To help you meet your weight-loss goals, the South Beach Diet encourages you to eat nutrient-dense, fiber-rich foods and to exercise regularly. By following the South Beach Diet lifestyle, you’re also on the right track to lowering your cholesterol and thereby reducing your risk of heart disease.

Here are 6 ways to help improve your cholesterol levels:

1. Limit saturated fat. Saturated fat (often referred to as animal fat) — from foods such as poultry skin, full-fat dairy products, and fatty cuts of beef, lamb, and pork — can stimulate cholesterol production in the body and cause your total cholesterol and LDL ("bad") cholesterol to rise. By adopting our diet, which is low in saturated fat, you've taken a good first step toward improving your cholesterol levels.

2. Avoid trans fats. Trans fats, or partially hydrogenated oils (check the list of ingredients on nutrition labels), may be even more damaging to cholesterol levels than saturated fats because they can raise your LDL cholesterol while lowering HDL ("good") cholesterol. Studies have shown that trans fats may also increase the risk of cancer. The South Beach Diet excludes foods like stick margarine, baked goods, and crackers, chips, and other processed snacks, which often contain trans fats; instead these unhealthy choices are replaced by products made with good monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats found in olive, peanut, and canola oils.

3. Maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight can also cause an increase in LDL cholesterol. For most people, losing weight decreases your LDL; in addition, for every two pounds you lose, your HDL level may show an increase.

4. Exercise smart and often. At least 20 minutes of aerobic exercise that incorporates interval training every other day can also help lower LDL levels and raise HDL levels. Combining a healthy eating plan with exercise can help further your weight loss, which will likely lower cholesterol levels even more. The important thing is to be consistent: Find aerobic activities you enjoy. Walking, swimming, and biking are all good choices.

5. Quit smoking. In addition to being a major risk factor for heart disease and cancer, cigarette smoking can also contribute to low HDL levels. If you smoke, quitting can raise HDL levels by 10 percent.

6. Seek medical help. If none of the above tactics helps lower your cholesterol, or if you have a family history of high cholesterol or heart disease, it may be necessary to seek medical help in the form of a cholesterol-lowering drug. Consult your physician to find the best course of action.

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