There are two types of fat in your blood stream that you need to worry about. Cholesterol and Triglycerides. Doctors and the media worry about your cholesterol, probably because there has been much debate (and hype) about statins. But cholesterol is not all bad and has important health benefits too.
But having high levels of triglycerides, which are basically just fatty energy stores, has been linked to an increased risk of atherosclerosis, heart attacks, strokes and to the spread of cancer. They are thought to be worse for you than LDL, the ‘bad’ form of cholesterol. And with high triglycerides you are on your own – the solution lies with you. It’s a lifestyle thing, starting with what you eat and drink, and how much energy you burn through exercise.
Lower your Triglycerides starting today
Flaxseeds- Eat more soluble fiber like whole oats, pulses such as lentils; add flaxseed and psyllium to your cereal in the morning.Eat whole foods which release sugar slowly with high natural fibre content, which causes your food to progress more quickly through the gut meaning less sugar is absorbed in large doses.
2. Cut your consumption of empty sugar, glucose, fructose and refined carbohydrates drastically. Cut the processed foods, packaged foods and fizzy soft drinks, bought fruit juices and smoothies, sweet puddings, ice cream, chocolate, cake, biscuits, honey and mollasses.
3. Cut your consumption of refined carbohydrates like pasta, white rice and mass-market breakfast cereals; and cut starchy vegetables like potatoes, parsnips, carrots, peas, corn, beetroot; and eat just two portions of fruit a day avoiding fruits like bananas.
4. Cut saturated fat consumption; This means all dairy (cheese, butter, milk), fatty and processed meats like ham, salami, bacon.
5. Switch from refined fats and coconut oil to good fats like extra virgin olive oil, (especially the first pressing of the olives) and whole nut and seed oils like walnut oil. Eat a colourful Mediterranean diet – a Rainbow Diet. Chris Woollams’ book will assist you in making positive moves. (Please click on the book) – it also makes a great present for any occasion.
6. Eat more tree-grown nuts, like walnuts, pecans, almonds and macadamia nuts that contain good oils (not peanuts and starchy cashews).
7. Eat grilled fish instead of red meat
8. Limit alcohol to 3 glasses of red wine a week
9. Eat garlic, and onions. And lots of green leafy vegetables.
10. Take moderate exercise for 45 minutes to an hour a day. The 3 golden rules:
* Take 45 – 60 minutes a day and exercise so that you get out of breath
* Move for 5 minutes every hour
* Try to acieve at least 10,000 steps a day (about 7km) and ideally about 15,000 steps
11. Lose weight – be the correct weight for your height or slightly below
12. Supplement –
Alpha lipoic acid can increase metabolic rate and is known to reduce triglycerides, as do rice bran fibre and fish and krill oils. Fenugreek, curcumin and garlic supplements have also shown benefits in reducing triglycerides.
