HDL -- high-density lipoprotein -- cholesterol serves an important purpose in achieving and maintaining healthy cholesterol levels. Known as the "good" cholesterol, it travels through your body, attaching itself to LDL, or "bad" cholesterol, cleansing it from your arteries and transporting it to your liver to be broken down and excreted from your body. Unlike your LDL and triglycerides which must be low, your HDL needs to be high -- at least 60 mg/dL or more -- to reduce your risk of heart disease. When your HDL is too low, you must make changes in your diet and lifestyle to bring it within a healthy range.
Step 1
Eat less saturated fat. Saturated fat comes in the form of animal products and processed meats such as bacon, bologna and sausage. Replace red meat with poultry, whole-fat milk with nonfat and egg yolks with egg whites. Saturated fats decrease your HDL -- reducing your intake to 7 percent of your daily caloric intake helps increase it.
Step 2
Talk to your doctor about a weight-loss plan. When you're overweight, your HDL decreases; losing excess weight helps bring it back within a healthy range. MayoClinic.com explains losing 6 lb. increases your HDL by 1 mg/dL. Your doctor can help devise an eating plan that's right for you.
Step 3
Join an exercise program. Daily exercise plays an important role in both weight loss and boosting your HDL. Participate in an indoor cycling class, an aerobics class or a yoga group. Although you can exercise alone, joining a group can motivate you and make exercise more fun.
Step 4
Go to the store and buy a smoking cessation product. Smoking takes a toll on your HDL, lowering it by as much as 10 percent. Smoking cessation products can help you quit your habit and regain control of your good cholesterol. If these over-the-counter products are not successful, ask your doctor about a prescription medication.
Step 5
Take a prescription cholesterol medication. If lifestyle changes fall short, cholesterol medications may prove successful. The most commonly prescribed for low HDL is niacin, reports MayoClinic.com. A type of vitamin B, it is available as an over-the-counter supplement. However, this is not safe when its intended use is cholesterol related. Your doctor can give you a prescription form that is more effective but requires monitoring.
