How to Up Your HDL Levels

Not all cholesterol is harmful to your body, as high-density lipoproteins (HDL) are considered "good" cholesterol due to their ability to remove plaque from your arteries. These lipoproteins are like an oil that keeps your body in working order. Blood is pumped through the arteries, but when plaque is caked on the walls of your arteries, your body has to work harder to receive oxygen and it puts you at risk for developing heart disease and blood clots. Improve your HDL levels through dietary modification and lifestyle changes, which lowers your risk of long-term health issues.

Instructions

• 1

  Limit alcohol. Alcohol, when consumed in moderation, is beneficial due to its nutrients. One drink per day for women and two drinks for men are the limit for HDL benefits.

• 2

  Avoid smoking. Besides the obvious impact smoking has on your lungs, quitting smoking raises your HDL levels by up to 10 percent.

• 3

  Consume monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Mono- and polyunsaturated fats, found in olive oil, nuts, fish, avocados and soy help reduce low-density lipoproteins and raises HDL.

• 4

  Increase exercise. Thirty minutes of cardio activity, exercise that raises your heart rate, can increase your HDL levels by five percent within two months. Swimming, running, jogging, and even brisk walking are just a few exercises that raise your heart rate.

• 5

  Eliminate unhealthy food. Fried foods, butter-laden and highly caloric foods bring your HDL levels down and increase your LDL levels and make you feel sluggish.

• 6

  Substitute previous cooking methods. If you can't bear to part with meat, change up your cooking methods by replacing frying your foods to baking or grilling. Baking or grilling over frying eliminates trans fat, the number one enemy of your arteries.