10 lifestyle changes to lower your cholesterol

Thanks to the growing popularity of fat-heavy eating regimens like the ketogenic and Atkins diets, it might seem like filling up on steak, butter, and eggs might not be so bad.

But before you add that extra piece of dripping bacon to your breakfast plate, be careful. Too much fat can still be problematic for your health, and that's especially true when it comes to your cholesterol.

Of course, diet isn't the only lifestyle factor that plays into having a high cholesterol level. Genetics, your level of activity, if you smoke, and other things play a role, too, so it's important to talk with your doctor.

Here's how to make sense of your cholesterol level readings, in addition to ways to lower your number.

Making Sense of Your Cholesterol Screening Results
The results of a cholesterol screening aren't always straightforward. That's because it's not just simply high or low anymore, based on where your “total cholesterol” number falls in relation to 200 mg/dL. Instead, now your results are typically a confusing cluster of acronyms. You’ve likely heard plenty about HDL (the “good” cholesterol) and LDL (the “bad” cholesterol), but what about remnant (the “ugly” cholesterol), non-HDL-C, Lp(a), or smaller players like IDL and VLDL? Then some doctors may bring up particle size and ratios. Is your head spinning yet?

Here’s what you should understand: “Total cholesterol still matters,” says Christine Lawless, M.D., co-chair of the American College of Cardiology Council on Sports and Exercise Cardiology. “After that, the LDL or bad cholesterol is important, as is the HDL, or good cholesterol, and what is called the non-HDL cholesterol.”

Since a number of various particles make up your total cholesterol—not all of them bad—all those letters and numbers tell you more about your health than one alone would. Too much (more than 100mg/dL) of the bad guy, LDL, circulating in your blood can build up in the arteries, forming plaque. Plaque coats, narrows, and hardens artery walls, which makes it easier for a blood clot to clog them and cause a heart attack or stroke. HDL, on the other hand, gets its goodie-goodie reputation (more than 60 mg/dL is optimal) for gathering up those rebel LDL particles hanging out in your arteries and taking them back home to the liver.

Triglycerides also matter. They’re the most common type of fat in the body, but if your screening shows you have high levels of them (more than 150 mg/dL) and low HDL or high LDL, you’re at risk for clogged arteries. And if your triglycerides are high, your doctor may also look at your non-HDL cholesterol. That’s your LDL subtracted from your total cholesterol, and it may be a better measure of your risk than LDL alone.

10 Simple Ways to Lower Your Cholesterol
About 75 percent of your total cholesterol is made by your body. Some people make more than others—it’s genetics. So if your parents and grandparents struggled with their cholesterol, you’re more likely to as well. If you’re overweight, you’re also more likely to have high cholesterol. But since there’s still that other 25 percent, you do have some wiggle room. This wiggle room is where your lifestyle and food choices can pay off. Here are 10 ways your lifestyle can lower your cholesterol.

1. Quit cigarettes. Research shows smoking has a profound effect on cholesterol numbers. And quitting can raise HDL over 50 percent, Dr. Lawless says.
2. Make exercise a habit. Exercising at a moderate intensity (e.g., brisk walking) for 150 minutes a week, or at a vigorous intensity (e.g., jogging) for 75 minutes a week, is an effective way to increase HDL, research shows. In fact, one recent study found high HDL wasn’t as protective against heart disease in men who didn’t exercise, compared to men who exercised regularly.
3. Avoid all trans fat. “Trans fat is terrible,” Dr. Lawless says. “Consume it at a minimum or none at all.” The reason: Trans fat really does a number on your cholesterol—it not only raises LDL, but also lowers HDL, which you need to remove LDL. Look for it in packaged cookies, crackers, pastries, donuts, margarine, icing, and microwave popcorn.
4. Skip most saturated fat. This fat raises LDL by preventing the liver from removing it from the blood. Reduce the amount of red meat, dairy, and fried foods you eat and start substituting olive oil (where possible) to boost your heart-healthy omega-3 fat intake.
5. Cut down on cholesterol. You know what they say about moderation. The American Heart Association recommends keeping the amount of cholesterol you consume from food to less than 300 milligrams a day. Eggs have gotten a lot of the blame because just one egg yolk contains 185 milligrams of cholesterol, about two-thirds of the recommended daily limit. But Dr. Lawless explains that eating a few eggs a week is fine, because only some of the cholesterol in food ends up as cholesterol in your bloodstream. She says as your intake of dietary cholesterol rises, the body also compensates by producing less of its own.
6. Fit more fiber in. Dig out that oatmeal bowl again. Oatmeal lowers both total cholesterol and LDL. Research shows its soluble fiber reduces the absorption of cholesterol into the bloodstream. Try to get five to 10 grams of soluble fiber a day. If you don’t do oatmeal, a psyllium husk supplement like Metamucil can also help.
7. Go fish. The American Heart Association recommends eating oily fish high in omega-3 fatty acids like salmon, trout, and herring at least twice a week.
8. Then go nuts. Choose your between-meal bites wisely. A handful of heart-healthy nuts like almonds, walnuts, and peanuts reduce both total cholesterol and LDL, compared with a trans fat-laden processed snack. Just keep your portions appropriate, as nuts are high in calories.
9. Pick products with plant sterols. Plant sterols are cholesterol-like substances in plants that can block the absorption of cholesterol in the small intestine and lower LDL by 6 to 15 percent. You can now find milk, margarine, and orange juice products made with included plant sterols.
10. Pop a probiotic. Studies show a probiotic aimed at cholesterol may be a smart addition to your cholesterol-lowering efforts. Cardioviva, a probiotic pill containing the healthy bacteria strain L. reuteri, lowered LDL by more than 11 percent in clinical trials by reducing absorption of cholesterol in the gut.