The AHA also recommends a limit of 10% or less of total calories of saturated fats and 30% of total calories for normal fats.
Saturated fats contain bad cholesterol or high cholesterol.
Saturated fats are to be found in such foods as butter, greasy sauces, fatty meats (beef, organ meats, dairy products).
What is desirable is the consumption of good cholesterol or low cholesterol.
These are to be found in cereal, certain ground nuts, fruit, vegetables, ground provision, and dark chocolate.
These good cholesterol foods are also high in fiber and very good for the digestive system.
Before I give further recommendations, it is crucial for persons with high cholesterol to understand that harboring high cholesterol levels leads to heart disease eventually.
With a prolonged period of this condition, a heart attack or stroke will soon ensue.
Good cholesterol foods, eaten regularly will absorb and eliminate this build up and this is why these foods are so important.
Within recent years the market has been flooded with a number of prescription drugs for high cholesterol.
These drugs have been largely effective but their downside has been side effects that are harsh and largely unacceptable.
These side effects can be life threatening such as kidney failure or an increase in the risk of cancer.
It has been found that the drug use life span should not exceed a four year period and because of this should be changed after this period.
Prescription drugs offer just a short term solution and a long term solution exists with good cholesterol foods.
The best natural cholesterol lowering diet involves consuming those foods that Nature provides naturally.
Loads of vegetables of all types, loads of fruit of all kinds, peas, beans, whole grain cereal, soy products, certain ground nuts and ground provision constitute natural cholesterol lowering foods.
In addition to these foods, lots of pure water should be consumed on a daily basis.
This will flush out toxins and bad cholesterol from the body.
This natural diet is much cheaper and safer than the use of prescription drugs as such drugs can produce side effects that range from mild to very serious depending on the individual.
If this diet is adopted, you will begin to see changes in cholesterol levels within seven days and a significant and welcome by-product will be a reduction in weight.
An active lifestyle involving regular exercise every day is also necessary.
Exercise activities can include walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, aerobic exercise, playing sport, etc.
At least 45 minutes a day, four times per week should be adequate.
Before concluding it must be stated that cholesterol does have an important role to play in the body in the form of hormone production and cell membrane formation.
The problems arise when there are excessive levels in the bloodstream.
The liver itself can also produce too much cholesterol and a poor diet will certainly exacerbate this situation.
The solution lies in healthy lifestyle changes which include in summary:-

1. Becoming more active and replacing a sedentary lifestyle with one that is filled with recreation and exercise.
   
2. Eating natural foods which are high in fiber and contain low saturated fats and low cholesterol
3. Eliminating such bad habits as smoking and excessive alcohol consumption and
4. Maintaining the above the regimes throughout one's life.
   

As is customary, before embarking on any life changing diet and exercise program, you should consult with your health professional.