LDL, or low-density lipoprotein, is regularly referred to as "bad" cholesterol. It's the form of cholesterol responsible for narrowing the arteries, which restricts blood flow and increases your risk of cardiovascular disease, heart attack and stroke. If you have a reading of more than 129 mg of cholesterol per deciliter of blood for LDL, consider making some lifestyle changes, especially when it comes to diet and exercise.
Step 1
Limit your total fat intake to 25 percent to 35 percent of your daily calories, suggests the American Heart Association. However, these fats should be polyunsaturated or monounsaturated, since they're considered healthier than other fats.
Step 2
Reduce saturated fat intake to less than 7 percent of your daily calories. Unlike healthier fats, saturated fat can increase your LDL cholesterol number, advises the American Heart Association.
Step 3
Eliminate foods containing trans-fatty acids. Though 1 percent of your daily caloric intake can consist of trans fats, foods made with trans-fatty acids increase your LDL cholesterol number, warns MayoClinic.com.
Step 4
Restrict dietary cholesterol intake to less than 200 mg each day as part of a therapeutic lifestyle change to lower LDL levels, recommends the National Cholesterol Education Program.
Step 5
Eat more fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains to increase your intake of vitamins, minerals, fiber and other nutrients that may improve your cholesterol levels, suggests MayoClinic.com.
Step 6
Lower your caloric intake to encourage weight loss. Shedding excess pounds is known to lower your LDL number, asserts the National Cholesterol Education Program. Decreasing portion sizes and eating more fruit, vegetables and whole grains can lower calorie consumption and generate weight loss.
Step 7
Include more fish in your diet to boost omega-3 fatty acid intake. Omega-3 fatty acids are known to improve cholesterol levels, so eat at least two servings of salmon, lake trout, mackerel, albacore tuna, sardines or herring each week.
Step 8
Exercise at least 30 minutes a day, most days of the week, notes the National Cholesterol Education Program. Swimming, running, hiking, cross-country skiing or playing soccer, basketball, tennis or racquetball can all be used to increase your physical activity and lower LDL levels.
Step 9
Talk to your doctor about cholesterol-lowering medications. As you work on improving your diet and increasing your physical activity, you may need to use a prescription medication to reduce your "bad" cholesterol levels.
Tips and Warnings
- Polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats are often found in fish, nuts, seeds and vegetable oils. Some vegetables, like olives, edamame and avocados, are also rich in these healthier fats. Saturated fats are commonly found in animal-based foods, such as red meat, pork, poultry skins, milk, cheese, butter and other dairy products. Trans-fatty acids are predominantly seen in convenience or highly processed foods, like cookies, cakes, crackers, chips and other foods containing partially hydrogenated oils.
- Smoking can lower high-density lipoproteins, which are a "good" form of cholesterol. As HDL decreases, it isn't uncommon for LDL cholesterol to increase.
