How to reduce cholesterol: diet

As high cholesterol becomes an increasing problem for an increasing number of people, the question gets asked more and more often: how can I reduce my cholesterol levels? This is a question, without exaggeration, of life or death.
High cholesterol is a leading cause of heart disease, and is the cause of blood clots which result in instant stroke, paralysis, and death. High cholesterol is commonly associated with being overweight, but sometimes it's not so simple. It's possible to inherit a high cholesterol problem from grandparents and parents. And everyone knows (and has probably been jealous of) those people who seem to be able to eat whatever they want whenever they want and still stay slim and trim and good-looking. The problem is, what's happening on the outside is not always a good sign of what's happening on the inside. A diet high in the wrong kinds of foods will result in high cholesterol no matter what the body type.
The best way to find out about your cholesterol level is to consult your doctor. If your level is too high, you can then start to build a program to reduce it. There are many ways of reducing cholesterol levels, including exercise and diet. A diet may seem very complicated at first, but here are a few things to keep in mind as you go about finding the right pace and products for you.

1. Diets high in animal fats are the commonest cause of high cholesterol. Animal fats are commonly found in meat and any other product that comes from an animal, whether it be eggs or cheese or milk. Red meats are the worst, but even leaner meats such as chicken and fish should be eaten moderately. Instead of whole milk, try skim, instead of the whole egg, try just the white, and look for low-fat cheese.
2. Processed foods, foods high in sugar, are also sources of animal fat and empty calories that will sit in your body and clog it up and make it hard for your blood to flow along in a smooth and healthy manner. Avoid crackers, potato chips, ice cream, deep fried food, and candy. Common sense goes a long way in finding the fittest diet for your body. Foods that are easy, foods that you simply unwrap or order at a window, are generally not the best foods.
3. What are the best foods? Natural foods, foods that come from the earth. Vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes (dried peas and beans), nuts, and seeds - these are vegetables that come up out of the earth, and the fresher, the better. Healthy fats such those that are contained in olive and corn and fish oil, nuts and avocados, are a must. If you have to choose between, say, a fresh orange or orange juice out of a container, choose the fresh orange. Whenever a natural product has been taken and turned into something else for convenience of consumption, it has usually lost a lot of its nutrients and vitamins along the way.
4. Don't think of your diet as a prison sentence or just another way of starving. Fill your body with good foods, don't just empty it of bad ones. There are hundreds of natural foods for you to enjoy - take the time to learn to enjoy them, to plan, cook, and eat in a way that is satisfying both physically and creatively. Think of this as your opportunity to become a real gourmet. You don't order a greasy burger and fries in a nice restaurant. The more you eat healthy, natural foods, the more you'll crave them, and the faster you'll reduce your cholesterol, and the longer you'll live.