Health & Fit 6 Ways to Increase Your 'Good' Cholesterol Levels

© (Getty Images) Cardiovascular exercise can help keep your weight down and ensure your good cholesterol stays ahead of the bad. Not all cholesterol is bad. Experts share how to get more of the good stuff.

Cholesterol gets a bad rap. But the truth is, you need it to live, let alone lead a long, healthy life. Without this waxy, fat-like substance, you couldn’t make sex hormones such as estrogen and testosterone, adrenal hormones that help regulate blood pressure and metabolism, or essential nutrients such as vitamin D.

Floating through your bloodstream, two different fat- and protein-containing carriers, called lipoproteins, carry cholesterol to and from your cells. At healthy levels – ideally less than 100 milligrams per deciliter – low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, delivers the cholesterol you need into your tissues for cell stability and healthy function. Meanwhile, high-density lipoprotein, or HDL, scavenges the excess cholesterol and carries it to your liver, which breaks down the cholesterol and removes it from the body, says Dr. Nauman Mushtaq, medical director of cardiology at Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital in Illinois. Hence the name "good cholesterol."

7 Healthy Foods That All Cost Less Than $1

It’s a common complaint: Healthy food is so expensive. While there’s no question you can spend a ton on good-for-you fare, the fact is, there are plenty of ways to save a bundle and still eat well. Here are seven delicious and nutritious foods you can enjoy for less than a dollar per serving. PB has taken a backseat in recent years to more glamorous spreads made from almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds and more. And while variety is great, classic peanut butter is hard to beat when it comes to inexpensive-yet-nutritious foods. Sixteen-ounce jars run from around $2.50 to $6 and beyond, with organic and flavored varieties at the pricier end of the spectrum. But even at $6 per jar, one serving (2 Tbsp.

They call HDL cholesterol your good " cholesterol for a reason. Here are tips from WebMD for increasing your level of HDL cholesterol and boosting heart health.".

Why is one form of cholesterol considered good and another bad? There are actually as many as 18 kinds of Newsletter. Accessibility Statement. 10 Ways to Boost Your Good Cholesterol . One Georgetown University study found increased HDL in those who ran seven miles a week or took part

However, when HDL levels are low – typically defined as less than 40 mg/DL – LDL can build up in the blood vessels, earning it the reputation of “bad cholesterol.” This buildup can cause plaque to form in the arteries, increasing your risk of heart attack or stroke.

Thankfully, research has shed new light on several lifestyle changes you can make to ensure your good cholesterol stays ahead of the bad. Here, experts share their top six methods for raising HDL levels and keeping your heart happy:

1. Be a cardio bunny. Cardiovascular exercise can help keep your weight down and HDL levels up. For instance, in one study published in the Journal of Sports Sciences, by walking or running 50 to 60 minutes per day, five days per week for 12 weeks, overweight men significantly decreased their body fat, insulin resistance, blood pressure and “bad cholesterol” levels while upping their “good cholesterol.” Meanwhile, an analysis in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (e.g., walking, cycling or continuous swimming for at least 15 minutes) consistently increases HDL levels.

6 Really Good Things That Happen to Your Body When You Quit Sugar

Kicking the sugar habit is no easy task. But if you're considering giving it a try, here's some inspiration to help you succeed: it'll have profound effects on your short- and long-term health. Click to expand Your browser does not support this video require(["binding"], function (binding) { binding("wcVideoPlayer", "#video_player_ffdfb872-5850-432a-86db-b76cfd2928be").

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Increase your HDL levels: Perform at least 20 to 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise daily, Mushtaq says. Examples include brisk walking or light jogging, swimming or cycling. On a scale of 1 to 10, you should feel like you’re working at about 4 to 6.

2. Quit smoking. Smoking can do a number on more than your lungs, actually reducing the body’s concentration of HDL cholesterol. Fortunately, it’s never too late to quit: One review published in Biomarker Research concluded that HDL levels can rise by as much as 30 percent within three weeks of quitting.

Increase your HDL levels: Giving up cigarettes isn’t easy, but it can be done. According to Mushtaq, quitting cold turkey is the most effective method. Research in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that people who quit abruptly were more likely to be smoke-free at four weeks than those who gradually cut back (49 percent versus 39.2 percent). Try nicotine patches and gum to help tamp down cravings.

Do-It-Yourself Prevention: Cut Your Cancer Risk

There are a number of lifestyle changes you can make to affect your odds of certain diseases. There's been plenty of debate about whether developing cancer is simply a matter of genetic bad luck and how much, if anything, changing your habits can affect risk. The latest entry: Researchers at Johns Hopkins published a paper this spring in the journal Science suggesting that roughly two-thirds of cancers are due to DNA typos – essentially, random errors.

How to Increase Progesterone Levels . Download Article. Progesterone is a naturally occurring steroid hormone that is made from cholesterol consumed in your diet.[1] X Trustworthy Source Your doctor is your best resource for understanding the changes or problems you are experiencing.

There is LDL (bad) cholesterol and HDL ( good ) cholesterol . LDL cholesterol encourages a waxy Together, these form your “total” cholesterol levels . The way to improve your overall cholesterol is make Extra pounds increase your odds of having high LDL cholesterol levels and can lead to the

3. Go nuts. Eating a small serving of almonds (about eight kernels) daily is enough to raise HDL levels by as much as 16 percent after 12 weeks, according to research published in the Journal of Nutrition. Researchers believe the nutrients in almonds help limit the amount of LDL cholesterol that the body absorbs from foods while increasing the amount expelled by the body.

Increase your HDL levels: Pair a small handful of almonds with a piece of fruit for a snack, add slivered almonds and berries to yogurt or use sliced almonds as a topping for green beans or grain salad, recommends registered dietitian nutritionist Libby Mills, spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics.

4. Stick to moderate amounts of alcohol. Higher alcohol consumption can drastically increase your risk of heart disease (not to mention other conditions), but drinking moderate amounts of alcohol has been shown to raise HDL. A study in PLoS One suggests that low-to-moderate alcohol consumption – defined as one drink per day for women and two for men – may help increase the transfer of proteins involved in moving HDL through the bloodstream.

Egg whites aren't any healthier than whole eggs

Egg whites have been hailed as a dietary solution for “problems” like calories, fats, and cholesterol found in the yolks. We crack open the truth.But why refrain from those delicious plates? The truth is sticking solely to egg whites isn’t doing your health any favors. The egg white craze needs to come to an end.

Increase your HDL levels: If you don’t drink, there’s no need to start. However, if you do drink, keep yourself in check by limiting yourself to one drink per day if you’re female and two drinks per day if you're male. One drink equals 12 ounces of regular beer, 5 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits.

5. Limit processed foods. The average American diet is rife with processed foods, which contain high amounts of trans and saturated fats. When consumed in excess, trans and saturated fats have a negative effect on cholesterol levels, according to Mills. Trans fats in particular have been shown to lower HDL levels.

Increase your HDL levels: Check food labels for hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated ingredients, which contain trans fats, Mills says. Cut back on prepared desserts, packaged snacks, fried foods and powdered creamers.

6. Get your fiber. Fiber does more than regulate bowel movements. According to a report published by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, once ingested, soluble fiber (which, unlike insoluble fiber, absorbs water during digestion) helps to block the absorption of cholesterol in the bloodstream. Unfortunately, the average American gets only about half the daily recommended intake of 25 to 30 grams.

How to Boost the Health Benefits of Eggs

Many claims you see on egg cartons don't have much bearing on the actual nutrition of an egg. Here's how to read those labels and get the most out of your daily egg (and yes, an egg a day is OK).Back in the '70s, a kind of hysteria evolved among health experts and consumers in the U.S. because of a possible association between eggs and cardiovascular disease. “Eggs were viewed almost as poison pills because they are high in cholesterol,” says Walter Willett, M.D., Dr.P.H., a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.