Contents:

• Executive summary
• What is diabetes?
• Type 1 diabetes
• Type 2 diabetes
• Gestational diabetes
• Metabolic syndrome
• Pre-diabetes
• Common health complications
• Why do people become diabetic?
• Genetics
• Lifestyle and environmental factors
• Life with diabetes
• Classical approach to treatment
• Medication
• Type 1 diabetes
• Type 2 diabetes
• Diet
• How well does it work?
• The D-Diet
• Basic principles of the D-Diet
• Why and how it works
• The D-Diet nutrition basics
• Conclusion
• References

Metabolic syndrome

Metabolic syndrome, or Syndrome X, is a condition characterised by central obesity (most weight accumulated around the waist), raised blood pressure, raised triglycerides (fats in the blood), low HDL cholesterol (the ‘good’ type that helps to clear cholesterol from the bloodstream) and impaired glucose metabolism. Impaired glucose metabolism means that the body is not using glucose properly and the level in the blood is elevated but has not yet reached diabetic levels.

All these symptoms significantly increase the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease.