low HDL levels

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syguy
syguy Posts: 35
in Food and Nutrition
Hi all,

I had a cholesterol test yesterday and they said I have a low HDL level but everything else is really good

Blood Pressure: 129/76
Total cholesterol: 4.14
Triglycerides: 0.69
LDL: 3.21
HDL: 0.61
Blood Glucose: 4.3

The nurse said everything else was great and didn't really give me cause for concern over the HDL but did mention there were medications which could help, being honest I would rather go a natural route if possible as I want to join the army next year and don't want to be reliant on tablets if at all possible.

I am 107kg and have been following a fairly balanced diet and have lost a considerable amount of weight (80+ lbs) over the last 6 months.

I am wondering if anyone has been in a similar position and if anyone had any advice on any foods I could introduce to my diet to help with this.

Any advice would be appreciated !

Ed

Replies

  • slimkitty
    slimkitty Posts: 418
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    You could try adding fish oil to your diet. My HDL levels are always high and I always atributed that to the huge amounts of fish oil I consume ( I believe it helps with the arthitis).
  • mice152
    mice152 Posts: 17 Member
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    My HDL levels were excellent in my last test. The only thing I can think of (besides general diet and exercise) is nuts. I've read that nuts help your HDL levels and I've been eating a lot more raw nuts lately.
  • Malinsfeet
    Malinsfeet Posts: 12 Member
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    HDL levels are increased through exercise esp. cardio intense exercise. I suggest running, biking and swimming!
  • thumperj2u
    thumperj2u Posts: 25 Member
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    Definately fish oil. The Mega Red is the best they say.
  • grannygethealthy1111
    grannygethealthy1111 Posts: 422
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    You can raise your HDL naturally by losing more weight. Losing just 6 pounds will raise your HDL by 1 mg/dL. You can also raise it by increasing your activity level to a minimum of 30 minutes 5 times a week. Eat healthier fats (olive oil, peanut oil, and canola oil). You also can raise your HDL by having 2 drinks (for men) each evening. Those are some of the natural ways I can think of.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    Here is a good article from the Mayo Clinic on how to raise your HDL.

    http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hdl-cholesterol/CL00030

    Your lifestyle has the single greatest impact on your HDL cholesterol. Even small changes to your daily habits can help you meet your HDL target.

    Don't smoke. If you smoke, quit. Quitting smoking can increase your HDL cholesterol by up to 10 percent. Quitting isn't easy, but you can increase your odds of success by trying more than one strategy at a time. Talk with your doctor about your options for quitting.

    Lose weight. Extra pounds take a toll on HDL cholesterol. If you're overweight, losing even a few pounds can improve your HDL level. For every 6 pounds (2.7 kilograms) you lose, your HDL may increase by 1 mg/dL (0.03 mmol/L). If you focus on becoming more physically active and choosing healthier foods — two other ways to increase your HDL cholesterol — you'll likely move toward a healthier weight in the process.Get more physical activity. Within two months of starting, frequent aerobic exercise can increase HDL cholesterol by about 5 percent in otherwise healthy sedentary adults. Your best bet for increasing HDL cholesterol is to exercise briskly for 30 minutes, five times a week. Examples of brisk, aerobic exercise include walking, running, cycling, swimming, playing basketball, raking leaves — anything that increases your heart rate. You can also break up your daily activity into three 10 minute segments if you're having difficulty finding time to exercise.Choose healthier fats. A healthy diet includes some fat, but there's a limit. In a heart-healthy diet, between 25 and 35 percent of your total daily calories can come from fat — but saturated fat should account for less than 7 percent of your total daily calories. Avoid foods that contain saturated and trans fats, which raise LDL cholesterol and damage your blood vessels.

    Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats — found in olive, peanut and canola oils — tend to improve HDL's anti-inflammatory abilities. Nuts, fish and other foods containing omega-3 fatty acids are other good choices for improving your LDL cholesterol to HDL cholesterol ratio.

    Drink alcohol only in moderation. Moderate use of alcohol has been linked with higher levels of HDL cholesterol. If you choose to drink alcohol, do so in moderation. This means no more than one drink a day for women and everyone over age 65, and two drinks a day for men. If you don't drink alcohol, don't start just to try raising your HDL levels.

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