Lower Triglycerides when you Cut Back on Sugar
Limiting sugar intake is essential if you are working to lower triglycerides. Sugar has a direct impact on triglyceride levels.
Here are 5 tips to cut back your daily sugar intake:
1. Gradually cut back.
If you eat a high level of sweets daily it’ll be very difficult to cut them out “cold turkey”. Gradually wean yourself off the sugar. If you have 2 cans of soda daily, cut back to 1. If you enjoy dessert with lunch and dessert, cut back and limit dessert to one meal only. Continue to wean yourself down until the sweets are an occasional treat.
2. Use sugar substitutes when baking.
Lower Cholesterol with Apple Pectins
Apples are a great source of pectin. Pectin is another type of soluble fiber and soluble fibers are especially beneficial for lowering LDL cholesterol levels.
Soluble fibers work in two ways:
1. Decrease cholesterol absorption
2. Slow bile acid recycling
5 Steps to Achieve an Active Lifestyle
Let’s review a simple step by step approach to adding activity in your lifestyle with the goal of being active long term.
1. Explore your emotional and cognitive values with respect to the problem.
Are you sedentary because you are afraid you will look foolish walking around your neighborhood or you believe the gym is a meat market and you do not want to be on display? Are you sedentary because when you tried to participate in sports as a child, you were always chosen last, so activity must not be your thing, right?
2. Turn to your support system.
Which family members or friends can you turn towards? Tell them about your goals and the steps you will take to achieve them. Identify exactly how your family/friends can assist you. Trust them to help you through difficult periods and provide the support you need to stick with your goals.
Fast Food – Have you decreased your intake?
If you had a heart attack do you think you’d ‘clean up’ your dietary habits to prevent a future heart attack? Surprisingly most people do not.
High Blood Pressure Linked to Memory Problems
A large French study examining 7087 participants over the age of 65 years-old with 16% of the study participants living with metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is defined as have three of the following risk factors – high blood pressure, excess belly fat, high triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol, and/or high blood sugar. Participants with metabolic syndrome were 20% more likely to have cognitive decline.
Do you need to supplement L-carnitine?
If you remember back to the information I shared on Coenzyme Q10, Coenzyme Q10 directly affects energy production in the mitochondria. When Coenzyme Q10 levels are low, cells are unable to produce energy, meaning the heart lacks the fuel it needs to pump blood.
About 85% of individuals with heart disease respond positively to coenzyme Q10 supplementation and significant improvements to their heart health. However, ~10-15% do not see any improvements from the addition of coenzyme Q10. Researchers have learned the “missing link” for these individuals is L-carnitine. The combination of L-carnitine with Coenzyme Q10 is needed for some individuals to experience the additional energy boost and improved heart function.
