I was told my bad cholesterol was high, and to bring it down to under 100. My doc wants to start me on medication, but I am usually wary of meds and avoid them if possible. Is there an "easy way" to lower cholesterol by keeping my same diet and using the meds?
My non-expert medical opinion is this: The medication has side effects and it is only treating the symptom.
I'd suggest at least trying this one small change to your diet: eat oatmeal. The fact that it has been clinically linked to lowering cholesterol is only one reason to eat it, too. It is the most perfect food you can eat to start your day. British and Scottish warriors defeated the Roman Empire, fueled by oatmeal. If you start every day with a bowl of oatmeal and skim milk, your entire body will begin to function more efficiently. Add some fresh ground flax seed (easy to do with a 10 dollar coffee grinder) to get Omega 3's for your heart and joints, and a little bit of cinnamon, which has been clinically linked to helping maintain blood sugar in diabetics. I've also heard that exercise can play a pretty important role in keeping cholesterol down.