My 9th February, 2019 annual medical report revealed that I was suffering from dangerous metabolic syndrome, about which I had not even heard of before that.
Metabolic syndrome is defined as having three of the following five conditions:
-Abdominal obesity, measured by waist circumference: men over 40 inches, women over 35 inches;
-Low high density lipoprotein (HDL): men less than 40 mg/dL or women less than 50 mg/dL or taking medication;
-High triglycerides: over 150 mg/dL or taking medication;
-High blood pressure: over 130 mmHg systolic or over 85 mmHg diastolic or taking medication;
-Fasting blood glucose more than 100 mg/dL or taking medication.
Metabolic syndrome increases the risk of heart disease by almost 300 percent. Metabolic syndrome is said to increase the risk of stroke, cancer, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, polycystic ovary syndrome and obstructive sleep apnea. In fact, the major diseases of the twenty-first century including heart disease, cancer, diabetes have all been related to metabolic syndrome.
Research has indicated that more than 37 percent of American population suffers from this dangerous metabolic syndrome, and has become a major challenge for their health infrastructure.
My medical report clearly showed that I had three of five conditions listed for metabolic syndrome. My HDL in February, 2019 was just 32 against the required 40. My triglycerides had swelled to 226, that is more than 50 percent more than the required 150, and my blood pressure was 130-86 bringing me clearly in the category of metabolic syndrome. Apart from having three of the five conditions, I had fatty liver Grade II, which was the result of having metabolic syndrome.
This clearly was a crisis and made me exceedingly concerned about my health. I had already given up medicines for high cholesterol and high blood pressure, which I had been taking for more than 20 years, and decided that I will improve my health only through a healthy diet and fasting. I, after consultations as to the best diet in the circumstances, decided to go in for a low-carbohydrate High Healthy Fat diet, which had lots of saturated fats, zero omega-6 unsaturated fats, very low carbohydrate, virtually zero added sugar and the reduced sea salt combined with 16 hours intermittent fasting every day.
I was firmly established in my new diet within a week of starting it and it became quite satisfying as the new diet was fulfilling and did not leave me hungry though I had no food for 16 hours every day.
To check as to how the new diet and intermittent fasting is affecting my health, I underwent regular medical check ups. It was gratifying to know in the first medical test I had on 15th of April, 2019, that is within a month or so of changing the lifestyle, that my triglycerides had come down drastically, and much below the required maximum of 150. My medical report showed it was 123. This took me being out of the dangerous metabolic syndrome as now I did not have the required three conditions for it.
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As the results began to show, I continued with the low carbohydrate healthy fat diet along with fasting, hoping to address the remaining conditions of low HDL and high blood pressure as well. Slowly there was improvement in HDL in medical reports after April, 2019. It increased from 32 to 34 in June, 38 in August and all time high in my life of 40 in December, 2019. I had thus achieved the required HDL according to the parameters and removed one more condition of metabolic syndrome.
In January, 2020 medical report showing 120-80 blood pressure removed the last condition of metabolic syndrome, and within less than one year of being diagnosed with metabolic syndrome, I could successfully remove all the three conditions of the metabolic syndrome. Thus, I had none of the five parameters of metabolic syndrome. The new diet and fasting helped in reversal of the fatty liver Grade II also.
The most satisfying aspect of the complete reversal of the dangerous metabolic syndrome within less than one year has been that it was done without any medicine and by healthy food.
After completely recovering from the extremely dangerous metabolic syndrome, I have continued with this diet which has made me totally healthy, and has enabled me to leave the medicines I had been taking for raised cholesterol and blood pressure. It is such a wonderful experience to live without any medicine at the age of 58, after having taken medicines from the age of 36. Clearly the health of a person is dependent on diet and lifestyle and not on the medicines which doctors prescribe.
Knowing that more than 37 percent of American population suffers from the dangerous disease, which leads to heart attacks, stroke, cancer and diabetes reversing this totally and completely without medicine is a hope for others as well. If right changes are made in food intake anyone can escape the deadly and dangerous metabolic disease which leads to heart attack, stroke, diabetes and cancer.
(Satyendra Garg, an IPS Officer of 1987 batch, is presently Joint Secretary with Ministry of Home Affairs)
