Facts on Good Cholesterol

1. Happy Cholesterol Versus Lousy Cholesterol

Happy bodies like happy cholesterol. Good cholesterol, or happy cholesterol, officially called HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol, reduces your risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, repairs cells, makes them waterproof, assists in the forming of hormones and helps your memory. Bad cholesterol, or lousy cholesterol, officially called LDL (Low-Density Lipoprotein) cholesterol, increases your chances of having a heart attack.

2. Understand Cholesterol Levels

When you get your cholesterol levels checked through a blood test, you'll receive a report showing your total cholesterol levels and individual good ( HDL) and bad (LDL) cholesterol levels. All measurements are done in millimoles per litre, or mmol/L for short. Ideally, your total cholesterol level should be lower than 5.2 mmol/L. Good cholesterol should be at least 0.9 mmol/L, and bad cholesterol should be less than 3.5 mmol/L.

3. Determine Your Heart Attack Risk

Cholesterol ratio is used to determine your risk of a heart attack. This calculation is usually done by your doctor, but the numbers are easy for you to figure out yourself. Add your good and bad cholesterol levels together to come up with your total cholesterol level. Then divide the number by your good cholesterol to come up with the number that indicates your risk of a heart attack or heart disease. A lower ratio and higher good cholesterol levels means a lower risk.

4. Boost Your Good Cholesterol

Lifestyle changes are the best way to boost your happy cholesterol levels. Stop smoking. Maintain a healthy weight. Get exercise. Just 30 to 60 minutes of moderate exercise a day can increase your good cholesterol by three to nine percent. Don't drink too much alcohol. Moderation is the key, which means no more than two drinks a day for men and one drink a day for women.

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5. Fat Is Healthy

Yes, you read that right. A healthy diet that increases your good cholesterol levels contains some fat. The average woman 25 to 49 years old needs about 60 to 65 grams (15 to 16 teaspoons) of fat a day. The average man of the same age needs about 85 to 90 grams (21 to 22 teaspoons) of fat daily. However, it's important to make your fat choices carefully. Monosaturated fats and polysaturated fats are the best choices. They're usually liquid at room temperature and include foods like olives, avocados, nuts and seeds fish and seafood, and wheat germ. Vegetable oils like safflower, sunflower, corn, soybean, sesame are good choices, as are olive, canola and peanut oils. Walnuts, flax seed and soybeans are good options for eating seeds and nuts.