Low-Cholesterol Diet

• Follow a diet low in consumption of saturated and trans fats along with overall intake of cholesterol to lower your cholesterol and triglyceride levels. This advice comes courtesy of the American Heart Association, which recommends a diet rich in natural low-fat foods fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy, and lean protein items. Strive to consume the bulk of your nutrition from plant-based sources (at least 50 to 60 percent of your diet should come from healthy carbs like those mentioned above while avoiding unhealthy carbs like processed foods, sugar, and white flour). The remainder of your diet should be split rather evenly between consumption of protein and heart-healthy unsaturated fat (olive oil, nuts, seeds, avocados, coconuts, and fish oil).
  
  Beyond that, aim to consume at least 25 to 35 g of fiber per day, as increasing your fiber intake can benefit your overall cholesterol balance. Finally, consume at least 5 g of fish oil per day, as according to information from Medline Plus (and also recommended by the AHA), fish oil can help positively affect cholesterol balance by increasing the body's level of HDL.
  
  

Considerations

• Remember that diet is only half the battle, and unless you are engaging in routine exercise you cannot hope to reap full rewards of your plan, no matter how nutritionally sound. The AHA recommends that you perform at least 30 minutes of exercise four or five days a week, with more being generally considered as better for your overall health. This exercise can come in any form, but perhaps the most user-friendly type of cholesterol-lowering exercise is simple walking, whether it is on a treadmill at home, at a track at the gym, or outside through the neighborhood or park.