Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 3: Make dietary changes
• Method 2 of 3: Make lifestyle changes
• Method 3 of 3: Get medical support
• Tips

Triglyceride is a type of fat (or lipid) that is present in the blood and provides energy for the body. When you eat, your body immediately converts any calories it doesn't need into triglycerides and stores them in your fat cells for later use. Research has only just begun to understand triglycerides and how they affect the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, as well as other conditions, including various cancers. Medicines can be prescribed by your doctor, but simple lifestyle changes can also help lower the level of triglycerides in your body, so you can lower your risk of cardiovascular disease, heart attack, and stroke.

To step

Method 1 of 3: Make dietary changes

1. Eat less sugar. Simple carbohydrates, such as sugar and foods made with white flour, can increase triglyceride levels. In general, if it's white, don't eat it. Think of cookies, cakes, muffins, white pasta, white bread, candy, etc.
   • High fructose corn syrup is a serious culprit when it comes to triglycerides, studies have shown. An abundance of fructose is bad news for your system, so avoid it whenever possible. Read the nutrition labels to see if the foods you will be eating contain these sugars.
   • You can also take a piece of fruit to counteract your sugar cravings. Fruits are also high in sugar, but those are natural, rather than processed, sugars.
2. Fight the bad fats. Eating a lower-fat diet and reducing the saturated and especially trans fat in your diet can lower your triglyceride levels. The American Heart Association recommends that people with high triglyceride levels keep a close eye on their fat intake - they should only get 25 to 35 percent of their daily calories from fat, from the 'good fats' to be more specific .
   • Avoid fast foods and most processed foods. These often contain partially hydrogenated fats (trans fats), which are very unhealthy. But don't necessarily rely on packaging that declares the product as trans fat free. If a food contains less than half a gram of trans fat in a serving, it can be declared as trans fat free. While this may seem miniscule, negligible amounts can add up quickly if left unchecked. You can tell that a food contains trans fat (even if it doesn't have trans fat on the label) if it contains partially hydrogenated oil.
   • Avoid saturated fats, such as those in animal products, such as red meat, butter, and lard.
3. Go for healthy fats. Replace those bad fats with good fats, although you should eat even the good fats in moderation. Healthy fats include olive oil, nuts and avocados.
   • Do your best to choose healthy substitutes, such as olive oil instead of margarine as a cooking ingredient or a handful of 10 to 12 almonds instead of a prepackaged biscuit as a snack.
   • (Poly) unsaturated fats, monounsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids are examples of healthy fats.
4. Limit the cholesterol in your diet. Aim for no more than 300 mg of cholesterol per day if you are only taking preventative measures. If you have heart disease, aim for less than 200 mg per day. Avoid the most concentrated sources of cholesterol, namely red meat, egg yolks, and whole milk products. Check food labels to see how much you are eating and what that contributes to your daily recommended cholesterol intake.
   • Know that triglycerides and cholesterol are not the same. They are separate types of lipids that circulate in the blood. Triglycerides store unused calories and provide your body with energy, while cholesterol is used by your body to build cells and maintain certain hormone levels. Both triglycerides and cholesterol are unable to dissolve in the blood, so they can also cause problems.
   • Due to growing awareness of the problems of high cholesterol, more and more food companies are producing products with lower cholesterol.In order to be marketed as "low-cholesterol", products must meet standards set by the government. Look for these options in stores.
5. Eat more fish. Eating more fish (which is high in omega-3) can lower your triglyceride levels in a seemingly effortless way. Fish like mackerel, trout, herring, sardines, tuna, and salmon are your best options because lean fish don't contain enough omega-3.
   • To enjoy the benefits of this and lower triglyceride levels by eating fish, the American Heart Association recommends that most people eat high-omega-3 fish at least twice a week.
   • It can be difficult to get enough omega-3 from food to lower your triglyceride levels, so your doctor may recommend a fish oil supplement. Fish oil capsules are widely available in drug stores and health stores.
6. Follow a healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains. While you should avoid sugar, processed foods, and simple carbohydrates, supplement your diet with whole grains and more fruits and vegetables. Maintaining a nutrient-rich diet will keep your mind and body healthy and contribute to your overall well-being.
   • Choose whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, and other grains such as quinoa, barley, oats, and millet.
   • Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables every day. A good way to get more fruits and vegetables with every meal is to make sure they make up two-thirds of your plate.

Method 2 of 3: Make lifestyle changes

1. Limiting your alcohol consumption. Alcohol is high in calories and sugar and can increase triglyceride levels. Even small amounts of alcohol can have an increasing effect. Some studies state that drinking more than one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men can significantly increase triglyceride levels.
   • Some people with very high triglyceride levels may want to drink more alcohol altogether.
2. Read the packaging. At the supermarket, take a moment to read the nutritional labels. This can help you decide whether or not to buy certain foods. This will take you very little time, and can save you a lot of trouble in the long run.
   • If certain sugars are listed first as ingredients on the label, then you should not buy that product. Look out for brown sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, molasses, fruit juice concentrates, dextrose, glucose, maltose, sucrose, and syrup. These are all sugars that can increase your triglyceride levels.
   • A handy tip when shopping is to focus your shopping on the edge of the supermarket. This is where most of the fresh produce, grains and meats are located. Processed and packaged foods are usually in the center of the store, so try to avoid those shelves as much as possible.
3. Try to lose weight if necessary. In fact, if you're overweight, losing just five to 10 percent of your total body weight can help lower your triglyceride and cholesterol and lower your risk of cardiovascular disease. Obesity leads to an increase in fat cells. People who maintain a healthy weight usually have normal (in other words, healthy) triglyceride levels. Abdominal fat in particular is an important indicator of a high triglyceride level.
   • Whether someone is overweight or obese can be determined using BMI (body mass index), an indicator of body fatness. BMI is a person's weight in kilograms (kg) divided by the square of the person's height in meters (m). A BMI of 25 - 29.9 is considered overweight, while a BMI greater than 30 is considered obesity.
   • To lose weight, reduce the number of calories you take in and increase the amount of exercise you do. This is the best way to lose weight. Always consult your physician and possibly a registered dietitian before embarking on any diet and / or exercise program.
   • You can also make a concerted effort to watch portion sizes and eat slowly, stopping when you are full.
   • You can check how many kilos of weight you lose! You've probably already heard of the most important weight loss rule: you must have a 3,500 calorie deficit. That sounds like a lot, but really, it's no different from burning an extra 3,500 calories than you eat in a week, or 500 more calories than you eat in a day. You could potentially lose a pound of fat every week you follow this!
4. Exercise regularly. To help reduce your triglyceride levels, get at least 30 minutes of some form of exercise on most or all days of the week. Studies have shown that aerobic exercise (an exercise that gets your heart rate up to at least 70 percent of your target heart rate), lasting 20-30 minutes, can lower your triglycerides. Take a brisk walk, go for a swim, or hit the gym every day to get rid of those extra triglycerides.
   • Reach your target heart rate by subtracting your age from 220 and then multiplying it by 0.70. For example, if you are 20 years old, your target heart rate is 140.
   • Regular exercise can kill two birds with one stone - it increases "good" cholesterol while lowering "bad" cholesterol and triglyceride.
   • If you don't have time to exercise for 30 minutes straight, try to do it in small increments throughout the day. Take a short walk around the neighborhood, climb the stairs at work, or do some sit-ups, yoga, or core muscle exercises while watching TV in the evening.

Method 3 of 3: Get medical support

1. Consult with your doctor. There is a lot of information and scientific and medical language - triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and so on - that can be very confusing. It is best to get clear, precise, and current information from your doctor about your health and risks.
   • The medical community is still unsure what exactly triglyceride levels mean and imply for the development of serious heart disease. While we know that a high triglyceride level correlates with an increased risk of developing heart disease, the link between reduced triglyceride levels and a reduced risk of heart disease is less clear. It is best to talk to your doctor to get the most current and relevant information for your specific situation.
2. Know what's normal. According to the AHA (American Heart Association), triglyceride levels of 100 mg / dL (1.1 mmol / L) or less are considered "optimal" for heart health. There is a scale you can consult to learn about "normal" triglyceride levels:
   • Normal - Less than 150 milligrams per deciliter (mg / dl), or less than 1.7 millimoles per liter (mmol / l)
   • High limit value - 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 more (5.7 mmol / l or more)
3. Ask your doctor about medication. For some people with high triglyceride levels, medication may be the only fast-acting solution - however, doctors generally only try to prescribe medication as a last resort to lower triglyceride levels, as it can be complicated - especially if you have other health or medical conditions. have. Your doctor will usually check for triglyceride as part of a cholesterol test (sometimes called a lipid panel or lipid profile) before prescribing medication. You will need to fast for nine to 12 hours (to lower your blood sugar) before blood can be drawn to determine an accurate triglyceride level. This is the only way to know if you are eligible for medication. Here are some medications to stabilize triglyceride levels:
   • Fibrates, such as Lopid, Fibricor and Tricor
   • Nicotinic Acid, or Niaspanus
   • Prescribed high doses of omega-3s such as Epanova, Lovaza and Vascepa

Tips

• Lowering triglycerides can improve overall health and well-being and lower cholesterol levels, as well as the risk of developing heart disease.