July 20, 2005
I did not know what a
Triglyceride was until an insurance company told me I
was extremely healthy except that they were worried
about my triglyceride count being 660. Being a
daily runner and weightlifter, and having a muscular
build, I had not taken much consideration of my diet.
I asked my doctor about
this number as well as my cholesterol count of 196.
She asked me what business I had being alive with that
kind of reading.
A subsequent visit to
medical websites and in particular, the FDA government
site told me that "high blood levels of fats known as
triglycerides may increase risk of heart disease. So may
an unhealthy ratio of the good HDL cholesterol to the
bad LDL cholesterol. Coronary heart disease that can
result from these or other factors kills more Americans
than any other disease".
see
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/sep98/dha0998.htm
According to the
American Heart Association, here are the numbers to
be aware of for triglycerides:
|
Normal |
Less than 150
mg/dL |
|
Borderline-high |
150 to 199 mg/dL |
|
High |
200 to 499 mg/dL |
|
Very high |
500 mg/dL or
higher |
|
These are
based on fasting plasma triglyceride levels. |
What the heck was I doing
wrong, I thought after finishing my grande mocha foo-foo
coffee drink and glazed doughnut...I...I work out every
day for crying out loud.
After the "you should be
dead" email from my doctor and the "If you die I want a
better insurance payout so get healthy now" suggestion
from my wife, I took action.
First - Consult with
your doctor! I am not a doctor - yet what I will tell
you lowered my triglycerides from 660 to 150 and my
cholesterol from 196 to 150 in two weeks. I also
lost 8 pounds
Second - I cut out
all (well mostly all, but all is better) forms of
refined sugar. I started to put the fake sugar
from the blue or yellow packs in my coffee.
Third - I started
taking Omega 3 fatty acid tablets (i.e. fish oil).
I used VB Brand Omega-3 and took 1 capsule in the
morning and one in the evening. They are very
expensive (about $27.00 a bottle), but I now use
Nature Made Omega 3 tablets. Also be
sure you take with food and a multivitamin.
Fourth - I followed
a diet and exercise which is not unrealistic for anyone.
I believe that I was able to achieve normal readings in
two weeks because I already exercised on a daily basis.
Once again, consult your doctor before starting any
fitness program, especially if you are overweight.
The best workout and diet
program I have found is laid out in
Body for Life by Bill Phillips. No gimmicks or
special food purchases - just common sense.
Here is a sample of the
daily regimen that I followed for 12 days to cut my
triglyceride count from 660 to 150 and my cholesterol
from 196 to 150:
Day 1
|
0600 |
Small bowl of Cheerios
with a little skim milk, multi-vitamin, omega-3 (fish
oil) tablet, 8 oz water. |
|
0900 |
Apple, 2 boiled egg
whites, 3 pieces of pineapple. |
|
1000 |
Grapes. |
|
1200 |
Workout (45 minutes) –
upper body weights, 2 mile treadmill run.
|
|
1300 |
Small green salad with
cold peas, small amt of vinaigrette dressing, small bowl
of lentil bean salad. |
|
1400 |
Apple. |
|
1500 |
Small bag of carrots.
|
|
1730 |
Shredded chicken stir-fry
with broccoli and white rice. |
|
All day |
1-2 quarts of water.
|
|
2000 |
Small bowl of Cheerios
with a little skim milk and 1 6oz glass of skim milk.
|
Day 2
|
0630 |
Multi-vitamin,
omega-3 (fish oil) tablet, 8 oz water. |
|
0800 |
Banana, 6 oz
coffee w/ tablespoon skim milk. |
|
0900 |
1 boiled egg
white, apricot half, 3 pieces of melon. |
|
1000 |
Grapes. |
|
1200 |
Upper body
workout, abs workout, 2 mile run. (45 min) |
|
1330 |
Small green
salad with tomatoes, broccoli, mushrooms,
vinaigrette dressing. |
|
1400 |
1 cookie. |
|
1430 |
Small bag of carrots.
|
|
1530 |
Apple. |
|
All day |
1-2 quarts of
water. |
|
1730 |
Pork loin, brown rice,
snap peas, glass of water. |
|
2000 |
Small bowl of Rice Chex w/
skim milk. |
Day 3
|
0600 |
Small bowl of Rice Chex w/
skim milk, multi-vitamin, omega-3 (fish oil) tablet, 8
oz water |
|
0730 |
2 boiled egg whites, 3
melon pieces, 1 pineapple piece, decaf coffee w/ tbsp of
skim milk |
|
0800 |
1 cookie |
|
1000 |
apple
|
|
1200 |
1 Popeye’s chicken breast
with skin removed, brown rice, piece of smoked turkey,
piece of garlic bread, 1 chocolate chip cookie
|
|
1230 |
Baby carrots (10)
|
|
1400 |
Banana |
|
1500 |
30 minute workout -
weights, pushups, 2-mile treadmill run |
|
1545 |
Apple |
|
All day |
1-2 quarts of water.
|
|
1830 |
Bean soup, salad, prime
rib w/ fat cut off, green beans 8-9 pieces of roasted
potato, part of a slice of apple pie. |
Anyway, you get the idea.
Small portions through the day and exercise as part of a
daily routine. Even when I cheated and had my
cookies, it was only a small portion. Sometimes it
is hard to give up the vices!
You should also give up
any alcohol while going through this process as well.
Good luck, and long life!
Comments:
From Lesley
This was super helpful! My triglycerides are in the 200s, and I've been
on a diet to lower them, as they wanted to see me again in 6 months. The tips
for small fruit and veggie snacks, and the suggestion to take the omega-3 pill,
are helping a lot! I was already eating fish, but there's only so much fish you
can eat. I don't know what my levels are at right now, but I've lost 7 lbs in
about two weeks. Maybe it's working. We'll see!
