If you've made that trip to the doctor only to find out that your cholesterol is on the high side, it's not too late to change. You don't have to start taking cholesterol-lowering drugs (statins) right away. There are other actions you can take in your daily life that don't require medication.  Even if you do start taking medicine, try making some of these changes to live an all-around healthier lifestyle.

Decrease saturated fat

It turns out that saturated fat is one of the largest contributing factors to high cholesterol levels, besides family history. Instead of cutting back on "high-cholesterol" foods like eggs, work to specifically eliminate saturated fat from your diet, like butter, whole milk and sausage. The only way to truly monitor your fat intake is by carefully reading nutrition labels.

Increase monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats

Don't just rid fat from your diet. Fat is an important part of eating a  healthy, balanced diet, but the trick is to know which foods and fats to consume. Stick to olive oil, salmon and tuna, walnuts and almonds and avocados, loaded with the cholesterol-lowering omega-3 fatty acids. All of these foods have a higher fat content, but a higher good fat content. These foods will all work to increase your HDL or "good' cholesterol levels.

If you're a smoker, quit

Smoking lowers you HDL or "good" cholesterol levels and is a major contributing factor to heart disease.

Go green

Not only is drinking green tea better than consuming calorie-packed, sugary beverages, some studies also suggest that green tea contains compounds that could help lower LDL or "bad" cholesterol.

Get nutty

It's true that the nutrition labels on nut packages may look scary, but in reality, nuts, especially walnuts and almonds, have amazing health benefits.  They contain high amounts of healthy fats and can help reduce your overall cholesterol. Since nuts are higher in calories, stick to a handful a day.

Move it, move it

Exercising regularly can raise your good cholesterol by as much as 10 percent! Aim for 30 - 45 minutes per day most days of the week for best results. Just because you want increase your level of physical activity doesn't mean you have to slave away in the gym, either. Purchase a pedometer (most are very affordable) and aim for 10,000 steps per day.