Blood lipid tests are one of the most common ways to determine your risk for heart disease. While total cholesterol, high-density lipoproteins and low-density lipoproteins will give you a lot of valuable information, there's one test result you also want to include--your triglyceride level. Triglycerides are a type of blood fat that is closely related to coronary artery disease. It is affected by diet, physical activity and stress. The normal level of triglycerides is less than 150 mg/dl. The best place to start looking at your triglycerides is your doctor's office.
Step 1
Exchange foods high in saturated fat and cholesterol with heart-healthy alternatives. Because triglycerides are often affected by high-carbohydrate foods, you'll also need to look at ways to include foods in your diet that do not cause your blood glucose levels to spike. Diet guidelines designed for diabetics are good resources. Diabetics pay strict attention to what foods stabilize their glucose levels.
Step 2
Eat foods with a low glycemic index (GI). All foods are rated with low, intermediate or high GI ratings. Low-GI foods have a GI rating of 55 or below. Intermediate-GI foods are rated between 55 to 70. High-GI foods are rated 70 or higher. For instance, prunes have a GI rating of 15. Orange juice has a GI rating of 46, and dates have a GI rating of 103.
Step 3
Combine fats and proteins with carbohydrates. Fats and proteins typically have lower GI ratings, so they offset high-GI foods.
Step 4
Avoid simple sugars and full-sugar foods and beverages. Foods loaded with sugar cause your blood sugar to spike, which in turn raises triglycerides.
Step 5
Add omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin C to your diet. They offer the dual benefit of lowering cholesterol and triglycerides. Omega-3 fatty acids can be found in many varieties of cold-water fish, such as tuna, salmon and mackerel. I you don't care for fish, take 1,000 to 2,000 mg of omega-3 dietary supplements. Vitamin C is available in a number of fruits and vegetables and can also be taken in tablet form.
Step 6
Add exercise to your daily schedule. Sustained aerobic exercise, including walking, running, bicycling, swimming and hiking, consumes blood triglycerides. The key to lowering triglycerides is sustained activity. If you've never exercised, walk for 10 to 15 minutes and increase your exercise time 10 percent each week until you reach 30 to 45 minutes of sustained exercise.
Tips and Warnings
- Make changes to your diet slowly. Make lifestyle changes that you can sustain the rest of your life.
- Avoid fad diets that focus on temporary solutions. Do not overdo your exercise.
Things You'll Need
- Exercise clothing and shoes
- Heart-healthy or diabetic food choices
