High Triglycerides

Home Treatment

Diet and lifestyle changes that can help lower your triglycerides. For example:

• Stay at a healthy weight. Triglycerides are stored as fat in your tissues and muscles.
• Eat fewer calories. Excess calories are converted to triglycerides.
• Eat a heart-healthy diet. Limit high-calorie foods and carbohydrate, especially high-sugar foods such as cookies, soda, and fruit juices.
• Limit unhealthy fats in your diet, especially saturated fat. Choose a diet like the Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) diet. For more information, see:
  • Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) diet.
  • Sample menu for the TLC diet.
  • Tips for success with the Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) diet.
• Limit alcohol, which has a strong effect on triglycerides.
• Be more active. Get at least 30 minutes of activity on most, preferably all, days of the week. Walking is one way to add activity to your daily life. For more information, see:

  Walking for wellness.

• Stop smoking. See the topic Quitting Tobacco Use for information on how to quit.

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Author:	Robin Parks, MS	Last Updated: September 5, 2007
Medical Review:	E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine Neil J. Stone, MD, FACC, FACP - Internal Medicine, Cardiology Andrew Swan, MD, CCFP, FCFP - Family Medicine
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