Quotations by Hillary Wright

According to the American Heart Association, metabolic syndrome occurs when a person has three or more of the following measurements: 1. Abdominal obesity (excessive belly fat) 2. Triglyceride level of 150 milligrams per deciliter of blood (mg/dl) or greater 3. HDL cholesterol level of less than 40 mg/dl in men or less than 50 mg/dl in women 4. Systolic blood pressure (the top number) of 130 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) or greater 5. Diastolic blood pressure (the bottom number) of 85 mmHg or greater 6. Fasting glucose of 100 mg/dl or greater 7. Insulin resistance of glucose intolerance [2013] - Hillary Wright

What prediabetes, metabolic syndrome, and PCOS have in common is insulin resistance, which even without it having progressed to diabetes is a hazard to your cardiovascular system, and potentially to other organs. Having metabolic syndrome alone without prediabetes raises your risk of diabetes five-fold. Having both prediabetes and metabolic syndrome raises your risk of diabetes even further. Recent scientific evidence has also begun to tie insulin resistance to increased risk of a number of cancers including cancer of the colon, liver, pancreas, and breast. [2013] - Hillary Wright

Many people with insulin resistance have similar complaints. They include the following: 1. Fluctuations in energy level throughout the day--some start off energetic but crash in the afternoon 2. Frequent hunger and, after eating, not feeling full for long 3. Binge eating at meals 4. Constant cravings for sweets and other refined carbohydrates, like white bread, crackers, or pasta 5. Irritability and feeling shaky if they go too long without eating, which might not be long at all compared to people without insulin resistance 6. Severe intolerance to very low-calorie diets, particularly those that severely limit carbohydrates [2013] - Hillary Wright

Balanced Plate: 1. Cover half your plate with nonstarchy vegetables 2. Cover about 25 percent of your plate with lean protein, including some plant sources 3. Cover the remaining 25 percent of your plate with a healthy starch choice, such as a whole grain or starchy vegetable 4. Include a dab of healthy fat to enhance the flavor and add healthful nutrients [2013] - Hillary Wright

Lean sources of protein include any kind of seafood, white meat poultry without the skin, and lean cuts of meat with the words "loin," "round," "flank," "select," "choice," or "90 percent lean" or leaner in the name. [2013] - Hillary Wright

Low levels of vitamin D host health problems, including bone disease, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, autoimmune diseases, mood disorders, and possibly other conditions. You can have your vitamin D level checked to see if this dose is adequate. The test is called 25-hydroxyvitamin D, and the desirable blood level is 30 ng/ml or higher. Very few people get enough vitamin D, so some basic supplementation is warranted. Many experts recommend 800 to 1,000 IUs of vitamin D per day for everyone who isn't regularly exposed to the sun. [2013] - Hillary Wright

Food Labels - Total fat: "low fat" means 3 grams of fat or less per serving. Something with 5 grams of fat per serving is pretty close to low fat. Saturated fat and trans fats: These should be limited as much as possible in your diet so ideally these two numbers should be zero. Any amount of trans fat is considered unhealthy. "Low saturated" means no more than 1 gram of saturated fat per serving. Avoid foods with "shortening," "hydrogenated," or "partially hydrogenated" fat listed as an ingredient. Cholesterol: "Low cholesterol" means no more than 20 milligrams per serving and should be limited to 300 milligrams per day. Sodium: "Low sodium" means less than 140 milligrams per serving and should be limited to 2,400 milligrams per day. Dietary fiber: A "high-fiber" food means there are 5 grams or more per serving. A food that is considered a "good source" of fiber has 2.5 grams to 4.9 grams per serving. Sugar: A reasonable number to aim for is around 8 grams of sugar or less per serving. [2013] - Hillary Wright

Look for low-fat crackers (no more than 3 grams of fat), 2 grams of fiber or more and no trans fats: 1. Kashi TLC Honey Sesame, Natural Ranch, and Original 7 Grain 2. Wheat Thins: Reduced Fat, Fiber Selects 3. Triscuits Reduced Fat, Thin Crisps, and Minis 4. Ak-Mak 100% Whole Wheat 5. Wasa Multigrain 6. Kavli Crispbread 7. Graham crackers (any brand) [2013] - Hillary Wright

Unless it's plain (unflavored), yogurt may contain large amounts of added sugar unless marked "light," which means it's been artificially sweetened. Look for those with 20 grams of total carbs or less per 6 ounces (usually the case with Greek yogurts that have two to three times the protein of regular yogurts): 1. Stonyfield Farm: plain or flavored 2. Dannon Light & Fir or fat-free plain yogurt 3. Yoplait Light 4. Greek style: Chobani nonfat Greek yogurt, Fage nonfat Greek yogurt, Dannon Light & Fir Greek Yogurt, Activia Greek 4-ounce yogurts 5. Other 1 percent or nonfat Greek yogurts [2013] - Hillary Wright