What can patients do to change levels of LDL and HDL in their blood?
Making changes to the food you eat and being more active can help lower your cholesterol to normal levels
The American Heart Association recommends eating these foods to help reduce total cholesterol and increase HDL:
a range of fruits and vegetables
whole grains
skinless poultry, lean pork, and lean red meat
baked or grilled fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, or sardines
unsalted seeds, nuts, and legumes
vegetable or olive oils
These foods may increase LDL cholesterol and should be avoided or rarely eaten:
untrimmed red meat
fried foods
baked goods made with trans fats or saturated fats
full-fat dairy products
foods with hydrogenated oils
tropical oils
Patients can also begin to maintain a diet that is low in sodium and fats. Incorporating various fruits and vegetables into their diet can also have positive results.This change in diet will increase HDL levels in the blood while reducing LDL levels. Reducing the amount of saturated fats and sodium can also result in the reduction of LDL and an increase in HDL.Physical activity and exercise for 30 minutes a day 5 days a week, can also increase HDL levels and decrease LDL levels
In general, the goal is to increase HDL and decrease LDL to proper amounts to make them both "good". (Kamps, n.d.).
As mentioned previously, exercise may also have a positive impact on your cholesterol levels. If you’re sitting most of the day, move more. If you work at a desk, set an alarm on your cellphone or computer, or get a fitness tracker to remind you to get up and move for five minutes each hour. Try to fit in at least 30 minutes of exercise daily. Walking, swimming, or riding a bike are great options.
Smoking increases your risk of not only high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and heart disease, but also many types of cancer. Smoking is not good for you in general, so just don't do it.
If you don’t know your cholesterol numbers, ask your doctor about getting tested, especially if you have a family history of high cholesterol or heart disease. The earlier you know your cholesterol numbers, the sooner you can take steps to manage them. Heredity can affect cholesterol levels, so even if you have a proper lifestyle, you may have high cholesterol because you inherited it.
.Keep Reading -> Effect of fat intake on health
If you don’t know your cholesterol numbers, ask your doctor about getting tested, especially if you have a family history of high cholesterol or heart disease. The earlier you know your cholesterol numbers, the sooner you can take steps to manage them. Heredity can affect cholesterol levels, so even if you have a proper lifestyle, you may have high cholesterol because you inherited it.
.Keep Reading -> Effect of fat intake on health