Triglycerides are a chemical form of fat used for energy by the muscles, heart and body. When triglycerides are not being used, they are stored in fat cells. When they are needed for energy, the hormones release them. When you eat too many calories, your triglycerides can become elevated and cause your arteries to become hardened. In turn, this can raise your risk for heart disease, stroke and heart attacks. Triglycerides can be lowered by making some adjustments in your diet.
Step 1
Keep your cholesterol intake regulated. Foods that are high in cholesterol cannot only raise your cholesterol levels, but they can also raise your triglyceride levels as well. According to the Mayo Clinic, you should have no more than 300 mg a day, or 200 mg a day or less if you have heart disease. Foods that are high in cholesterol include whole eggs, whole-fat milk products and processed meats.
Step 2
Cut back on the fast-absorbing carbs. Insulin is a fat-storage hormone released from the pancreas to stabilize blood sugar levels when carbs are eaten. Complex carbs cause a slow rise in insulin and simple carbs cause a quick increase. When insulin increases sharply, so do triglyceride levels. To lower your triglycerides, choose breads made with whole grains and avoid sweets like candy, ice cream and frozen yogurt.
Step 3
Eat fatty fish. Omega-3 fatty acids are healthy fats that do not get produced in the body naturally. According to the Cleveland Clinic, omega-3 fatty acids can help lower triglyceride levels and they recommend eating cold-water fish twice a week. Examples of these fish are salmon, herring, mackerel, tuna and sardines. Other foods that have omega-3s include walnuts, flax seeds and canola oil.
Step 4
Cut back on your total calories. Being overweight is a risk factor for high cholesterol and triglycerides. Because fat cells are the storage unit of triglycerides, you can lower your levels by losing excess weight. To do this through your diet, reduce your daily intake by 500 calories. To lose a pound of weight, you must burn 3,500 calories. So if you follow this pattern, you can lose a pound a week.
Step 5
Eliminate alcohol. Alcohol is high in calories, sugar and can cause your triglyceride levels to rise. This can happen even if you consume it in moderate amounts. To lower your levels, avoid it altogether.
Step 6
Look for trans fats on packages. Even though many companies have done away with trans fats, they can still get away with saying they are "free" of them even when there is .5 g or less per serving. If you eat high amounts of these foods, your triglyceride levels can increase. To know if a packaged food has trans fat in it, do not look at the nutrition label, look in the ingredient label. If you see partially or fully hydrogenated oils, then it has trans fats and you should leave it alone.
