Boosting your HDL, or good, cholesterol levels is a smart move because HDL helps clean the bloodstream of excess LDL, or bad, cholesterol that builds up plaque in the arteries and can lead to heart disease. For men, risky HDL levels are less than 40 mg/dL, or milligrams of cholesterol per deciliter of blood. At risk levels for women are less than 50 mg/dL. Men and women should go for a target of 60 mg/dL or above HDL levels. LDL levels should be below 130 milligrams for people with no known risk factors for heart disease and below 100 milligrams for people who have risk factors for heart disease.
Step 1
If you smoke, quit as soon as possible. Smoking lowers HDL cholesterol. Its changes to the chemical makeup of HDL may reduce its beneficial effects, according to the Mayo Clinic. If you quit smoking, you can increase your HDL cholesterol up to 10 percent.
Step 2
Lose excess pounds. You can improve your HDL level for every two pounds you lose. Aerobic exercise may increase HDL levels by as much as five percent within a couple of months, the Mayo Clinic says. It is recommended you exercise for about 30 minutes a day five times a week. Walking, jogging, riding a bike, swimming laps and doing any activity that increases your heart rate will help.
Step 3
Avoid foods that have saturated or trans fats. Replace them as much as possible with monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats that you can find in olive and canola oils. Fish that contain omega-3 fatty acids will help lower LDL levels and raise HDL cholesterol. Eat mackerel, salmon, lake trout and tuna.
Step 4
Eat foods high in fiber. One or two grams of soluble fiber a day can lower LDL cholesterol by one percent, according to the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.
Step 5
Include nonfat or low-fat dairy products in your meals. Whole milk, butter and cheese are often high in saturated fats to raise your LDL cholesterol levels. Focus your meals on fruits, vegetables, beans and whole grains, which help lower LDL.
Step 6
Drink alcohol in moderation if you drink at all. Moderate drinking may raise levels of HDL. But excessive drinking has harmful effects. Drinking in moderation means two drinks a day for men and one drink a day for women.
Step 7
Ask about medication that lowers LDL cholesterol and raises HDL. Niacin, fibrates and statins help increase HDL while reducing the levels of LDL. Some people don't need medication to lower their cholesterol, so this is only a good choice for people who need it. Your doctor can help you make this decision.
