Dr Gillian McKeith  has said “You are what you eat!”; this  has often been termed as the mantra for food lovers like you and me. However, is it necessarily true for all cases,or it is only a phrase we quote often to satisfy our own craving for food.

Low cholesterol meals such as those with huge servings of oats, barley added with a generous serving of soy protein, fruits and vegetables; are they really the concoction for a healthy cholesterol level? Instead of drinking coffee each day, why not try 1 or 2 glasses of freshly squeezed orange juice? Especially if the juice contains plant sterols that have cholesterol lowering properties, it can actually promote lowered cholesterol levels in your body.

Not only do you get to enjoy the sweetness and the great taste of orange, you enjoy the benefits of lower cholesterol that it brings. However, if you are not an orange lover, other frit juices namely cranberry juice, grapefruit juice or grape juice would do fine. Actually, any other citric fruit would actually bring the benefits of reduced cholesterol in our bodies! However, if you are such a coffee freak, another suggestion would be to use paper filters when brewing your favorite cup of coffee. These filters would ensure that substances that would cause high cholesterol would not be left inside your coffee.

Additionally, instead of using normal cooking oil, use olive oil generously during cooking or for salad dressings! Olive oil has been proven to contain lesser amounts of saturated fat that is one of the main causes of high cholesterol. Besides using it for cooking purposes, people from Spain and Italy have regularly used olive oil in place of butter to spread on bread. This custom has resulted in these countries having the lowest level of heart disease in Europe.

And don't forget seafood! It has been scientifically proven that mackerel, salmon and even sardines and many other kinds of fish contain huge amounts of omega 3 fatty acids. With the consumption of these fishes daily, we fulfill our bodies daily needed intake of omega 3 fatty acids that are also able to lower cholesterol levels to a healthy level.

From the various examples given above, we can see the obvious benefits that a low cholesterol meal can give us, but it is not necessarily true that just by having a healthy diet of low cholesterol products, we would have a healthy cholesterol level. Besides a good diet, we need to have a lifestyle of exercise and avoid vices such as smoking or excessive consumption of alcohol. Only when these conditions are met, can you have a reduced chance of having high cholesterol, but they are still not protected fully from the possibility of contracting diseases associated with high cholesterol.

High cholesterol is a medical condition that many people find themselves battling today. Many people are plagued by this medical condition but not many understand what exactly cholesterol is and how it works inside the body. Many believe that cholesterol is only affected by what you eat, and while that is partially true there are other factors as well. It is important to know what cholesterol is and how it is working in your body. More on The Role of Cholesterol Defined

An abnormally high cholesterol level can put one at risk of developing heart disease. It won't be an instant thing; heart disease can gradually develop as a person ages and as one continues to maintain a very high cholesterol level. If you plan to live well over your years, then lowering your cholesterol levels at the earliest time possible will help you achieve your goal.

More on Reducing Cholesterol via Vitamins and Drugs

We all must eat in order to have energy to lead our lives. Some are able to make three or four trips to the buffet table while others are satisfied after one round. In any case, the type of food brought to the plate could be healthy or harmful and the choice is really up to the person.

More on Best Food to Lower Your Cholesterol

If you have high cholesterol and don’t want to take possibly dangerous medications, there are some alternative remedies out there for you.  There are many herbal remedies that have been shown to lower your cholesterol levels.  Garlic is one of these.  Also, cayenne, celery seed, goldenseal, and hawthorn berries have shown to reduce cholesterol because they contain vitamin C and other B vitamins.  Milk thistle and dandelion both contain bioflavonoids that could help lower your LDL cholesterol level and also provide an antioxidant protection.
 

By binding lipids and heavy metals, apple pectin could help lower your cholesterol.  Fiber, VitaminB1, and thiamine are all important elements in helping your body breakdown fats.  Also, coenzyme Q10 has been shown to help lower your cholesterol as well as provide antioxidant protection.  The mineral selenium has been linked to heart disease and high cholesterol if you have a deficiency in your body of it.
 

There are many herbal remedies out there that will help you lower your cholesterol.  Red yeast rice is at the top of this list.  It has bee shown to lower it better than even some prescription medications on the market today.  Cholest-A is another proven remedy to aid in lowering your cholesterol.  Fish that are high in Omega-3 acids are good for your heart and protecting you from LDL cholesterol.  You can eat the fish or you can purchase Omega-3 supplements over the counter.

Green Tea has been shown to not only lower your LDL cholesterol level, but it has also been show to raise your HDL cholesterol level. Another supplement that has been shown to lower your cholesterol levels is called Curcumin.  This is commonly known as Turmeric.  All of these natural remedies have been shown to lower your LDL cholesterol levels if you take them as directed and follow up with a healthy lifestyle.

Chances are the next time you go in for a full checkup at your doctor’s you may end up being sent for a cholesterol test.  Monitoring cholesterol is important and can let doctors know when you can be at risk for heart disease.  For patients who have never had a cholesterol test done before it is helpful to know how the test is going to go, how to prepare for it, and why the doctor is ordering the test.

More on A Guide to Cholesterol Testing