One way to help control your cholesterol levels is to alter your diet to cut down on the amount of saturated fats, trans-fats and cholesterol you eat. It may not be the whole answer, but at least you will be tackling the problem without taking drugs. And it should help lower your LDL cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease.

Choose fish, poultry with the skin and fat removed, or meat with as much of the fat trimmed off as you can.

Dont fry food. Bake, roast or poach instead. If you must fry, use only small amounts of oil.

Processed meats such a sausages, bacon and cold meats tend to have too much salt in them.

Go for semi-skimmed or fat-free milk, and eat sorbets or low-fat yoghurts in place of ice cream.

Try low-fat cheeses.

Use margarines with plant stanols or sterols added to help lower cholesterol. Avoid products with trans-fats in them check the labels first.

Skim any fat off homemade soups and gravies (cool them in the fridge first and the fat will rise to the top).

Use whole grain pasta, brown rice or peas and beans in your main meals and add small pieces of meats to flavour rather than as the main ingredient.

Go for food with lots of fibre and nutrients, such as whole grain breads, pastas and cereals, and brown rice.

Eat more fresh fruit and vegetables with your meals.

If you eat store-bought meals, aim for those with lowest saturated fat, trans-fat and cholesterol content.

Remember that low-fat and fat-free foods may have more sugar added and could have more calories than the real thing.

Eating out can be a problem, but steer clear of fried foods, dont add more salt, watch out for the salad dressings and dont be tempted to start with slices of bread and butter.

Dont be put off by this list. It looks grim, and you probably just love all the things you shouldnt eat. But, there are loads of alternatives out there just waiting for you to find. After a while you will forget the bad and enjoy the host of tempting choices.