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You may have been told that you have to lower your fat intake or get your cholesterol levels in order, but did you know that there are actually two kinds of cholesterol? There’s bad cholesterol, and there’s also good cholesterol that you’ll want to keep in the body. Here is some information about these two substances, as well as how you can make the necessary lifestyle changes to keep your levels of each where they should be.

Good cholesterol is also referred to as high density lipoprotein (HDL), and high levels of this substance help to protect the body against heart attacks. But if you have low HDL, your risk of heart disease is increased, since the substance carries cholesterol away from the heart and liver, making for better circulation, and giving you the ability to flush out toxins from the body much faster. HDL can also slow the buildup of plaque in the arteries by taking the additional fat and impurities away from the body. Conversely, too much of the bad cholesterol, known as low density lipoprotein or LDL, is very unhealthy for your heart, because it slows down the process of removing excess fat from your body’s tissues.

Triglycerides are an important component of managing your cholesterol levels. Being inactive, smoking, drinking heavily, and consuming a diet that is very high in carbohydrates will fill the body with triglycerides, which lower your good cholesterol levels. This means that LDL is present at higher levels in the body, and you’ll need to work as fast as you can to reverse these levels if you get results from the doctor telling you that you’re at risk for heart disease or complications with blood pressure.

One of the best ways to balance the levels of cholesterol in your body is to change your diet. Instead of eating foods that are rich in sugar and simple carbohydrates, try using whole grain breads instead of white sandwich bread, or brown rice for dinner instead of white rice. These foods will make you feel full quicker and for a longer period of time, and won’t zap your energy. You will also have to incorporate more fresh foods into your diet; a vegetable at dinner that is as fresh as possible so that you can get all the nutrients is ideal, and eating fruit for breakfast and snack times can do wonders to keep your cholesterol levels balanced as well. You can also snack on a handful of almonds or cashews a few times a week to keep bad cholesterol down, and drinking plenty of water will help to flush away the toxins that can make your body exhausted.

Staying active is another great way to make sure that both your good and bad cholesterol levels are where they should be. Start small by taking a walk after dinner each night, or jogging around the block in the morning before breakfast. You can increase your exercise time as you gain more energy, and you’ll be amazed at how much better you feel.

Heart disease kills more people each year than all of the cancers combined. Learn more about the causes, effects and treatments of this epidemic problem at Heart Wellness.