Patient Health International – health information for patients and carers

What else can I do?

You’ve been to see your doctor, you understand the seriousness of high
cholesterol and the impact it can have on your health, but what can you do now to help reduce your risk of developing heart problems in the future? Listed below are some simple ways to help lower your cholesterol. And remember by doing this you are also reducing your future risk of other health problems.

A balanced diet

We’ve all been told that we should eat a balanced diet, but what does this mean? The healthy eating plate below shows you what you should be aiming to eat each day. Around 30% of your meal should be made up of carbohydrates such as bread, rice, pasta or cereal, and where possible these should be wholegrain varieties, for example brown rice. Fats, oils and sweets take up only a small part of the plate and should only be eaten occasionally. Remember that we do need some fat in our diet but when we have too much fat, especially saturated fats found in things like cakes and pastries, it can lead to high cholesterol levels.

healthy eating plate showing the balance of foods to maintain a good diet

Quick tips for health eating:

Eat a varied diet. This should include vegetables, brown bread, rice and pasta
Grill, steam, bake or boil your food rather than fry it
Avoid foods high in saturated fats, for example cheese, cakes and pies
Eat five or more portions of fruit and vegetables a day
Don’t eat too much salt — aim for less than 6.0 g a day
Read the label — watch out for hidden salt, sugar and fat, even in so called ‘healthy foods’
Drink plenty of water — about 6–8 glasses a day.

A walk in the park

Exercise can increase your good (HDL) cholesterol. It can also help you control your weight, lower your blood pressure, control your diabetes, boost your energy levels, reduce stress, improve your sleep, strengthen your bones, and improve your flexibility and balance.

Ideally you should aim to do at least 20 minutes of exercise a day that makes you feel slightly breathless. At first you may only be able to manage a short walk a few times a week, but this is a good start. You will soon notice that you can walk further, faster and for longer amounts of time.

If you haven’t exercised for a while then talk to your doctor before starting an
exercise programme.

Quick tips for exercising:

Exercise doesn’t have to mean joining a gym — go for a stroll in the park or a bike ride round the block
Swimming is a very good form of exercise because the water supports the body and helps to prevent injury
Make it part of your everyday routine
Every little helps — take the stairs, walk to the shops or get off the bus a stop or two earlier, be more enthusiastic with your housework or gardening
Make it fun — go with friends, go dancing, try something different...

Watch your weight

People who are overweight are more likely to develop health problems, including high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes and heart disease. Check if you are healthy weight using our BMI calculator.

If you are within your ideal weight range then try to stay at this weight, but if you are overweight then it is important that you try to lose that extra weight. To do this you need to eat more healthily and do more exercise, read the tips above to help you. Your doctor or nurse will also be able to help with a suitable diet and exercise plan.

Quick tips for controlling your weight

Fill-up with water
Watch your portion sizes — use a smaller plate, don’t have seconds and remember your stomach is only as big as your fist!
If you feel hungry wait 10 minutes before you eat, you’ll probably realise you weren’t even really hungry
Try to exercise for at least 20 minutes everyday.

Other things you can do

By eating healthily, exercising regularly and watching your weight you can lower your bad (LDL) cholesterol and increase your good (HDL) cholesterol. But to really reduce your risk of developing clogged arteries and heart problems you should also:

Stop smoking
Reduce your blood pressure
Control your diabetes.

Don’t forget

Remember that even though 20% or more of the cholesterol in your body comes from the food that you eat, up to 80% of it is made by your liver. It is therefore very important that you do all the things talked about above but also remember to take any treatment your doctor prescribes for you and visit your doctor regularly for check-ups. This will make sure that you are tackling 100% of the problem and not just part of it.


	The liver does not stop producing cholesterol so it is important that as well as making changes to your lifestyle you take any treatment your doctor gives you.

If you want to learn more about the treatment your doctor has prescribed for you, click here.

Next:Where can I get more help?