Your total blood cholesterol level is divided into two categories — HDL or "good cholesterol," and LDL or "bad cholesterol." Bad cholesterol collects on the walls of your arteries and increases your risk of heart disease, so you want to keep this number down. To minimize your LDL level, follow these tips.

How to Manage Bad Cholesterol for Heart Health

1. Exercise

Not only does exercise help strengthen your heart, but it also helps increase the good cholesterol — HDL — in your blood and decrease LDL. You can benefit significantly from even ten minutes of activity per day. For example, a walk outside or quick ab workout makes all the difference as long as you’re consistent.

2. Eat Well

Fiber from fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains keeps your body from absorbing cholesterol from your food. Also, replace unhealthy saturated fats in your diet with healthier options like omega-3 fatty acids; for example, eat fish more often instead of red meat.

3. Avoid Trans Fats

Trans fat usually goes by the name of "partially hydrogenated oil" on packaging and is found in fried foods, margarine, and many baked foods. It lowers good cholesterol and raises bad cholesterol, so avoid it as much as possible.

4. Relax

Stress is one of the worst things for your heart health, raising both your blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels. To beat it, spend time doing relaxing, enjoyable activities, and get enough sleep. When you’re feeling stressed, take a step back and breathe; you can also turn to activities — such as working out, reading, or listening to music — that take your mind off of any stressors.

5. Stop Smoking

Using tobacco is one of the worst things you can do to your body. Not only can it cause cancer, but it also raises LDL and lowers HDL. Quitting causes a huge increase in your life expectancy, so start today.

For a doctor's help managing your cholesterol, visit Lexington Family Physicians in North Carolina. Serving Davidson County since 1996, this family-owned practice provides health care for the whole family and coordinates your treatment for all kinds of conditions with local specialists. To schedule an appointment, call (336) 249-3329, or read more about your provider online.