Up the HDL: Increase the Good Cholesterol in Your Body

So, aside from the fact that you have already been told millions of times before this, that cholesterol (the bad kind) will end up killing you if it clogs your arteries, you probably still continue doing and eating all the bad things that cause it, right?

You say it's too difficult to eat healthy because of all the fast food choices out there. You probably may also say that working out is impossible given your 9 to 5 work schedule, social life and family life.

Besides the incentive of not wanting to die prematurely how about finding the motivation to up the good cholesterol and get rid of the bad for the simple sake of wanting to live a comfortable, healthy life?

While most people think of cholesterol as being bad, there is such a thing as good cholesterol (called HDL). When most people hear the word cholesterol they automatically view it as bad when in actuality there are two types (the good, HDL and the bad, LDL). The good kind is what helps combat the fat from building up in our arteries, and it generally makes up about 20 to 30 percent of the total cholesterol in our bodies.

Scientists have found that even a 1 percent decrease of the good cholesterol in our body will end up increasing the chance of getting heart disease (by 2 to 3 percent). Scary don't you think?

However, there are small little changes you can make in your lifestyle to up the HDL, the good stuff, so that you can improve your chances of living a healthy life.

Doctors recommend drinking more orange juice. In fact, according to web doctor www.webmd.com, drinking three cups of orange juice each day can increase your HDL by 21 percent. That can be done in as little as a month. So, perhaps instead of drinking coffee every morning, you may want to drink some orange juice instead.

Another item you may want to consider implementing into your diet is more soy. Soy protein has the potential of raising HDL amounts as well. If the thought of eating tofu, horrifies you, try out recipes. Most people don't realize that tofu can be baked and put into soups or salads.

The more common sense types of tips that most people already know, include not smoking or drinking excessively. In addition, you should attempt to exercise for at least 30 minutes a day.

If the thought of devoting half an hour a day seems unappealing to you, then make an effort to be more active in spurts throughout the day.

It's not that difficult to up the good cholesterol in your body, but it is pretty difficult to erase years of damage to your body from improper eating habits and a lifestyle that puts wear and tear on your body. So, figure out what you can do to up the HDL in your life.