The American Heart Association recommends a combination of lifestyle changes that include healthy nutrition and routine physical activity to lower cholesterol naturally. Certain foods can also help rid your bloodstream of LDL, the plaque-producing cholesterol that sometimes leads to heart attack and stroke. Lowering your cholesterol naturally takes some planning, but the results may make it worth the effort.
Step 1
See your doctor for blood work to determine your cholesterol levels. Ask for a fasting test, or lipid panel, that calculates your total cholesterol as well as your bad, or LDL, cholesterol and your good, or HDL, cholesterol.
Step 2
Discuss your options for lowering cholesterol with your doctor. She will likely review your overall numbers, family history, gender and other medical concerns before deciding if the natural approach can reduce your LDL and increase your HDL adequately. Ask your doctor for literature and other resources available in your community regarding cholesterol education.
Step 3
Plan a diet based on foods that preserve your HDL and help lower LDL levels. Decrease your LDL with oatmeal and other high-fiber foods, nuts, olive oil and omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, including mackerel, salmon and halibut, according to MayoClinic.com. Limit your saturated fats, found in meats and poultry, which increase LDL. Stay away from trans fats, found in margarines, crackers, chips and baked goods.
Step 4
Read food labels and learn to identify ingredients that can increase cholesterol levels. Avoid products that might contain zero cholesterol but lots of trans fats, sometimes listed as hydrogenated oil, or high levels of saturated fats.
Step 5
Exercise to help increase your HDL cholesterol, which actually helps clean bad cholesterol from your bloodstream. Try walking, biking, swimming or any activity you enjoy that gets you moving for approximately 30 minutes a day, suggests the American Heart Association. Break the 30 minutes into 10-minute segments, if necessary. Start slowly, especially if you've been sedentary for a while. Always check with your doctor before beginning an exercise program, especially if you have heart disease or another medical condition.
Step 6
Visit your doctor periodically for blood work to check your progress. Follow your doctor's directions regarding the frequency of cholesterol monitoring, but the website FamilyDoctor.org suggests all men older than 35 years old and all women 45 and older have levels checked at least every five years.
