Metabolic Syndrome

by Kristin

Metabolic syndrome is just one of those unfortunate side-effects that usually goes along with having Cushing’s. For those of us who do or did have metabolic syndrome (also know as syndrome x) know that it’s a battle every day to try and curb the sugar cravings without crashing mid-afternoon.

For what ever reason, I thought the crazy sugar cravings would go away once I was cured from Cushing’s. My doctor (along with many other doctors) assured me that once the Cushing’s was gone, my blood sugar & cholesterol would go back to normal. But I still don’t feel balanced.

Over the past few months I’ve noticed a considerable increase in my craving for sugar (and any other carbohydrate). Since being in recovery from Cushing’s - going on 15+ months now - I’ve been fairly diligent about eating a balanced diet and in the last 8+ months have incorporated regular workouts into my life. Ever since I can remember, I’ve had a thing for anything sweet (my guilty pleasure happens to be chocolate) and the cravings seem to be the worst in the evening/night.

So about 2 weeks ago I started to take note of my cravings, along with the physical symptoms I was having and was a little taken back. I was eating far more sugar than I thought I was and as a result was having horrible sugar highs and lows - getting the shakes, light-headed & irritable. I knew this wasn’t normal and I felt like shit.

So I hit the Internet in search of answers and found out about metabolic syndrome. The pieces started to fit together the more I read. When we eat carbohydrates and digest them into glucose, insulin is signaled to enter our bloodstream and transport the glucose to the cells. Glucose is needed by every cell for energy. If insulin is challenged by “too many carbohydrates” or the “wrong” kinds of carbohydrates, it cannot perform it’s transport function properly. It is at this overwhelmed stage that we have become “resistant” to insulin. Glucose that cannot be delivered to the cells is transported to fat stores. A Vicious cycle occurs.

Good news is that metabolic syndrome is fairly simple to reverse. Avoid many of the refined sugars & carbs and incorporate more protein into my diet, along with my regular workouts. I know it’s sounds so simple, but being imbalanced can be caused by things we take for granted.

It’s been one week since I weened myself off the sugar snacks and have added more protein to my diet and I have to say that I do feel better. I’ll check back with you next month and we’ll see what happens…

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