Can what I eat reduce my cholesterol levels?

Eating a healthy diet can help to lower cholesterol levels in our blood and also help to prevent us getting high cholesterol in the first place. This is important because having high cholesterol increases the chances of having a heart attack.

One of the most important things that affects blood cholesterol is the type of fat we eat. There are two main types of fat – saturated and unsaturated. Eating foods that are high in unsaturated fats, instead of saturated fats, can help reduce cholesterol in the blood. These include:

• avocados
• nuts
• vegetable oils, such as sunflower, olive, corn, walnut and rapeseed

Eating foods that are high in saturated fat can raise levels of cholesterol in the blood. These include meat pies, sausages, butter, ghee, lard, cream, hard cheese, cakes, biscuits and foods containing coconut or palm oil.

Most people in the UK eat too much saturated fat, so we should try to cut down on these foods. It's also important to reduce the total amount of fat we eat.

Eating a diet that contains plenty of soluble fibre could also help to reduce the amount of cholesterol in our blood. Good sources of soluble fibre include oats, beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas, fruit and vegetables.

Fruit and veg contain lots of other nutrients that are good for us. Eating plenty of fruit and veg can help prevent heart disease, so don't forget we should all have at least five portions each day and choose as wide a variety as possible.

A portion is one apple or pear, two apricots or plums, three heaped tablespoons of veg, a dessert bowl of salad, or a glass of fruit juice (150ml). Fresh, frozen, tinned, dried and juiced fruit and veg all count towards your daily portions, but juice counts as a maximum of one portion a day.

Being more physically active can also help to improve cholesterol levels. If you're concerned about your cholesterol, talk to your GP.

How can I change my diet to help reduce my blood pressure?

It’s a good idea to look at what you’re eating because diet is one of the factors that affect blood pressure. Keeping physically active and eating foods lower in fat can help to prevent weight gain, which might also help to lower blood pressure.

Blood pressure can rise when we eat too much salt. Currently, most people in the UK eat about 8.6g salt per day, but we should all aim to have no more than 6g.

When most people think of salt, they think of shaking it on their food, or adding a pinch to cooking. But the salt we add ourselves makes up just a quarter of the salt we eat. The rest (about three-quarters) is already in the everyday foods we buy.

Here are a few ways you can reduce the amount of salt in your diet:

• Check labels on foods such as soups, sandwiches, pasta sauces and ready meals, for salt (or sodium) and choose the lower salt options.
• Cut down on salty snacks such as crisps and nuts, and heavily salted foods such as bacon, cheese, pickles and smoked fish.
• Reduce the amount of salt you add when you’re cooking – if you do this gradually, you'll be surprised how little you miss the salt, because your palate will adapt to the new lower levels. You could try cooking with herbs and spices instead or perhaps use some lemon, garlic or chilli.
• Always taste your food at the table before adding extra salt.

Check the nutrition panel on food labels for salt or sodium content.

These changes to your diet can help reduce blood pressure, but they can't eliminate stress, which can raise blood pressure. As well as changing your diet, check if there is anything you can do at work, and in your leisure time, to reduce your stress levels.

Are nuts a healthy snack for someone with high cholesterol?

Nuts are a good choice of snack because they are rich in a wide range of nutrients and high in fibre. They are also a good source of monounsaturated fat, which can help reduce blood cholesterol levels.

So it's OK to eat nuts as a snack, as part of a healthy balanced diet. But remember, nuts are high in fat, so try not to eat too many. And it's a good idea to avoid salted nuts because they are very high in salt, which can raise blood pressure. Like high cholesterol, having raised blood pressure increases the chance of developing heart disease.

Eating foods that are high in saturated fat can raise levels of cholesterol in the blood. So try to cut down on foods such as biscuits, cakes, pastries, meat pies, sausages, hard cheese, butter and foods containing coconut or palm oil.

Choose foods that are rich in unsaturated fats instead, such as oily fish, avocados and sunflower, rapeseed and olive oils. Nuts can be a good alternative to snacks high in saturated fat. And don't forget that we should also try to reduce the total amount of fat we eat.

Variety is an important part of eating a healthy diet, and this includes snacks as well. Some other healthy snacks you might like to try include fresh or dried fruit, low-fat yoghurt, raw vegetables, fruit loaf with low-fat spread and currant buns (without icing).