Metabolic syndrome occurs from increased waist circumference, elevated blood pressure, high triglycerides, elevated blood sugar, and low HDL cholesterol: Together these increase your risk of heart attack, stroke, and diabetes. But you can fight back by maintaining a regular active lifestyle – this helps improves insulin sensitivity, blood pressure, and body fat composition. Center your diet around local, seasonal vegetables, fruits, and high quality protein from grass fed and pastured meat, poultry, and eggs, plus seafood and omega 3 fatty acids. Also, plant sterols may be effective in helping manage body fat percentage and maintain a healthy body composition, while also optimizing the balance of HDL to LDL cholesterol.