If you're overweight, talk with your doctor about safely losing weight. Your doctor or nutritionist can work with you to create a personalized weight loss plan. Even a small amount of weight loss can help to raise your HDL levels. Complex carbohydrates offer more fiber, which can increase your HDL while lowering LDL and triglycerides. Complex carbohydrates also take longer for your body to process, so you'll feel fuller longer. This may help you lose weight as well. To include complex carbohydrates, choose:  Beans Legumes Fruit (include the rind): plums, peaches, nectarines, apples Vegetables: artichokes, broccoli, brussels sprouts Oats Barley Millet Quinoa Buckwheat Rye Whole wheat breads and pasta Brown rice Choose lean meat like poultry. Avoid eating the skin which contains a lot of fat and cholesterol which may raise your LDL cholesterol levels. You can also eat wild-caught fish like salmon, cod, haddock, and tuna. These are also good sources of omega-3 fatty acids which can improve your HDL. Don't forget that beans are also a good source of protein which are high in fiber and low in fat. Try to eat one or two servings of beans a day.  Avoid red meat because it contains a high amount of cholesterol which can raise your LDL levels. When you do eat red meat, choose grass-fed (not corn-fed) red meat. Eggs are also a good source of protein, but the yolks are high in cholesterol. Choose egg whites or limit whole eggs to one or two a day. Foods containing soluble fiber have been associated with lower LDL. Soluble fiber is a form of fiber that dissolves in water to form a gel that slows digestion. Scientists theorize this form of fiber helps reduce LDL by binding to cholesterol particles in the digestive tract and preventing their absorption. Some food sources of soluble fiber include:  Oats Peas Beans Citrus fruit Carrots Barley Trans fats are artificially produced fats that raise LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Studies have linked trans fats to increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. To protect yourself from these negative effects, avoid foods that contain trans fats such as:  Packaged and processed baked goods such as pies, cookies, and crackers Margarine Nondairy coffee creamer Fried foods like French fries, doughnuts, and fried chicken Refrigerated cookie dough, pizza dough, or biscuit dough Snack chips like tortilla chips and potato chips Luncheon meats, hot dogs, fatty snack foods It may be tempting to cut out all fat from your diet, but the American Heart Association recommends keeping "good" fats. These monounsaturated fats can lower bad cholesterol and triglycerides. They also have nutrients that improve cell health. To get monounsaturated fats, eat:  Olive oil Canola oil Peanut oil Safflower oil Sesame oil Avocados Peanut butter Exercise can increase your HDL levels, so if regular exercise is not already a part of your lifestyle, start an exercise routine. For example, start by walking for 30 minutes a day, five days per week. Make sure that you choose an activity that you will enjoy so that you will be more likely to stick with your program. Some good options include:  Walking or jogging Biking Swimming Dancing Using an elliptical walker Practicing martial arts Ice skating or rollerblading Cross country skiing Smoking can make it harder to raise your HDL levels, so if you smoke, do your best to quit. You can raise your HDL levels by as much as 10% when you quit smoking. Talk to your doctor to learn about smoking cessation programs in your area. While quitting smoking improves HDL levels, especially in women, it does not lower LDL levels. If you drink, limit yourself to one drink a day (if you're a woman) or two drinks a day (if you're a man). Drinking in excess can lead to higher risk for high blood pressure, stroke, certain cancers, obesity, accidents, and suicide. Drinking too much alcohol has also been shown to increase triglycerides. Drinking a moderate amount of alcohol has been linked with higher HDL levels, but you should not start drinking alcohol or begin drinking more alcohol as a way to raise your HDL levels.
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One-sentence summary -- Lose weight. Include more complex carbohydrates in your diet. Make good protein choices. Include soluble fiber sources. Avoid trans fats in your diet. Include a moderate amount of monounsaturated fats. Exercise regularly. Quit smoking. Reduce your alcohol intake.


Look for folic acid supplements at your local health food store or online. Make sure the supplement contains mostly folic acid and no additives or preservatives. Follow the dosage instructions on the label and never take more than the recommended amount. Your male partner should also take folic acid supplements to help keep his sperm healthy. Fish oil contains omega-3 fatty acids, which are great for fertility health. Magnesium can also help to keep your fallopian tubes healthy and improve your chances of getting pregnant. Look for these supplements at your local health food store or online. Check the label to make sure the supplements contain mostly minerals and no preservatives or additives. Taking prenatal vitamins in low doses can help to prepare your body for pregnancy and boost your fertility. Prenatal vitamins can be purchased at your local health food store or online.
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One-sentence summary --
Have folic acid supplements to improve ovulation. Take fish oil and magnesium supplements to boost your fertility. Ask your doctor about taking prenatal vitamins to get pregnant.