How to Watch My Cholesterol

High cholesterol levels can have a devastating effect on health if left unchecked, leading to heart disease, heart attack and stroke. Although it is never too early to be proactive with your health, watching your cholesterol becomes more important over the years as cholesterol levels rise with age. Even in the most severe cases, there are ways to lower cholesterol. With proper nutrition and activity, it is possible to lower cholesterol naturally while negating any need for cholesterol medication in many cases.

Instructions

• 1

  Make a doctor's appointment. Before changing your diet or beginning an exercise regimen, you will need to get a physical. Discuss your plans with your doctor and get a lipid panel cholesterol blood test. This will show your HDL ("good") and LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels as well as your triglicerides. The results will serve as a base point and allow your doctor to advise where your numbers should be. If your levels are high, communicate your desire to try natural methods before resorting to medication.

• 2

  Quit smoking. Smoking lowers your HDL cholesterol.

• 3

  Reduce saturated fat in your diet. Saturated fats are found in the highest concentration in red meat and whole fat dairy products. Substitute chicken or turkey for red meat and drink low fat milk or soy milk.

• 4

  Avoid trans fat. Trans fats, also known as trans-fatty acids, have no known nutritional value. Forego fast food altogether, if possible, because fast food generally contains high amounts of saturated fat and very often trans fat. When shopping, check labels and avoid any oils that are "partially hydrogenated" as this is the chemical process that creates trans fat.

• 5

  Choose unsaturated fats over saturated fats for their cholesterol lowering ability. Add certain nuts (such as walnuts, peanuts and almonds) and certain fish (such as albacore tuna, sardines and salmon) to your diet, as well as oatmeal and oat bran. Use cold pressed olive oil or flax seed oil for cooking.

• 6

  Take supplements containing omega-3 fatty acids or plant sterols. Both have been found to help reduce cholesterol.

• 7

  Find an activity or several activities that you enjoy, such as walking, biking or hiking, and practice it at least three times a week. A study at Duke University Medical Center found exercise can lower your cholesterol level, even if you do not lose any weight, and that even a little exercise is better than none at all.

• 8

  Set regular appointments with your doctor to track your progress.