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Reduce your risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes by controlling your risk factors for metabolic syndrome (a precursor to both diseases). Here are three tips that will help you live a longer and healthier life:
- Hydrate with water, not soda. According to research from the Harvard School of Public Health, people who regularly consume sugary drinks have a much greater risk of developing metabolic syndrome (and type 2 diabetes!) than those who don’t. People who slugged back one to two sugary beverages per day had a 20-percent higher risk of developing metabolic syndrome in the study.
- Tighten your midsection. Abdominal fat and a waist circumference of over 35 inches in women is one of the biggest risk factors for metabolic syndrome. Adding high-intensity intervals to your cardio routine is just one way to combat visceral fat.
- Instead of processed red meats, which can significantly raise your risk of metabolic syndrome, according to new research, swap your dinnertime protein for fish. In a 2010 study published in the Journal of Nutrition, a diet rich in omega-3 oils has been shown to be beneficial to people with metabolic syndrome.