February is American Heart Health Month.  Join our class, Meals for a Healthy Heart and learn about Triglycerides

Locally, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality. Within Bureau, LaSalle, Marshall and Putnam Counties, 17% of residents, 65+ have been told they have cardiovascular disease. As many as 18% of residents, aged 65+ have been told they have a heart attack.

If you have been keeping an eye on your blood pressure and cholesterol there is one more thing to add to the list - Triglycerides. Having a high level of triglyceride (a type of fat in your blood) can increase your risk for heart disease. When consuming more calories than needed, your body stores the energy as fat for later use. Triglycerides are stored in your fat cells to be used for energy later. However, when too many are stored and not used, it can lead to a high blood triglyceride level and eventually to coronary artery disease.

The American Heart Association suggests a simple blood test, which can reveal whether your triglycerides fall into a healthy range.

• Normal — Less than 150 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), or less than 1.7 millimoles per liter (mmol/L)
• Borderline high — 150 to 199 mg/dL (1.8 to 2.2 mmol/L)
• High — 200 to 499 mg/dL (2.3 to 5.6 mmol/L)
• Very high — 500 mg/dL or above (5.7 mmol/L or above)

Be proactive; ask your doctor to check for high triglycerides as part of a cholesterol test (sometimes called a lipid panel or lipid profile). This will require fasting for 12 hours for accurate triglyceride measurement.

The American Heart Association looks at high triglycerides levels as a sign of other conditions that do definitely increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. High triglycerides also can indicated poorly controlled type 2 diabetes, low levels of thyroid hormones, liver or kidney disease.

Healthy lifestyle choices are key to lowering triglyceride levels.

Set a goal to reduce triglyceride levels by trying one or a couple of the suggestions below:

DECREASE:

• Cut the sugars; simple carbohydrates and refined grains like French fries, cakes, cookies, ice cream and sweet sugary drinks.
• Limit alcohol; it's high in calories, sugar and has a potent effect on triglycerides. Even small amounts of alcohol can raise triglyceride levels.

INCREASE:

• Whole grains; try steel-cut oats instead of a plain bagel for breakfast or eat quinoa and brown rice instead of pasta for dinner
• Add garbanzo beans to salads for lunch
• Increase healthy fats; use avocado, walnuts, olive oil or canola oil
• Pump up the greens; choose spinach, kale, Brussel sprouts, dark greens for salads
• Choose fish a couple times a week; salmon is high in omega-3 fatty acids

EXERCISE

Move more!

• Aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity on most or all days of the week
• Regular exercise can lower triglycerides and boost "good" cholesterol
• Take a brisk daily walk, swim laps or join an exercise group
• If you do not have time to exercise for 30 minutes, try squeezing it in 10 minutes at a time
• Take a short walk, climb the stairs at work, or try some sit-ups or pushups as you watch television

Join Meals for a Healthy Heart coming up February 21 and 28, 2017 from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m., at First United Methodist Church, Princeton.  $20.00 class fee includes dinner and program materials for both sessions. Please call 815-224-0889 or register online: https://web.extension.illinois.edu/registration/?RegistrationID=15570