How to Lower Triglycerides for a Lower Total Cholesterol
I’ve recently answered several questions related to triglycerides. These questions range from “What are triglycerides?” to “My triglycerides are 400, do I need to worry?” on to “Help, my triglycerides are 1200, how do I fix this?”
So, I’m going to answer all these questions here for those of you who are wondering, but haven’t asked.
What are triglycerides?
Triglycerides are a type of fat. Actually, they’re the most common type of fat in foods and in your body. When you eat foods containing fat and oil, such as butter, French fries, and chocolate chip cookies, the body takes the fat and stores it in your body as triglycerides. So, all those “fat cells” in your body are made up of triglycerides.
What do triglycerides have to do with cholesterol?
When you see your MD, he or she may order a “lipid panel” (lipid is a fancy term for fat). From the lipid panel you will learn your total cholesterol, HDL (good) cholesterol, LDL (bad) cholesterol, and triglycerides.
Total cholesterol = HDL + LDL + VLDL
Well, what in the world is VLDL? Not something you’ve probably seen or heard of before. VLDL is an acronym for Very Low Density Lipoproteins, another “bad” type of cholesterol. Triglycerides are used to calculate VLDL levels in your blood.
Triglycerides x 20% = VLDL (bad) cholesterol
Also, the liver uses triglycerides as fuel for cholesterol production. So, if you eat a high fat (triglyceride) diet, the liver will increase its’ production of cholesterol and put more cholesterol out into your blood.
What is a normal triglyceride level?
You want your triglycerides to be below 200 mg/dL. Borderline high triglycerides are from 200-500 mg/dL. Triglycerides are high risk above 500 mg/dL.
Some experts argue that 200 mg/dL is too high and that a normal level should be less than 150 mg/dL. The numbers I’ve listed above are the current guidelines from the National Cholesterol Education Program Expert’s Panel.
If your triglycerides are high your heart disease risk increases.
What you can do when lowering triglycerides?
1. Limit simple sugars.
Unlike other types of cholesterol, triglycerides are affected by sugars you eat. You need to limit foods such as soft drinks, candy, baked goods, syrup, table sugar, jelly, and honey. A high intake of fruit juice can also raise triglyceride levels since juice contains a high content of natural sugars.
2. Limit alcohol.
If your triglycerides are borderline high or high risk, discuss your alcohol intake with your MD. My recommendation for borderline high (200-500 mg/dL) is to limit alcohol to no more than 1 drink per day for women, 2 drinks per day for men. One drink equals 12 ounces beer, 4 oz wine, or 1 ½ ounces liquor. If your triglyceride level is high risk (great than 500 mg/dL) I recommend NO alcohol. Again, discuss your situation with your MD.
3. Lose weight and/or maintain a healthy weight.
Many times weight loss alone will lower your triglycerides. Losing as little as 10% body weight could drop your triglycerides back to the normal range.
4. Choose a low-fat diet.
To achieve lower triglyceride levels, maintain a dietary intake of 30% or less of total calories coming from fat. A healthy diet for normal triglyceride levels should consist of whole grains, beans, fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy, and lean meat.
5. Increase your physical activity.
Boosting your activity can lower your triglycerides up to 40%. If you’re not currently active, talk to your MD before starting an activity program. To reduce triglycerides, be physically active at least 30 minutes on 3 or more days each week. The more activity the better.
Triglycerides aren’t all bad. They provide efficient energy storage, cushion your organs, transport certain vitamins, and keep you warm by providing insulation. What’s important is to keep them under control!
All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
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Heart Health Made Easy: Master the Basics to Lower Blood Pressure and Cholesterol for a Longer, Healthier Life
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Reduce Heart Failure with Weight Loss and Activity
The Physician’s Heart Study followed over 21,000 between the ages of 40 and 84 for over 20 years. They found a significant link between weight, activity, and heart failure I want to share with you.
Both weight and physical activity were independently linked to risk of heart failure.
Weight
Having a high BMI increased heart failure risk in both active and sedentary men. For every additional 7 pounds on a man 5 foot 10 inches tall, risk for heart failure increased 11%.
Physical Activity
Vigorous physical activity reduced heart failure risk in lean, overweight, and obese men. Men that exercised vigorously only 1-3 times a month reduced their heart failure risk 18%. The more frequent and vigorous the exercise the greater the benefit. Very active men, exercising vigorously 5-7 days per week reduced heart failure risk 36%.
The combined risk of obesity and physical activity is substantial. When compared to lean men who were vigorously active 1-3 each month risk of heart failure increased 19% for men that were lean (BMI less than 25), but inactive, 49% in overweight active men, 78% in overweight inactive men, 168% in obese active men, and 293% in obese inactive men.
Key point I want you to take from this post:
This study shows a little activity has substantial benefits. By being vigorously active just 1-3 days each month you can cut your risk 18%.
Get moving!
February is American Heart Month. In recognition of American Heart Month you can access Heart Health Made Easy at a 25% savings. Learn more about this take action guide to lower cholesterol and blood pressure at http://www.hearthealthmadeeasy.com.
All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
Be Heart Healthy and Lose Weight
Heart Health – Take Control of Your Health
Special Report – Article Excerpt:
Stop Wasting Money – Take Control of Your Health
Ensure your success with lowering
cholesterol, controlling high blood pressure,
and weight loss by knowing how to achieve change.
Did you come across a treadmill for a great discount price and decide – I need to exercise more; I’m not going to find a better price, why not? So, you now have this piece of equipment in a corner of your living room or bedroom collecting dust or acting as an expensive clothes rack.
Why is it that your good intentions led no where? Sure, that first week or two you hopped on several times, but then your progress came to a screeching halt. Well, you may not have had everything in place to be successful. You need to make sure all your “ducks are in a row” to ensure your success. If you jump from Contemplation into Action you are skipping the critical Preparation phase. Huh? You will begin to understand what I mean as you read on.
For the purpose of this article, I will focus on the critical action step. The goal I use is increasing physical activity. You can use the Stages of Change model to work on any area you are trying to change, such as eating habits to lose weight, lowering cholesterol levels, and/or controlling high blood pressure.
The Stages of Change model was first developed by psychologists James Prochaska and Carlo DiClemente in the late 1970’s. They focused on changing addictive behaviors, specifically smoking. The Stages of Change model identifies the phases we go through when we change our habits. The five stages are called – 1. Pre-contemplation, 2. Contemplation, 3. Preparation, 4. Action and 5. Maintenance. Tailoring your actions based on the stage you are in will propel you forward.
No need to waste time dwelling on the science behind the method. Just know it has been proven a useful tool. Now, let’s dive into how you can use it to your benefit.
In this stage you are performing the behavior regularly, but for less than 6 months. This means you have established a plan of action and have implemented that plan. You are actively modifying your behaviors, experiences, and environment to overcome obstacles and achieve success. The action phase is the most difficult and requires a considerable commitment of time and energy. Change does not happen overnight. It will take persistence for a new behavior to become an established habit.
The following four strategies are used to move through this stage of change:
Counter-conditioning
Substitute alternate positive behaviors for the negative behavior. It can take up to 30 days for a new behavior to become a habit. Be aware of this and put safety guards in place. Stick with your action plan and continue to replace old sedentary behaviors with new physically active ones. You may feel some loss. You actually miss your old behaviors. These behaviors are like old friends you felt comfortable with and change moves you out of your comfort zone. Review your reasons for wanting to be physically active and the long-term benefits you will gain if you stick with your plan.
Reinforcement Management
Change the events that determine or sustain the problem behavior. Reward yourself for achieving your goals, such as a new outfit, book, or running shoes. Recognize your progress and reward yourself. This will provide you with an incentive to stick with your new plan.
Helping Relationships
Turn to your support system. Don’t get overconfident and think you do not need family and friends behind you. Keep them in the loop with the progress you’ve made and identify new ways they can help you move towards your goals. Now is a time to consider signing a “contract” with yourself to reinforce your commitment to change. Have your family and friends be witnesses!
Stimulus Control
Be aware of triggers for reverting to your old habits. What safety mechanisms can you put in place to negate these triggers? Start replacing old behavior triggers with something positive. For example, place your goals where you will see them daily – like the refrigerator. Keep gym shoes by the front door. Create reminders at work, such as tennis shoes under your desk for a lunch time walk. Always be on the lookout for stumbling blocks and be prepared to brainstorm ways to overcome the hurdles.
You are doing great! Maintenance is just around the corner.
Bottom Line:
During the action phase, you make your goals a reality. Now is not a time to get cocky. Hurdles will frequently pop up and you need to be ready with strategies to overcome them. You will have some bad weeks. Step back, evaluate what is keeping you from regular activity, and figure out a solution. It may take some trial and error before you find the right solution for you. Now about that treadmill – you have it and it is dust-free!
Tackling change is hard and determining exactly what steps you need to take can be confusing. By recognizing that change has identifiable steps and strategies, you can use this knowledge to move forward and achieve your goals!
All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
Be Heart Healthy and Lose Weight
