When your cholesterol is high, there very well could be a food culprit. There are foods that have been proven to lower your cholesterol and foods that have been proven to raise it. For instance, whole grains and fiber may reduce your total cholesterol, and saturated fat may raise it.

And here's the secret: losing weight isn't the complete solution. While it's good to be a healthy weight, Lynnette (your teacher in other parts of this course) lost 85 pounds, took statins, and still had high total cholesterol levels. Her cholesterol didn't change until she followed the tips below. In 30 days, her cholesterol went down over 50 points!

Here's how you can possibly do the same, although individual results can vary.

• Eat at least 2 whole grains a day, even pasta and pancakes. Whole grains can lower cholesterol, largely due to high fiber content. Whole grains and seeds and berries with similar nutritional profiles that are unprocessed: brown rice, quinoa, bulgar wheat, and any grain that is whole and unprocessed. White rice is considered a processed food and is not whole. Minimally processed options with 2 or fewer ingredients on the label include but aren't limited to kamut puffs (an awesome cereal that tastes similar to Rice Crispies), buckwheat, wheat flour, and whole grain pasta. The trick is to make sure you see "whole" on the label. I bought wheat pasta that only had wheat as an ingredient. It had 2 grams of fiber. The one that had whole on the label had 7 grams of fiber. I haven't made that mistake since. Beans can also fill this part of your diet.
• Reduce saturated fats in your diet. Use a free app such as Nutritionix to track your overall saturated fat. According to the American Dietary Guidelines, saturated fat shouldn't be more than 10 percent of your diet. This means that if you have 1500 calories per day, your max saturated fat should be 15 grams. Sources of saturated fat you can limit: coconut oil, full-fat dairy, eggs, and steak that isn't lean, but they don't to be eliminated. For instance, have an egg with two egg whites. An egg has 1.6 grams of saturated fat, but it's all in the yolk. Fun fact: without the yolk on the second and third egg, you get more of the protein-filled egg whites.
• Eat avocados and nuts. Unsaturated fats can fill you up AND lower your cholesterol. Nuts, especially high-fiber ones like pistachios, are great snacks and can add fiber to your to diet to reduce your cholesterol and help you feel fuller. When I have a small avocado with oatmeal, kale, and two eggs, I'm full for hours and just eat for nutrients the rest of the day.
• Don't skimp on veggies, especially green ones. Veggies and fruit are good sources of fiber, but not all of them are equal. Each color of veggie has different benefits. Have at least 3 servings of green veggies throughout the day and at least two others.
• Eat a high-fiber fruit or two. My favorite fruits are berries, apples, peaches, and oranges. Limit higher sugar ones like mango.
• Balance fiber and protein. Your body craves a balanced diet. Thus, balance your meals with protein, veggies, and whole grains. At night, I generally do protein and two veggies. I cook with a teaspoon of avocado oil.

Eat whole-grain pancakes! Try this easy recipe as your new homemade pancake mix.

For 4 servings, mix these ingredients:

• 1 cup whole grain flour
• 1 cup low-fat milk or milk alternative
• 4 twists of sea salt from a sea salt grinder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon local honey
• 1 tablespoon avocado oil

Heat one teaspoon of avocado oil in a nonstick fry pan on medium heat. Add pancake batter of your choosing. Flip the pancake once it bubbles in the center. Cook for one more minute on the second side. Serve with berries, two egg whites, and one egg.

Note: I don’t know your medical history. If you're on medication or on any medically prescribed diet, always talk to your doctor about diet changes.