Yes your total cholesterol is on the high side, But more important is the ratio of LDL (bad cholesterol) to HDL (good cholesterol)and you don't state that

I would try to control it first with food and then have another test in a few months and see if you are on the right track. You can always go on the meds if it doesn't. I hate taking any meds so I tend to try other methods first as long as there is reasonable science for them.

Foods that have animal fats are what raises cholesterol.

Try to eat meats that are lower in fat like lean ground beef, chicken and turkey with the skin and fat removed and fish (more about fish later) This doesn't mean if you enjoy a particular favorite you should cut it out altogether. That is one sure way not to stick to any way of eating. Have your favorite, just not as often.

Drink skim milk--I think it tastes better than 2% or whole milk. We switched when my husband was told he had high cholesterol and I drink more milk than I did before. Eat lower fat cheeses and low fat cottage cheese. The lower fat cheese tend to be the harder cheeses not the creamy ones.

Foods that lower your cholesterol--

Oatmeal--if you don't like oatmeal try oat bran. It's easy to sprinkle some on cereal or mix in muffins, cookies or most baking. I even like it on yogurt or frozen yogurt as a topping.

Walnuts and almonds--almonds give you Calcium too. Try them by the handful as a snack or again slivered almonds are good on cereal or yogurt.

Fish--fish has omega 3--excellent for lowering cholesterol and adding to your good cholesterol. You can also buy omega-3 capsules at your pharmacy.

Olive oil--make it your choice for salads and frying

Apples--there is good reason for that old adage--an apple a day keeps the doctor away.

I hope this helps

I found out in June that my cholestrol was high, 240 total - don't know the good/bad numbers but having been told that I had some stenosis in one of the arteries, I decided to work on diet and excerise. I am on Simavastatin, generic drug for cholestrol, 10 mg a day. I started walking 45 min a day on a treadmill at ramdon settings so that the incline changes or if I don't walk I do a Senior Aerobics class (had been doing some of that before). I do one or the other 5 days a week.

I also changed my diet - gave up white bread products, pastries, cookies, etc, and have lower the amount of red meat - we never eat much at a time but now we had fish at least once a week, pork, chicken and try one dinner a week without meat. Eating more veggies and cooking with olive oil mostly. Also avoiding the processed foods - like the box rice dishes, etc. Lowering the sodium - avoiding sodas and salty snacks. I only use milk on cereal but I did go from whole to 2%. - Sorry Oilpainter but skim looks like water to me. I do eat Light Yogurt once a day.

I eat cereal every morning but once a week, have whatever I want that day but the cereal are whole grain, lots of fiber. I like the Whole Wheat Flats for bread- they are really good, kinda sweet tasting.

When I had my checkup at the end of August my cholestrol had dropped to 140. I think she said the good was 49, would have liked it a little higher but she was really pleased. My blood pressure which was also increasing had been in the 130's - 140's was down to 102 - the second number has always been in the high 50's - low 60's.

I also had lost weight, which I also needed to do. I am now pretty stable, weight wise - I don't get winded when I walk long distances like I used to.

So, changing diet and excerise - which I believe was the key for me - works. I don't know how much the meds did vs the other changes but she thinks I may be able to come off the meds in Dec. when I go back.

If you get the recipe book Cooking Light - it has some really great dishes in it. I also found some great ones is a magazine called Clean Living.

Good luck!

Oilpainter - I would love to eat Oatmeal and almonds, walnuts - found out I am allergic to them!

Meant to type 160 instead of 140 for the cholestrol. OOPs!

Michelle, mine was 333, and I lowered it by myself. No meds, no herbs,and it's free. Contact me and I'll tell you how. :) arum