Try these five tips and take positive steps towards better health.

1. Lose the salt

Salt raises your blood pressure, so cut back on salty foods and avoid adding extra salt to meals. Try spices or herbs instead to add flavour to your meals.

2. Swap your fats

Swapping unhealthy, saturated fats in fatty meats, cakes, biscuits and fried foods, for healthy fats like avocado, olive or canola oil, fish, nuts and seeds, is a great way to improve your cholesterol.

3. Start small

Losing just five to ten per cent of your weight (e.g. 5-10kg for a 100kg person) helps. Aim for a balanced diet that includes lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, lean meats, poultry, fish, nuts and seeds.

4. Pick it up

30 minutes of aerobic (getting your heart pumping) exercise most days of the week will also help to lower your cholesterol levels. If the thought of 30 minutes of jogging every day gets your heart pumping for all the wrong reasons, start slow – even 15 minutes of walking a day is better than nothing. Start some good habits and you’ll soon build up your exercise routine.

5. Sips count

Drinks can be a hidden source of kilojoules and excess sugar. Choose water as your main drink. Downsize your smoothie, juice, shake or coffee. Drink alcohol responsibly.