3 Tips to Prevent Metabolic Syndrome

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.