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.
How Is Triglyceride Different From Cholesterol
While triglycerides and cholesterol are both fatty substances known as lipids, there is a significant difference in both. Triglycerides, primarily, are fats while cholesterol is odourless, waxy substances produced by the liver.
There is also an underlying difference in the functions of both substances. Triglycerides store unused and excess calories that are used by your body for energy formation. Cholesterol is responsible for building certain cells and hormones.
Pay Attention To Diet And Weight Loss
Being overweight or obese not only places you at risk for developing high LDL levels, but it can also contribute to heart disease and other chronic medical conditions. Research shows that losing even a small amount of weight may help lower your LDL levels.
Eating right can help your heart health, too. Foods high in soluble fiber and phytosterols and healthy fats like olive oil have been found to help lower LDL cholesterol.
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute notes that its possible to reduce your LDL by between 20% and 30% with a few simple changes:
- Allowing less than 7% of calories to be from saturated fats can reduce LDL by between 8% and 10%.
- Losing 10 pounds can reduce your LDL by between 5% and 8%.
- Adding 5 grams to 10 grams of soluble fiber a day can decrease LDL by between 3% and 5%.
- Adding 2 daily grams of plant sterols can reduce LDL by between 5% and 15%.
Its possible for LDL cholesterol to eventually return to original levels, even when you lose weight and maintain it. Nonetheless, the benefits make weight maintenance and good nutrition worthy goals to pursue.
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When To See A Doctor
Keeping regular tabs on your triglyceride levels goes a long way in preventing other associated maladies. Thus, it is imperative to get regular screenings done.
For adults above the age of 20, it is recommended to get a lipid profile every 46 years. As for children, it is well advised to get a lipid profile done once between the ages of 9 and 11 and then once more between 11 and 20.
If you have high triglycerides, you can reduce your level with lifestyle changes, a proper diet, and some simple home remedies. At the same time, you must continue to take the medicines prescribed by your doctor.
Choose Fish Over Meat
The UK Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition says âa large body of evidenceâ suggests a diet rich in fish & ndash especially oily fish & ndash may reduce your risk of heart disease. In fact, you are recommended to eat oily fish at least twice a week. Omega-3 fats present in oily fish help maintain blood pressure and improve triglyceride levels. Image Courtesy: Getty& nbsp
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How Are High Triglycerides Diagnosed
High blood triglycerides are diagnosed with a routine blood test called a lipid panel. A lipid panel measures total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels in the blood.
Triglyceride level ranges are:
- Normal: Less than 150 mg/dL
- A little bit high: 150 to 499 mg/dL
- Very high: 500 mg/dL or greater
- Moderately high: 500 to 886 mg/dL
- Very high: Greater than 886 mg/dL
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Lower Cholesterol With Lifestyle Changes
Dont rely on diet alone to bring your LDL cholesterol down to a healthy level. Think of eating as just one aspect of your cholesterol-lowering plan. Then target necessary lifestyle changes.
Lose weight
One of the most important strategies for managing your cholesterol is to maintain a healthy weight.
A study published in Translational Behavioral Medicine found that overweight and obese adults who shed just 5 percent of their body weight reduced risk factors for cholesterol-related heart problems. And greater weight loss led to bigger improvements.
If youre actively gaining weight, the liver is often already packed with fat or cholesterol, Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains.
That means it cant clear much more cholesterol from the bloodstream, so there will be more LDL particles hanging out and causing trouble.
Stop smoking
Quitting smoking can also influence your cholesterol management. While smoking doesnt have a strong link to LDL cholesterol, it does tend to suppress HDL cholesterol levels.
Smoking also worsens the damage LDL cholesterol can cause our arteries, further increasing someones risk of heart disease.
Create an exercise routine
If youre overweight or obese, exercise may help you lose pounds, which will help improve your cholesterol levels. But keeping a regular fitness routine is a good idea even if you dont need to lose weight.
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Mistakes You’re Making When Trying To Lower Your Triglycerides
Triglycerides are a type of fat that makes up most of your body fat stores. They can also be found in various foods, such as butter, margarine and oils. Beyond consumption of triglycerides, what and how much you eat also affects your blood triglyceride levels. When you eat more calories than you need, whether from carbohydrates, protein or fat, your body stores the excess calories as fat in the form of triglycerides.
Hypertriglyceridemia is a condition where elevated levels of triglycerides are present in the blood. It is a risk factor for heart disease and diabetes. Luckily, making changes to your diet and lifestyle can help lower your triglycerides and improve your health outcomes. Here are six mistakes that you may be making when trying to lower your triglycerides.
Which Medicines Can Lower Triglycerides
For some people, good habits may not be enough. Medication might be needed. The decision for you and your doctor can be complicated because other health conditions are usually involved. Several types of medicine can improve levels. They include:
- High doses of omega-3s are needed to lower triglycerides and should be taken only under a doctors care. Epanova, Lovaza, and Vascepa are prescription forms of omega-3s.
Your doctor may also prescribe a class of drugs called âstatinsâ that lower cholesterol. Examples include: atorvastatin , rosuvastatin , and simvastatin .
You may feel side effects from these drugs. Be sure to talk it over with your doctor or pharmacist.
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Increase Your Consumption Of Dietary Fiber
Ideally, you should be getting 25 to 35 grams of fiber a day, says Dr. Cho. Fiber binds to cholesterol and eliminates it from your body.
To increase your fiber intake, eat more whole grains, legumes like beans and lentils, vegetables and fruits. You should be getting a good mix of both soluble fibers, which are more beneficial for cholesterol, and insoluble fibers, which are better for your gut health.
Lower cholesterol isnt the only benefit of getting enough fiber. Other benefits include reducing your risk of diseases, preventing constipation and keeping you full longer.
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/11make A Workout Routine
Good cholesterol, HDL has an inverse relationship with triglyceride levels, which means adequate levels of HDL can lower the triglyceride levels.
Regular aerobic activity has been linked with lower triglyceride levels. Some common aerobic activities include jogging, walking, bicycling and swimming.
Studies have also found that exercising at a higher intensity for less time is more effective than exercising at a lower intensity for a longer time.
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How Long Does It Take To Lower Triglycerides
Depending on whats causing your high triglyceride levels, you may be able to lower them in just a few days. A night out drinking or eating foods high in sugar can cause a spike in your triglyceride levels. Limiting alcohol and sugar intake can bring your levels back to normal within a few days.
If you have consistently high triglycerides, it may take a few months for them to return to a healthy range. How fast they lower depends on the lifestyle changes, diet, and medications youre taking.
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Eat Foods Rich In Omega
Studies suggest that omega-3 fatty acids help reduce triglycerides by reducing the production of very low-density lipoprotein by the liver, accelerating chylomicron and VLDL elimination from the blood and converting fatty acids into energy .
A 2011 study found in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that two long-chain omega-3 fatty acids by the name of eicosatetraenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid , when consumed in high dosage over the course of 8 weeks, had a mitigating effect on the triglyceride count of healthy adults with moderate hypertriglyceridemia.
How to consume:
- Dietary sources of omega-3 fatty acids are salmon, mackerel, cod, walnuts, legumes, green leafy vegetables, flaxseed oil, and soybean oil.
- You can also take a supplement. Consult your doctor for the correct dosage and how long to take the supplement.
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Possible New Treatment For High Triglycerides
In the report in The New England Journal of Medicine, an international team of researchers describe a new therapy for high triglycerides. It involves a weekly injection of “antisense oligonucleotides” , pieces of DNA that short-circuit the livers production of triglycerides. The new report shows that ASOs can reduce triglyceride levels by as much as 70%.
Keep in mind that this was a phase 2 trial, which is designed to test whether a drug does what it is supposed to do . Larger, longer-term studies will be needed to see whether ASOs actually reduce the risk of heart disease, and what sorts of side effects they cause.
Many experimental medications that sparkle in early testing never become FDA-approved drugs. We wont know for several years whether ASOs will become available for individuals with high triglycerides.
Know The Dangers Of Trans Fats
Trans fats are dangerous for your heart, because they raise low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride levels. The chief culprit youll see on product labels is partially hydrogenated oil. Trans fats are the result of adding hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils to increase shelf life. This may make some baked and fried foods taste better, but trans fats are very unhealthy, particularly for people with high triglycerides. In fact, trans fats should make up less than 1 percent of your total calories, according to the World Health Organization. Check your food labels: If a food contains trans fats or hydrogenated oils, leave it on the shelf.
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How Quickly Can I Lower My Cholesterol
Your cholesterol levels may lower as quickly as a few weeks to a few months, depending on your treatment plan.
If your levels are very high, your healthcare provider may recommend taking medications at the start of your treatment plan. This may help lower your cholesterol levels more quickly. The sooner you can lower your bad cholesterol levels, the sooner you can lower your risk for plaques to form.
You can also lower your cholesterol through lifestyle and diet changes alone, but it may take three to six months to see results. Talk with your healthcare provider to figure out the best treatment plan for you.
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Signs Of Very High Triglycerides
High blood triglyceride levels usually dont cause symptoms, unless you already have a health condition related to high triglycerides that is poorly managed. For instance, a person with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes will experience frequent hunger, fatigue, frequent infections, and slow-healing wounds.
If you are suspecting high triglycerides but you feel generally well, its best to have your lipid panel checked for confirmation. This is especially true if you are consuming a diet thats high in carbs and sugar.
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Tips To Reduce Fat In The Diet:
- Try steaming, poaching, boiling or grilling instead of roasting and frying. If you do fry, use a non-stick pan and you may not need to use any fat or oil at all. Spray oils are a good way of reducing the amount of fat needed.
- Buy lean meats and avoid processed meats . Take the skin off poultry and remove visible fat from the meat before you start cooking.
- Use low-fat/fat-free products where available e.g. skimmed rather than semi-skimmed or whole milk 0% fat yoghurts, low-fat spreads rather than margarine or butter .
- Avoid all cheese with the exception of extra low fat cream cheese and cottage cheese. There is also a 3% fat hard cheese available in supermarkets which can be used.
- Avoid or choose much smaller portion sizes of fatty foods such as crisps, nuts, pastry, cakes, biscuits, cream, tinned meats, Yorkshire puddings, dumplings and gravy made with meat juices.
- When having potatoes choose boiled, mashed or jacket rather than roast or chipped.
| Food group | |
|---|---|
| Higher fat Lemon curd, peanut butter | Lower fat options Sugar, honey, jam, golden syrup, marmalade |
For low fat recipe ideas please seewww.heartuk.org.uk
If you do not have internet access please ask your dietitian for more information.
2)Omega-3 fatty acids
Omega-3 fatty acids, which are found in fish oils, can have a beneficial effect on reducing triglyceride levels.
| Type of Fish | |
|---|---|
| Type of Fish Mackerel, smoked | Fat per 100g 30.9 |
4) Alcohol
Obesity Is The Culprit
High levels of triglycerides can give you metabolic syndrome which increases your risk rate of getting heart disease and stroke. Usually, obese people suffer from metabolic disorders. To know if you are at risk, measure your waist size- find the mid-point between your lower ribs and your hip bone â this is your true waist. Breathe out and measure. Men are at risk if their waist size is more than 37 inches and women at 31.5 inches. If youâre overweight or obese youâre more likely to have higher triglyceride levels. Image Courtesy: Getty& nbsp
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What High Triglycerides Mean For Your Heart & How To Lower Triglycerides Naturally
With the growing epidemic of childhood and adult obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease remains the leading cause of death and disability in the United States, affecting more than 13 million Americans. Its estimated that 31 percent of the U.S population has high triglycerides, a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
A 2007 meta-analysis involving a total of 3,582 incident cases of fatal and nonfatal coronary heart disease indicates that there is a significant association between triglyceride values and coronary heart disease risk.
Thankfully, there are natural ways tolower cholesterol and triglyceride levels naturally with diet and lifestyle changes.
Tips For Lowering Triglycerides Naturally
Based on the lifestyle markers I mentioned a moment ago, you can help bring down triglyceride levels naturally by:
- Aiming for a normal body weight/healthy body composition .
- Eating a healthy, well-balanced diet that promotes a healthy microbiome.
- Eating fermented, probiotic-rich foods or taking a good probiotic to support a rich and diverse community of healthy bacteria.
- Quitting smoking, and minimizing alcohol intake.
- Living an active lifestyle and getting daily exercise .
- Having enough sleep .
- Managing stress in healthy ways .
These are important lifestyle factors that when we commit to doing consistently can lower triglycerides and improve your overall health.
Focusing on your gut health will always be an essential foundation to creating great health. Now you have more reasons to take care of our gut!
It is my passion to work with people like you whose health symptoms are getting in the way of you living life fully and with a sense of freedom in your body. I can help you to regain your health so you can feel great and free to enjoy life fully.
If youre ready to discover where your best health has been hiding, Id love to connect with you!
Apply for a complimentary Unstoppable Health Discovery Session. bit.ly/schedulinghealth .
Until next time, Im wishing you unstoppable health!
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Eat To Lower Your Cholesterol
Cholesterol isnt all bad news. Follow these tips to lower your cholesterol, the natural way.
Chances are, youve heard a thing or two about cholesterol. Having high blood cholesterol is a risk factor for developing heart disease.
But did you know that you can reduce your cholesterol level by making smart food choices? Its true!
Cholesterol clarified
Before we get to the details, lets be clear on what were talking about. For years, cholesterol has had a bad rep that it doesnt really deserve. The truth is, we need cholesterol to function. Your body makes most of the cholesterol it needs. The rest comes from foods you eat.
Heres the important thing: Dietary cholesterol found in meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products has less impact on increasing your blood cholesterol level. Foods that contain lots of saturated fat are the true culprits.
Now heres how to make nutritious choices to lower your blood cholesterol.
Keep eating simple
In the last 20 years, the rules on healthy eating have shifted. Super restrictive diets arent sustainable or the healthiest choice. Rather than zeroing in on a single nutrient, nutrition research shows the quality of your diet matters more. A diet filled with the right portions of whole, unprocessed foods can help decrease heart disease and stroke. What does that look like? For a healthy, balanced eating plan:
Cook at home
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