Lowering Triglycerides - Just As Important As Lowering Cholesterol

If you don't lower your triglycerides, you could end up having a stroke or a heart attack. It's a serious matter; and most people think that as long as they lower their cholesterol, that they are good to go. Unfortunately, this is not the case, and lowering one's triglycerides is just as important as lowering cholesterol.

But what are triglycerides?

Triglycerides are a type of fatty acids that get stored in your body. When you take in more calories than you get rid of, your body takes the unused calories and converts them into fat (triglycerides) and stores them inside of fat cells. Some of these triglycerides are always circulating in your blood.

These triglycerides act as an energy reservation for your body. Whenever you are tired and need some energy, your body turns the triglycerides into a form of energy. This all sounds well and good, but having an excess of triglycerides can clog up your arteries.

Having a triglyceride level below 150 is considered normal, but if they are above 200, they are too high.

There are also certain risk factors with triglycerides, and this is why you need to lower triglycerides. One of these risk factors is obesity. Consuming too much sugar and highly caffeinated drinks and sodas can also cause someone to have high triglycerides.

A healthy diet and exercise are the keys to lowering triglycerides. If you cannot get your levels low enough, then you may want to look into some type of medication that will help to lower your triglyceride level.

Also remember to decrease your caloric intake and increase your activity. You will have to use more energy than you are taking in when it comes to lowering triglycerides. You should most certainly eliminate excess sugars and sweets, as well as processed carbohydrates.

Really try to slim down on cakes, candies, and other desserts, because they are not doing anything for you at all.

When it comes to lowering triglycerides, it is important to follow an appropriate diet regimen that eliminates or reduces the amount of sweets you ingest. If you do that, you will be able to lower your triglycerides, and that is just as important as lowering your cholesterol.

Lillian M. Varrassi is a writer and website owner of Health-Mind-Body.com Health-Mind-Body.com This site was created to provide a wealth of knowledge and advice on healthy living and self-healing thought for women. You will also find articles on health issues for children, men, and seniors.