These key morning habits can put you on track for a heart-healthy day.
Reviewed by Dietitian Mandy Enright, M.S., RDN, RYT
Key Points
- High triglycerides are linked to increased risk of heart disease and stroke.
- Morning movement and limiting refined carbs and saturated fats can help lower triglycerides.
- Prioritize heart-healthy foods and regular movement over alcohol and smoking for lower triglycerides.
Triglycerides are a type of fat that your body uses for energy. Of all the fats in the body, triglycerides are most common. Having some triglycerides is normal. But when triglyceride levels get too high and remain elevated, they can contribute to plaque buildup that puts you at an increased risk for health conditions like heart disease and stroke. People may have high triglycerides for all sorts of reasons, from health conditions like kidney disease or poorly controlled type 2 diabetes to genetic causes and even food choices.
“[Triglycerides] come from the fat you eat, but your body also makes them when you take in more energy than it needs, particularly from excess sugars and refined carbohydrates,” says preventive cardiology dietitian Michelle Routhenstein, M.S., RD, CDCES. “Your body carries triglycerides through the bloodstream to be used for fuel or stored for later.”
Triglyceride levels above 200 mg/dl are considered high, but even borderline-high levels greater than 150 mg/dl are important to pay attention to. Some of your everyday morning lifestyle habits, like the foods you eat for breakfast and whether you make time to exercise, can help set you up for success for the day when it comes to managing high triglyceride levels.
Here are a few habits experts say to prioritize before 10 A.M. for high triglycerides.
Make Time To Move Your Body
Regular exercise is known to lower triglycerides, so it’s a good idea to take time out of your morning for some movement. Aerobic exercise, like walking, running, swimming and biking, along with resistance training, can both be helpful. Aim for at least 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise, along with strength training at least twice a week.
“A morning walk, run or bike ride is an easy way to build activity into your routine,” says cardiologist May Bakir, MD, FACC. “Combining aerobic exercise with strength training produces the greatest improvement in cholesterol and triglyceride levels.”
According to the American Heart Association, a combination of resistance training and aerobic exercise is linked with a reduction in various risk factors for cardiovascular disease. One systematic review and meta-analysis of studies found that exercise reliably reduced triglyceride levels, and combined aerobic and resistance training is best for managing blood lipids (which includes things like triglycerides and cholesterol) compared with aerobic or resistance training alone.
While there is some debate about which type of exercise is best for lowering triglycerides, Bakir notes that the overall message is consistent: “Do both.”
Even after squeezing in a morning workout, do your best to keep moving throughout the day, like making it a point to stand each hour and walk around versus sitting continuously at a desk. Regular physical activity throughout the day is as important for managing high triglycerides as a morning workout.
Limit Refined Carbohydrates and Added Sugars at Breakfast
Aim to eat a breakfast that’s low in sugars and refined carbohydrates. This is one of the most effective ways to manage triglycerides through diet, because too many simple carbohydrates, which you might find in foods like sweetened cereals, pastries or sugar-sweetened beverages and juices, drives production of triglycerides in the liver, Bakir says.
“Your liver can turn excess sugars and refined carbohydrates into triglycerides, increasing the amount circulating in your blood,” Routhenstein says. Keeping added sugars and refined carbohydrates to a minimum can help reduce triglyceride production, improve blood sugar regulation and insulin sensitivity, and support weight management when needed, she says.
Try swapping out simple and refined carbohydrates in favor of whole grains and foods that are high in fiber. This could mean having a bowl of steel-cut oats instead of sweetened cereal. “Add lean protein and healthy fats such as eggs, nuts, seeds or non-tropical plant oils,” Bakir says. She also encourages her patient to swap high-calorie refined carbohydrates for sources of mono- and polyunsaturated fats to help lower triglycerides.
Watch Your Saturated Fat Intake
For some people, a diet high in fat can raise triglyceride levels. High triglycerides are also a risk factor for metabolic syndrome, a group of conditions that raise your risk for diabetes, stroke and heart disease. One of the ways to treat metabolic syndrome is to follow a heart-healthy diet that limits saturated fats and trans fats.
“Saturated fat can contribute to insulin resistance in some people, which can impair the body’s ability to regulate fat metabolism,” Routhenstein says. “Limiting saturated fat and replacing it with unsaturated fats can support insulin sensitivity and help with triglyceride and cholesterol management.”
Many breakfast foods can be high in saturated fat, including bacon, sausage, pastries and toast with lots of butter. To cut back, try switching to healthier sources of fat. This could mean swapping out the bacon in favor of avocado on your egg sandwich, or spreading nut butter on toast instead of regular butter.
Other Things to Do During the Day for Managing Triglycerides
- Take a short walk after eating throughout the day. Exercise, including walking, reduces the rise in triglycerides that occurs after eating, Bakir says.
- Prioritize heart-healthy foods at meals and snacks. Bakir suggests building your meals around lean proteins, legumes, vegetables and fatty fish, while choosing fats like olive oil and nuts rather than saturated and trans fats. Both the Mediterranean and Dietary Approaches to Stopping Hypertension (DASH) diets have ties to lower triglycerides.
- Ditch the cigarettes (and vapes). Cigarette smoking and vaping are known to increase lipid levels, including triglycerides. People who smoke, either using cigarettes or e-cigarettes, tend to have higher triglyceride levels than people who do not smoke. More research is needed to better understand if triglyceride levels improve after quitting, but it is clear that smoking pushes triglyceride levels upwards.
- Limit or avoid drinking alcohol. Alcohol, especially heavy drinking, can raise triglycerides because it slows how quickly your body clears fat after meals and causes the liver to make more fat. “It’s a potent driver of high triglycerides,” Bakir says.
Our Expert Take
Your morning habits can make a difference for your triglyceride levels. Moving your body early in the day is a good start, so consider squeezing in a morning walk, run or gym session to fit in some movement before the day gets away from you. Just make sure to keep moving throughout the rest of your day, like taking a short walk after lunchtime.
Eating habits are also important for managing triglycerides, starting with your first meal of the day. Limit refined carbohydrates, sugary breakfast foods and sources of saturated fats in favor of a more balanced breakfast that contains whole grains, lean proteins and healthy fats. Prioritizing a lifestyle that prioritizes heart-healthy foods, cutting back on alcohol and quitting smoking will help keep your triglycerides and overall heart-health in check.