Syndrome X: The Complete Nutritional Program to Prevent and Reverse Insulin Resistance

"Syndrome X proactively lays out a nutritious, tasty, and simple diet plan to get us back to the basics of healthy nutrition."-Lendon H. Smith, M.D., New York Times bestselling author of Feed Your Body Right

"Syndrome X is the best new book to help you understand the facts about nutrition, health, and aging. . . . It is full of new information and insights most readers have never had access to before. Everyone who values his or her health will want to read the book and then individualize the program to suit his or her needs-the authors have made this easier than ever to do."-Richard A. Kunin, M.D., author of Mega-Nutrition

What is Syndrome X? It's a resistance to insulin-the hormone needed to burn food for energy-combined with high cholesterol or triglycerides, high blood pressure, or too much body fat. Syndrome X ages you prematurely and significantly increases your risk of heart disease, hypertension, obesity, eye disease, nervous system disorders, diabetes, Alzheimer's, cancer, and other age-related diseases.

Syndrome X is the first book to tell you how to fight the epidemic disorder that is derailing the health of nearly a third of North Americans. It outlines a complete three-step program-including easy-to-follow diets, light physical activity, and readily available vitamins and nutritional supplements-that will safeguard you against developing Syndrome X or reverse it if you already have it.

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If you're aging prematurely, getting fatter, feeling sluggish, and watching your blood pressure and cholesterol sneak upwards, you may have "Syndrome X," claim the authors, who say that up to 60 million North Americans have it. "Syndrome X is primarily a nutritional disease caused by eating the wrong foods," they write. The mysterious-sounding "Syndrome X" refers to a group of health problems including insulin resistance ("the inability to properly deal with dietary carbohydrates such as sugars"), plus at least one additional problem, such as abnormal blood fats (elevated cholesterol or triglycerides), overweight, and/or high blood pressure. Insulin resistance is "a diet-caused hormonal logjam that interferes with your body's ability to efficiently burn the food you eat." According to the authors, you probably have this problem, and if you do, eating processed carbohydrates are the root of it. Pastries, pastas, breakfast cereals, soft drinks--these refined carbos are the enemy. The book warns you that you probably suffer from insulin resistance (please get a blood test instead of relying on the admittedly unscientific questionnaire in the book, which makes everyone suspect who eats cereal or drinks fruit juice). Then the authors jump on the high-protein, low carb bandwagon. You can eat three eggs for breakfast, roast duck for lunch, and salmon for dinner, and snack on chicken slices.

It seems odd that if the problem is refined carbs that the solution is high protein and low carbs. The authors admit that most unrefined, or complex, carbohydrates do not have the excessive glucose- and insulin-stimulating effect of refined carbs, so why not recommend high-quality, unrefined carbohydrates (which are preferred over high-protein diets by the American Dietetic Association)? Consumers can't tell the difference, the authors say. So rather than educate them to the difference, let them eat meat. Go figure.

As a critical care physician, heart disease has always been a major interest. I have followed for several years the gradual paradigm shift among some of my more open minded colleagues away from the simplistic "cholesterol is the villain" attitude. Syndrome X or insulin resistance more and more seems to be the underlying problem not only in most patients with CAD, but also type II diabetes, and in my opinion, obesity. And to the specific point of "bad LDL" particle size (type B), it seems that there is evidence that high triglycerides, the product of course of the usual high carb/low fat diet may be related to this probelm.

The advice in this book may be hard to follow for many "bad carb" addicts, but with 2/3 of the population now obese, type II diabetes showing up in children as young as twelve, and cardiac disease a major killer beyond epidemic proportions, this is THE diet for most people.


Low Carb DOES Solve Health Problems- Here's MY Proof   January 16, 2003
27 out of 27 found this review helpful

Trying reading this book to learn more about this condition--Here's my story--

I have had high blood pressure for about 6 years. It stayed in the 158/110 range even with medication. I even did the AVON 3 Day 60 Mile Walk in 2001 and trained for it for months. I walked about 45-50 miles per week and lost weight too. My blood pressure did not go down. The doctors doubled my medication and still no results. I was very discouraged and concerned. I started following Weight Watchers (for a healthy diet) and eating complex carbs such as brown rice, etc with lots of vegies-- no change in the BP. I measured my BP about every other day with a home kit that is pretty accurate.

Finally in desperation I started the Low Carb diet. In three DAYS, my BP was down to 128/67. I stopped taking the medication and my blood pressure has stayed constant at 128/70 within a point or two. And I have the records to prove it.

It is now 5 weeks later and I've lost 13 pounds (not easy at age 53) and no longer take glucosmine or BP medications. My arthritis is much better though I have a little pain when its cold.

This diet may not be for everybody but if you have a medical condition, it's worth a good try to see if it helps you. And once you feel better it's easier to stick to- I have no trouble with it. I will never go back to bread, pasta, etc. Now I see carbs as mud clogging up my veins and arteries.


Good information   September 28, 2003
24 out of 24 found this review helpful

I've lost 17 lbs in about 4 weeks on the Syndrome X diet. I started it on the advice of my doctor. I'm on the more "intense" version of the diet and I don't feel terribly deprived anymore, although it wasn't easy to begin with. I think it's easier now because I've sort of mixed some Atkins bars in with Sydrome X, while still adhering to the basic tenets of the S-X diet. (As a woman, this has really helped with those "sweets" cravings once a month) Also, I still have a few carbs a day and I'm losing steadily. The recipes I've tried in the book are really good (the salmon, the turkey-sausage patties) my kids and husband even liked them. My husband has lost about 15 lbs too, by the way. And he's hardly trying!

The only thing I would have liked more is to have had additional recipes and menu ideas and less densely packed medical information in the beginning. It felt quite repetitive to me.

But it is still a great book and a good diet. I especially like the focus on natural spices, reasons for putting them into your diet, and ways to introduce them into your diet.
I now grow dill, which is simple to grow, and I use it all the time. Also, cloves, bay leaves, sage, coriander, fennel and more.
Also, try the vitamin supplements. They help with your energy a lot. Walmart and Costco have them at a reasonable price. Good Luck!