Could munching on your favorite snacks or sleeping in on the weekend affect your triglycerides?
Reviewed by Dietitian Mandy Enright, M.S., RDN, RYT
Key Points
- High triglycerides, the most common type of fat in the body, are linked to heart disease and stroke.
- Weekend habits like heavy drinking, poor snacking or sleeping in can raise triglycerides.
- Eating more high-fiber foods, reducing saturated fats and sitting less can help lower triglycerides.
Did you know that the most prevalent type of fat in your body are called triglycerides? “Triglycerides are the fuel your cells burn for energy between meals and your body’s ‘savings account’ for fat, storing any extra calories you don’t burn right away for later use,” explains cardiologist Brett A. Sealove, M.D.
While having some triglycerides is essential, the problem starts when levels climb too high. Eating too many foods and drinks high in fat, sugar, alcohol or simply being inactive, can be the culprit. Over time, elevated levels raise your risk for heart disease and stroke.
“Triglycerides above 150 mg/dL are considered elevated, with levels of 150–199 mg/dL classified as borderline-high, 200–499 mg/dL as high, and 500 mg/dL or above as very high,” explains Michelle Routhenstein, M.S., RD, CDCES, CDNpreventive cardiology dietitian. Yet an estimated 12 million people in the U.S. have high triglycerides.
What you might not realize is how some of your habits, especially ones you save up for weekends, could be quietly driving those numbers up. To keep your triglycerides in check, we asked health experts what are the three habits worth breaking.
Weekend Habit #1: Saving Up Alcoholic Drinks
If going out for a few drinks with your friends on Friday or Saturday is your idea of a good time, it might be worth swapping some of those drinks for a mocktail or a round of water.
“Your liver is an impressive multitasker, but alcohol cuts the line and gets prioritized. While it processes those cocktails, normal fat burning slows, and the liver produces and packages more fat as triglycerides, often amplified by sugary mixers and late-night food. Think of it as a Monday-morning lipid hangover,” says Sealove.
Alcohol raises triglycerides in two ways, explains Routhenstein. First it increases the liver’s production of very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) particles, which carry triglycerides through the bloodstream. Second, alcohol reduces the activity of lipoprotein lipase, the enzyme responsible for clearing triglyceride-rich particles from circulation. In other words, your body is making more triglycerides and also losing its ability to clear them—a double whammy.
It’s not just the alcohol to blame—it’s what you order alongside it. And let’s face it: after a few drinks, most people aren’t craving a salad and are more likely to reach for an order of fries, pizza or chicken tenders. As Routhenstein points out: “This effect can be even stronger [on your triglycerides] when alcohol is combined with high-fat or high-carbohydrate meals, such as cocktails with appetizers, restaurant meals or late-night snacks.”
What To Do Instead
It’s time to rethink your weekend drinking habits, as alcohol is one of the most common and most modifiable triggers of a triglyceride spike, says Sealove. Keep in mind that just because you abstained from drinking throughout the week doesn’t mean you can save up all your drinks for the weekend. The recommendation is no more than 2 alcoholic drinks a day for men, and no more than 1 alcoholic drink a day for women. So order a round of water for the table, shake up a delicious mocktail, or simply stick to a bubbly seltzer with a splash of citrus juice as your next weekend bevy.
Weekend Habit #2: Reaching for Unhealthy Snacks
Are you one to “treat yo’ self” on the weekend? If snacking on chips, pretzels, cookies or candy is one of your weekend habits, experts say it might be time to put those down and choose a better option.
“Your liver turns anything it doesn’t need for immediate energy into brand-new fat, a process called de novo lipogenesis, or as Sealove describes it, “fat made from scratch.” Sealove further cautions that even “‘just a little snack” can quietly add up to stored fat in the bloodstream.
Researchers found added sugars are the real culprit. People who ate more added sugar had higher triglycerides, along with higher rates of cardiovascular disease and stroke. Just like your liver converts alcohol into triglycerides, it can do the same with added sugars. The upside? Fiber-rich foods, including whole grains, were shown to be protective and help to lower triglycerides. That means not all snacks are bad as long as you choose the right ones.
What To Do Instead
Swap your salty chips or pretzels for unsalted nuts, roasted chickpeas or edamame. Dunk bell peppers or carrots into hummus or guacamole, or top a bowl of strained (Greek-style) yogurt with a handful of berries and granola if you’re in the mood for something sweet. Choosing snacks lower in saturated fats and added sugars, especially on the weekends, can prevent waking up on Monday morning with elevated triglycerides.
Weekend Habit #3: Sleeping In
If you power through your week on minimal sleep and use the weekends to catch up, you may not even realize the impact altering your bedtime has on your triglyceride levels.
“Sleeping in later or shifting your bedtime timing on the weekend can disrupt the body’s circadian rhythm, which plays an important role in regulating glucose and fat metabolism. Irregular sleep patterns can worsen insulin sensitivity, alter appetite hormones and impair the body’s ability to clear triglycerides from the blood, leading to higher triglyceride levels,” says Routhenstein.
Research found that people with significant changes from weekend to weekday sleep schedules had measurably different blood markers, including higher triglycerides, compared to those with more consistent sleep schedules.
What To Do Instead
While it can be difficult, especially on those sleep-depriving weeks, try to keep your bedtime and wake-up time around the same on the weekends as during the week. Sleep consistency is critical for your circadian rhythm. “If you need extra rest, go to bed earlier rather than sleeping in later, as this protects your body’s clock instead of shifting it,” recommends Sealove.
Other Ways to Manage Triglycerides
In addition to what you can be doing on the weekends, here are other ways you can help to manage, and even lower, triglycerides levels all week long:
- Know your numbers. Visit your doctor and get annual lab work to keep tabs on your numbers and catch any big jumps before they become a bigger problem.
- Assess your sitting time. Make a goal to get up every 2 to 3 hours to move more. “Regular movement, especially after meals, can help the liver and muscles clear triglycerides from the blood,” says Routhenstein.
- Watch the type of fat you’re eating. Consuming saturated and trans fats can raise triglycerides levels, so limit your intake of them. These fats are commonly found in fatty cuts of meat, processed meats, butter, baked goods, fried foods and even in coffee creamers.
- Up your intake of fiber-rich foods. Increasing your intake of fiber-rich foods like whole grains, fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, beans and lentils has directly been linked to lowering triglycerides levels.
Our Expert Take
While many of us live for the weekend, going too far away from healthy habits can negatively impact your health. Triglycerides, the primary fat found in our body, can be impacted based on your weekend habits. Take a moment to evaluate your weekend habits to determine if you’re drinking too much alcohol, munching on unhealthy snacks rich in unhealthy fats and added sugars, or sleeping in to catch up on missed Zzz’s. The good news is a few tweaks in your weekend habits can help to lower your risk of high triglycerides. Instead, swap in a mocktail, seltzer or water, reach for fiber-rich snacks, and keep your weekday and weekend bedtime schedules as similar as possible.