Is Shrimp And Lobster Harmful When Try To Lower Triglycerides?

Shrimp and lobster are high in triglycerides and so they should be avoided if you are trying to lower your levels.

• What are triglycerides?

Very often triglycerides are associated with cholesterol, but they are actually not the same thing at all. Triglycerides are the fats that can be found in foods and the fats that are made by the body through eating excessive amounts of carbohydrates.

The thing that they do have in common with cholesterol is that they can be lowered by a change in lifestyle and by avoiding foods that are make the problem worse (like shrimp and lobster).

• Foods to avoid if you want to reduce your triglycerides

It is important to make sure that you read all of the labels on packaged food. There are some foods that it is obvious that they are absolutely packed with sugar, such as ice cream, candy, baked goods and soda, but other foods do a better job at hiding it, and sugar really needs to be cut down.

Ketchup, canned fruit, granola bars and cereals are just a few example of food that has high sugar content.

• Carbohydrates

It is important that you eat carbohydrates for a healthy diet, but stay away from refined ones. Usually white foods are the ones to avoid, such as white rice, white pasta and white bread.

• Alcohol

Alcohol is something else that needs to be avoided. While it is true that red wine can reduce bad cholesterol (LDL) and increase good cholesterol (HDL), the same cannot be said of triglycerides, which it actually increases.

• Fat

Foods with a high fat content should be replaced with healthier options that contain monosaturated fats, and processed foods are also on the 'avoid' list. The key to these is if the ingredients list looks like a chemistry lesson, give them a miss.