Cholesterol Management can be difficult to understand. Which number should be high and which should be low? Which foods make a cholesterol number go up and which makes them go down? Can cholesterol management be done effectively through diet control? Triglycerides in the blood come from fats eaten or from what the body makes from other carbohydrates or energy sources. Calories consumed but not needed by the tissues immediately are converted to triglycerides and transported to fat cells to be stored. Hormones regulate the release of triglycerides from fat tissue so they meet the body's needs for energy between meals. While the entire process sounds complicated, the simple fact is to many calories or to many fats can lead to a high triglyceride level. Controlling Triglyceride levels is important to overall health. Change in diet is one means of doing so. Changing diet in addition to increasing exercise can reduce the levels and lead to a healthier body. http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4778 Continue reading for more information on how to reduce triglycerides through diet changes.

DISCLAIMER The content in this page is not a substitute for professional medical advice. If you plan to diet to lower your Triglyceride level, please consult your doctor.

While other medical conditions may complicate weight loss, a simple reduction in calorie intake and increase in calorie burning is a basic means of weight reduction. For an overweight individual reduction of overall calorie intake from all calorie sources (fats, proteins, and carbohydrates) should help reduce weight to an ideal number.

Lowering weight through a balanced diet. Excess calories are converted to triglycerides and the body stores them as fat. Reducing calorie intake and weight impact the triglyceride numbers. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/triglycerides/CL00015/NSECTIONGROUP=2

High Triglyceride levels increase the risk of coronary heart disease. Very high levels of triglycerides can cause pancreatitis.http://www.healthcentral.com/cholesterol/question-answer-27450-63.html

To help reduce Triglyceride levels:

1. Eliminate saturated fats, transfats, and cholesterol from the diet
2. Increase healthy fats found in olive oil, canola oil, avocados. Choose healthy fats in place of saturated fats. Try a monounsaturated fat, found in olive, peanut and canola oils. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/triglycerides/CL00015/NSECTIONGROUP=2
3. Substitute fish high in Omega 3 for high fat beef meals like high fat ground beefs
4. Reduce or eliminate alcohol intake.

Changing everything in a diet plan at one time may be difficult to do and to many changes may be reason to prompt the individual to give up to quickly. Unless the medical situation is urgent requiring a complete total diet revision all at once, making progressive incremental changes may be easier to adapt to.

1. Choose Unsaturated fats to reduce triglycerides and improve cholesterol numbers.http://www.bidmc.org/YourHealth/HolisticHealth/DietCenter.aspx?ChunkID=13327
2. Fruit: Fresh fruit is high in fiber and vitamins. Avoid fruit juices or sweetened fruits due to the high calorie count.
3. Vegetables: Enjoy 3 or more cups of fresh or frozen vegetables each day. Raw vegetables are higher in fiber count. Avoid adding fats in preparation.
4. Whole Grains: Choose whole grain bread over white bread. Add oatmeal or other oat bran to decrease cholesterol and aid in reducing triglycerides
5. Protein: Choose lean meat choices rather than fatty. Remove skin from poultry. Increase fatty fish for healthy fats. Add nuts in small quantities for the extra healthy oils and proteins.
6. Dairy: Switch to fat free or low fat versions. Consider soy products as an alternative. http://www.pamf.org/nutrition/patients/triglycerides.html