For a Healthy Heart, Check Your Triglyceride Levels
By Stephen R. Farris
If you're looking for ways to reduce your risk of developing heart disease, then you might want to start by getting your triglyceride levels checked.
Triglycerides are a fat that is stored into your fat cells, so your body can use them for energy later. However, too many triglycerides can lead to the development of heart disease. People who are obese, have diabetes left unchecked, drink alcohol on a daily basis, or have certain other health conditions with a triglyceride level above 150 mg/dl are at a much higher risk.
The good news out of this is that there are certain things you can do to change that number and actually lower it to avoid becoming a victim of heart disease.
Lose Weight
One of the best things you can do is change your diet so you can start losing weight. Start eating more healthy. This can be achieved by eating a balanced diet that is lower in calories and exercising at least 30 minutes each day in order to use more of those stored triglycerides and bring your levels down.
Cut Back on Sugar
At some point, we're all guilty of consuming more sugar than we should. Cutting back on sugar intake has shown to help lower triglyceride levels. You can start cutting back on sugar by consuming fewer (or none at all) soft drinks, limit certain fruit intake (fruits contain natural sugar, but there are some that may have more), and read the labels on processed foods and drinks, as these may contain hidden sugar, or have more than the daily allowance needed in your diet.
Cutting Back on Carbs
This includes cutting back on sugar, but also you'll need to cut down on white breads, pastas, certain breakfast cereals, white rice, pastries, and candy. But you don't have to completely cut carbs out of your diet. There are some that are actually good for you. The main focus is to cut down or cut out the bad ones.
Eat More Fiber
Eating more fiber will help slow down absorption of fat and sugar in your small intestine, thus contributing to lowering triglyceride levels in the body. Fiber can be found in raw fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and other plant-based foods.
Taking a first step, whether changing up your diet, exercising more, or simply getting your triglyceride levels checked to see where they're at is a great step to reducing your risk of developing heart disease.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Casa Grande, Ariz.