Preventing High Cholesterol
By Jennifer Moll, About.com Guide to Cholesterol
High cholesterol is the most modifiable risk factor for heart disease. There are many things that you can do to help prevent high cholesterol from happening, such as following a low-fat diet, exercising regularly, and not smoking. Prevention is one of your most important weapons in the fight against high cholesterol and heart disease.
Making the Right Diet Choices
Following a healthy diet may help lower cholesterol, but it can also prevent high cholesterol from occurring in the first place. There are many types of diets out there, but each one of them follows the same pattern: low-fat foods and lots of fruits and vegetables. Even if you decide to design your own cholesterol-lowering diet, there are many foods that you can add that can also help to lower your cholesterol.
- The Basics of a Low-Cholesterol, Low-Fat Diet
- Healthy Snacking The Low-Cholesterol Way
- What is the TLC Diet?
- Deciphering Fats
Cholesterol-Friendly, Heart-Healthy Foods
There are a variety of foods out there, from blueberries to pecans, that can help prevent your cholesterol levels from getting too high. Additionally, if you already have high cholesterol, these foods may be able to slightly lower your cholesterol.
- Foods Containing Omega-3 Fatty Acids
- Soy and Cholesterol
- Do Phytosterols Lower Cholesterol?
- The Truth About Tea
- Does Oatmeal Really Help Lower Cholesterol?
- Chocolate: Friend or Foe?
- Cholesterol-Lowering Effects of Blueberries
- The Benefits of Walnuts
- Pistachios: A Cholesterol-Friendly Nut
- Are Pecans Heart-Healthy?
- A Cholesterol-Lowering Cheddar Cheese
Impact of Physical Activity
Moderate exercise can reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol and raise HDL (good) cholesterol. You don't have to be a triathlete or have a gym membership to get exercise -- there are many studies that suggest even brisk walking will help to lower your cholesterol levels.
