Chinese herbs could help. This month alone, I’ve had three patients gleefully report that their bloodwork numbers were heading in the right direction, eliciting that wonderful response from their surprised-but-pleased physicians: “Whatever you’re doing, keep doing it.” Since heart disease is the number one killer in the US, and high triglycerides and blood sugar mean you’re flirting with Type II diabetes, it’s pretty important to keep those numbers in the normal range.

“Carol,” one of my patients in her 60s, reported her blood pressure, triglycerides, blood sugar, cholesterol all dropping to normal in just three months. What had she been doing? Very little, other than eating fewer baked goods and taking personalized Chinese herbs, and coming in for acupuncture once a month.

I had prescribed a formula comprised of two herbs: red atractylodes rhizome (cang zhu) to reduce the gut microbes like candida that make us tired, achy, itchy, congested, bloated, and infection-prone when we have too much; and super-berberine-rich 30-year-old phellodendron (huang bai) to support insulin receptivity, while reducing blood sugar and fat storage in the liver.

For the high blood pressure, I had given her a formula designed specifically to lower blood pressure in post-menopausal women by nourishing the yin– the cooling, moistening, calming energy of the body. Not only did her blood pressure drop into normal range, she also started sleeping better at night and stay cooler during the day. This is the beauty of treating the underlying pattern, (in this case not enough yin) and not just the symptom.

Reversing metabolic syndrome with diet and lifestyle can be tough; it’s way easier when you have some powerful herb friends on your side. I can introduce you; reach out for an appointment.