The following information is provided courtesy of the Heart and Stroke Foundation's Health Check™ program.

High blood cholesterol and high blood pressure are risk factors for heart disease and stroke. When blood cholesterol is too high it settles on the inside walls of blood vessels. As it builds up, blood vessels become clogged and the blood vessels become clogged and the blood can’t flow properly to the heart and brain. When this happens the chances of having a heart attack or stroke are greatly increased.

You can help maintain a healthy blood cholesterol level by keeping your diet low in fat, especially low in saturated and trans fat. This will help reduce dietary cholesterol because saturated fat and cholesterol are found together in many foods. Adding more fibre to your diet will also help lower blood cholesterol particularly if it's too high. Eat more foods high in complex carbohydrate and fibre such as whole grains, legumes, all vegetables and fruit.

Some people may be salt sensitive, which means that dietary salt can help to raise their blood pressure. It is difficult to tell whether one is salt sensitive, however, most people consume more salt than they need, particularly from processed or packaged foods. Try to limiting your salt and/or sodium intake by using fewer convenience foods; avoiding highly salted chips, cheeses, pretzels, nuts and crackers; reducing amounts used in recipes; cooking without salt; using other seasonings like pepper and herbs to flavour unsalted foods.