Lowering triglycerides

[tractor]

Any tips to lower these things? I'm 43, 5'8" and around 195 lbs. I have a body fat less than 10 percent. My levels as of this morning are 460, down from 520 three years ago. HDL is only 30. Should be dead soon...,

[swamp]

Aren't you the guy that eats burgers for just about every meal?

How about some cardio and a salad?

[Deleted]

Found this out on the web:

How to Lower Triglycerides Naturally

Since triglycerides are forms of fats, you might think less fat in your diet would be the most important dietary step to lower triglycerides. It's not.

The main culprit is sugar!

That's right, the main foods causing high triglycerides levels are refined carbohydrate foods high on the glycemic index foods list. Sugar is why even a little alcohol causes big increases in blood plasma triglycerides.

Here's the triglycerides diet of foods to lower triglycerides:
1. Switch from high glycemic carbohydrates to a low glycemic diet.
2. Replace bad fats with good fats, like fish oil and olive oil.
3. Increase your high fiber foods, fruits and vegetables.
4. Eat more healthy lean high protein foods.

Also follow these healthy lifestyle and dietary guidelines:

5. If you smoke or drink, quit immediately.
6. Add at least a half-hour of physical activity a day.
7. Lower your dietary fat intake to 25% to 30% of calories.
8. Reduce food calories to achieve permanent healthy weight loss. 


These 8 steps for how to lower triglycerides naturally are great for anyone with high triglycerides levels. And this healthy lifestyle and triglycerides diet of foods to lower triglycerides isn't just for a happy, healthy heart.

Following these steps also significantly reduces your risk of diabetes and stroke and helps to prevent and relieve arthritis, cancer and depression.

[tractor]

Thanks, I cutout red meat about six months ago, drink alcohol maybe twice a month, I will have to focus on my sugars, although my blood glucose level is in the normal/low range. Don't really eat that many sweets.

[swamp]

Oct 31, 2012 9:25:09 GMT -5 tractor said:

Thanks, I cutout red meat about six months ago, drink alcohol maybe twice a month, I will have to focus on my sugars, although my blood glucose level is in the normal/low range. Don't really eat that many sweets.

sugar doesn't necessarily mean sweets.

Simple carbs like white bread, pasta, white flour, etc, will raise your blood sugar.

[Deleted]

Glycemic Index List

Below you will find a list of common foods with the glycemic index for each. A food with a glycemic index of less than 55 is considered a low glycemic food while 56 to 69 is moderate and over 70 is considered high. As you can see many vegetables, fruits and beans are relatively low on the glycemic index of food.

Most protein foods (such as meat, fish, poultry, eggs and full fat cheese) are not listed because they are generally very low on the glycemic index list. Only processed animal products such as hot dogs, lunchmeats and bacon are a little higher because they have added sugar and other carbohydrates.

Most nuts are low on the glycemic list because of the protein and fat found in them (for example, cashews are 27 and peanuts are 22 - but watch out for salt and sugar found in processed nuts!)

Grains, as you can see from the list below are not good foods for diabetics. The exceptions are foods like oatmeal and oat bran, which are high in fiber. The fiber buffers the glycemic effect.

Generally, raw vegetables are extremely low on the glycemic index list of foods and in addition, they have a low glycemic load because of the fiber found in them. Cooking changes the quality of the fiber and makes the carbohydrates more readily available, thus raising the glycemic number for cooked vegetables.

Most vegetables not on the list below have a low glycemic index - here are some examples: Asparagus, artichoke, cucumber, fennel, lettuce, bell peppers, tomatoes, celery, turnips, avocados, green beans, broccoli, cabbage, kale, collards, parsley, cilantro and cauliflower. In addition, most berries are also low glycemic index foods.

Keep in mind as you review these numbers that they are approximate, usually with a plus or minus factor of 2 - 4 points.

Vegetables

Beets 64
Carrot, raw 31
Carrot, cooked 47
Corn 55
Parsnip 97
Peas 52
Potato, baked 98
Potato, boiled 70
Pumpkin 75
Rutabaga 72
Sweet potato 61
Taro 55


Raw fruits

Apples 39
Apricots 57
Bananas (ripe) 56
Cantaloupe 65
Cherries 22
Grapefruit 25
Grapes 46
Kiwi 54
Mango 55
Oranges 44
Orange juice 46
Papaya 58
Peach 43
Pear 38
Pineapple 64
Plum 39
Prune 33
Raisins 64
Strawberry 40
Watermelon 72


Legumes

Beans 31
Black beans 30
Black-eyed peas 44
Garbanzos 33
Kidney beans 30
Lentils 29
Lima beans 35
Mung beans 38
Navy beans 38
Peas, dried 39
Pinto beans 39
Soy beans 18

Grains

Bagel 72
Barley 25
Bran Cereal 51
Bread, white 69
Bread, whole grain 72
Corn 52
Cornflakes 80
Croissant 67
Millet 71
Oat bran 50
Oatmeal 58
Pasta, linguine 45
Pasta spaghetti 41
Popcorn 55
Rice, white 70
Rice, brown 55
Rice, puffed 95
Shredded Wheat 69
Waffle 76
Wheat, bulgar 48
Wheat cereal 67

Miscellaneous

Cookies, oatmeal 55
Cookies, shortbread 64
Cookies, vanilla 77
Corn chips 73
Ice cream 36
Macaroni & Cheese 64
Milk, whole 40
Milk, skim 32
Nuts (most are low) 13
Sausages 28

Sugar

Fructose 20
Honey 75
Table sugar 65

[NancysSummerSip]

I have to agree with what Beer posted. I also had issues with high triglycerides (around the 250-300 level) and got them down to 150-175. Cholesterol meds don't help this issue much.
You have to take steps to lower the tri level and really boost the HDL, and you have to be consistent about it. That doesn't mean no burgers any more, ever. It means substituting leaner meats, whole grain buns, topped with raw veggies, and maybe no French fries or onion rings. Adding fruits and vegetables means adding them in their least processed form (raw) as opposed to cooked or otherwise processed (in other words, the fruit in a margarita does not count). ;D

Quitting smoking is a no-brainer. If you drink, the alcohol should be an occasional thing in moderation. Yes, I know about the benefits of red wine. The issue isn't antioxidants; the issue is empty calories and sugar.

And yes, this is a lifestyle change, and it has to be something you want to do for yourself. Not something temporary to look good at a high school reunion, or because a loved one or a doctor is being a bitchy nag.

[tractor]

Thanks again for all the info, I'll need to absorb it over the next few days. I thought I was doing good, but the results show something different. I don't plan to live forever, just past the 62-64 age range of my grandparents. I'm sure they never had their blood checked.

[NancysSummerSip]

Tractor, that may be true. But then again, your grandparents, and mine for that matter, also lived somewhat different lives. Mine walked more than they drove (neither of my grandmothers ever learned to drive), and they did a lot more manual labor - washing clothes, ironing, hanging laundry to dry, and housework in general was done without a lot of modern equipment. Sure they ate well, and yes, they had a decent amount of fat in their diets. But what they did not have was all the processed food and sugary junk we have. Their diets were certainly not perfect, but chances are they ate a lot closer to the land than we do now.
It's hard to make any kind of generational comparison, given the changes in diet and the use of modern conveniences, plus the medical and scientific advances.

[Deleted]

Fruit juices were my main culprit

I used to drink a quart a day at least....thought it was better than soda

Now i get 2 4oz glasses twice a week

And my tri level decreased by 200+ points

I miss my OJ every morning

[tractor]

I don't drink fruit juice, I wish it was that easy. The processed foods are what are doing me in. I'm a road warrior most of the time, so quick and easy define most of my food selections.

[mmhmm]

Tractor, triglycerides are the fats that are used by the body to provide energy. Cholesterol is used in cell building and maintenance, and in making hormones. Because triglycerides provide energy, exercise is important to keeping the varmints in check. While what Beerwench has provided is darned good advice for anybody (not just those suffering from high CHO or high triglycerides), sometimes high triglycerides are the result of heredity. The liver simply manufactures too much of the stuff. What does your doctor say about this situation?

[tractor]

Haven't discussed it with the DR yet, test today was part of health screening at work. I will get with my DR next.

[jeep108]

Exercising, cutting my sugars and taking flax seed oil caps helped to lower mine.

[mmhmm]

Definitely talk to your doc about this, tractor. In the meantime, increase your exercise. Another thing that can help is fish oil in fairly high doses, but it's best to talk to your doctor before you start anything like that. He/she'll know your history and your family history and can better evaluate what might be going on with you and whether a medication might be warranted, at least for awhile.