How to Raise Your Good Cholesterol

Not all cholesterol is bad. Low-density lipoproteins (LDL), referred to as "bad cholesterol," build up on the walls of the arteries, causing them to clog. If a blood clot occurs in a clogged area, a heart attack or stroke can occur. High-density lipoproteins (HDL), referred to as "good cholesterol," move around the bloodstream more easily, don't build up on artery walls and can actually help carry cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver where it's passed from the body. HDL cholesterol levels are an independent risk factor for heart disease. Even if your total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels are normal, if you have reduced levels of HDL (less than 40 mg/dL for men and 50 mg/dL for women), you have an increased risk of early coronary artery disease.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Running shoes

Raise Your Good Cholesterol

1. Jog. Any aerobic exercise (for example, walking, skating or bike riding) that raises your heart rate for 20 to 30 minutes at a time will raise your HDL levels.

2. Stop smoking. Giving up tobacco will result in an increase in good cholesterol.

3. Increase the amount of monounsaturated fats in your diet. Canola oil, avocado oil, olive oil and the fats found in peanut butter can increase HDL cholesterol levels without increasing total cholesterol.

4. Cut out trans fatty acids. Trans fatty acids (anything on the nutrition label that reads "partially hydrogenated vegetable oils") not only increase LDL cholesterol levels, they also reduce your good cholesterol levels.

5. Add soluble fiber to your diet. Soluble fibers are found in oats, fruits, vegetables and legumes.

6. Lose weight. Obesity causes increased LDL cholesterol and reduced HDL cholesterol.

7. Reduce your fat intake to 30 to 35 percent of the total calories in your diet, but not less than 25 percent. Too little fat in the diet can be dangerous.

Tips & Warnings

• Grape seed oil may raise HDL (good cholesterol) and lower LDL (bad cholesterol). Just 1 ounce daily is all that is required. Grape seed oil, which can be found at your local health food store, is great for all forms of cooking, including salad dressings and mayonnaise.
• HDL and LDL levels cannot be determined by just knowing your total cholesterol level. The formula for calculating the ratio between HDL and LDL levels based on your total cholesterol level is complex. The test should be performed by a medical laboratory.

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