DrSugar is in the house! And she's answering your health-related questions. Dear DrSugar, I just had lab work done as part of my routine physical. My HDL cholesterol level is really low — 30. I am really scared. What can I do to improve the number? Is it possible to make it go up? —Freaked out about HDL This is a great question since cholesterol problems are quite common in Americans. High Read more

My hubby is having an affair, with bacon. He's in love with those crispy, salty strips, so much that he probably eats it every day; with his eggs, on his sandwich, on his dinner salad, heck, he even likes it for dessert. The love affair doesn't end there. He's also having serious relationships with beef, mayo, cheese, and ice cream. Being the health nut and caring wife I am, it's a constant Read more

Is it me, or are flaxseeds being added to just about everything these days? That's because they're so good for you, but do you know why? Check out the reasons you should be eating flaxseeds (if you're not already). Walnuts and fish are excellent sources of omega-3s, but so are flaxseeds. The recommended daily intake (RDI) of omega-3s is 1.1 grams a day, and one tablespoon of flaxseed offers 1.8 Read more

Do you have high cholesterol? If your answer is "I don't know," perhaps it's time to find out. Even if you eat healthy and exercise regularly, you may have high cholesterol and not even know it. Found in animal cells and animal-based foods, cholesterol is a nutrient both acquired through eating and produced by your liver. Eating too many saturated fats, including those found in dairy products Read more

Made famous as one of the gifts offered by the wise men on the very first Christmas, it looks like myrrh fights cholesterol. The tree resin found in the Middle East has been used in healing remedies for centuries to treat sore throats, congestion, and cuts and burns. Now myrrh has been found to lower levels of LDL (bad cholesterol) while raising good (HDL) cholesterol — at least in rats, which Read more

High cholesterol runs in my family, so I really need to watch what I eat in order to keep cholesterol at a healthy level. Your total cholesterol shouldn't exceed 200 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter). Your LDL (bad) cholesterol levels should be 100 mg/dL or less, and your HDL (good) cholesterol levels should be 60 mg/dL or above. If you have high cholesterol, it puts you at risk for heart disease, Read more

I was vegan for a short time in college, and was shocked when I had my cholesterol tested and found it was high. I wasn't even eating cholesterol! The thing is, your liver makes cholesterol and it's actually essential for your body to function normally. Cholesterol is also found in food and appropriately called dietary cholesterol. Since your body produces enough, you don't need to worry about Read more