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You need to take the advice you get here with a grain of salt, but these groups are invaluable for giving you tips, recipes, and support that can make lowering your cholesterol bearable. Your taste buds and your cholesterol level will thank you for it. Consider the following resources: 1) Your library. Each time that you pick up a food, look at the label. As soon as you learn from your doctor that you need to take care about what you eat because of elevated cholesterol, go through your home and get rid of the foods that you should be eliminating or cutting back on. This can be a great way to get involved in helping to improve the lives of everyone affected by high cholesterol levels.

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Always be sure to tell your doctor about all medication, herbal treatments, vitamins, and over the counter products you are taking. Most convenience stores have higher prices and lots of high-fat and processed foods that are prominently displayed. Research also suggests that omega-3 is good for brain function and overall good health. These may include snow peas, green peas, sugar snap peas, and many others) Beets and beet greens Bok choy Breadfruit Broccoli Brussels sprouts Cabbage (there are many kinds, ranging from red and green to Chinese cabbage and others) Calabrese Carrots Cauliflower Celery Chard Chicory Collard Corn Celeriac Daikon Eggplant Endive Fennel (whole fennel, not just the seeds, can be used in cooking) Fiddleheads Frisee Garlic Chives Kai_lan Kale Kohlrabi Leek Lemon grass Onions Lettuce (if you have always eaten iceberg lettuce, you will be stunned by the range of lettuces out there, including Bibb and many others) Mushrooms (although mushrooms are usually served alongside vegetables, it is a fungus.

Understanding the Types of Cholesterol

While most people talk about cholesterol levels there is in fact more than one type of cholesterol. In fact, there are several different body functions and several different substances that make up our understanding of cholesterol.

As with some fats, cholesterol cannot be dissolved in the blood. Instead, molecules called lipoproteins carry cholesterol to and from cells. Molecules are made from an outer layer of protein and an inner core of both cholesterol and triglycerides, which is another form of fat.

Lipoproteins equip the cholesterol to move around the body. The two main types of lipoproteins are:

1) High Density Lipoproteins (HDL.)

HDL transports cholesterol from cells back to the liver.

HDL is either reused or converts to bile acids and disposed. This is known as "good" cholesterol. You want to ensure that your levels of this cholesterol remain high for optimum heart health, since having too low levels of HDL - even when other cholesterol levels are normal - may lead to heart problems. As you work to lower your bad cholesterol it is important to also take steps and to keep your HDL levels normal.

HDL aids to ensure protection from the risk of heart attack and/or stroke. HDL consists of more protein than triglycerides or cholesterol, and aids to remove LDL from your artery walls.

2) Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL.)

LDL carries approximately 60_70% of cholesterol around the body and are known as bad" cholesterol.

Studies show conclusively that high cholesterol leads to much higher risk of heart attack and/or stroke. Other factors involved in this risk are age, gender, smoking, family history of heart disease, and diabetes mellitus.

Obviously, when we speak of having cholesterol levels we mean more than one number. To maintain optimum health, you will need to know your levels of both LDL and HDL and will need to work hard to keep both levels in healthy ranges.

However, you should never take this information at face value. Eating fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts, lean meats and fish is always healthier for you than eating processed foods that claim to be light or even cholesterol-free. If you want to lower your cholesterol over the next thirty days, avoid buying prepared or pre-packaged food, whether from grocery stores or restaurants.