high triglycerides~any ideas?

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OK...so I went to my Doc the other day and had the full panel of bloodwork done for the first time, everything looked good except my triglycerides were really high! I asked him what I could do to lower it without meds and of course his first response was to exercise and lose weight...guess what, I already have lost over 60lbs and am fairly active! His next advice was not to lower sodium, but instead to lower fat intake...guess what, I have been eating/buying low or fat free food for the past 2 months straight! So I was wondering if anyone had any ideas for me besides what my brilliant Doc suggested?! Food ideas to eat or not to eat, OTC supplements that help lower it, or anything else?! I would greatly appreciate it seeing as I don't want to be on meds for the rest of my life! Thanks :)
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Replies

  • aec20879
    aec20879 Posts: 2 Member
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    cut back on refined carbs. has a big impact for me.

    From american heart association website:

    If you're overweight, cut down on calories to reach your ideal body weight. This includes all sources of calories, from fats, proteins, carbohydrates and alcohol.
    Reduce the saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol content of your diet.
    Reduce your intake of alcohol considerably. Even small amounts of alcohol can lead to large changes in plasma triglyceride levels.
    Eat fruits, vegetables and nonfat or low-fat dairy products most often.
    Get at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity on five or more days each week.
    People with high triglycerides may need to substitute monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats —such as those found in canola oil, olive oil or liquid margarine — for saturated fats. Substituting carbohydrates for fats may raise triglyceride levels and may decrease HDL ("good") cholesterol in some people.
    Substitute fish high in omega-3 fatty acids instead of meats high in saturated fat like hamburger. Fatty fish like mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna and salmon are high in omega-3 fatty acids.
  • aunienue
    aunienue Posts: 416
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    My husband had high triglycerides - he initially cut out then just cut back on sugar....problem solved.
  • firedragon064
    firedragon064 Posts: 1,090 Member
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    My doctor put me on fish oil and it worked!
    I remembered I used to take 6 pills of them.
  • Desiree219
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    fish oil pills are supposed to lower triglycerides...get the ones that are enteric coated...some people have fish burps (ew!!) if they take the ones that aren't coated...
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
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    Also make sure your meat choices are mainly poultry instead of beef or pork. They are much higher in tri's than chicken or turkey. Also I would limit shellfish. Fish is great for you with essential fats, but I also limit those to 2 servings a week. I also stopped using eggs and started using just the whites.

    I had high triglycerides and cholesterol, too, but did the above and both went down to normal levels.

    I don't know if carbs had any affect on it at all for me since I ate the same before as after when it comes to this issue. But that might be just me.
  • cmw9696
    cmw9696 Posts: 123
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    http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4778

    http://www.high-triglycerides.com/

    for me, I lowered my carbohydrate intake and monitored it very closely for a while
  • luly727
    luly727 Posts: 202 Member
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    Hi, all of the advise given is great!!!

    I too got my ## and went down after losing 13 lbs and then I continued to lose and cholesterol & trig went UP ??? Ughh

    But anyways, Cut the simple carbs, I rarely eat potatoes or corn, now I eat more Brown rice..
    3-4 servings a week of Salmon and other "fatty fish" , and I have even cut back on chicken and turkey. I rarely eat red meat..
    Lots of veggies and fruit, and I drink ALOT of V8 juice.

    I take Omega 3 Fish Oil caps, 1 in the AM and 1 in the afternoon and I started taking CholestOFF, its over the counter and loaded with Plant oils/veggie/fruit equiv..so I go back in 3 weeks and see if it worked..

    ps..I didnt want to take meds either ;( So willing to try anything..

    Good luck and keep us posted
  • gnutrifitness
    gnutrifitness Posts: 169 Member
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    For low down triglycerides you must focus on carbs...avoid all refined sugars and starchy carbs...change to whole grains (brown rice & pasta, quinoa, only 100% whole bread), you must include more fiber, cut down the alcohol totally (this is important), and supplement yourself with Omega 3 fatty acids....of course NO SWEETS....
  • tjradd73
    tjradd73 Posts: 3,495 Member
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    ok so lets see here...
    lower sat fat/trans fat
    lower carbs/sugars
    add fiber/complex carbs
    lower red meat intake
    up omega 3 fat either from certain seafoods or fish oil capsules (non smelly kind!!) lol

    i think i can handle those things! i dont like seafood too much so I may go with the fish oil capsules...how many should i take? and i don't drink iften but on occassion i like a few so i won't cut that out altogethor! def will get my recommended exercise and try all the other option though!

    thanks everyone for the great advice!! If any of you would like to add me as a friend btw feel free..extra support is always welcome :)
  • FoxyD
    FoxyD Posts: 9 Member
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    Hi TJ....the above is generally all great advice but I recommend you not go the supplement route....just add more foods high in omega 3.....supplements are not FDA regulated and therefore you have no real way of knowing if what your buying is actually what you are ingesting. There's been alot of research regarding mislabeling and over 60% of products do not contain the labeld dose. That being said, research indicates that omega-3s may be better absorbed from food than supplements anyways.

    Excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids include: Salmon, flax seeds and walnuts. There is actually alot of research indicating that consuming a small handful of walnuts everyday (6-8 halves) lower cholesterol within a few weeks. I've given this advice to a few clients and it has worked time and time again.

    Omega-3 foods do alot for your body including: Reducing inflammation, keep your blood from clotting, maintain the fluidity of your cell membranes, lower the amount of lipids (fats such as cholesterol and triglycerides) circulating in the bloodstream,
    inhibit thickening of the arteries, reduce the risk of becoming obese and improve the body's ability to respond to insulin by stimulating the secretion of leptin, a hormone that helps regulate food intake, body weight and metabolism, and help prevent cancer cell growth. Pretty amazing, huh?

    Exercise, of course, is definitely essential and has the added benefited of raising your HDL levels....high density lipoproteins are great for clearing out the LDL cholesterol (bad). The only real way of raising HDL is through exercise.

    Ok, I think that sums it up. :) Dani
  • raindancer
    raindancer Posts: 993 Member
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    My husband had high triglycerides - he initially cut out then just cut back on sugar....problem solved.
    My husband also.
  • tjradd73
    tjradd73 Posts: 3,495 Member
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    thanks! my good levels are fine and my actual cholesterol level is fine also...just those damn triglycerides!! i just got some flax seed so i will be starting with that and watching my sugars and fats also and of course uping my exercise!!
    Hi TJ....the above is generally all great advice but I recommend you not go the supplement route....just add more foods high in omega 3.....supplements are not FDA regulated and therefore you have no real way of knowing if what your buying is actually what you are ingesting. There's been alot of research regarding mislabeling and over 60% of products do not contain the labeld dose. That being said, research indicates that omega-3s may be better absorbed from food than supplements anyways.

    Excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids include: Salmon, flax seeds and walnuts. There is actually alot of research indicating that consuming a small handful of walnuts everyday (6-8 halves) lower cholesterol within a few weeks. I've given this advice to a few clients and it has worked time and time again.

    Omega-3 foods do alot for your body including: Reducing inflammation, keep your blood from clotting, maintain the fluidity of your cell membranes, lower the amount of lipids (fats such as cholesterol and triglycerides) circulating in the bloodstream,
    inhibit thickening of the arteries, reduce the risk of becoming obese and improve the body's ability to respond to insulin by stimulating the secretion of leptin, a hormone that helps regulate food intake, body weight and metabolism, and help prevent cancer cell growth. Pretty amazing, huh?

    Exercise, of course, is definitely essential and has the added benefited of raising your HDL levels....high density lipoproteins are great for clearing out the LDL cholesterol (bad). The only real way of raising HDL is through exercise.

    Ok, I think that sums it up. :) Dani
  • meeha2
    meeha2 Posts: 2
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    Thanks for this article, I just left the doctors office and she referred me to this site and I dont have high cholesterol but my triglycerides are 220 and need to come down and reading this gave me some new suggestions...
  • drsean
    drsean Posts: 9
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    OK..I KNOW that people will object to this, I am not a doctor so please keep an open mind. But my doc had me try something that worked.

    I had high triglycerides about 5 years ago. I started eating right etc as well. But my Doctor said to have ONE glass of a dry red wine 2-3 time a week.

    I am not joking.

    My tryglycerides are now in the normal range and I am still a tad overweight (which I am working on) but my triglycerides are in the normal range, my blood pressure and bad cholesterol are excellent.

    DO NOT overdo or have 3 glasses a night. Moderation. Yes high sugar alcohols like martinis etc are bad, but a small portion of wine is probably good for us.
  • 135sb
    135sb Posts: 24
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    OK...so I went to my Doc the other day and had the full panel of bloodwork done for the first time, everything looked good except my triglycerides were really high! I asked him what I could do to lower it without meds and of course his first response was to exercise and lose weight...guess what, I already have lost over 60lbs and am fairly active! His next advice was not to lower sodium, but instead to lower fat intake...guess what, I have been eating/buying low or fat free food for the past 2 months straight! So I was wondering if anyone had any ideas for me besides what my brilliant Doc suggested?! Food ideas to eat or not to eat, OTC supplements that help lower it, or anything else?! I would greatly appreciate it seeing as I don't want to be on meds for the rest of my life! Thanks :)
    [/quote

    Sugar raises triglycerides..don't go over 15grams a day. If you need a sweetner use xylitol (replaces sugar equal parts) or stevia. Xylitol is better for baking.
    A good homemade or natural yogurt from the health food store and lots of it (not the sugary commercial junk) you can get plain and sweeten it yourself. They give you statin drugs for you chol. yogurt is a natural statin!:) Try that for awile then check back with the doc.
  • gjmontll
    gjmontll Posts: 1 Member
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    I had high trigylcerides a few years back, and took prescribed medications for a year or so without any real dietary changes and without any great improvement. Then started eating oatmeal every day and was able to stop the meds. Lately (last 6 mo or so) I've gotten away from the every day, and last week my blood test showed the TGs a bit too high again. Doctor said get on a low-fat diet for a month and retest. That's why I just joined myfitnesspal. No more cheating on the oatmeal with a bagel or sourdough bread! But maybe, like today, I'll replace the oatmeal with wholewheat double fiber bread.
  • fasttrack27
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    I've also had high counts. Some is hereditory as my moms whole side has it too. Doc told me the same excercise/better food things. I thought I was doing ok but the next time they were still high. Put me on a low dose med for it. After a few months I decided to REALLY get serious. I joined a gym, go to intense classes that push me to the limit, and focused even harder on the foods I choose. I quit taking the meds and just did this for 6 more months and re-tested. My counts were better than when I was on the meds! So for me, I had to be more than just passively trying - I had to really hit it hard and its paying off.

    Careful on the fish oil. Some controversy about that. My doc said no, it wouldnt do much, but my parents doc told them to take 'em everyday. Some articles we've found have also said some crazy stuff gets put into those pills and still make it to the shelves. Tread lightly - check w/ your doc again - and maybe do your own internet research before you decide.

    I'm on the flax seed bandwagon. Can easily add it to almost anything. I do, though, suggest you get a small grinder. Even tho the seeds are small it has been proven that they pass thru whole and dont get fully used/absorbed. Grinding them up and keeping it in a shaker-type container makes it easy to grab and use and they will be better absorped by your system. That's my 2-cents for what its worth.
  • ladybug202
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    Mine are boardline high, all other blood work was in the normal range. I had already been cutting back on all the things that are said to be "bad" and had lost 35 lbs in the previous year (140 to 105. but now back up to 112 at 5'1"). I am 44 years old. It is frustraiting to me.

    I decided to not buy anything with added sugar. Wow that is hard to find! I am not 100% successful on this, but I watch.

    I am a beer drinker (one a day), so I cut this back to about one or two max a week. I can't drink wine at all. Even a sip makes me painfully ill, and trapped in the bathroom for at least an hour.

    I had another doctor mention dairy as a possible culprit. I found that when I cut out dairy, my stomach doesn't bloat out like it did almost nightly, especially if I ate yogurt. I take a probioitc in the morning before breakfast instead of the yogurt, and switched to almond milk. I adore almond milk. The only thing I haven't given up is pizza about once a month. I never get sick from it, but it I have found that even the slightest hint of cheese on a salad or taco will cause my stomach to bloat as if I had a ton of dairy.

    I was already eating salmon at least once a week, and putting some walnuts on salads, etc. for omega 3's. I was already eating grilled fish for about 4 or 5 meals a week. I make tacos with turkey instead of ground beef. I love chicken, so I will eat that too. I have not given up fried chicken (my absolute favorite food), but I cut that back to about once a month or less.

    I was already eating very very very little bread, just brown rice about 90% of the time.

    I had cut out all soda from my diet completely for three years. I drink water. I was drinking coffee daily with splenda blend in it. I now drink my coffee black.

    I eat only the very darkest of chocolates, cause I love that anyway, but I cut that back to about once a week, and very little of it.

    I don't eat any salad dressing, just squeeze some fresh lemon juice on it instead. I don't make my salads with iceberg lettuce, but choose something darker and keep it about 50% spinach.

    I am hoping this will make a difference. I don't know what else to do. I know my entire family always has high triglycerides, and don't seem to bat an eyelash over it. They either die of a stroke in their 40's or live until they are in their 90's. No in between. How fast could it kill me to be boardline high for the rest of my life? Although I enjoy fish, and lemon juice on salad, I also enjoy beer, pizza and fried chicken (unless it will kill me fast of course!)
  • firedragon064
    firedragon064 Posts: 1,090 Member
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    Fish oil! I surprise that your doctor did not suggest it.
    When I have high trilycerides, my doc got me to take 6 pills a day and it did work!
  • kelfromhell
    kelfromhell Posts: 25 Member
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    I know you posted a few months ago, but I am about your age and drink and struggled with triglycerides. Keeping my weight in check, exercising and eating fish at least 2 x per week got mine back in check. Good luck.