3.  Third, you'll want to incorporate olive oil into your diet.  Olive oil had been proven reduce the bad cholesterol, and also reduce systemic inflammation, a process that helps create heart blockages.  Try not to cook the oil if you can.  Cooking will reduce some of the medicinal properties.  I generally suggest that patients take in 1-2 tablespoons of uncooked oil a day.  This can be placed on a salad, mixed with low fat cottage cheese, or placed in a fruit smoothie.

4.  Fourth, migrate to whole grains, fruits, and large amounts of vegetables.  Eating whole grains has been shown to reduce the incidence of high cholesterol, help prevent diabetes, and reduce colon cancer.  Many fruits such as blue berries and cherries have protective antioxidant properties.  Vegetable we all know are good for us.  You should also incorporate nuts with every meal.  Nuts have anti-inflammatory properties and can reduce the serum cholesterol.
 
5. Finally, you'll want to adopt a Mediterranean lifestyle.  By this I mean you'll want to work on reducing the hectic lifestyle of our western lives and try to be more laidback.  Stress is known to cause heart disease. 

We've all been saddened by the passing of Michael Jackson.  He was truly a great entertainer and a pop music icon.  

Hopefully, our memories of this great singer will make us think about the uncertainty of life, and help us wake up to the need to lead a healthy lifestyle.

Dr. Kirk Laman