Q: I am 53, have had a stent and am overweight, but I've started exercising, walking at least 10,000 steps just about every day, have lost about 14 pounds in two months, and I'm now at 277. So I feel like I'm on the road back to where I want to be. My question is what would you recommend for a person like me who has lo w cholesterol? My bad cholesterol is low, which is fine, but since my good cholesterol is low, I am on medication for the rest of my life (Niaspin), which I am not very fond of taking since it causes hot flashes. My current physician plans to switch me to something else. But before I go back to my physician, I would love your feedback. Thank you so much for your time and your outstanding work in this important field. You make a difficult subject a lot easier to understand.
Eric
Dear Eric,
A:Two ways to increase low HDL cholesterol are increased consumption of monounsaturated fat and increased exercise (especially weight training). This means adding more extra virgin olive oil to your meals and adding weight training to your existing exercise program. However, the best way is strictly following the Zone Diet to reduce insulin levels. By doing this both TG and HDL will be affected. The TG will fall and the HDL cholesterol will increase. This is why you want your TG/HDL level to less than 2 and ideally under 1.