Cholesterol comes in three types: the good, the bad and the triglycerides. Your good cholesterol --- HDL, or high-density lipoprotein --- helps move unhealthy fats in your bloodstream out of your body. Your bad cholesterol --- LDL, or low-density lipoprotein --- and triglycerides act in separate but similar ways to clog your arteries. For good health, you want to keep your HDL cholesterol high and your LDL cholesterol and triglycerides low.
Factors Affecting HDL Cholesterol
Women more than men suffer from too little of the good HDL cholesterol. This is especially true if you've reached menopause. When your body stops producing estrogen, your HDL cholesterol drops. Menopause can also make your triglycerides and LDL cholesterol rise, putting your total cholesterol levels further out of balance. Your weight, age, level of physical activity and your diet also affect your balance of healthy and unhealthy cholesterol. If you're a woman, aim to keep your HDL cholesterol above 50 mg/ld. If you're a man, keep it above 40 mg/dl.
Trans Fat
If your HDL cholesterol is too low, eliminating trans fat from your diet will help. Trans fat, found in margarine, shortening and commercial baked goods, can lower your HDL as well as raise your triglycerides. You should keep your consumption of trans fat to no more than 1 percent of your daily calories. If you follow a 2,000-calorie diet, this would mean keeping your trans fat intake to 2 g or less each day. You can do this by using healthy fats such as olive oil and vegetable oil in cooking. Avoid buying store-bought snack items such as cookies and cakes. If you bake, look for ways to reduce fat in recipes and replace unhealthy fats with oils.
Weight Loss
Losing weight can also help you improve your good cholesterol. Consider a moderate, calorie-restricted diet that will cut about 500 calories from your menu. Make healthy choices that will improve your overall cholesterol and not sacrifice nutrition. A nutritious, weight-reducing diet will include about 5 oz. of grains, 5 oz. of protein, 1.5 cups of fruit, 2 cups of starchy vegetables and 3 cups of dairy. You may need to subtract or add to these portions, depending on your age, weight, gender and level of physical activity. You can customize your diet with tools provided on the MyPyramid website designed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. You can further improve your overall cholesterol by making healthy choices among these foods groups --- lean meat or vegetable protein instead of red meat, whole grains instead of refined carbohydrates and low-fat instead of whole dairy.
Exercise
Diet alone may not prove enough to raise your HDL cholesterol. Lack of exercise can keep your good cholesterol low. Since exercise can also help you lose weight, getting more active can improve your overall health. Find an activity you enjoy. Take your dog --- or your neighbor's dog --- for a walk, join a dance class or ride a bike instead of driving your car to run errands. You don't need expensive equipment or a gym membership to get a good workout. Don't avoid exercise because you can't find a spare hour in your schedule. Begin with a short workout and gradually increase it.
References
- American Heart Association: About Cholesterol
- Mayo Clinic: High Cholesterol -- Tests and Diagnosis
- Better Homes and Gardens: Heart-Healthy Living: Menopause and Cholesterol
- Mayo Clinic: Healthy Diet: End the guesswork with These Nutrition Guidelines -- Trans Fats
- United States Department of Agriculture: My Pyramid -- Steps to a Healthier Weight -- How Much Should You Eat?
