The foods you have been eating and your exercise activities, or lack thereof, contribute to the level of good and bad cholesterol you have circulating in your blood. Your total blood cholesterol is a combined measure of the levels of protein carriers in your body, commonly referred to as LDL and HDL cholesterol. The more LDL proteins or "bad" cholesterol you have in your blood, the greater your risk of chronic disease including atherosclerosis, or hardened arteries.
Numbers
A healthy, or normal, total cholesterol is less than 200 mg/dL. It is best to have a high HDL cholesterol level of more than 60 mg/dL. In fact, if your HDL level is less than 40 mg/dL, you are at risk for atherosclerosis. An LDL level of less than 100 mg/dL is optimal, while an LDL level of 130 to 159 mg/dL is bordering high blood cholesterol.
Foods and Bad Cholesterol
The cells of your body need a little bit of saturated fat and cholesterol to function properly. Twenty-five to 35 percent of your total daily calories should come from all the fat in your diet. Saturated fat should make up no more than 7 percent because it raises your bad cholesterol more than trans fat or the cholesterol in the foods you eat. Foods rich in monounsaturated fats keep your LDL levels low. Almonds, avocados and olives are particularly high in monounsaturated fats. Limit your intake of foods high in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol as such foods can raise your LDL. These foods include cheese, coconut, full-fat milk, shrimp, egg yolks, and commercially prepared cookies, muffins and microwave popcorn made with oil.
Foods to Increase Good Cholesterol
Foods high in omega-3 fats raise your HDL levels. Salmon, mackerel, walnuts and flaxseed are all high in omega-3 fats. Omega-3 fats reduce inflammation on the walls of your arteries, decreasing your risk of atherosclerosis. The American Heart Association encourages you to eat two servings of fatty fish per week.
Exercise and Cholesterol
Aerobic exercise enhances the cholesterol makeup of your blood by raising your HDL level. There is a direct relationship between the total amount of calories you expend per week and an improved HDL cholesterol level. As the intensity and volume of exercise increases, burning more calories, HDL levels increase. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends you do aerobic activity 3 to 5 days per week for 20 to 60 minutes. If your exercise session is short, then your exercise intensity must be highly intense. If you are running or walking on the treadmill for 60 minutes, then your exercise intensity should be low to moderately intense.
References
- "Exercise Physiology, Energy, Nutrition & Human Performance"; William McArdle, Frank Katch and Victor Katch; 2007
- "ACSM's Resource Manual for Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription; American College of Sports Medicine; 2010
- "ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal"; Eat Like You're in Crete: Teach Your Clients the Benefits of the Mediterranean Diet; Janet Bond Brill, Ph.D., R.D.; September/October 2007
- "ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal"; Know the Risks: Lifestyle Management of Dyslipidemia; Paul Sorace, et al.; July/August 2006
