i know i could google, but i'm lazy and i'm already on TexAgs. Just did my health screening for work. Good Cholesterol is low.

I know things like nuts and avacados, but any favorites? I already use a crapload of olive oil.

Love my avacadoes. Coconut oil in shakes, coffee, etc. take some fish oil supplements - buy good stuff. The cheap will have you burping bait all day. Add extra virgin olive oil to just about anything you are cooking- more calories but it'll add flavor

Short answer: plants and fatty fish.

Salmon. Lots of salmon.

Is it actually in the low range? Normally HDL goes up the more you exercise (which I assume is not a problem for you).

Another thing to look at is your HDL to LDL ratio. Sometimes the ratio is more important than absolute numbers.

As far as healthy sources of fats, pecans are great, as are most other nuts. Just make sure you chew them well. Fatty (cold water) fish - make sure it's wild caught, not farmed. Or fish oil/krill oil. I think all plant based fats will be beneficial (avocados, dark chocolate (probably 80% dark or more), seeds, etc). As far as olive oil goes, best to incorporate it into your diet uncooked - hummus, salad dressing, garnish, etc. Or, if you do cook with it, do so on low heat. It tends to break down under high heat rather quickly, and the good fats in it break down.

NoahAg said:

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Salmon. Lots of salmon.

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I hate salmon. Tastes like metal.

bigtruckguy3500 said:

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Is it actually in the low range? Normally HDL goes up the more you exercise (which I assume is not a problem for you).

Another thing to look at is your HDL to LDL ratio. Sometimes the ratio is more important than absolute numbers.

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No idea, just have generic number ranges that tell me it's low. I was at 42. Says under 40 is "high" risk and over 60 is "healthy "

These things also use bmi so I know they aren't gospel, but seemed very low. I seem to remember being "low" last rear too.

AggieOO said:

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NoahAg said:

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Salmon. Lots of salmon.

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I hate salmon. Tastes like metal.

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My cardiologist gave me a printout of different kinds of fish and the varying levels of omega-3 fatty acid in each kind. If I recall, salmon was way at the high end of the spectrum. Things like tilapia and catfish have basically none. Hopefully you find one you like that has a decent amount.

I am with bigtruckguy... surprised hdl would be low for you since exercise is the best way to raise it.

Good luck!

Honey Nut Cheerios

Do you have your other numbers handy? LDL, total cholesterol, VLDL, triglycerides. And do you keep track of your macros on average?

AggieOO said:

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NoahAg said:

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Salmon. Lots of salmon.

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I hate salmon. Tastes like metal.

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I can't eat it. It comes back up and out 2 to 3 hours after I eat it. I've tried 3 times and everytime I wind up vomiting it all out. I'm not allergic to anything else that I know of either. Strange.

Have you tried something like salmon burgers? Or making salmon patties with other stuff in it (like onions, breadcrumbs, eggs)? Or curried salmon? Or break it up and cook it like ground meat and put it in tacos? Lots of ways to mask the taste/texture.

No - I think it's that my body doesn't like it and it comes right back out the way it went in (usually 2 or 3 hours later). The texture doesn't bother me and I like the taste, actually.

bigtruckguy3500 said:

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Do you have your other numbers handy? LDL, total cholesterol, VLDL, triglycerides. And do you keep track of your macros on average?

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HDL - 42
LDL - 122
Triglycerides - 149

Not sure if it makes much difference, but I did eat some greasy mexican food for dinner the night before going in for my health screening. Not sure how quickly a single meal can affect overall numbers, but that was definitely NOT a healthy meal

40-60 is normal hdl

Actually, for someone as active as you, none of those numbers look good to me. Your meal the night before probably didn't do anything. Do you normally eat lots of carbs, even on non intense training days?

generally, yes, i eat a lot of carbs. and ingest quite a few via beer.

we cook at home most nights, so i know what's going into my food, but i don't track macros.

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Do you know your family history re: cholesterol and/or heart disease?

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Have you tried something like salmon burgers? Or making salmon patties with other stuff in it

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That's the stuff right there. We make some good salmon patties using the canned salmon, which is pretty good. Quick and easy. Since I'm cheap, I'll mix in some canned tuna to stretch it out.

My dad's cholesterol is high, but he does not exercise at all, is overweight, and doesn't eat a very healthy diet.

My great grandmother on moms side had heart issues in her 80s. Outside of that, I'm not aware of any other issues. Neither of my dad's parents had issues. Mom's dad is still alive and does not have issues. Mom's mom passed away due to cancer in her early 40s.

So a couple things I'm thinking. Since you don't have any family history of heart disease, you could be one of those folks that has great genetics and doesn't seem to be affected by what would traditionally be considered "bad" values on your lipid panel. Or perhaps your diet is just catching up to you. My cursory recommendation would be to cut back on processed foods, especially those high in carbs, and increase your intake of healthy fats. Probably start with nuts, avocados, olive oil salad dressings, and fish oil tabs if you want. You could also try either skipping breakfast, or eating high fat/protein and low carbs for breakfast to allow your live to clean out a little so it'll try storing the carbs you eat later in the day instead of converting them to triglycerides.

appreciate the feedback.

skipping breakfast is pretty much out of the question for me. I typically exercise in the evenings/night, and i'm ravenous (even after eating breakfast) by about 10:30am. Part of the problem with evening exercise is that we end up eating a lot of sandwiches, pasta, etc b/c its easy/fast to make. I'll try to make some changes and see what happens.

I never really pay attention to any of my numbers and the doc has never brought it up but this made me look them over. Is there such a thing as too much HDL? My number is pretty much double the high end.

AggieOO said:

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appreciate the feedback.

skipping breakfast is pretty much out of the question for me. I typically exercise in the evenings/night, and i'm ravenous (even after eating breakfast) by about 10:30am. Part of the problem with evening exercise is that we end up eating a lot of sandwiches, pasta, etc b/c its easy/fast to make. I'll try to make some changes and see what happens.

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Try eating a high protein/fat breakfast. Skip the oatmeal and have 4-5 eggs with guacamole, or an avocado. Throw in an apple with peanutbutter, or maybe some sauteed vegetables.

The Pilot said:

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I never really pay attention to any of my numbers and the doc has never brought it up but this made me look them over. Is there such a thing as too much HDL? My number is pretty much double the high end.

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Your HDL is >100? That would be concerning to me if you have a family history of cardiac issues. There are soem genetic conditions that can give you a false sense of security by having a great lipid panel. Unfortunately I can't remember that much about it.

Not to derail but I need a good healthy salmon patty recipe. I don't like salmon by itself either. Preferably one without cornmeal. Thinking of trying cod too.

Yeah, my HDL is 119. I'll bring it up with my doc when I go for my yearly physical. No family history of heart problems.