Triglycerides are a form of fat that is stored in the blood. Humans need to eat to keep all the cells in their bodies well nourished. The calories that aren’t used right away are converted to triglycerides. The triglycerides are used to provide energy in between meals. Someone who consumes more calories than they burn off may have high triglyceride levels. To determine a patient’s triglyceride levels, a doctor orders a blood test to measure the level after the person has fasted for between 9-12 hours. The normal range for triglycerides is 150 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter) or less. A person with triglyceride levels between 150-199 mg/dL is considered to be borderline high. Once the level hits 200 mg/dL or more, the triglyceride level is considered high. Anything over 500 mg/d...

We all know there are only so many hours in the day, but getting in the habit of staying up late at night to cram more stuff into your waking hours may negatively affect your health. Research has shown that there is a link between going to bed after midnight (and getting less than six hours of sleep a night) and high blood pressure and triglyceride levels. Not getting enough sleep is also linked to a high BMI (Body Mass Index). We may think that we will be getting ahead of the game if we burn the candle at both ends and stay up until all hours, but that is simply not true. Don’t cut back on sleep to try to get more stuff done. It’s just not worth it. ...