The quality of your health depends upon many pieces that not only include the health of your bodily systems, but also include a healthy diet, exercise, and spirituality.

Diet. When it comes to cholesterol management, the goal of your diet should be to create a healthy balance of fats. Read more about good fats, bad fats.

• Supplement your diet with mercury-free high-quality fish oil, which is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids.
• When cooking, use a healthy saturated fat such as extra virgin organic coconut oil. Healthy amounts of saturated fat can help maintain your cholesterol at optimal levels.
• As a healthy snack alternative, choose sprouted nuts and seeds that are rich in omega-3 essential fatty acids.
• Incorporate ground flax meal into your favorite recipes, since it’s a great source of omega-3 essential fatty acids and fiber.
• Eat more wild-caught salmon and minimal-mercury tuna. Remember to only choose wild fish. Farm-raised fish contain very little omega-3, since they are fed land-based diets devoid of omega-3. Fish obtain ample amounts of omega-3 naturally through their wild diet.
• Use monounsaturated olive oil and vinegar for a healthy salad dressing.
• Instead of table salt, use Himalayan salt. It re-mineralizes the body with 84 minerals and trace elements essential to good health.
  

Foods to AVOID when treating cholesterol imbalance:

• Avoid “low-fat” or “fat-free” versions of all foods. Check the labels very carefully. While they may be fat free, the odds are high that they are loaded with refined sugars, unhealthy additives, and fat substitutes. These can actually have the opposite desired effect by increasing your bad cholesterol level, rather than reducing it.
• Completely eliminate trans fats from your diet. Avoid margarine and other butter substitutes. Check food labels carefully before purchasing food items. If you see the words “partially hydrogenated” or “hydrogenated”, then simply put the product back. Trans fats increase bad LDL cholesterol levels and lowers good HDL cholesterol levels, putting you at risk for heart disease and other degenerative chronic disorders. 

Other foods to AVOID:

• All simple or refined carbohydrates (white flour, white rice, white bread, pasta, cookies, cakes, crackers, processed snack foods, etc.)
• All foods containing refined sugar or artificial sugar-substitutes such as Aspartame and Splenda^®,etc. Instead, choose a healthy sweetener like Xylosweet.
• Alcoholic beverages
• Limited cheese and wine
• Fungi such as mushrooms
• Pickled foods
• Sweetened, pasteurized fruit juices, since they spike blood sugar levels too rapidly. Drink unsweetened, freshly squeezed juices in moderation.
• Carbonated soft drinks that cause blood pH levels to become acidic
• Bottom crawlers, such as oysters, clams, and lobster that may contain toxic levels of mercury
• Deep-sea fish such as tuna, mackerel, and swordfish that may contain toxic levels of mercury. Choose minimal-mercury tuna instead.
• Farm-raised fish that contain PCBs and not enough omega-3 essential fatty acids, due to their land-based diets. Choose wild-caught salmon instead.
• Nitrites found in processed foods such as hot dogs, lunch meats, and bacon
• Monosodium glutamate (MSG) found in many foods as a flavor enhancer
• Hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils found in many processed foods, deep-fried foods, fast foods, and junk food. Read more about trans fats.
• Limit caffeine intake. While moderate amounts of caffeine may be beneficial, excessive consumption of caffeine can disrupt the body’s systems.

Exercise. Cholesterol imbalance can be positively affected by a combination of daily exercise and healthy diet. Exercise helps raise HDL (good cholesterol) levels, lowers LDL (bad cholesterol), and lowers triglycerides. It’s also important to exercise to maintain a healthy weight. Excess weight greatly affects cholesterol levels. Aerobic activities include brisk walking in sunlight, water aerobics, and swimming—any exercise that raises your heartbeat will help balance your cholesterol and your weight.³

Other Tips for Treating Cholesterol Imbalance

• Maintain a healthy weight. Obesity actually triggers a whole series of metabolic disturbances that can raise cholesterol, triglyceride and insulin levels.
• Cholesterol-lowering drugs may deplete the body of Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), an essential heart nutrient. If you’re taking a cholesterol-lowering medication, you should also considering supplementing your diet with CoQ10.⁴
• Heavy Metal Toxicity can cause metabolic disturbances that increase LDL bad cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Discuss Heavy Metal Toxicity with your healthcare professional. Read more about heavy metal toxicity.
• If you have dental amalgams, or “silver” fillings, get an evaluation from a mercury-free dentist who specializes in the safe removal of mercury amalgam fillings. Find a mercury-free dentist in your area now. 
• If you need help covering the costs of getting your "silver" fillings removed safely, the Jigsaw Health Foundation may be able to assist you. Read more about the Jigsaw Health Foundation.

Additional Information about Cholesterol

1. Cholesterol Imbalance Overview   
2. Common symptoms of cholesterol imbalance
3. Common causes of cholesterol imbalance    
4. Help me choose a natural and alternative treatment for cholesterol imbalance     
5. Conventional or prescription medications used in the treatment of cholesterol imbalance 
6. Cited Sources and Additional Reading for cholesterol imbalance