You may have heard of red yeast rice as a simple way to lower your cholesterol. After all, that's what some manufacturers want to believe. But don't fall for it -- it's a scam. What's more, many red yeast rice manufacturers have been spiking their product with statins to make them seem more effective.

If you're interested in lowering your cholesterol, there are better ways to do it than wasting your money -- exercising and eating well will do more for your health than any so-called miracle cure will.

Here are some scary statistics for you, especially considering that heart disease is the #1 killer of women:

• Only 1/3 of women know their current cholesterol levels
• Twice as many women know what they weighed in high school than know their current cholesterol levels

9 out of 10 women are aware that high cholesterol can cause build-up of plaque in the arteries, so what's the deal? Why don't women seem to care or take their cholesterol seriously? Do you know what you weighed in high school? Do you know what your cholesterol is? For me I admit it's yes and no. And yeah, there's something wrong with this picture.

The list of health benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids seemingly grows every day. Among the more well-known positive effects this fatty acid has on the body is that has been shown to reduce the risk of heart attack by 36 percent when it is consumed at least once or twice a week. Foods that are high in Omega-3s -- such as salmon, brown rice, and olive oil -- can also help to lower your LDL ("bad") cholesterol. But, inasmuch as many of us know this by now, what we don't know is how this actually takes place. What is cholesterol? And how does it effect our bodies? Now I'm not a doctor, and I'm definitely not a scientist, but I am curious -- so I looked it up.

Cholesterol is made by the liver. Just about every animal that is eaten for food produces cholesterol in this manner. After it's produced in your own body, or absorbed from the food you eat, it's then carried through the bloodstream by particles known as lipoproteins. These particles are also produced in the liver, so it kind of works out quite nicely in that way. Anyway, from these lipoproteins are made up of fat and protein. However, what they contain more of determines if they are "bad" or "good." If they contain a higher proportion of fat, they can stick to your blood vessel walls as they speed through your veins and arteries. Over time, this accumulates and forms hardened plaque, thus reducing the flow of blood to your heart -- and hence the "bad" label. On the other hand, lipoproteins that contain a higher proportion of protein serve a different and much healthier function. Their main task is to carry cholesterol away from your heart and out of the body. The higher your levels of this "good" lipoproteins, the lower your risk of dying from a heart attack.

That's just about the best way I can explain it. Not exactly ready for the New England Journal of Medicine, but not bad for a blog post, if I say so myself.

For patients getting their cholesterol checked, the process is fairly easy and involves merely have some blood taken. But in order to get an accurate reading, there's much more to it than that. What you eat and drink prior to the test can have a major influence on the reading you get, so be sure to follow the rules given to you by your doctor, namely that you must fast for 12 hours prior to the exam.

What's more, other influences, like the test itself and biological factors, can influence the accuracy of your readings over time. To main consistency, try to get tested at the same time of day as your last cholesterol test to get a reliable idea of how much your levels have changed. Also, while it's recommended that you don't drink alcohol 24hours before the test, you can further improve your results by avoiding alcohol several days before the test. And, be sure you're sitting for at least five minutes before your blood is taken.

For more info, check out this article.

Not only are diesel fumes nauseatingly foul smelling, they're bad for you too. A new study shows that those who are regularly exposed to diesel fumes are putting themselves at risk of damaging their arteries. Apparently, small particles in the fumes interact with LDL (Bad) Cholesterol, and can lead to inflammation of the blood vessels, which in turn could lead to blood vessel blockage, which it goes without saying is pretty bad.

This is bad news for truck drivers, who tend to be unhealthy and are exposed to these fumes quite often, but it's not much of a risk for those who aren't exposed to too much diesel. Nonetheless, it's a good reminder to keep your cholesterol down.

Oil...it's what for dinner.

Well, it's at least part of what's for dinner. Knowing which oil is the healthiest choice and the tastiest choice for said dinner -- ah, that's what I want to talk to you about.

If you're a regular reader of this blog, you know by now that the healthiest way to go in terms of your oil selection is Extra Virgin Olive Oil (or EVOO if you're Rachel Ray...which I'm not, so I'll avoid the acronym nonsense). It involves minimal processing and high levels of the antioxidants known as polyphenols. Very, very good for your heart.

So, what about the other oils? How do they measure up?

• Flaxseed Oil: Good for salad dressing. Great source of ALA, a form of heart-healthy Omega-3 fatty acids.
• Olive Oil: This non-extra-virgin (please explain to me how something can be Extra virgin?) is perfect for grilling, sauteing, and using in a pasta sauce. It's high in monosaturated fats (good fats) and antioxidants, so it helps prevent the build-up of LDL (bad) cholesterol.
• Canola Oil: Good for baking and broiling. Rather low in saturated fat and also a good source of ALA.
• Grapeseed Oil: Works well for pan frying food. A good source of vitamin E, beta-carotene and sterols, which means that it also guards against the collection of bad cholesterol.
• Rice Bran Oil: Can be used for deep-frying food or stir-frying. Contains various vitamin E related antioxidants that have been shown in clinical studies to inhibit both breast and skin cancer cells.

Maybe you think high cholesterol and aging go hand in hand? If that's the case, you're just making excuses -- high cholesterol is not an inevitable part of aging, and there are a number of things you can do to lower yours. Here are some sure-fire ways to lower your LDL, HDL, total cholesterol and triglycerides, courtesy of WebMD:

1. Eat right: Fat's out, fiber's in. Also on the menu? Lean protein, fruits and veggies, and healthy fats like nuts.
2. Exercise: 30 minutes a day is all it takes to make a world of difference.
   
3. Lose weight: How can you not, now that you're eating well and being active?
4. Medication: If all else fails, your doctor may prescribe you some meds to lower your cholesterol. It's a last resort, but it just might do the trick.
   

Some types of milk are considered bad for people with high cholesterol. But Supermarket giant Kroger is coming out with a new brand of milk that can actually reduce your cholesterol. The non-fat brand is part of the Active Lifestyle Brand, and contains plant sterols that have been proven to lower bad cholesterol by up to 15 percent.

Right now, elevated cholesterol is one of the top health dangers in the USA, and this if only going to become more exaggerated as the baby boomer generation hits old age. This milk offers heart patients a healthy way to get their calcium, plus vitamins A, C and D without consuming saturated fat.

If high cholesterol is a problem for you, you'd probably be interested in ways to check your cholesterol without having to visit the doctor. Here's good news: there's a product that allows for fast and easy cholesterol testing that you can do almost anywhere. It's called CardioCheck PA, and it's a portable, battery-operating machine that uses a drop of your blood to tell you a number of things, including your HDL and LDL levels, as well as your total cholesterol. Using it looks pretty straightforward -- you prick your finger to provide a blood sample to the machine, and it gives you a reading.

If you're interested in learning more about CardioCheck PA, visit their website.

Do you have high cholesterol? Apparently pistachios may help, according to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition. This challenges the long-held notion that only a diet low in fat will help combat cholesterol, since pistachios have moderate amounts of fat. True, it's a healthy fat but it's a at nonetheless. If you're concerned about your cholesterol, however, it's recommended that you get between one and two handfuls a day -- no more than that and certainly not in ice cream form.

So I think the moral of the story is: Fat isn't always the enemy. In moderation, of course.

It happens all the time: Some researchers will say one thing, and then other researchers will refute the original research results -- only to then put forth research results of their own (which usually is later refuted by other researchers -- and so on, and so on...). Such is the case with margarine and butter. As far as I have read up until recently, real butter seemed to be the healthier choice over margarine. However, new information from a Dutch study revealed LDL cholesterol reducing properties in a specific type of margarine.

Perhaps the most intriguing part is that this reduction in LDL cholesterol occurred even in patients who were already taking cholesterol-reducing medication. In the study, patients who were regularly taking high-dose statins added a margarine enriched with 3 grams of plant sterols. At the end of 6 weeks, the patients experienced a 15 percent reduction in LDL beyond that already achieved with statins alone.

As far as what info. to believe goes, however, I think the key is to look more closely at the study itself. For one, the margarine used in the study was not your typical kind. It contained plant sterols, in addition to not having any trans fat. So, it stands to reason that the margarine itself had little effect on LDL, and that the benefits actually came from the plant sterols. This means that plant sterol supplements could have just as easily been taken, and the margarine could have been removed entirely. The end result (at least as far as I'm concerned) is that butter still seems to be the healthier option than margarine. And, rather than relying on specialized kinds of margarine to get your plant sterols, you may be better off getting them from supplements.

Normally high cholesterol is something we fight against, but don't forget that there's also "good" cholesterol in our systems called HDLs that we want to keep. In fact, not having enough good cholesterol has been linked to cardiovascular disease -- so it's not just about lowering the bad kind. But research has shown that one way to raise your good HDLs is to exercise. Results vary depending on the person and type of workout, but in general those who are more active have more good cholesterol, and so have healthier cardiovascular systems. And obviously exercise does more good stuff for your body than just raising HDLs, so if you're not already -- get moving!

It's not a death sentence but it's still pretty scary to hear the words, "you have high cholesterol." After all, high cholesterol is linked to a whole slew of problems, including cardiovascular disease. But unlike being diagnosed with cancer or some other dreaded health problem, this is something you can change. You're lucky, in fact, to have this wake-up call that some people don't get. All you have to do to change your fate is, well, change your life.

It sounds overwhelming but it's not. Incorporating fruits, veggies, whole grains, healthy fats and moderate amounts of exercise seems daunting but it's easy. All it takes is for you to invest a bit of time in yourself and your health. Nothing is more precious than your health.

To find out more about your cholesterol in simplified terms, and to learn what to do to go from high cholesterol to normal cholesterol, check out this informative article from eDiets. And if you've been there, done that, what advice do you have from people who are just learning about their cholesterol now?

Four things I knew about the effects of soda on your health:

1 - It contains extremely high amounts of sugar, in the form of sucrose, fructose, corn syrup, and just about every other form known to man.

2 - It is bad for your teeth and gums, due chiefly to the aforementioned high sugar content.

3 - It can be high in caffeine; something that can be looked at as being either a good or bad thing. But, considering the fact that so much soda is consumed by kids, I'd venture to say that it's definitely a bad thing.

4 - It can contribute to the development of type 2 diabetes.

One thing that I just learned about the effects of soda on your health:

1 - It can raise your risk of heart disease.

Canadian researchers analyzed the diets of more than 600 healthy people and discovered that those who regularly ate the most sugar-laden foods -- such as soda -- had the lowest level of HDL (good) cholesterol. Given the fact that HDL helps remove arterial plaque left by LDL (bad) cholesterol, and also because low HDL is related to related to high triglycerides, this sugar-based reduction of this cholesterol is far from sweet.

One of the best gimmicks the manufacturers of Low-Fat products have going is the ability to trick people into eating more. A false hope, if you will. Because a certain food is "half the calories" or "low fat," people have a tendency to eat even more of the product than they normally would, primarily because they think that they are not consuming too many calories. But, when you stop and think about it for a second, if something is half the fat and/or calories, but you still eat twice the amount you normally would, you have then consumed the same amount of calories that you would of had you eaten the regular, non-low fat/calorie version. This sense of false hope and false confidence with our health does not end there.

It turns out that the majority of heart attacks among men taking statins are the result of unhealthy lifestyles. First of all, statins are cholesterol reducing medications, such as Lipitor and Crestor. Do they work? Yeah, the research seems to support their efficacy. But, the success of the drug leads many people to think that they are completely absolved of risk, and can therefore do and eat whatever they choose.

A new Harvard study reveals that the most dangerous side effect of statins is not the litany of disclaimed maladies that you hear the narrator rattle off during the commercial, but rather is the sense of false confidence they instill. Drawing on data from 42,000 men over a 16-year period, researchers discovered that 57 percent of heart attacks in those using statins could have been prevented with lifestyle changes (i.e. losing weight, following a better diet, exercising regularly).