Cholesterol Self-Care Plan:
7 Steps to Reduce Your Risk

1. Self-Care Goals and Monitoring

If you are currently on cholesterol medication, be sure to continue until you reduce your risk category and your doctor gives the okay to reduce or eliminate the medication.

2. Know Your Numbers

Your cholesterol is usually tested 3 months after initial test if elevated and you started medication then yearly when normalized.

3. Get Active

To lower your risk category, build in 30 to 45 minutes of moderate-intensity activity (such as a brisk walk) on as many days of the week as you can manage.

4. Manage Weight

Lower your weight to lower your cholesterol.

5. Follow the Basic Rules of the Mediterranean Diet

• Eat fruit every day, vegetables with every meal, slowly and in control.
• Avoid highly processed and high sugar food products.
• Add foods that are higher in omega-3 fatty acids.
• Remove partially hydrogenated oils from diet.
• Control consumption of foods that contain saturated fat.