A profound health drive has taken a grip on the world over recent years. Gym memberships have risen exponentially, supermarkets need to stock an ever expanding range of healthy fruits, vegetables and pre-prepared meals. Now, fast food giants, most recently KFC are being forced to jump on the healthy-eating bandwagon and must now list the calorie content of their meals in an attempt to attract more health conscious customers. Topping the list of a large number of peoples' concerns is high cholesterol, most notably because it contributes so highly to heart illnesses and disease. But, these same people who are so concerned about healthy, organic and free range food don't want to take drugs to boost their health, they want to do it naturally, they want to lower cholesterol without drugs.

Now, whether or not you are able to lower cholesterol without drugs depends, not only on your own levels of cholesterol, HDL and LDL but also on your susceptibility or risk to heart illness. For some unfortunate people amongst us, this may be decided by a little more than how much you exercise or how much fatty food you consume. High cholesterol can be passed down genetically as a condition called Familial Hyperlipidaemia (FH) and unfortunately for those that inherit that condition, there may be no alternative than to visit your doctor for a course of medication. Age and gender also contribute to high cholesterol. However, don't fret, it's not all that bad as the majority of us who have developed high cholesterol have done it to ourselves through a course of little or no exercise, a diet consisting of fatty food, including plenty of red meat, cakes, donuts, butter and a serious lack of vegetables and fruit.

If you did it to yourself, then surely it's possible to undo it right! Absolutely. Start exercising, not only will you lose weight, obesity is another contributor to high cholesterol, but you will reduce your overall cholesterol levels and increase you levels of good, HDL, cholesterol. If you've never exercised before, or the last time you did it was in gym class then there is a whole world of fun ways to get fit for you to discover. Try walking for about half an hour at least four times a week. If you live close to work then walk in and home each day. Once you've established a base level of fitness then you take it to the next level, start jogging or perhaps a gentle weights program. I promise that you will love the results, a healthy heart and a much more toned body.

Next on your list of ways to lower cholesterol without drugs is to cut out the bad food, some of which I mentioned a little earlier. Begin by eating a diet that relies less on fatty, saturated fat loaded meats and pastries and more on healthy vegetables, fruit, leaner meats and most importantly omega-3 enriched fish. If you are looking for more ideas on great foods to eat that enable you to lower cholesterol without drugs then there is a plethora of information on the internet about it. What I want to impart onto you is the importance that you must place on food and exercise as your primary means of lowering cholesterol. This principle will form a solid foundation for you to build a healthy heart upon.