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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.Book Description
You can feel great again!

"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. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (52)

Get Jack Challem's new book on prediabetes
Syndrome X was a breakthrough book when it first came out in 2000. Of course Syndrome X is a form of prediabetes, which increases the risk of full-blown diabetes and heart disease. Jack Challem (the lead author of Syndrome X) has outdone himself with his latest book along these lines: Stop Prediabetes Now, which came out in October. The description of the problem, his dietary recommendations, and his supplement recommendations are all much clearer and easier to follow. The recipes are superb -- I love the curry chicken salad, in particular. Jack addresses the bigger picture of prediabetes, of which Syndrome X is only one part.

REQUIRED READING
This should be required reading for all senior citizens on medicare/medicaid...all high school students...all college students and everyone else not on this list.As a nation, with the world close behind us, we are in deep trouble ALREADY and running faster down a slippery slope towards diabetes , type 1, 2 and will probably require a number 3 lable soon!!!

When a huge entity like the Federal Food & Drug Administration bows to the wishes of food product manufacturers,we are like sheep heading to the slaughter.You get a creepy feeling that some unknown, unseen persons are slowly killing you.Honestly?The Bible says that THE LOVE OF money is the root of all evil. And our grocery stores are a brightly colored, attractivly marketed example.

This book doesn't preach on the political aspect of our eating....that's me.But it teaches what your body is doing and will continue to do (and worse) if YOU don't take another path. Garbage in...garbage out.
Healthy eating...healthy body.

please do not buy this book
the menu plan was too low carb and the supplement suggestions were worse!
it claims that folks 20 pounds overweight and over should take a supplement called L-Carnitine, Alpha Lipoic acid etc.
Well when I took the Carnitine, I swear the first time I took it, my heart was beating too fast and the second time, I felt a heaviness in my chest and I had dry mouth! When I did further research on these supplements, it had said that we really don't need the Lipoic acid and the Carnitine because it is already present in our systems!
So the authors owe me $$$ back for those supplements that got me sick! Heck they should give me $$$ back for buying this dumb book lol

Syndrome X
I have only got about 1/2 of the book read but it is excellent.I have been diabetic for 25 years and I have learned alot so far.I always was one to take supplements but I found out there are more that would help me even more.As people know Diabetes and heart disease work hand in hand and I did have to have open heart surgery 3 years ago but I recouped very fast and the Doctor said he had never seen a diabetic heart in such good condition it was just the chloresterol in the arteries.My Doctor says I do not have syndrome X but he said is good that I am reading on it so if I ever do start experiencing any of the symptoms it will make me question it.I do believe the author was great in putting this down and explaining how important supplements are for the diabetic as two weeks after the heart surgery I underwent a brain tumor operation and I am glad my heart was in great enought shape to get me thru 2 major surgeries in 2 weeks time.Hence my review name of Miracle Mom.Great Book!

very useful book!
5 stars on all the info re: the disease as it explains in plain language what havoc in your body gets started with any of the inter-related metabolic functions getting tipped off balance.
It explains what high insulin does to you, what high cortisol does to you, and how you make it worse eating what we all eat - pastas breads and paistries.
It explains how we should be eating (or rather how our eating habits have changed, slowly, thru millenia, and how they got all screwy in the last 100 years or so).
I particularly liked the bit on supplements (vitamins and minerals) that play a role in helping your metabolism get back on track.
In fact, I have been on the recommended supplements for a week, and funny thing happened - wrinkles on my face diminished! I was amazed!
The book could have EASILY done without the whole long diet plan bit, and that is the only minus.
Instead of diet plans, I would have loved to see a list of high and low GI index foods (i.e the YES foods and the NO NO foods), and perhaps even a replacement list. That would have been more useful and more usable, or at least in my opinion. ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from Internal Medicine News, published by International Medical News Group on June 1, 2003. The length of the article is 1293 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

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Title: Insulin resistance implicated in lupus-linked atherosclerosis. (Normal Glucose Maintained).
Author: Nancy Walsh
Publication: Internal Medicine News (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 1, 2003
Publisher: International Medical News Group
Volume: 36Issue: 11Page: 41(1)

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This digital document is an article from Family Practice News, published by International Medical News Group on October 1, 2002. The length of the article is 1008 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

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Title: Insulin resistance syndrome merits routine screening: interventions for 'syndrome X' may lower risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease. (First Clinical Guidelines Issued).
Author: Heidi Splete
Publication: Family Practice News (Magazine/Journal)
Date: October 1, 2002
Publisher: International Medical News Group
Volume: 32Issue: 19Page: 1(2)

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This digital document is an article from Internal Medicine News, published by International Medical News Group on November 15, 2003. The length of the article is 594 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

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Title: Insulin resistance tied to depression, Alzheimer's: new 'missing link' theory.(Clinical Rounds)
Author: Michele G. Sullivan
Publication: Internal Medicine News (Magazine/Journal)
Date: November 15, 2003
Publisher: International Medical News Group
Volume: 36Issue: 22Page: 10(1)

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This digital document is an article from Internal Medicine News, published by International Medical News Group on April 1, 2003. The length of the article is 548 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

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Title: Insulin resistance appears to be highly heritable among Mexican Americans: expressed via syndrome X. (Clinical Rounds).
Author: Doug Brunk
Publication: Internal Medicine News (Magazine/Journal)
Date: April 1, 2003
Publisher: International Medical News Group
Volume: 36Issue: 7Page: 26(1)

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This digital document is an article from Family Practice News, published by Thomson Gale on September 15, 2006. The length of the article is 1342 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

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Title: Should metformin be used to treat adolescents with insulin resistance?(Point/Counterpoint)
Author: Michael Freemark
Publication: Family Practice News (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 15, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 36Issue: 18Page: 12(1)

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This digital document is an article from Clinical Psychiatry News, published by International Medical News Group on October 1, 2001. The length of the article is 4217 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

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Title: Sleep Deprivation May Trigger Insulin Resistance.
Author: Mitchel L. Zoler
Publication: Clinical Psychiatry News (Magazine/Journal)
Date: October 1, 2001
Publisher: International Medical News Group
Volume: 29Issue: 10Page: 27

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This digital document is an article from Family Practice News, published by Thomson Gale on November 15, 2006. The length of the article is 453 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

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Title: Moderately low-carb diet helps insulin resistance.(Mental Disorders)
Author: Timothy F. Kirn
Publication: Family Practice News (Magazine/Journal)
Date: November 15, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 36Issue: 22Page: 20(1)

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This digital document is an article from Nutraceuticals World, published by Rodman Publications, Inc. on October 1, 2003. The length of the article is 2296 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

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Title: Diabetes and the insulin resistance epidemic: science-based supplement research provides new hope.
Author: James Gormley
Publication: Nutraceuticals World (Magazine/Journal)
Date: October 1, 2003
Publisher: Rodman Publications, Inc.
Volume: 6Issue: 10Page: 42(4)

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This digital document is an article from Family Practice News, published by International Medical News Group on May 1, 2002. The length of the article is 616 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

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Title: Insulin resistance worsens stroke risk, outcomes. (Hyperglycemia also Raises Risk).
Author: Mitchel L. Zoler
Publication: Family Practice News (Magazine/Journal)
Date: May 1, 2002
Publisher: International Medical News Group
Volume: 32Issue: 9Page: 5(1)

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This digital document is an article from Nutrition & Dietetics: The Journal of the Dieticians Association of Australia, published by Dietitians Association of Australia on June 1, 2002. The length of the article is 7344 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

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Title: The type and frequency of consumption of carbohydrate-rich foods may play a role in the clinical expression of insulin resistance during pregnancy. (Original Research).
Author: Lynda Gillen
Publication: Nutrition & Dietetics: The Journal of the Dieticians Association of Australia (Refereed)
Date: June 1, 2002
Publisher: Dietitians Association of Australia
Volume: 59Issue: 2Page: 135(9)

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This digital document is an article from Pediatric News, published by Thomson Gale on September 1, 2006. The length of the article is 613 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

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Title: Should metformin be used to treat children with insulin resistance? Metformin can complement lifestyle interventions.(Point/Counterpoint)
Author: Michael Freemark
Publication: Pediatric News (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 40Issue: 9Page: 25(1)

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This digital document is an article from Pediatric News, published by Thomson Gale on August 1, 2006. The length of the article is 562 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

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Title: Study: put more exercise in pediatric guidelines; achieving 90 minutes of daily activity might be necessary for children to prevent insulin resistance.(Clinical Rounds)
Author: Kate Johnson
Publication: Pediatric News (Magazine/Journal)
Date: August 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 40Issue: 8Page: 56(1)

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This digital document is an article from Internal Medicine News, published by International Medical News Group on October 1, 2002. The length of the article is 1019 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

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Title: Insulin resistance syndrome deserves diagnosis. (First Clinical Guidelines).
Author: Heidi Splete
Publication: Internal Medicine News (Magazine/Journal)
Date: October 1, 2002
Publisher: International Medical News Group
Volume: 35Issue: 19Page: 32(1)

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