• Quit Smoking
• Get Sensible Exercise
• Get Tested for Diabetes
• Control High Blood Pressure
• Form a Partnership for Health
• Keep Alcohol Use Moderate
• Strive for Balance
• Maintain a Health Body Weight

• What is Blood Pressure? What Happens When It's High?
• How is Blood Pressure Checked and What Do the Numbers Mean?
• What Causes High Blood Pressure?
• Preventing High Blood Pressure
• If You Have High Blood Pressure

• Activities and Calories Used in Exercise
• Sample Walking Program
• Test Your Physical Activity and Heart Disease IQ
• Successful Exercise at a Glance

• Low-fat Cooking
• Eating Right in Every Location
• Diet tips at a Glance
• Calculate Your Body Mass Index
• Using the Food Label
• What is Cholesterol and Why Does it Matter?
• What Your Cholesterol Numbers Mean
• What Affects Blood Cholesterol Levels
• What Can You Do to Lower Your Blood Cholesterol
• Eating Right and Staying Active
• A Daily Food Guide
• Shopping the Heart-Healthy Way

There are a number of important steps you can take today to lower your cholesterol. 

If you don’t know your cholesterol level, make an appointment with your doctor to have it checked while fasting.

Eat more whole grains.

Eat more fruits and vegetables (at least 5 per day). They have no cholesterol.

Avoid foods high in saturated fats and cholesterol. Read “Nutrition Facts” labels on packaged food to help you choose items lower in saturated fat and cholesterol.

Increase your level of physical activity to a goal of 30 minutes 3 to 5 times per week.

Additional cholesterol lowering tips: 

• Soluble fiber -- The soluble fiber in some foods adheres to excess cholesterol in the intestines, blocks its absorption, and ushers it out of your body. Foods high in soluble fiber include oat bran, cooked dry beans, dry peas, and lentils. 
  Research has shown that if people who eat a low fiber diet increase their fiber intake by only 10 grams per day their risk of heart disease is reduced by up to 20%. Ten extra grams of fiber can be gained by eating as little as 1 1/2 cups of raisin bran cereal. A high fiber diet also helps protect against certain types of cancer and diabetes. 
  The American Heart Association recommends that adults get 25 to 30 grams of fiber each day from food sources, not supplements. Eating five to seven servings of fruits and vegetables each day is an excellent way to increase fiber and reduce the risk of heart disease. Other ways to increase fiber intake include: choosing whole grains whenever possible and eating legumes two to three times each week.

• Drink plenty of water -- You need to drink 6 to 8 glasses each day -- to help the fiber work.

• Omega-3 fatty acids -- Research has shown that the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish can help reduce cholesterol levels and decrease the likelihood of blood clotting. In general, the darker the meat of the fish, the higher the amount of omega-3. To reap the benefits of omega-3, try mackerel, lake trout, herring, fresh albacore tuna, sturgeon, whitefish, salmon, or halibut for dinner once or twice a week. Omega-3 fatty acids are also found in soybean oil, canola oil, nuts, soy, and flax seeds.