In addition to medications, there are several things you can do to effectively lower your cholesterol. Here are a few more strategies you may not have heard about:

• Avoid trans fats. Trans fats are also known as “partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.” Avoid foods with this ingredient listed on the food label. Trans fats lower good cholesterol, raise bad cholesterol and may triple your risk of heart disease.
  
• Use paper-filtered coffee rather than boiled or French press to capture kahweol and cafestol, which have been found to increase cholesterol levels.
  
• Cook with olive oil (or canola oil) instead of margarine and butter.
  
• Increase your fiber. You may be able to lower your risk of heart disease by as much as 12percent by eating 25 to 30 grams of fiber daily. Try oat bran, oatmeal with apple pulp or strawberries for breakfast; or beans, peas, rice bran or barley for lunch or dinner.
  
• Eat 1 ounce of nuts most days of the week, and reduce your risk of heart attack by 35 percent. A 1-ounce serving of walnuts (14 half shells) contains 18 grams of “healthy fat” and 185 calories.
  
• A handful of soy nuts or 2 to 3 tablespoons of flax have been shown to reduce blood pressure, improve cholesterol and reduce heart disease. Soy nuts make a great afternoon snack. Sprinkle ground or milled flax into your salads, yogurt, cereals, hummus and even peanut butter.

Visit our "High Cholesterol Center" to learn about alternative medicine therapies for managing cholesterol and heart health.

• Read Dr. Brad's blog: Conventional & Alternative Medicine
• Ask a question (it could be featured in an upcoming issue)