If your cholesterol level is too high, you are at a greater risk for heart disease, heart attack and stroke than you should be. Controlling your cholesterol levels may be difficult, but eating a healthy diet and getting a proper amount of exercise can put you on the right track toward a healthy heart, advises the American Heart Association.
Lowering LDL
Part of lowering your overall cholesterol level is lowering your low-density lipoprotein, also known as bad cholesterol. Because fiber reduces the amount of cholesterol in your bloodstream, foods rich in fiber--such as whole grains, legumes and many fruits and vegetables--can help lower your LDL. Though both are high in fat, nuts and olive oil can also help lower your LDL, according to MayoClinic.com.
Raising HDL
Raising your high-density lipoprotein, also known as good cholesterol, is just as important as lowering your LDL. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, the National Cholesterol Education Program defines an HDL level below 40 as a risk factor for heart disease independent from a high overall cholesterol level. By eating healthy and losing weight, you can raise your HDL. Omega-3 essential fatty acids found in fish--such as herring, tuna, halibut and salmon--can raise good cholesterol. Omega-3 essential fatty acids are also present in ground flaxseed, olive and canola oils and fish oil supplements, reports MayoClinic.com.
Saturated Fat
Foods high in saturated fats can raise the level of cholesterol in your bloodstream. Often foods with a high saturated fat content also contain a high amount of cholesterol, which will further worsen your cholesterol level. Red meat, poultry with skin, butter, cheese and other dairy products, and several cooking oils--such as palm, palm kernel and coconut oil--are high in saturated fat, reports the American Heart Association.
Trans Fatty Acids
In addition to raising your LDL, trans fatty acids--also called trans fats--and partially-hydrogenated oils can also lower your HDL. Fried foods such as doughnuts and french fries, many baked goods, pizza dough, crackers and stick margarine are among the foods that contain trans fats, states the American Heart Association.
Replacing Bad Fats
You can lower your cholesterol by replacing saturated and trans fats in your diet with unsaturated fats, such as olive oil and canola oil. The antioxidants and omega-3 essential fatty acids in olive oil can help lower your bad cholesterol while leaving your good cholesterol intact, or even raising it. However, it is important to replace bad fats, and not simply add unsaturated fats to your diet. Eating too many unsaturated fats can cause obesity, which raises cholesterol.
Healthy Cholesterol Levels
According to the American Heart Association, after you reach 20 years old, you should have your cholesterol levels tested at least once every five years. The AHA defines healthy cholesterol levels as less than 200 mg/dL for total cholesterol and more than 40 mg/dL for your HDL.
