Boost HDL and Improve Cardiovascular Health

By Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS

In addition to getting LDL levels down, a new study indicates that raising HDL should also be the focus of our efforts at improving cardiovascular health.

In fact, this could be the most important factor in reducing your risk for heart disease.

Before we get into this any further, let's go over some definitions:

LDL (low-density lipoprotein): This is also known as the "bad" cholesterol. It is the cholesterol that builds up in your arteries, increasing your risk of heart disease.

HDL (high-density lipoprotein): This is also known as the "good" cholesterol. It helps clean out LDL from your arteries, and can decrease your risk of heart disease.

If your high-density lipoprotein isn't above 40 mg/dL, then make it your goal to improve it and have it checked every year.

TC (total cholesterol): This is the total amount of cholesterol in the blood. If your total cholesterol is 240 mg/dL or greater, you're at a greater risk of coronary heart disease and stroke.

TC:HDL-C ratio: This ratio is calculated by dividing the total cholesterol by the HDL. It's a good indicator of heart disease risk.

A recent study, published in the American Heart Journal, found that patients who had higher HDL levels had a lower risk of heart attacks. More specifically, they had an 11% decrease in heart disease risk.

So what does this tell us? Simple. Give your high-density lipoproteins a boost!

First, you need to get your levels checked. Make an appointment with your doctor. And always check with your doctor before you go ahead and make big changes to your nutrition and exercise plan. This is especially important if you happen to be overweight or otherwise at risk for lifestyle diseases.

Second, a good place to start improving your cholesterol levels is to simply lose weight and to start an exercise program (both aerobic exercise and resistance training will improve cholesterol levels).

And when it comes to achieving healthy cholesterol levels, here are some more specific actions that you should take:

• Eat 6 small meals per day as opposed to 2-3 large meals.
• Eat a handful of almonds per day (make sure they aren't roasted in hydrogenated oils!)
• Get more fiber in your diet by eating almonds, fruits, vegetables, oatmeal, and perhaps even supplement with glucomannan. Get a minimum of 35g of fiber per day.
• Reduce your intake of saturated fats & eliminate all trans fats from your diet.
• Build muscle mass. There's some evidence that strength-training exercises that build muscle mass can make a big difference.
• Do intervals - these might be even more effective than regular cardio for improving your cholesterol ratio.
• Both Green Tea and fish oils might help improve cholesterol levels, although research is not 100% conclusive.

About the author:

Craig Ballantyne is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist and writes for Men's Health and Oxygen magazines. His trademarked Turbulence Training for Fat Loss has helped thousands of men and women with weight loss and fat burning in less than 45 minutes three times per week. Turbulence Training for Fat Loss workouts help you burn fat without long, slow cardio sessions or fancy equipment. Craig's bodyweight workouts for fat loss help you lose fat without any equipment at all.

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