What to do if you have been told your blood 'fat' ratios are too high.

This blog is version 2 if you like following on from my ‘Know your numbers’ blog. If your numbers reveal that blood fats are too high what can you do?

There is a lot you can do with diet, lifestyle and exercise as well as supplements. I highly recommend working with a health practitioner but I have summarised some of the key initial steps below:

• Keep the sugar and processed carbs low,
• A low GL Mediterranean diet is ideal
• Stop smoking.
• Make sure you are eating enough soluble fibre – this helps to bind to cholesterol so it can be excreted from the body.
• Eat healthy fats – avocado oil, olive oil, coconut oil, nuts and seeds, wild oily fish
• Make sure you’re topped up on antioxidants – think eat the rainbow but also supplementing with vitamin C and fat soluble vitamins is key.
• Raw garlic and onion are helpful for lowering cholesterol.
• Avoid processed foods they often contain high levels of sugar and trans-fats as they are generally made with cheaper seed and vegetable oils. These oils are delicate (poly unsaturated fatty acids) and can oxidise to trans fats during the manufacturing process or when being re-heated at home.  
• Avoid trans-fats – this includes ready meals, prepared sauces and salad dressings which often contain them – see point above. Crisps and fried food contain trans-fats. Even home prepped food can create trans fats if we cook with the wrong type of fat such as vegetable oil or seed oils or heat food excessively. If you would like a copy of my handout on which fats to cook with please drop me a line.

As well as the markers in the ‘Know your numbers’ blog https://helenmaxwellnutrition.co.uk/key-health-metrics/ there are a couple of other measurements to keep track of.  Your omega 3 fat ratio in your cell membranes is an important marker to keep an eye on which should be between 8 - 12%. In most Europeans this marker is 4% or lower. I have written about this in a separate blog here: https://helenmaxwellnutrition.co.uk/testing-for-omega-3-ratio-in-cell-membranes/.

Your Hba1c marker which measure diabetic risk is also a good marker to monitor. It provides an average of your blood sugar levels over the previous 90 days. Remember if we aren’t burning off the sugar we eat and if our glycogen stores in our skeletal and heart muscle are full then the excess will be turned to fat.

There are numerous key supplements from essential fatty acids, Co Q10 and enzymes such as nattokinase, which can help improve levels of lipids (fats) in the blood. However you need qualified advice to identify the ones most suitable for you and also the correct dose.

Hope this helps to guide you and feel free to contact me if you have questions or are concerned about your own numbers.