How can you lower your bad cholesterol (LDL) and raise your good cholesterol (HDL) naturally?

If you are serious about improving your health and lifestyle, then read on.

Lifestyle changes:

Eat like nature intended. Say no to processed foods and hydrogenated oils. Eat fresh fruits and vegetables. Include the "Good Fats" like olive oil and fish oil in your diet.

You want to stay away from fast food, processed and prepared foods that are loaded with bad fats, salts and empty calories. There are many healthy alternatives that you can incorporate into your everyday routine. It may be a little inconvenient for you at first but you can adapt.

Cookies, muffins, cakes and pies all include unhealthy fats and sugar. You will want to stay away from these poisons if you are serious about your health.

Relieving stress can help in many areas including cholesterol levels.

How do you reduce stress? You can start by adding some beneficial tools to your arsenal. These can include meditation, bio-feedback, taking some time out to relax or even going for a hike. Exercise can help with your stress levels as well. Cut back on caffeine in coffee and soda. You actually want to cut soda completely out of your diet.

Exercise: One of the best things you can do to develop your overall health and improving your cholesterol levels is exercise. Stay moving and your LDL will decline while your HDL increases. Just what the doctor ordered! This can often be done without drugs.

Quit Smoking: Giving up smoking is the most generous gift you can give to yourself and everyone around you. If you choose to quit you could raise your good HDL about 5 points.

Diet: Eat fresh fruits and vegetables, raw when possible. Cut out all of the "bad foods".

Some foods that are beneficial:

? Olive Oil ? Fish ( mercury free) ? Fresh Fruits & Vegetables ? Avocados ? Nuts & Seeds ? Oats and other Soluble Fibers ? Legumes ? Blueberries (They are fruit, but are in a class by themselves, because they are so great!) ? Garlic ( if your spouse doesn't mind too much) ? Curry ? Grape & Orange Juice ( but is it worth the extra sugar?) ? Good Fats ( fish Oil, Olive Oil, Flax)

Here's a list of some foods you specially want to drop or cut back on: ? Soda ? alcohol ? Caffeine ? Wheat ? Red Meats ? Muffins ? Cookies ? Fast Food ? Prepared or Canned Foods ? Refined Sugar ? Refined anything

Supplements that could help:

? Fish Oil ? Coral Calcium ? Vitamin C ? Vitamin E ? Vitamin D ? B Complex ? Magnesium ? Policosanol ? Plant Sterols

Drinking more water is usually a good idea. Drinking alcohol in moderation has been shown to increase HDL levels. A supplement such as Resveracine, containing wine's beneficial ingredients, may be a wiser choice.

Take action today. Making these changes in your lifestyle can have a dramatic increase on you health in a positive way. Just think about all the money you will save when your physician determines to lower, or take you off of cholesterol drugs.