Well, here we are at the second meeting of our Coffee Club for the year of 2016. At least half of the group stuck to their resolutions last year to lose weight and exercise daily. They are encouraging the rest of us to do the same this year. We are deep into the conversation when Uncle Bud walks into the meeting room.

As you know by now Uncle Bud is totally into the fact that your weight affects your overall health in ways most of us never think about. Today he has decided it is time to educate us about triglycerides. Not being one to “beat around the bush” rather than saying good morning he just walks up to the group at the coffee club and ask, “What are triglycerides?” Giving no one a chance to say anything he starts right in sharing what he knows: Triglycerides are a type of fat, or lipid, found in our blood. Some people who eat more calories than they burn tend to have an unsafe level of triglycerides. Eating too many sweets and too much fried foods can cause you to have a higher level of triglycerides than is deemed safe. Keeping your beneficial HDL cholesterol numbers up and reducing your triglycerides is very important to your cardiovascular health. At last Uncle Bud takes a breath and Sam is able to ask him what’s the best way to lower triglycerides? It came as no surprise that Uncle Bud was ready to answer the question.

Lose weight – this can help you lower triglycerides and help you have more energy. Not being overweight may help improve your health.
Avoid sugary and refined foods – simple carbohydrates (sugars, white flour, etc.) often increase triglycerides.
Choose healthier fats – instead of saturated fat found in meats go for healthier monounsaturated fat found in plants. For example use olive or coconut oils and eat fish high in omega 3 fatty acids, (mackerel and salmon) instead of red meat.
Exercise regularly – Uncle Bud wants us to aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity every day.

At this point most of us are beginning to realize controlling our triglycerides is another important part of improving or maintaining our overall good health. We agree that we all need to work on eating a healthy diet with less red meat, exercising daily, and trying to maintain a healthy weight. We also agree that this is just not an easy thing for most of us to do on a regular basis. Yes, we start out with good intentions but get side tracked at the first sight of a homemade cake with fudge icing.

Several of the members of the Coffee Club joined Weigh to Wellness last year and share with us how much it has helped them to stay on track. They encourage us to check them out. They tell us that we can get all the answers and help we need from the professionals there.

Call today 205-994-2393 or visit them online at https://weightowellnessllc.com.