So you've been diagnosed with high cholesterol, now what? First, you need to know what your numbers mean. An ideal total cholesterol reading is under 200 mg/dL, with an LDL (bad cholesterol) under 130, and HDL (good cholesterol) above 40. Also, get your cholesterol checked regularly. Adults over 20 years of age should have their cholesterol checked at least once every 5 years.

If your cholesterol level is elevated, become familiar with your options. Unless your level is dangerously off the charts, there is no need for immediate action. You can take a bit of time to decide what strategies will work best for you and fit into your lifestyle. Analyze your risk for heart disease. Does it run in your family? Do any of your family members have high cholesterol? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you will want to take a more aggressive approach to treating your high cholesterol.

The first thing you should do to lower your cholesterol is lose weight if you weigh too much. In fact, losing just 5 or 10 pounds might significantly lower your cholesterol level. Start walking. It's been proven that regular exercise (not even vigorous, simply walking will do the trick) will lower cholesterol levels and your risk for heart disease.

Know your fats. There are fats in food that are good for us, like in avocados, peanut butter, olive oil, canola oil, and salmon. These fats are shown to actually help your LDL drop. However, saturated fats (the bad fats) will raise your cholesterol faster than anything else. Foods high in saturated fats include meats, butter, full-fat milk, and cheese. Lower your intake of these foods as much as possible.

Try adding more fiber to your diet. Also, take a good multivitamin each day. Try to reduce your daily stress, get enough sleep, and talk to your doctor about your treatment options. For many people, following some lifestyle changes can be all that is needed to reduce cholesterol to a desirable level; however there will of course always be instances where some people will require medication to help keep cholesterol at bay.