Metabolic Syndrome

I am an African- American woman. Since I was about 25 years old, I have suffered with the symptoms of metabolic syndrome. I did not know what it was I had, I just knew that something was different about my body and what I was used to. My usual weight in my teens to early 20s was 115 to 125 pounds. After getting married and having my first child, I went up to 165 pounds, which is what I weighed the day after delivery. For years I struggled with obesity and still do. I managed to get down to about 145 pounds and then went back up again. After surpassing 150 pounds, I noticed the development of dark skin around the neck, in the underarms, and in the groin area. I tried different soaps, skin lighteners, and scrubs, but nothing worked. As time passed, I got used to it and went on with my life. A couple of years later, I began to notice the development of skin tags around the neck area and in the under arm areas. This was a pain but nothing I could not cover. Fast forward now to 2010, I am divorced, 220 pounds and skin tags are still present but more in number and my figure is now the shape of an apple.

I went to my doctor and had been going all along but no one could tell me what was going on, just to lose weight. I went to my doctor and asked about the hyper pigmentation (dark skin) and the skin tags and was told there was nothing they could do, weight loss was the only solution to this problem. The thing that bothers me most about this disease is the hyperpigmentation and the skin tags. The procedure of removal is considered cosmetic and is not covered by health insurance so, it's basically on my own dime for removal solutions. My goal is to educate you about what I've gone through so far and some positive things I have found through this process. I hope you find this lens helpful.

With this plan I am following in the book " The New ME Diet", they ask that we not use Nutrasweet, saccharine, or cane sugar. I am using Stevia and Truvia right now. I have seen people on Amazon raving about "Z-sweet" but the price is expensive. I might splurge on some later on just to see if it is as good as they say it is. If it is truly good, I will invest in some.

Stevia tried in liquid form is not very tasty. It tastes like licorice. That turned me off. I tried it again in packet form and it tasted better. The brand Stevia in the Raw, I use in my tea and coffee, it is obviously different from sugar and has a bit of a different after taste but it's not too bad.

My favorite so far has been Truvia. Truvia is a blend of stevia and erythritol. Erythritol is present in fruits such as pears, melons and grapes, as well as foods such as mushrooms and fermentation-derived foods such as wine, soy sauce and cheese. It tastes so far the closest to sugar than anything that I have tried so far.

I have found Ezekiel bread in almost every grocery store I go into. So far, I have found it at Trader Joes, Walmart, Fred Meyer, Safeway, Albertson's and Win-Co Foods. The texture of this bread is crumbly and not as moist as regular wheat grain bread but is very hearty and chewy. When I need to have a sandwich, I load it with veggies like cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, some hot mustard, and some slice chicken breast or turkey breast meat. It's really good eating and the bread won't set you back that much. I enjoy this bread.

Acanthosis nigricans is simply dark pigmented skin with a velvety texture to it. I have had this issue since going over 150 pounds. Therefore, my goal is to get under 150 pounds and never go back past that amount. My healthy weight is between 115 to 125 pounds. That's what I weighed in high school for about 3 years, before then I was obese as well, but I didn't have the hyperpigmentation (dark pigmented skin). After much study, it seems the only way to combat this symptom is to lose weight. No other way around it.

This is not a hygiene issue. The dark skin cannot be scrubbed off or lightened with creams. It is a direct response to insulin resistance in the body. The body holds insulin in the tissues and the more weight you lose, the less insulin is held in those fatty tissues and the condition decreases. I was in denial for a long time, but this is simply the only way to remedy the problem.

I watched a video on Youtube with a lady that claimed that Lava soap helped her and that her hyperpigmentation was actually due to deeply ingrained oil and skin due to this condition. She says it worked for her. I tried it, and it did not work to take away the dark pigmentation, but it did improve the texture of the skin somewhat. The appearance of the skin was less velvety and had more of a normal texture to it, so I will continue to use the Lava soap just for that reason alone. My under arm areas feel better and my neck skin texture is a bit better and less rough. The Lava soap contains pumice stone so I guess it is polishing the skin up a bit and giving it a better appearance.

Recently, I have gone back and watched the newest videos on this issue and others have been claiming that they used the product over a long period of time. I have been using the product now for about 6 months and the problem still exists. I have been checked for diabetes and other medical issues and so this is not the case. Therefore, I will continue to use the product and give it more time. I may also institute a whitening cream again and see if I get any results.

I'm at a cross roads with this condition. My grandmother had moles and I noticed some of my family members have them as well, but it's my belief that most of my problem is diet and insulin resistance related. I've read that when I reach a goal weight, no more skin tags should form, but I will still need to deal with the problem of getting them removed. So far I've tried wrapping floss around them, which has worked for some of the larger ones, LMX cream and clippers ( I am too chicken to cut these suckers off myself), and peroxide, which I am using now. The peroxide seems to be drying up the outside capsule of these skin tags and the smaller ones seem to be falling off but I have a lot more medium to large size ones still on my neck. I will continue with the peroxide for another month and see how it goes. The thing I must remember though is to apply it after my shower which I am forgetting to do on an every other day basis. Using it daily was too much and my skin was really irritated.

I found that I am able to eat my veggies and now with the addition of a bit of no salt broth and then coming back and adding a bit of sea salt. There are many brands that sell no salt concentrated broths. I choose the concentrated broths because I can just pop them in the fridge and use as much as I need when I need it. The broths in the cans and boxes expire more quickly and I get less for my money when I use those. I also am learning to use fresh herbs like thyme, green onion, oregano, basil, and rosemary in my dishes, they just taste better. When I get the munchies, I make I nice veggie soup and eat that to my heart's content or some frozen strawberries. It really helps a lot. I use broccoli, onions, green beans, diced tomatoes in my soup and let it simmer. I add some freshly cracked pepper to the broth and a bit of sea salt and I'm good to go. I am from the South and I'm used to highly flavored foods so using no salt seasonings, herbs, and low salt or no salt broths are making it much easier for me to eat good food and feel like I"m not being deprived. I think in the past the reason I failed was because I was eating the wrong foods, and did not know what foods were wreaking havoc on my body. Please read the book : The New ME Diet, it will tell you what kind of foods you should eat for your particular metabolism. The light bulb finally went off in my head and I understood why I failed in the past. I was setting myself up for cravings through the foods I ate and it was a continuous cycle I was feeding.

There you have it, cook great tasting foods, and you will succeed. Use herbs, spices, and tasty broths and you can't go wrong. I love my vegetables now and can eat as much veggies as I like.

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