Did you know that cholesterol and triglycerides equally are responsible for coronary disease risk? “Triglycerides traditionally have been viewed as second-class citizens,” said Dr. Michael Miller, director of preventive cardiology at the University of Maryland Medical Center. “LDL cholesterol has always taken center stage. We know that LDL is intimately involved in bringing cholesterol to scavenger cells, which deposit them to form plaques in the arteries. This study shows that triglycerides in and of themselves are also lipids to blame.”
To get your triglycerides and cholesterol back down to a normal level, you will have to make some dietary changes. For people who have high cholesterol levels from eating too many fattening foods, cholesterol lowering can be accomplished by as much as 10-20% from dieting alone. Reducing calories to 1,200-1,500 for women and 1,500-1,800 for men will help you lose 2 pounds per week. When losing weight, you shouldn’t drink more than one serving of alcohol per day and you should be ingesting eight cups of water daily. Adding just 30 minutes of exercise per day, either all at once or in 3 intervals of 10 minutes, can work wonders for heart health.
A sample diet plan for someone looking to lower cholesterol and triglycerides begins with ½ cup of oatmeal with a cup of nonfat milk, 1 teaspoon of brown sugar and a sliced banana or ½ cup of canned peaches. For lunch, slap 2 ounces of lean turkey onto two slices of whole wheat bread, adding a tablespoon of Miracle Whip, a tomato and a slice of lettuce. Carrot sticks and fruit make a nice complement to this midday feast. You can treat yourself to a satisfying snack of yogurt, raisins and peanuts midday if you desire. A great dinner consists of 3 oz. baked or broiled salmon, a cup of brown rice, a cup of cooked broccoli, a slice of bread with one teaspoon of margarine, 1 tablespoon of olive oil used in cooking and a salad with 1 ½ cups of romaine lettuce, ½ cup of tomatoes, ¼ cup of cucumber and 1 tablespoon of oil/vinegar salad dressing. You’ll find that well-rounded eating like this is more satisfying than binging on small, fatty meals.
If your doctor finds that you have an abundance of cholesterol and triglycerides, then there are several things that may be recommended. The first step is usually a diet/lifestyle change. Yes, you’ll need to quit smoking, start exercising a little more, lose some weight and give up some of your favorite foods, but keep in mind that its small potatoes compared to paying the medical bills when you have a heart attack. If lifestyle modifications do not significantly improve your heart health, then you will likely require medication. Statins are the most common prescriptions, but you may also try other drugs, like bile acid sequestering resins, cholesterol absorption inhibitors, fibrates, and nicotinic acid (niacin).
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