HDL Cholesterol: Your Secret Best Friend

 

All you need to know about your cholesterol:

LDL Cholesterol is lousy and you want it low.

HDL Cholesterol is healthy and you want it high. 

Picture your arteries are like the picture below. Your bad LDL cholesterol is trying to dump fat and plaque into your arteries, while your good HDL cholesterol works tirelessly to remove the plaque and get rid of it permanently.

We are never going to get rid of cholesterol altogether. Trust me, that's an impossible task. You may already have high cholesterol. Maybe your family members have high cholesterol. The truth is- your family history effects your cholesterol less than you think. It is more likely they have passed certain lifestyle habits on to you. Whatever the case, make the choice today to create more HDL cholesterol and stop making the LDL.

Your Recipe for HDL Cholesterol:

• Most importantly:
• Avoid tobacco (including second hand smoke)
• Get 30+ minutes of exercise most days of the week
• Avoid processed foods (see Food Rules blogs) 
• Also:

• Make half of your diet produce
• Eat whole grains, lean meat, and lean dairy
• Keep a healthy weight
• Try to eat fish twice a week (or other healthy fat foods)

How high is enough?

• HDL cholesterol can never be too high, but shoot for over 60.
• Make sure it never drops below 40 for men or 50 for women.
• Check your cholesterol ratio, which compares HDL to the total cholesterol.
• Less than 3.5 is ideal
• Make sure it's never over 5