, and bad fats. While there is no consensus among “experts” as to what exactly constitutes Metabolic Syndrome X, most agree on these common risk factors:

• Too fat around the middle. This means a waist size of 40 inches (102 cm) or more for men and 35 inches (88 cm) or more for women.
• Blood pressure above normal. Your blood pressure is 130/85 mm Hg or greater.
• Too much glucose in your blood. Your body can’t properly use glucose and your fasting blood glucose is 110 mg/dl or greater.
• Too much fat in your blood. Your triglyceride level is 150 mg/dl or higher, leading to plaque buildup on the walls of your arteries.
• Too much insulin in your blood. Your body can’t properly use insulin due, in part at least, to too much glucose and fat in the blood.
• “Good” cholesterol is too low. This means an HDL level below 40 mg/dl for men and 50 mg/dl for women.

These health conditions lead directly to heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. If you have three or more of the above risk factors, you are suffering from Metabolic Syndrome X, which means that you probably have Type 2 Diabetes or are pre-diabetic.