According to the American Heart Association, an estimated 98.6 million adults over the age of 20 have cholesterol levels higher than 200 mg/dl, the diagnostic level for hypercholesterolemia. While high cholesterol is a primary risk factor for heart disease, it can easily be controlled through diet, exercise and medications.
Step 1
Make an appointment with your doctor for a complete physical examination. Be sure that it includes a comprehensive blood lipid profile for total cholesterol, LDL, HDL cholesterol and triglycerides.
Step 2
Review the results of your cholesterol test with your doctor and identify which component is the highest and needs the most attention first. Your test will show results for LDL, or the bad type of cholesterol, HDL, or the good type of cholesterol, and triglycerides. All are linked to each other but have different treatment options.
Step 3
Make an appointment with a registered dietitian to go over your blood lipid results with your physician. Much of your early improvement can occur strictly through changes in your diet. She'll probably begin by having you complete a 7-day food intake journal where your record everything you eat, the serving size and whether it's carbohydrate, fat or protein.
Step 4
Focus on your favorite foods from your journal, and look at foods you can replace full fat for low- of non-fat varieties. For instance, start with 1 or 2 percent milk in the morning with your cereal. Begin with the easy choices, then work your way up to those that will be more difficult.
Step 5
Start reading food packaging and become familiar with how many ounces and calories are in each type of food you like. Start eliminating high-cholesterol condiments whenever possible. Grill your meats instead of frying them and switch to more fish than beef. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables.
Step 6
Begin a daily walking program for 30 to 60 minutes each day. Walking will not only help reduce your weight, it will lower your LDL cholesterol while raising your HDL cholesterol. Enlist the support of a friend or relative to help you adhere to your exercise program.
Step 7
Repeat the same blood test six months after you began. Review any changes and make corrections as needed after speaking to your physician and registered dietitian.
Tips and Warnings
- Have your blood drawn by a reputable clinical laboratory. Have your blood test repeated six months later at the same laboratory.
- Start slowly and develop lifelong habits. Focus on one aspect that needs immediate attention.
