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Healthy Meals To Lower Triglycerides

How To Reduce Triglycerides: Exercise Exercise Exercise

Healthy Eating Guidelines : How to Eat to Lower Triglycerides

If youre carrying around a little extra weight, get moving! To get in shape and lower your triglycerides at the same time, start a regular workout routine.

The goal should be 30 minutes of exercise, five days a week. When you exercise, be sure to break a sweat and get your heart pumping. With this routine you can cut your triglycerides by 20% to 30%.

New to exercise? Wondering where to start?

  • Sign up for a dance class.

What To Eat To Lower Triglyceride Levels

Foods proven to help lower triglycerides include fish with omega-3 fatty acids, vegetables, beans, curcumin, and spirulina.

When you eat carbohydrates your body breaks them down into glucose for energy. The energy is either used immediately or stored for later use, usually in the form of triglycerides. Triglycerides are a type of fat found in your blood. They are the bodyâs preferred source of energy because they are readily available and have twice the amount of energy of carbohydrates. A poor diet combined with a lack of exercise can raise your triglycerides to unhealthy levels, and increase your risk of weight gain, heart disease, and diabetes.

In this article, youâll learn which foods are most likely to raise triglyceride levels and we will give you a sample meal plan with foods that help keep your numbers in a healthy range.

Stop Smoking To Lower Cholesterol

The ADA recommends if you smoke to quit to improve diabetes management. Quitting smoking can also improve your overall health and reduce your risk of cancer.

There are numerous programs, support systems, and medications available to help you quit smoking. Studies show it might take a few tries to quit your smoking habit for good. Not smoking when you have diabetes can help you reduce your risks of cardiovascular disease and other diabetes complications.

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Eat More Medium Chain Triglycerides

Yes, you read that correctly. To improve health and triglyceride levels, you should consume more triglycerides. But make sure they are the medium-chain kind of triglyceride.

MCTs are different from the long chain triglycerides that we commonly find in dairy and meat because they skip the normal process of fat digestion and go straight to the liver. In the liver, the MCTs are often converted into ketones for fuel.

For this reason, many studies have found MCTs to increase weight loss when compared to other healthy fats like olive oil. Believe it or not, MCTs also have been found to decrease triglycerides more than olive oil as well.

Coconut oil is the best natural source of MCTs . However, if you need an unmistakable energy boost that eliminates your cravings right away, then supplement with pure MCT oil. Blend it into your morning coffee or keto pumpkin spice latte or use it as the oil for your salad dressings.

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What Can You Do To Lower High Triglyceride Levels

Healthy Recipes

Because your body can get triglycerides from the food you eat, it makes sense that changing your diet can help if you’re concerned with your triglyceride levels. In general, according to Ash, it’s important to reduce your intake of refined flour, processed and packaged foods that contain trans fats, high fructose corn syrup, and excess carbs and sugars that are bad news for your health.

One key nutrient to keep in mind is fat. According to Ash, switching out the types of fat you eat can make a huge difference. “Trans fats and polyunsaturated fats, like the fat in canola oil, are going to be the biggest offenders because they burden the liver, which is going to manufacture more triglycerides in order to make more LDL. So what we’re eating and how we’re supporting the liver is really what’s going to matter when it comes to triglycerides,” she says.

That said, fat is only one factor to consider when it comes to food. “Specific to food, fat itself is often not the culprit,” says registered dietitian Amanda Archibald, founder of The Genomic Kitchen. “Excess calories from alcohol or starchy/sugary foods are often more complicit in producing high triglycerides.”

If your doctor has told you your triglyceride levels are on the high side, it’s worth asking them what foods to avoid and what lifestyle changes could help. Chances are, you’ll want to exercise more and go easy on trans fats and simple carbs.

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Add These Foods To Lower Ldl Cholesterol

Different foods lower cholesterol in various ways. Some deliver soluble fiber, which binds cholesterol and its precursors in the digestive system and drags them out of the body before they get into circulation. Some give you polyunsaturated fats, which directly lower LDL. And some contain plant sterols and stanols, which block the body from absorbing cholesterol.

1. Oats. An easy first step to lowering your cholesterol is having a bowl of oatmeal or cold oat-based cereal like Cheerios for breakfast. It gives you 1 to 2 grams of soluble fiber. Add a banana or some strawberries for another half-gram. Current nutrition guidelines recommend getting 20 to 35 grams of fiber a day, with at least 5 to 10 grams coming from soluble fiber.

2. Barley and other whole grains. Like oats and oat bran, barley and other whole grains can help lower the risk of heart disease, mainly via the soluble fiber they deliver.

3. Beans. Beans are especially rich in soluble fiber. They also take a while for the body to digest, meaning you feel full for longer after a meal. That’s one reason beans are a useful food for folks trying to lose weight. With so many choices from navy and kidney beans to lentils, garbanzos, black-eyed peas, and beyond and so many ways to prepare them, beans are a very versatile food.

4. Eggplant and okra. These two low-calorie vegetables are good sources of soluble fiber.

Health Conditions Related To Triglycerides And Cholesterol

High blood lipid levels may increase your risk for plaques to develop in your arteries or thicken the walls of your arteries .

Other health conditions related to high triglycerides or cholesterol include:

  • High blood sugar levels or diabetes
  • Metabolic syndromea cluster of conditions that increase your risk for heart disease
  • Genetic conditions

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Eating Foods With A Low Gi

The glycemic index indicates how much a specific food is likely to increase your blood sugar levels.

For example, oats have a low GI, but white bread has a high GI and is more likely to lead to a big spike in your blood sugar.

Research suggests that eating a low glycemic diet is associated with lower triglycerides.

Change Your Diet To Reduce Triglycerides

Nutrition Tips : Diet to Lower Triglycerides

Follow these dietary guidelines to reduce your triglycerides:

  • Choose unsaturated fats Reduce your intake of saturated fats by eating less red meat and less full-fat dairy.
  • Reduce total fat intake Get no more than 30 percent of your calories from fat.
  • Eat less sugar Cut down on table sugar, syrup, sweets, and sugary drinks.
  • Go for complex carbohydrates Substitute whole grains for refined grains like white bread and white rice.
  • Cut back on alcohol If you drink, talk to your doctor about safe amounts.

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Your Insulin Levels Could Decrease

Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas, and it’s released in response to rising blood sugar levels after you eat food, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Insulin’s job is to “unlock” cells in your muscles, liver and fat, and push glucose from your blood into those cells, thereby giving you energy now or storing it for later. There’s a danger, though, in having insulin levels that are too high, as it can increase your risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, 2020 research published in BMC Medicine shows.

The benefit of IF is that it also acts on insulin. “Periods of fasting will decrease the amount of insulin circulating in the bloodstream because it will not need to be released as often,” says Poillon. “This does not only help burn fat but also lowers the risk of developing certain diseases such as prediabetes and diabetes.”

Eat Fatty Fish Twice Weekly

Fatty fish is well known for its benefits on heart health and ability to lower blood triglycerides.

This is mostly due to its content of omega-3 fatty acids, a type of polyunsaturated fatty acid that is considered essential, meaning you need to get it through your diet.

Both the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and American Heart Association recommend eating two servings of fatty fish per week to reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke .

Whats more, one study showed that eating salmon twice a week significantly decreased blood triglyceride concentration .

Salmon, herring, sardines, tuna, and mackerel are a few types of fish that are especially high in omega-3 fatty acids.

Summary

Fatty fish is high in omega-3 fatty acids. Eating two servings per week may lower triglyceride levels and decrease the risk of heart disease.

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Treatment For High Cholesterol

Making lifestyle changes, especially changing some of the foods you eat, and regular physical activity, are very important to help reduce high LDL cholesterol.

  • Move more. Regular physical activity is one of the best things you can do for your heart health. Increasing your physical activity from as little as 10 minutes a day to the Australian governments recommended 30 to 45 minutes a day, five or more days of the week, can help manage your cholesterol levels and reduce your risk of heart disease.
  • Quitting smoking reduces the risk of heart disease and can help reduce cholesterol levels. The most effective way to stop smoking is with a combination of stop-smoking medicines and support from a service like Quitline . Speaking to your GP is also a great first step.
  • Drinking alcohol doesnt have any health benefits. Alcohol contributes unnecessary kilojoules and is of low nutritional value. Alcohol is not a necessary or recommended part of a heart-healthy eating pattern. If you do drink, to reduce your risk of alcohol-related harm, healthy women and men should drink no more than 10 standard drinks a week and no more than four standard drinks on any one day.
  • You may also need to take cholesterol-lowering medicines to help manage your cholesterol and reduce your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Talk to your doctor about finding the most appropriate treatment for you.

What You Need To Know

Foods that Lower Triglycerides

Optimal Triglyceride Control with Fish Oil

  • Elevated triglycerides promote athero-sclerosis and cardiovascular disease.
  • Life Extension considers optimal fasting triglyceride levels to be well below 100 mg/dL.
  • Fish oil, which includes the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, lowers triglycerides by increasing their removal from the bloodstream and decreasing their release from the liver.
  • Omega-3 fatty acids can reduce triglycerides by up to 50% in people with high levels. They also lower triglycerides in people with moderately elevated levels.18
  • One meta-analysis found that EPA and DHA intake was associated with a 35% reduced risk of fatal heart attacks.3

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Breakfasts That Protect Your Heart

Start the day off with healthy decisions. Choose one of these delicious breakfasts.

Cereal & Berry Bowl

1 cup 1% or skim milk

1/2 cup oatmeal with 1-2 Tbsp of chopped walnuts

Or 1 serving of cold cereal, with 5 or more grams of fiber and 8 or less grams of sugar

1 cup raspberries, strawberries, or blueberries on top

Egg Sandwich

1 whole egg, 2 egg whites, or 1/4 cup egg substitutes

1 cup or more of diced tomatoes, spinach leaves, minced onion, and mushrooms

1 tsp trans-fat-free margarine or a small amount of olive oil

2 slices whole wheat toast

1 orange in sections or 1/4 cantaloupe on the side

Yogurt Parfait

1 cup low-fat or nonfat yogurt

1 cup high-fiber cereal

1 sliced banana, 1 cup mango, or 1 peach

A small handful of almonds on top

Salmon Bagel

1 oz sliced smoked salmon

1 Tbsp low-fat or nonfat cream cheese

Capers or fresh dill

1 cup melon cubes with any type of berry on the side

Preventing High Triglyceride Levels

  • Shedding the extra pounds can go a long way in reducing your triglyceride levels. If you are overweight, losing 5% to 10% of your body weight will do wonders for your health in general and triglyceride levels in particular.
  • Cut down on added sugar by avoiding sweets, sodas, and other sugary beverages.
  • Substitute saturated fats with healthy polyunsaturated fats such as safflower, corn, and soybean oils or healthy monounsaturated fats such as canola and olive oils.
  • Because the excess carbohydrate in your diet is what gets later converted into triglycerides, it is essential to follow a low-carbohydrate diet.
  • Minimize alcohol consumption, because even a small amount can cause significant damage as far as triglyceride levels are concerned.
  • Follow a disciplined and regular eating pattern, broken down into six small meals over the course of the day rather than 3 large meals.

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How Is Cholesterol Measured

Most people with high cholesterol feel perfectly well and often have no symptoms.

Visit your GP to find out your cholesterol level and to find out what you need to do if your levels of bad cholesterol are high.

For people aged 45 years and over, you can have your cholesterol checked as part of a Heart Health Check with your GP.

If you identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, you should have your cholesterol checked from age 18 years.

Why Do People’s Triglyceride Levels Get Too High

High Triglycerides? How to Lower Triglycerides (NATURALLY!)

There are a few scenarios that can lead to high levels of triglycerides:²

  • Genetics: your DNA and body makeup are predisposed to having higher levels of triglycerides.
  • Diet: consuming a diet high in refined carbohydrates and added sugars can increase your triglycerides, especially if you are eating more calories than you are burning off. Large portion sizes of starchy foods that do not get burned off can also raise your triglycerides.
  • Alcohol: all forms ofalcohol can raise your triglyceride numbers.
  • Being sedentary: exercise and daily movement are the best way to fire up your muscles and burn through your energy stores .

You can make lifestyle changes to bring down your triglyceride numbers, but some people may require medication.

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Which Prescription Fish Oil Capsules Are Available To Treat Hypertriglyceridemia

Several prescription fish oil capsules have been approved by the FDA to treat triglyceride levels of more than 500 mg/dL. A report by Hilleman and Smer states that omega-3 fatty acid products available in prescription formulations have been found to significantly reduce triglycerides. In patients with baseline triglyceride levels of 500 mg/dL or greater taking 4 g/day of a prescription product, decreases compared with placebo ranged from 12.2% to 51.6%. Unlike the supplements, the prescription products are subject to FDA approval, and their safety and efficacy must be established prior to marketing. Currently, prescription capsules contain either a combination of EPA and DHA or EPA alone. There is some concern regarding the use of DHA in patients with dyslipidemia, since high-dose omega-3 products containing DHA increase LDL cholesterol levels the impact on HDL cholesterol levels varies.

One example of a prescription product is Lovaza. One 1-g capsule contains at least 900 mg of ethyl esters of omega-3 fatty acids . Another prescription omega-3 fatty acid product, Omtryg, was approved by the FDA in 2014 and contains EPA and DHA in the same amounts as Lovaza.

A third prescription fish oil is an ultra-pure omega fatty acid that contains an ethyl ester of EPA, icosapent ethyl . Each 1-g icosapent capsule contains at least 96% EPA and no DHA. Past studies suggest that highly purified EPA may lower triglyceride levels without increasing LDL cholesterol levels.

5 ).

Carry On Carrots Smoothie

Carrots are rich in antioxidants, which may help prevent cardiovascular diseases. Since this cholesterol-fighting smoothie is sprinkled with some other essential elements as well, it can be a must-have for all those who wish to keep their cholesterol at bay. We added in orange and papayas alongside carrots to give it a potential cholesterol-lowering and heart protection combination.

What Youll Need

  • ½ cup unsweetened almond milk

How To Prepare

Start by grating the ginger, cubing the pineapple, and coring the pear. Soak the chia seeds before you make the smoothie. Once done, put all the ingredients in the blender and blitz away. Blend until the liquid is creamy and smooth. Top off with pineapple cubes, if you want a rich by-the-beach drinking experience.

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Your Appetite May Change Later

While the beginning may be tough, over time you may notice that you can handle the fasts better and/or are satisfied with less food when you do eat. “Some studies show that time-restricted eating may lower ghrelin levels, which is the hormone that signifies feelings of hunger in the body,” says Poillon. In addition, she says, leptin levels may also increase leptin is a hormone that tells the body when it is full. In the end, with lower ghrelin and higher leptin, you may naturally eat less rather than struggling with hunger.

Related:Hormones & Our Health: How What We Eat May Affect How They Work

Dark Chocolate Avocado Mousse

3 Nutrients That May Help To Lower Triglycerides

Craving for something soft and chocolatey? Enjoy a healthy version of the classic French dessert, mousse, with this recipe. It uses both heart-healthy foods, cocoa and avocado, to give you an irresistible after-meal treat.

For the cocoa, unsweetened cocoa powder and baking chocolate with 70 percent cocoa is used. These are some of the healthiest forms of chocolate you can ever eat since theres more cocoa than milk or sugar in it.

In addition, this recipe also uses ripe avocado fruits. Its not only good for those looking after their heart health but also adds a creamy texture to the irresistible mousse dessert.

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