The dietary changes required have the objective of lowering the bad cholesterol (LDL) and raising the level of good cholesterol (HDL). Lowering the bad cholesterol means that the bad cholesterol foods with high contents of saturated fats and trans-fats should be avoided or significantly reduced altogether. Examples of such foods are meats, full fat dairy products, some oils, margarines, cookies, crackers and cakes, butter, ice cream, cheese, eggs, etc.
Good cholesterol foods include fatty fish, walnuts, oatmeal, oat bran and all fruits and vegetables. If one is chronic then these foods together with cholesterol lowering medication and an appropriate exercise program should improve the cholesterol level. With this discipline in place the time will come when medication may not be necessary and this will be to the relief from the debilitating side effects that these medications bring about.
The other lifestyle change is to put in place a regular exercise program. Thirty minute of brisk walking five days a week will lower your bad cholesterol and raise your good cholesterol. In addition a more active routine during the course of one's day can help with weight loss. A lower weight usually means a reduction in LDLs and overweight usually means an increase in LDLs. In addition being overweight usually means susceptibility to such diseases like diabetes which further complicates the bad cholesterol condition.
Stress can also lead to one having high cholesterol as studies have shown that chronic stress over a long period does lead to bad eating habits and the overconsumption of fatty foods containing saturated fats and trans-fats.
The other issue that is of major importance today is the impact that modern statin drugs are having on those who consume them. Statin drugs are prescriptions drugs that remove bad cholesterol from the system. These drugs are quite effective but their downside is the harsh side effects that attend upon their usage over the medium and longer terms. They have been known to cause cancer, cause immune system suppression, create fatigue and cause kidney failure. It is normally recommended that the use of any particular medication should not exceed four years.
The true cause of bad cholesterol is the consumption of foods that are not natural to the human body. As long as we continue to eat man-made foods in overall preference to nature-made or natural foods that are not compatible with the human body we will have this problem.
Consultations with your health professional is also always recommended when dealing with health issues.
Nigel Gittens is a writer and researcher on Nutrition. For more great free information on lower cholesterol, visit http://www.lowercholesterolstrategies.com/
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