High cholesterol is usually caused by diet and lifestyle.  If you want to lower your cholesterol, go on a low-fat, high-fiber diet and avoid the following foods:

• Marbled meat, liver and any kind of organ meat
• Poultry with skin
• Full-fat dairy products
• Eggs
• Refined or packaged baked goods or snack foods
• Fried foods
• Some margarines
• Any food that contains trans fat

Most meats are bad because of their fat content, and when you get into specific kinds and cuts of meats, there are other issues too.

Full-fat dairy products are not good for you because of their fat content too.  Our bodies work on chemical reactions and processes.  When we ingest animal fats, our bodies tend to increase our production of cholesterol. 

Eggs are good food, but only eaten in moderation. Just one egg yolk fulfills over half your recommended amount of dietary cholesterol, according to the USDA.

Refining food strips the food of most of its nutritional value including fiber, vitamins and other nutrients, and is usually more calorie-dense than whole foods.  By eating refined foods, you are eating empty calories and deriving no satisfaction or contentment, since refined foods only make you want more, while whole foods are more filling and satisfying, providing you with contentment.

Fried foods taste good, but they are terrible for you, especially foods fried in partially hydrogenated or trans fat oils, which lower good cholesterol and increase bad cholesterol.  Some experts and studies refer to these oils as “the cigarettes” of food.  There is nothing good about them.  Too much consumption of oil is a recipe for gaining weight.  Your body can only process so much fat, and fat helps increase your bad cholesterol.

Most margarines are made with bad oils and overly processed.  You are much better off with having regular butter.