Medications needed to lower your cholesterol can be expensive - and the expense for your medications can multiply if you are taking drugs to treat other chronic health conditions. Sometimes, it might seem like a good idea to cut your cholesterol medications in half to save on your monthly bill to the pharmacy - but can this be done? This article will tell you which pills can be split in half, and which ones you should leave intact.

If you're watching your cholesterol, you're more than likely cautious about what you put on your plate. Although you should watch the types of meat you consume, it doesn't mean that you have to cut out this food group from your diet entirely.  Chicken, turkey, and other poultry are leaner than red meat, making them a good go-to food if you're craving meat, but are cautious about your heart health. This article will show you how to introduce poultry into your diet -- without adding extra fat and calories.

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Phytosterols have also become very popular over the past few years. These chemicals, which are found in a variety of healthy foods, such as vegetables, fruits and nuts, have beneficial properties that can also affect some aspects of your cholesterol. Phytosterols especially appear to affect your LDL, or "bad", cholesterol by almost 10%. Find out more about these delicious -- and heart-healthy -- foods:

• What You Need to Know About Phytosterols and Cholesterol
• How Do Phytosterols Work?

There has also been a lot of debate as to whether or not phytosterol supplements work just as well as foods containing phytosterols. Besides being delicious, phytosterol-containing foods may possess other healthy, naturally occurring chemicals, such as polyphenols. So, if you are looking to implement phytosterols in your diet and aren't quite sure of how to do it, here are some healthy tips to help you on the road to a healthy diet -- and a healthy heart:

• Which Foods Contain the Most Phytosterols?
• Five Easy Spinach Recipes
• Five Healthy Ways to Use Peanuts
• Berries Recipe Ideas for Your Low-Cholesterol Diet

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A heart-healthy diet plays an important role in keeping your cholesterol levels within a healthy range. But if you're not accustomed to watching what you eat, beginning a heart-healthy diet may seem like a horrendous task.

Luckily, it doesn't have to be.

There are many approaches you can take to following a cholesterol-lowering diet, but if you're relatively new to watching what you eat, there are many ways to keep begin -- and stay -- on your diet. Not only does it ensure that you are consuming healthy foods -- it also makes sure that you're not sneaking in foods that are not.

Try some of these helpful ways to start your cholesterol-lowering diet -- and stay on track:

• First Steps: One Change to Start a Cholesterol-Lowering Diet
• Quick and Easy Low-Cholesterol Recipes
• How to Begin a Diet to Reduce Cholesterol

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