Help! My Good Cholesterol Is Too Low! When I went for my annual checkup last week, my doctor told me that my good cholesterol is too low. I never imagined that could be a problem for me since high cholesterol runs in my family. But everything I read on the topic only focuses on lowering the bad kind. Is there anything I can do to raise my good cholesterol?
Great question! Even adding just small amounts of healthy monounsaturated fats (MUFAs) to your diet can raise good (HDL) cholesterol by eight or more points. Some excellent MUFA sources are olives, avocados, macadamia nuts and their respective oils, which you can use in soups and sautéed dishes or as dressing on salads and already-cooked dishes. But keep in mind that MUFA sources are calorie-dense, so consume just one to three servings daily to get the health-enhancing benefits without affecting your waistline.