Hi everyone this is Monica Reinagle the nutrition diva here with your quick and dirty

tips for eating well and feeling fabulous and today's show is about how diet affects your cholesterol levels.

Now usually when people pay attention to their cholesterol level they're focused on trying to

lower that number but lower isn't always better. Your total cholesterol level includes several different

types of cholesterol. One type called high density lipoproteins or HDL actually protects you against heart disease by carrying excess cholesterol back to your

liver. That's why you'll often see it referred to as good cholesterol. In general, higher levels

of HDL cholesterol are a good thing, and what you eat can help improve your

HDL levels.

For more on the different types of cholesterol and what your test results may say about your health.

I have a link in the show notes to a show by my colleague the House Call Doctor about that.

The show notes are at nutrition diva.

quick and dirty tips.com.

So how can you raise those HDL cholesterol levels?

Well, one way is to eat a diet high in sugar and refined carbohydrates.

The only problem is that you'll also end up increasing your LDL cholesterol and your triglycerides.

Any benefit you might get from raising your HTL

is definitely cancelled out by increasing these other risk factors.

For this and lots of other reasons,

I suggest you limit your intake of sugar and refined

carbohydrates like white bread.

You don't have to go low-carb,

just eat most of your carbohydrates in the form of fresh fruits and

...