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Regular exercise is one of the best ways to reduce cholesterol (see Chapter 7), but certain foods can stimulate your body to produce HDL. Garlic has a substance that has this effect, as do oily fish such as herrings, mackerel, sardines, tuna and salmon. Oily fish contains Omega-3, which can help your body carry more LDL to the intestines to be excreted. Other foods which are thought to lower cholesterol include fresh fruit, vegetables and olive oil. Kidney beans and other legumes such as chickpeas, as well as soy-based foods are also thought to lower the risk of raised LDL levels.

Aim to have at least two or three meals containing garlic/oily fish a week. Why not try freshly grilled sardines, herrings, tuna steaks or salmon, or make fish soups and garlic dips? Add garlic to pasta sauces and stir-fries, or you can take a daily supplement.

Fresh garlic (which is in the shops for a couple of months every year) is the most potent, but during the rest of the year the older garlic is fine. If you find the smell of garlic a little anti-social, try chewing fresh parsley or coffee beans after you’ve eaten it to reduce the potency of the smell, or you can take an odour-controlled supplement.

Make sure you eat enough fibre in your diet. Fibre produces substances which help your body excrete more LDL. Fibre also prevents large amounts of fat being absorbed, so that more LDL is kept bound within the gut and excreted. Eating vegetables (including beans and lentils), fruits and whole grains, bread, pasta and rice every day really helps to bring your blood fat profile within the ideal range.

Oats are rich in a particular fibre that has proved especially useful in reducing cholesterol levels. Try to include oats in your meals at least once or twice a week – as oatcakes, flapjacks, porridge oatmeal (from healthfood shops) or in fruit desserts.

In addition to watching your saturated fat intake, eating plenty of fruits and vegetables will also have a beneficial effect – and don’t forget the very pleasant idea of drinking a glass of red wine (ideally, organic) every day. Red wine contains antioxidants which can help reduce cholesterol.

If you follow the other healthy eating guidelines in this chapter for fibre, EFAs, complex carbs and fruits and vegetables, you will already be eating a diet that can lower your risk of high LDL levels. As you can see, all these eating guidelines work towards the same goal – improving your health and your PCOS symptoms.