Did your doctor tell you that you have high triglycerides? This value, which you will get from a laboratory test of your blood, alerts you to possible complications and health risks, such as the possibility of a heart attack. In practice, if the triglyceride level is high it means that there is too much fat in the blood. Your doctor may prescribe medications, but changing your lifestyle can be another remedy. Read this article to know where to start.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Eating Habits
Step 1. Cut back on sugars
Simple carbohydrates, such as sugar and white flour for example, can raise the level of triglycerides. Generally, stay away from what is white, it is usually a refined and harmful product. Instead, use a lot more fruit to avoid giving in to sugar cravings.
Corn syrup, with its high fructose content, is one of the culprits of raising triglycerides. Fructose in high doses is generally bad for health: avoid it as much as possible. Read the ingredients in your food and check for sugars
Step 2. Fight the fats
A lean diet, reduced consumption of saturated and trans fats, will lower your triglyceride level and will help you and keep your cholesterol under control. The American Heart Association recommends that people with high triglycerides be very careful with fats, which should not make up more than 25-35% of their daily calorie intake. When we talk about this percentage, be careful, we are talking about good fats.
- Among the worst foods are fatty tran, which you can find in fried and industrially produced baked goods, such as cookies, crackers and cupcakes.
- But fats aren't all bad. Eliminate saturated fats by replacing them with healthy monounsaturated fats, which you can find in olive, peanut and canola oil. Also, replace red meat with fish, which is rich in omega-3 fatty acids (great against high triglycerides). Among the fish richest in these beneficial acids are salmon and mackerel.
Step 3. Limit the cholesterol in your diet
If you are doing this for simple preventive purposes, aim for no more than 300 mg of cholesterol per day. If you have heart problems, cut back further and keep below 200 mg per day. Avoid foods that are higher in cholesterol, such as red meat, egg yolks, and whole milk (and derivatives).
In case you were wondering, triglycerides and cholesterol are not the same. They are two different types of lipids that circulate in the blood. Triglycerides store calories and provide the body with energy while cholesterol is used by the body to create new cells and maintain the level of certain hormones. However, both triglycerides and cholesterol fail to dissolve in the blood, and this is the source of the problem
Step 4. Make fish for dinner
Add omega-3 rich fish to your diet to effortlessly reduce triglyceride levels. Fish such as mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, tuna and salmon are the best options given the high level of omega-3s they contain (lean fish, on the other hand, are more deficient). However, it is difficult to get enough omega-3s from your diet to reduce triglycerides, so your doctor may recommend a fish oil supplement.
To get the maximum triglyceride-lowering benefits of a fish-based diet, the American Heart Association recommends eating healthy seafood at least twice a week. It will also help you cut down on the meat
Method 2 of 3: Lifestyle
Step 1. Limit your alcohol intake
In addition to being depressive and leading to bad decisions, alcohol is high in calories and sugar and has a very negative effect on the level of triglycerides. Even small amounts of alcohol can raise its value.
Some studies show that the triglyceride level is much higher in women who consume more than one glass of alcohol per day and in men who consume more than two. Some people are more sensitive to alcohol's role in raising triglycerides and need to eliminate it completely
Step 2. Read the packages
At the grocery store, take a few minutes to read the nutritional values. It can help you decide whether to buy a certain food or leave it on the shelf. It only takes a few minutes to avoid major problems in the long term.
If sugars appear on the label as one of the first ingredients, the food may not be a good buy. Look for items like: sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, honey, molasses, concentrated fruit juice, dextrose, glucose, maltose, sucrose …
Step 3. Lose weight
If you are overweight, losing between two and five pounds will help you lower your triglycerides. Don't think that losing weight is just a difficult task, think of it as a way to prolong life.
Abdominal fat in particular is an indicator of high triglycerides. When you see the typical shapes that reveal prominent bacon, you are looking at a person with out of control triglycerides
Step 4. Exercise regularly
To reduce triglycerides, you need to spend at least 30 minutes a day doing physical activity. Exercising regularly, then, practically kills two birds with one stone: it raises the good cholesterol by lowering the bad one and decreases the triglycerides. So, take a good daily walk, join a gym or a swimming pool.
If you don't have time to exercise for 30 consecutive minutes, divide this interval into shorter sessions throughout the day. Take a short walk, walk up the stairs to work, do some yoga indoors, or do some gymnastics while watching TV in the evening
Method 3 of 3: Consult your Doctor
Step 1. Ask your doctor what you should know
There are many words and phrases about fat, even in this article, that can confuse you. There are triglycerides, good cholesterol, bad cholesterol… what does this all mean?
High levels of triglycerides can lead to some heart disease, so it's best to be prevented. This is doubly true for those who also have low good cholesterol and high bad cholesterol or those with type 2 diabetes. Remember that if good cholesterol is low, the risk of heart problems increases. Studies and scientists differ on determining the problem and the solution, but on one point they all agree: combining a healthy diet with exercise lowers triglycerides, improves cholesterol and significantly reduces the risk of developing heart disease
Step 2. Find out the normal values
According to the American Heart Association (AHA), the triglyceride level should be 100 mg / dL (1.1 mmol / L) or lower to be considered "optimal." Maintaining these values improves heart health. Here are some guidelines:
- Normal - Less than 150 milligrams per deciliter (mg / dL), or less than 1.7 millimoles per liter (mmol / L)
- At the limit - 150 to 199 mg / dL (1.8 to 2.2 mmol / L)
- High - 200 to 499 mg / dL (2.3 to 5.6 mmol / L)
- Very high - 500 mg / dL or higher (5.7 mmol / L or higher)
Step 3. Ask your doctor about medications
For some people with high triglycerides, medications may be the only short-term answer. However, doctors try to avoid using drugs: treating a high level of triglycerides by taking drugs can be complicated. There are, however, some medicines that can improve excess triglycerides:
- Bundles such as Lopid, Fibricor, and Tricor
- Derived from nicotinic acid, such as Acipomix
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High doses of omega-3s are needed to reduce triglycerides and can be prescribed in the form of medications. Some examples are the Esapent and the Seacor.
Your doctor will usually have you tested for triglycerides along with your cholesterol before recommending the most suitable medication. You will need to fast for between nine and 12 hours (to lower blood sugars) before having a blood test to get a proper triglyceride measurement. This test is the only way to know whether or not to seek drug treatment
Advice
- Ask your doctor before starting a diet or exercising.
- Remember that excess calories are converted into triglycerides and stored as fat. By reducing calories you will reduce triglycerides.
