Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Raise HDL Cholesterol Levels In Your Blood

By Andy Austim

When your physician hands you the diagnosis that you have high cholesterol levels and you must change your lifestyle to reduce your cholesterol, you should also be striving to raise HDL cholesterol levels in your blood. When cholesterol is elevated, the HDL cholesterol has been proven to decrease the LDL cholesterol that is bad and help you prevent the problems that come with having a high cholesterol number.

The occurrence of heart disease is more of a probability in people with high levels of LDL cholesterol. HDL cholesterol is needed in the body in order to send the unwanted LDL cholesterol from the arteries directly to the liver. However, if the HDL cholesterol levels are not high enough, it will cause the bad cholesterol to accumulate in the arteries, ultimately obstructing them. To counteract the effects of LDL cholesterol, you must raise HDL cholesterol.

Being careful about the foods you eat is the first step that a doctor will take to attempt to reduce your overall cholesterol levels. You should go to see a nutritionist to get information about the foods that are helpful to raise HDL cholesterol, while decreasing LDL cholesterol simultaneously. Usually your diet will have limited fat and sugar and plenty of lean protein, vegetables and fruits.

Reducing risk for heart disease requires work. The only way to improve your heart function, lose weight, raise HDL cholesterol and reduce your LDL "bad" cholesterol, is to begin an exercise regimen and keep up a daily routine of eating properly.

Include your whole family in your plans for a low fat diet and exercise regimen. If everyone participates, you will get used to eating healthy food and you will have an easier time staying on this diet. If everyone eats the same way as you do they will become healthier in the long run. It is significant that your children learn that their health depends on how they eat and they should have nutritious food. If we instruct our children about this we can prevent problems that they could have in the future.

There is a whole lot of information available about how you can alter the way you live your life to take care of your health problems. You should find several cookbooks that will show you how to cook great tasting meals that are good for your heart. A lot of the recipes will let you know to what extent you raise HDL cholesterol and decrease LDL cholesterol at the same time.

If you are able to lower your cholesterol level with the foods that you consume, then you will likely not be required to take any medications. However, remember that a diet plan alone may not be sufficient to lower bad cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol concurrently. You should always consult your doctor, who will advise you on medications necessary for control of cholesterol. - 16004

About the Author: