The Best Way to Lower Cholestrol

Your cholesterol levels are an indication of your heart's health, and should be less than 200 in order to maintain optimal health and prevent heart disease, such as strokes and heart attacks, according to "The Mayo Clinic Plan." Your arteries have both high-density lipoproteins (HDL) and low-density lipoproteins (LDL) from food consumption, and in order to lower your cholesterol you must have less LDL than HDL. LDL collects on your arterial walls and raises your cholesterol levels, but can be reduced by eating foods that improve your HDL count and lower your LDL count.

Instructions

• 1

  Reduce consumption of fried foods and whole-milk dairy products. Fried, fatty foods and foods that contain whole milk are often high in saturated fat and trans fat, and increase your LDL levels. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), your diet should have no more than 16 grams of saturated fat for a 2,000-calorie diet.

• 2

  Eat more vegetables. Vegetables contain high-density lipoproteins, which helps clean off build-up on your arterial walls, and are low in calories. Your daily diet should consist of 4.5 cups of vegetables, according to the AHA.

• 3

  Choose lean meat. Pork and beef are high in sodium and fat, and contribute to heart disease when consumed often over time. Chicken and turkey are healthy alternatives to fattier meats, but the skin must be removed prior to eating as it contains high amounts of saturated fat. Fish also helps lower your cholesterol by providing your body omega-3 fatty acids to lower your blood pressure, according to the Mayo Clinic.

• 4

  Work out for 30 minutes daily. According to the AHA, daily physical activity helps to lower your cholesterol by stimulating the heart, which promotes blood circulation and lowers blood pressure. These activities include aerobic exercises such as walking, running, jogging or swimming. Gardening or any strenuous physical activity that increases your heart rate is considered part of your daily activity requirement. If 30 minutes is taxing, break up your physical activity into three 10-minute sessions throughout each day, according to the Mayo Clinic.