Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) is one of the largest causes of death in Britain affecting 1 in 4 people (some 7 Million people according to statistics from the NHS). You are particularly at risk if you suffer from high blood pressure or high cholesterol levels.
So what can you do to make sure that you don’t suffer from CVD and develop it over time? Well I'll be giving you some ideas in these 5 tips to increase good cholesterol.
Fortunately, there are numerous simple things that you can do each day to bulletproof your heart, and in this article we’re going to focus on ways that you can increase your HDL or “Happy” cholesterol (is how I remember it!) .
What Is So Good About It?
Well your HDL cholesterol plays a very important role in your heart health. It is responsible for removing toxic fat and cholesterol molecules from your blood vessel walls and returning them to your liver to be processed.
These toxic molecules are the root cause of the plaques in your blood vessels which lead to heart attacks, hence why HDL cholesterol is often referred to as the “good” cholesterol.
In essence the more HDL cholesterol you have, the better your body can remove these molecules, and the healthier your blood vessels will be as a result.
What Should Your Cholesterol level Be?
Now with HDL cholesterol, the higher it is, the better to a degree. Women have a slightly higher base level than men as they traditionally have higher HDL cholesterol due to the hormonal differences between sexes.
According to the NHS, healthy levels are stated as;
Total Cholesterol 5mmol/L or below
Total Cholesterol Ratio (to HDL) should be below 6
HDL Cholesterol should be above 1.0mmol/L for Men and 1.2mmol/L for Women
Non-HDL Cholesterol should be below 4mmol/L
I’m sure you’ll agree that it’s worthwhile knowing your numbers! But if you don’t then either pop along to the chemist (pharmacy) and get a test kit, or make an appointment with your local health centre.
So now I’ve waffled about the importance of “Happy” Cholesterol, what can we do to give us a fighting chance of being in the best health possible?
Well here’s 5 top tips for you
1. Eat Fatty Fish Regularly or Take a Fish Oil Supplement
The omega-3 fats (called EPA and DHA) found in fatty fish and fish oil supplements should be an integral part of your diet for many reasons, but many forget that these fats can also increase your HDL cholesterol. There are also several plant based options on the market which are worth checking out.
Currently I’m trying one from Awesome Supplements which is making a nice alternative, so check out https://awesomesupplements.co.uk if you’re interested (and no, I’m not affiliated with them, just on the hunt for good products!)
How much fish to eat I hear you cry! Well, about 2-3 servings of fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, sardines, etc) each week should do it. I admit to being a little inconsistent on the fish front, hence the supplement so I’m covered.
2. Have a Drink
Let’s face it, we all know the effects of the Demon Drink but there are some beneficial effects of alcohol on your heart health….but don’t get too excited just yet!
The good news is that it doesn’t seem to matter if you are drinking red wine or whisky as all kinds of alcoholic drinkies will increase your “Happy” cholesterol.
Now before you start getting all happy yourself, the overall benefit maxes out at circa 5 units per week, so not quite the “roll out the barrel” event you might have been hoping for. Told you not to get too excited!
3. Exercise
You knew I was going to say exercise didn’t you?!
I know I’m stating the obvious but as well as the weight loss benefits, regular exercise (even a simple 30 minute walk) will have significant benefit in helping the body balance its Cholesterol.
4. Don’t Just Lose It. Keep It Off.
Now you know this one is close to my heart (pun intended) as Yo-Yo dieting is one of the worst things that you can do for your HDL cholesterol.
When you lose weight, your HDL cholesterol will actually go down. But losing weight, and then keeping the weight off, will cause your HDL cholesterol to rise to levels higher than before you started your weight loss journey. So find a balance between what you WANT to eat and what you NEED to eat.
Balance is everything and if you need a kickstart then check out my Free 7 Day Body Reboot here.
5. Eat Enough Fat
Finally here’s one I bet you didn’t know in that dietary fat is a powerful modulator of your HDL cholesterol. Low fat diets can have a habit of ruining your HDL levels so aim to eat a diet that get circa 30% of its calories from fat, preferably non saturated forms where possible, but the odd cookie does you good, right?!. #goodfats
So there you have it….a quick rundown on Cholesterol.
If you’re wondering where to start or would like to kickstart your healthy living journey then you can download my FREE 7 Day Body Reboot or drop me an email to phil@phillowes.com if you have any questions I can help with.
Comments