Having high triglycerides becomes a serious health hazard. If you have high triglycerides, you can easily lower them by following a healthy lifestyle and a proper diet. Find out what foods to avoid and other helpful tips.
What are high triglycerides and what are their risks?
When we find the level of high triglycerides, this means that the triglyceride value is above 150 mg / dL, a figure that drops to 100 mg / dL when the person suffers from heart problems.
One of the main causes of high triglycerides in the blood has to do with an excessive consumption of calories, especially because the person tends to consume foods high in triglycerides.
Therefore, its risks are more than obvious: having high levels of triglycerides, especially when they are maintained over time, directly influences the appearance of cardiovascular problems and arteriosclerosis, which is a disease that causes an increase in thickness of the arteries, as well as their loss of elasticity, causing an accumulation of plaques inside them.
When do we have high triglycerides? Their abnormal values in your blood test:
When we talk about high triglycerides we always refer to those triglyceride values that are abnormally high, which means that, obviously, they are not at levels considered normal (and therefore, in healthy figures).
And when are triglycerides considered elevated then? As we briefly mentioned at the beginning of this article, triglycerides are high when their values exceed 150 mg/dL. That is, they are considered normal – and acceptable – values when the triglyceride level is less than 150 mg / dL.
However, as indicated by Medlineplus, those figures above 199 mg / dL are considered high values, and very high when it reaches 500 mg / dL (or levels higher than this).
We can make a summary regarding the triglyceride values in the following section:
- Normal: Less than 150 mg / dL
- Normal-high: 150 – 199 mg / dL
- High: 200 – 499 mg / dL
- Very high: 500 mg / dL or higher
On the other hand, we must bear in mind that these ranges may vary slightly from one laboratory to another. But the figures or values indicated are the average figures that are usually used in the measurement of triglycerides in the blood.
How to lower high triglycerides?
If you are overweight, the ideal is to lower it
Whether you are overweight or obese, it is advisable to reduce – little by little and moderately – that extra weight, mainly because it can help reduce high triglyceride levels.
A very useful option is to try to change our eating habits. And, for this, it is necessary to ask ourselves which ones may not be as healthy as we think. Perhaps we tend to snack between meals, we regularly consume sweets and other not very nutritious snacks … However, and we will talk about it in more detail about the diet to follow in a future section.
Watch your diet
Choose those foods that are good for high cholesterol, mainly because they not only help you lower LDL cholesterol, but also triglycerides, while increasing HDL (the good cholesterol that cleans the arteries).
When it comes to losing weight and changing your diet, the ideal is to also reduce the consumption of calories, mainly those called empty calories, while you should avoid as much as possible very fatty, sugary and refined.
You should also eliminate Tran’s fats and replace them with much healthier and healthier fats. This type of fat is found in olive oil, fruits such as avocado and oily fish (salmon or tuna), to name just a few examples.
Foods high in triglycerides that we should avoid
There is no doubt that one of the main causes of high triglycerides in the blood has to do with an excessive consumption of calories, especially because the person tends to consume foods high in triglycerides. We discover below what are some of those foods:
- Foods rich in saturated fat: we find saturated fats especially in fats of animal origin (such as fatty meats, chicken skin or by-products such as whole dairy products or butter). We must also take into account ice cream.
- Foods high in Tran’s fats: There is no doubt that Trans fats are the most dangerous. We find them especially in bakery of industrial origin and precooked products, as well as snacks and salty appetizers (such as French fries).
- Foods rich in sugar: such as sweets and pastries. It is best to choose a sweetener or reduce sugar consumption.
Get regular physical exercise
In addition to maintaining a diet as balanced and healthy as possible, it is also vitally important to try to stay active, moving away from sedentary lifestyle.
And how can it be achieved? Easily: practicing at least 30 to 40 minutes of physical exercise every day, be it walking, running, cycling, swimming … The key to reducing high triglycerides is to practice aerobic exercise.
Diet to follow with high triglycerides
Obviously, in the first place we must bear in mind that the diet must be low in fat and also rich in fiber, so that if one of the main causes of increased triglycerides in the blood is due to excessive calorie consumption, our doctor or nutritionist it will indicate a reduction in the daily consumption of calories, especially by eliminating or reducing the consumption of certain foods, especially those especially rich in fat.
A great option is to pay attention to prohibited foods with high triglycerides:
- Fried foods.
- Sausages and fatty meats.
- Fish canned in oil and shellfish in general.
- Industrial pastries and sweets.
- Fat sauces.
- Certain oils: such as palm and coconut oil.
Allowed foods with high triglycerides
Once you know which foods are not allowed in the diet, a good idea is to pay attention to which ones are allowed:
- Fruits, vegetables, greens and legumes.
- Skimmed dairy products and derivatives (always skimmed).
- Whole grains and flours.
- Blue and white fish.
- Rice and whole wheat pasta.
- Nuts: walnuts, prunes and apricots stand out.
- Olive oil.
The most normal thing is that it is our own doctor who indicates the best diet to follow. In this sense, it is advisable to always follow their dietary and nutritional advice.
Also, remember that regular physical exercise is always recommended.
