The more research I do, the more it seems like high cholesterol readings are now a fact of modern life. In fact, the American Heart Association says that “106.7 million Americans age 20 and older have total blood cholesterol levels of 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) and higher.” Of these, 50.8 million are men and 55.9 million are women.

I used to have high cholesterol. In fact, a few years ago my total cholesterol was 230 and my good cholesterol levels (LDL’s) were at 36. Not a very good reading at all. It was so bad that my doctor, who has been my doctor for nearly 25 years, told me that I might consider taking medications to lower my cholesterol. He also explained that if I didn’t do something about this I could have a heart attack or stroke and die. That’s when I decided to make maintaining a healthy heart using natural cholesterol cures a priority.

While there are pharmaceutical medicines like my doctor was suggesting which will lower your ‘bad’ cholesterol, they don’t increase good cholesterol. Another issue is that these chemical concoctions often have undesirable side effects that most of us would just as soon avoid. If your doctor has pronounced your cholesterol readings to be too high, you might want to take some natural steps to reduce your cholesterol readings before opting for a prescription.

Some people have found that when integrated into your daily diet, all of the foods we’re going to talk about today may provide you with an 8 week cholesterol cure without using a pill. Naturally, if your cholesterol readings are off the chart, you probably want to hedge your bets and use a medication while you change your eating habits. Bring this list of foods to your appointment and ask your doctor if adding these 8 week cholesterol cure foods to your diet could be beneficial, with your monitoring appointments scheduled closer together. You may well see your readings plummeting. This could result in lowering the dose or even eliminating the necessity for medication altogether.

Would you be surprised if I told you that whole, fresh, preferably organically grown garlic, consumed with gusto, can constitute one of the best natural cholesterol cures? In fact, it can be an 8 week cholesterol cure all on its own! Numerous independent studies have shown that garlic can reduce your cholesterol even better than pharmaceuticals. In fact, garlic has been proven to be able to reduce your cholesterol as well as almost any of the sophisticated and pricey pharmaceutical medicines, over a 3-month period. If you’re not fond of the garlic breath effect you can include plenty of fresh parsley with each dose of garlic to help eliminate that problem. There are also over the counter garlic supplements that some people find useful. What’s important to note here is that an aggressive 8 week cholesterol cure program must have garlic in a starring role!

I just finished reading an article titled “More Good Years” by Dan Buettner in the September/October edition of the AARP magazine. This article is about how the inhabitants of the Greek Island of Ikaria live in good health to an average age of 90 years. Although there were many factors that contributed to these people’s long lives, he did comment on their diet. In fact, he points out that it’s well established that Mediterranean diets correlate with inhabitants with some of the lowest rates of heart disease. So take a page from the cuisines of these long living Ikarians. For example, olive oil dissolves cholesterol deposits! So sprinkle some on your foods after they are cooked or on your salads.

Since the Mediterranean abounds with fish, they are a staple of most Mediterranean cuisines. Fish from these seas are packed with the Omega-3 fatty acids, which are important antioxidants and reduce your cholesterol. Wine is also a customary inclusion in the Mediterranean diet. In particular, studies have found that red wine can increase good cholesterol, while eliminating excess cholesterol from your blood. Eat, drink and be merry – in moderation of course.

Adhering to a Mediterranean style diet can well form a cornerstone of your 8 week cholesterol cure. A leafy green salad, dressed with a garlic laden, olive oil vinaigrette dressing, a serving of sea bass and a nice red wine is just what your heart ordered!

Would you like to see a tasty natural cholesterol cure? Eat fresh fruit. Fresh fruits are prominent in the Mediterranean cuisine, often appearing as dessert. Oranges, apples, prunes and pears all contain significant amounts of vitamin C, proven to be able to reduce your cholesterol by flushing your excess cholesterol through the digestive tract.

Vegetables, such as raw broccoli and spinach should also be consumed frequently in your 8 week cholesterol cure diet program. Shiitake mushrooms, almonds, soy milk, tofu and oat bran are all ready to do their part to reduce your cholesterol.

Another important ingredient of your 8 week cholesterol cure diet is turmeric. Turmeric is the main constituent in curry mixes and not only reduces the ‘bad’ cholesterol, but also reduces blood sugar levels. This is important to type 2 diabetes patients. Curry combines deliciously with both meat and vegetable recipes, so make these dishes a regular part of your diet.

Are you interested in a way to make coffee one of your natural cholesterol cures? Dose your next pot of coffee with just a teaspoon of cinnamon. This can decrease your ‘bad’ cholesterol by up to 20%!

Don’t think that the 8 week cholesterol cure is too hard or inconvenient. It’s not, especially when you compare it to its alternatives, dugs and heart disease. You might want to change your menus now to incorporate all of these cholesterol fighting foods and see for yourself. Your doctor will be astonished and you’ll live a longer, healthier life!

Wil Dieck is the founder of Total Mind Therapy and author of “Get Fit” a workout program and eating tips to lose weight and get in shape e-Course that you can have at absolutely no charge. Drop by http://www.yournewbodycourse.com/ for your copy today.

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