(Prevention.com) This potent beverage contains several powerful antioxidants that lower cholesterol and may even lower blood pressure. To make a day's supply, bring 20 ounces of water to a boil, drop in three decaffeinated green tea bags, cover, and steep for 10 minutes. Remove the tea bags, and refrigerate the tea. When cool, pour the tea into a container, add ice if you like, and sip throughout the day.

Then try some Italian cooking.  Use MUFA-rich olive oil in your food prep whenever possible. The heart-healthy fat lowers "bad" LDL cholesterol and raises "good" HDL cholesterol. Bonus: Olive oil is also rich in antioxidants, which may help reduce the risk of cancer and other chronic diseases, like Alzheimer's. Substitute olive oil for butter or margarine at the dinner table, drizzle it on salads, and use it to replace vegetable oils in baking wherever possible. Buy only cold-pressed, extra-virgin oil; it retains more of the olive's heart-healthy antioxidants than other forms.