I don't envy you trying to get definitive answers as, yes, there is a ton of conflicting information out there. And excellent doctors who don't necessarily agree either to make it harder.

One of the good things about exercise, which you're already doing, is that it can cause the body to make, not only more HDL, but more fluffy, non-sticky cholesterol according to my cardiologist. I have proof of that in own medical history, which made my cardiologist say, "See, how well that works? It's exactly what we tell patients it'll do." [She thought I was trying to get healthier buy I was just trying to look good for a college reunion. Meaning that I'm more motivated by vanity, or insecurity, than health? lol]

The other thing that changed my lipid profile was when I was eating a lot of fresh vegetables with every meal. My personal theory, based on zero science, is that the pectin in the vegetables adsorbed a lot of fats as it went through the GI tract analogous to those goofy 'colon cleanse' kits. And a friend lowered her cholesterol considerably by doing the same thing by the way. Eating a lot of vegetables, of the best quality you can find, is an easy enough thing to try while getting better answers. Almost any vegetable can make a decent smoothie if chunks of apple are included. Which also increases the pectin.