There is always a lot in the news about heart attack prevention and keeping cholesterol levels down. Cholesterol is found in all of your body’s cells. It is part of a healthy body, but it can be a problem if you have too much of it. The reason is that cholesterol in the blood can turn into plaque that lines the inside of blood vessels, causing a narrowing of the passageway for blood to flow. If that passageway gets too narrow, it can choke off the flow of blood altogether to that area. Or if the plaque breaks off (as sometimes happens when the blood pressure goes up), it can block an artery causing a heart attack or stroke.

In order to keep blood cholesterol down, we must make good choices in our diet. Foods to avoid include deep-fried foods such as french fries, onion rings, and fried chicken or fish. Other foods to avoid are cheeses, meats, butter, cream, whole milk, and tropical oils such as coconut, palm or palm kernel oil. These foods are high in saturated fat which is the main dietary source of high blood cholesterol.

Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, on the other hand, may even lower your blood cholesterol, but they are still fats, so limited amounts should be used. The American Heart Association recommends that you limit cholesterol from food to an average of no more than 300 milligrams per day. If you run a high cholesterol level, your physician will no doubt set an even lower amount for daily consumption.

The following are some simple guidelines for lowering your cholesterol level:
 Maintain a healthy weight.
 Engage in 30 – 60 minutes of vigorous exercise per day at least 3-4 days a week.
 Eat fish, poultry without skin and leaner meats.
 Eat 6 or more servings of whole grain foods, such as cereals, breads and pasta.
 Eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables.
 Watch your caloric intake by eating a wide variety of foods low in saturated fat.
 Eat nonfat or 1% milk dairy products, rather than whole-milk products.

In order to figure your healthy weight, use the following formula from the National Institutes of Health (NIH):
1. Obtain an accurate height.
2. Women: Use 100 pounds for the first 5 feet of height, then add 5 pounds for every inch over five feet (For example: a woman 5’ 6” tall would measure 100 pounds [plus 5 pounds X 6” = 30 pounds]; then add together 100 + 30 = 130 pounds ideal body weight.)
3. Men: Use 106 pounds for the first 5 feet of height, then add 6 pounds for every inch over five feet. (For example: a man 6’ tall would measure 106 pounds [plus 6 pounds X 12’ = 72 pounds]; then add together 100 + 72 = 172 pounds ideal body weight.)

*High blood cholesterol and a history of heart attack or stroke tend to run in families, so if your parent or sibling has/had problems, you will want to watch your own cholesterol level closely.