My husband and I are Ornish vegetarians because my husband has early coronary artery disease (in the 95th percentile for men his age) and we had hoped to avoid statin drugs. I won't get into the diet but it is based on research published by Dean Ornish, MD that has demonstrated
reversal of artherosclerosis with a very lowfat vegetarian diet. There are dietary ways to increase HDL, but if you're on a 1500 calorie a day diet and exercising you're on the right track.
To paraphrase Ornish:
The reason HDL is considered the "good" cholesterol is that its job is to carry the LDL cholesterol and other fats to your liver for metabolization and ousting from your body. People with high "bad cholesterol" tend to also have high "good cholesterol" too because their bodies, to the extent that their genetics provide, make more HDL for the purpose of metabolizing the LDL. If you have reduced your dietary fat and cholesterol and successfully lowered your total cholesterol then your body would have lessened its need for the HDLs and it's hard to get it to produce any more, particularly if you are genetically wired that way.
Things that can help:
1. Lower your total cholesterol by lowering your fat intake. Your HDL may not rise but your need for it will decrease.
2. Take a Niacin supplement (B3). In large doses it can lower cholesterol. Start with 100 mg three times a day and increase to 500 mg. three times a day. Also available in time release form by prescription, called Niaspan, which only has to be taken once a day and may be a more uniform dose as it is regulated as a drug would be instead of unregulated as a supplement.
3. Exercise regularly (like Ann said)
4. One alcoholic drink per day
may help. Ornish doesn't advocate or discourage.
5. Take 3 grams a day of fish oil.
6. Reduce your intake of refined carbohydrates. Eat whole grains instead. Look at bread labels and make sure whole wheat is the first ingredient. Switch to whole wheat (or other whole grain) pastas (we think they taste better--even our kids) and brown rice.
7. Eat one full fat serving of soy per day. There are soy pastas that are okay (we don't love them
) and some soy yogurts and soy milks are good. (We like chocolate Silk, vanilla is an acquired taste for me and Silk yogurt is good.) Perhaps the least painful way to add soy to your diet is by using Morningstar Farms brand recipe crumbles. It's a fake hamburger (or italian sausage if you can find it) that is available at the regular grocery store (even here in Podunk!). It's cheaper than meat. When it's mixed with spaghetti sauce in whatever you make (stuffed peppers, lasagna, spaghetti, stuffed pizza, etc.) it tastes great and is very easy to use because you don't have to saute it before you add it to whatever you put it in. (It is high in sodium, so watch portions.)
8. Stop smoking if you do (like Ann said)
9. Lose weight
10. Drink one serving of orange juice per day.
