Whatever the reasons for your high blood cholesterol, you can lower cholesterol by diet and exercise. If your blood cholesterol has not sufficiently decreased after following a low-fat diet for several months your physician may consider adding a medication for lowering your cholesterol. While medication is best to be avoided if possible there are some people whose genetic disposition may make it difficult to lower cholesterol. Take care with any medications as most of them do have known side-effects.

Cholesterol-lowering medication may work best for you when combined with a low cholesterol diet. A low-cholesterol diet is not difficult to follow. There are foods which increase your cholesterol levels, and foods which can help you to minimize and manage your cholesterol. Many food manufacturers have low-fat and low-cholesterol foods that are available to people who are concerned about their cholesterol levels. When you buy packaged foods always look at the labels.

A low cholesterol diet should include plenty of fruits and vegetables. They are low in calories and fat and will help decrease your cholesterol levels. Lower your intake of saturated fats as they will increase your cholesterol levels, and increase your risk of heart disease.

You should avoid packaged foods which state they contain "partially hydrogenated" or "hydrogenated" vegetable oils. Examples of these oils are those used in many margarines and shortenings that contain a form of saturated fat known as trans fats.

Cooking with oil is quite normal. But not all oils are the same. You should use olive and canola oils which are high in monounsaturated fats. Saturated and trans fats are generally not good for your health. However unsaturated fats can help to lower your cholesterol.

The use of whole grain foods is better than foods containing white processed flour. Whole grain foods contain complex carbohydrates whereas the refined processed grains are quite different and are made up of simple carbohydrates. Research shows that ingesting high amounts of simple carbohydrates can increase cholesterol levels and raise the risk of heart disease. Consume low-fat or skim dairy products instead of the full-fat varieties. You will find that this will also be beneficial for weight management. Cook with lean meats, such as chicken without the skin, turkey, and fish. Leaner meats will not contribute as much to high cholesterol levels as red meat.

Exercise is another important component of managing cholesterol levels. But it does not need to be exhaustive. Frequent activities that include working all parts of your body will be beneficial to your blood circulation and respiration. Walking is an excellent and simple activity that will give you great benefits.

Armed with the right information and the desire to be healthy and well will enable you to manage and control your cholesterol levels safely. You can quite effectively lower cholesterol by diet supplemented with physical activity.