Here are the top steps to take in order to successfully lower your cholesterol and keep the numbers low.

A look at 8 foods that have been found to naturally lower your cholesterol.

In this slideshow we look at 10 of the "top offenders" in terms of high cholesterol content.

Most foods in the U.S. contain some trace of chemicals. Pesticides are used on commercially grown produce. Antibiotics and genetically modified feeds are given to animals. Organic produce and meat are treated without chemical fertilizers and pesticides. By eating organic can lower your risk of exposure. The Environmental Working Group has listed the most contaminated fruits and vegetables. It may more expensive but the following fruits and vegetables are worth buying. While organic alternatives may not be available all the time , it’s important to be aware and make substitutions when you can.

With so much hype about how "bad" LDL cholesterol is, you may have completely overlooked HDL cholesterol. However, HDL cholesterol plays a very important role in your heart health. There are a number of changes you can make in your diet and lifestyle, which can be very effective for raising HDL cholesterol.

The goal is not to cut omega 6 fatty acids (such as corn oil, beef, and chicken) completely from the diet, but to achieve a ratio of 4:1 or 1:1 omega 6 to omega 3. In order to attain this ratio you need to increase your omega 3 intake.

Triglycerides are a type of fat. Actually, they're the most common type of fat in foods and in your body. When you eat foods containing fat and oil, such as butter, French fries, and chocolate chip cookies, the body takes the fat and stores it in your body as triglycerides. So, all those "fat cells" in your body are made up of triglycerides. You want your triglycerides to be below 200 mg/dL. Borderline high triglycerides are from 200-500 mg/dL. Triglycerides are high risk above 500 mg/dL.