Lipid Tips

You can do a number of simple things each day to get your lipids to healthier levels. For some people a healthy diet and regular exercise will be enough to achieve healthier lipid levels. Others need to combine a healthier lifestyle with medication in order to best care for their heart health. Either way, it's important to work with your doctor to create a plan that's right for you.

Eating Healthy

A healthy diet is key to healthy lipid levels and general heart health. In order to get your lipid levels to goal, your diet should consist of at least five servings of fruits or vegetables, six servings of breads/cereals/grains, two servings of fat-free or low-fat dairy products and five ounces or less of lean meat, fish or poultry a day.

In addition, it's healthiest for your heart if you limit the amount of whole milk, cream, butter, eggs, fatty meat and fried foods you eat or drink each day. All of these foods can lead to unhealthy cholesterol and lipid levels.

Finally, here are a few tips to keep in mind when you prepare meals that will benefit your heart:

  • Cut off all visible fat from meat, and take all the skin off chicken and turkey before cooking (If you're roasting a whole chicken or turkey, remove the skin after cooking)
  • Broil or grill instead of pan-fry your food
  • Serve smaller portions of higher-fat dishes, or focus on substituting high-fat foods with lower-fat dishes like pasta, rice, beans and vegetables
  • Make recipes or egg dishes with egg whites or egg substitutes, not yolks

Staying Active

Regular physical activity is one of the most important ways to maintain healthy lipid levels and general heart health. While every person enjoys different activities and has their own limitations and goals when it comes to physical activity, the American Heart Association recommends 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity each day. Staying physically active will help you achieve healthier lipid levels and lower your risk of developing heart disease.

Thirty to sixty minutes of activity may seem like a lot, but your lipids and heart can benefit from simple activities like walking, working in the yard, dancing and housework. Of course, more demanding exercises such as running, swimming or biking will provide more benefit to your heart. If you've been inactive for a while, start slowly and build up over time. Once you're able to easily walk for 30 minutes, try taking a light jog, then slowly move on to a running pace.

When it comes to exercise, it's important for you to talk to your doctor about activities that are safe for you. Your doctor will be able to help you develop a routine that provides maximum benefit to your heart, no matter what your fitness level.

Treatment Options

While changes to diet and exercise should be the first treatment option if you have unhealthy lipid levels, not everyone will be able to reach healthy levels without medication. If diet and exercise aren't enough to get your levels to goal, there are various medicines that treat different types of lipids. Medications that are effective against the "bad" cholesterol may not improve the "good" cholesterol or lower triglycerides, the "forgotten fat," so ask your doctor about all the different treatment options. There isn't one single medication that is right for everyone, so ask your doctor about prescription medications that will work for you.