Triglycerides are a type of fat found in your blood. Your body uses them for energy. You need some triglycerides for good health. But high triglycerides might raise your risk of heart disease and may be a sign of metabolic syndrome.

Metabolic syndrome is the combination of high blood pressure, high blood sugar, too much fat around the waist, low HDL (“good”) cholesterol, and high triglycerides. Metabolic syndrome increases your risk for heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.

If you have high triglycerides, or you’re trying to lower your LDL cholesterol, you can increase your intake of omega 3 fats. Omega 3 fats are found in fatty fish. This would be salmon, halibut, tuna, trout, mackerel, sardines, and herring. Often seeing a local family physician or a physiotherapist in conjunction with a registered dietitian and athletic therapist is a great option to take control of this condition. Smart Food Now and exercise is also optominal for overall health.    

You can also increase your intake of nuts and seeds, and in particular, pumpkin seeds and walnuts, as well as flax seeds, and of course adding in more vegetable oils and trying to cook with liquid oils instead of solid fats can increase your omega 3s. Try more olive oil, canola oil, grape seed oil, as well as some nut oils like walnut oil.

If you’d like to find out more about how to increase your omega 3 fatty acid intake, contact your local registered dietitian.

Now Health Network Local Practitioners: Registered Dietitian

If you have high triglycerides, or you’re trying to lower your LDL cholesterol, you can increase your intake of omega 3 fats. Omega 3 fats are found in fatty fish. This would be salmon, halibut, tuna, trout, mackerel, sardines, and herring.

You can also increase your intake of nuts and seeds, and in particular, pumpkin seeds and walnuts, as well as flax seeds, and of course adding in more vegetable oils and trying to cook with liquid oils instead of solid fats can increase your omega 3s. Try more olive oil, canola oil, grape seed oil, as well as some nut oils like walnut oil.

If you’d like to find out more about how to increase your omega 3 fatty acid intake, contact your local registered dietitian.

Presenter: Ms. Diana Steele, Registered Dietitian, Vancouver, BC

Now Health Network Local Practitioners: Registered Dietitian