The majority of the fat stored in your body is triglycerides -- calories consumed but not used right away for energy are stored as triglycerides in your fat cells. A high triglyceride level can indicate an increased risk of coronary artery disease, warns the American Heart Association. Hypertriglyceridemia, the medical term for high triglycerides, can be caused by a diet high in sugar and fat, alcohol use or insulin resistance and can be a warning sign of pre-diabetes.
Simple Carbohydrates
According to the Harvard School of Public Health, carbohydrates have a greater impact on triglyceride levels than dietary fats. Use the glycemic index as a guideline when choosing carbs. The glycemic index, or GI, rates foods on a scale of 1 to 100; the higher the food scores on the GI, the faster it raises your blood sugar. Choose low-GI foods, such as vegetables, most fruits and whole grains. Avoid processed foods that have added sugars and refined grains, such as white flour, that you body quickly converts to glucose. Be careful of added sugars in beverages, such as soda, lemonade, tea and coffee drinks.
Saturated and Trans Fats
Deep fried foods and store-bought cakes, cookies and crackers often contain partially hydrogenated oils, which are trans fats. MayoClinic.com recommends that no more than 7 percent of your total caloric intake come from trans fats, and no more than 30 percent of your calories come from fat overall. Saturated fat, found mainly in animal proteins, such as beef, lamb, pork and whole-milk dairy products, should be replaced with leaner meats, including chicken, turkey, seafood and fish. Fish high in omega-3 polyunsaturated fats can help reduce triglyceride levels. Use unsaturated fats, such as olive or vegetable oil, instead of butter or lard for cooking.
Alcohol
Even small amounts of alcohol can have a dramatic impact on your triglyceride levels. The Cleveland Clinic suggests eliminating alcohol entirely if you have hypertriglyceridemia, but if that's not feasible, limit yourself to no more than one drink daily. A drink is 12 oz. of beer, 3 oz. of wine or 1.5 oz. of hard liquor.
Lifestyle Factors
Smoking can increase your triglyceride levels. If you smoke, stop. A lack of regular physical activity can contribute to hypertriglyceridemia, as can being overweight . You can lower triglyceride levels by getting at least 30 minute of moderate-intensity exercise daily, five days per week. Not only will exercise lower triglycerides, it also lowers "bad" low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and boosts "good" high-density lipoproteincholesterol levels. Maintaining a healthy body weight will also help treat hypertriglyceridemia.
If diet and lifestyle changes don't lower your triglycerides, you may need to look for another cause of your hypertriglyceridemia. Underlying illnesses, such as diabetes, kidney or liver disease and hypothyroidism, can cause high triglycerides. You'll need to treat any other medical condition before you see an improvement in your triglyceride level.
