Eat less saturated fat

9 ways to lower your risk of high cholesterol

Prevention is key when is comes to a healthy heart. Improve your cholesterol levels by following these tips

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1. Eat less saturated fat

This is the fat found in hamburgers, steaks, butter, cheese and ice-cream. To lower your risk of heart attack, switch to skinless chicken breasts, oily fish, olive or canola oil, and low-fat dairy foods. Experts estimate that for every two percent decrease in calories from saturated fat — about what you'd get if you had baby carrots instead of 1 oz (28 g) of regular potato chips or drank two cups (500 mL) of skim milk instead of two cups (500 mL) of one percent milk — you would lower your LDL by one point. Keep your daily intake of saturated fat to less than 7 per cent of daily kilojoules — about 1 tablespoon of butter or a slice of cheddar cheese plus ½ cup of ice-cream if you eat 1,800 calories a day — and you could lower your LDL by nine to 11 percent.