How to Support "Good" Cholesterol

Blog / Food & Nutrition / How to Support "Good" Cholesterol

September is National Cholesterol Education Month. It serves as a great reminder for all of us to be monitoring our cholesterol levels and to be focusing on natural cholesterol support. Today we are focusing on the positive side: supporting healthy cholesterol levels already within the normal range!

While most of the emphasis is put on lowering cholesterol levels, it is equally important to support healthy cholesterol levels. I’m sure you’ve heard of your “good” cholesterol and “bad” cholesterol. All cholesterol is necessary for life, but within healthy limits. The LDL (low-density lipoproteins) is known as the bad cholesterol. This is the type that can build up in your arteries. The HDL (high-density lipoproteins) is referred to as good cholesterol. It acts as a cholesterol scavenger, picking up excess cholesterol in your blood and taking it back to your liver where it's broken down. The higher your HDL level, the less "bad" cholesterol you'll have in your blood. The desirable level for HDL is 60 mg/dL or above. You want your LDL to be Lower and your HDL to be Higher.

So, how do we support healthy cholesterol levels? Here are a few natural health choices you can make to promote healthy cholesterol:

Don’t smoke
Lose those extra pounds
Get plenty of physical activity
Choose Monounsaturated fats over other types of fat (organic olive oil is a good choice)
Drink alcohol only in moderation
Eat whole grains, such as organic oatmeal, oat bran and whole-wheat products
Consume organic raw nuts, such as organic walnuts and organic almonds
Make sure to consume omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish, fish oil supplements, organic flaxseeds and organic flaxseed oil and other omega-3 supplements

Food & Nutrition

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