Diabetes puts you at higher risk for developing heart disease. High triglyceride levels further escalate your risk. Fortunately, triglycerides respond favorably to changes in your diet and lifestyle. A low-sugar, low-fat diet can help you manage diabetes and lower triglycerides. You should also exercise and, if necessary, lose weight.
Diet to Lower Blood Sugar and Triglycerides
A diet to lower triglycerides bears many similarities to a healthy diabetes diet. To manage your blood glucose levels, practice portion control and include a balance of food groups at each meal. To both manage diabetes and lower triglycerides, keep your meals low in sugar, saturated fat and trans fat. The American Heart Association recommends a triglyceride-lowering diet that includes no more than 16 g of saturated fat and 2 g or less of trans fat per day. Obtain most of your sugar from fruit and milk rather than sugar or refined carbohydrates.
Breakfast
The recommended balance for a diabetes breakfast includes half starchy foods, one-fourth protein and one-fourth fruit. Choose whole grains for your starches; lean meat or low-fat cheese for your protein; and high-fiber fruits such as apples, oranges, pears and berries. Breakfast options that meet these requirements are whole grain waffles topped with cottage cheese, blueberries and cinnamon; whole wheat toast topped with peanut butter and banana slices; a homemade bran muffin with a bowl of berries mixed with nonfat plain yogurt; and a bowl of oatmeal made with nonfat milk and topped with almonds, apple slices and cinnamon.
Lunch
Include 1 cup of nonfat milk and 1/2 cup of fruit with lunch. Balance your main meal with a combination of half non-starchy vegetables, one-fourth starchy vegetables and one-fourth protein. Some heart-healthy choices for lunch are a bowl of ham and pea soup served with a mixed green salad topped with tomatoes, broccoli, sprouts and mushrooms and tossed in an oil and vinegar dressing; a turkey sandwich on seeded rye bread topped with lettuce, tomatoes, spinach and mustard; and a salad that includes romaine, tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers and onions topped with water-packed tuna in a yogurt-and-mustard dressing.
Dinner
Your dinner menu should include the same balance of foods as your lunch. For dinner, you could try ham with a baked sweet potato and a medley of green vegetables; grilled salmon with green beans and wild rice; a stir fry with broccoli, cabbage, baby corn, onions, mushrooms and lean slices of beef served over brown rice; whole wheat spaghetti in a marinara sauce with skinless chicken, broccoli, celery, onions and cauliflower; or a turkey burger served with vegetarian baked beans and a salad that includes arugula, spinach, romaine, tomatoes and sprouts.
References
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness -- Create Your Plate
- American Heart Association; Diet, Lifestyle Changes Can Significantly Reduce Triglyceride; April 18, 2011
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness -- Diabetes Meal Plans and a Healthy Diet
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness -- Non-Starchy Vegetables
- American Diabetes Association: Food and Fitness -- Fruits
- University of California San Francisco Medical Center; Cholesterol Content of Foods; February 2, 2011
