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You can help maintain healthy cholesterol levels by exercising regularly and adhering to a cholesterol reduction diet recommended by the American Heart Association.

• Most cholesterol-lowering diets stress high fiber and fresh fruits and vegetables while avoiding saturated fats, such as those found in animal products, and transfatty acids, typically found in commercial baked goods and fast foods.
  
• People with active lifestyles are 45 percent less likely to develop coronary heart disease than sedentary people
  
• Whether the source is a major life crisis or an everyday annoyance, stress can contribute to high cholesterol and heart disease. Get enough sleep, talk your emotions through with a trusted friend or counselor, and try relaxation techniques such as deep breathing.
  

  Last updated: 11-Feb-08