IN THE last couple of months, two members of my family have been told by their doctors that they have high cholesterol. Luckily, there is plenty of information available about how to lower raised cholesterol to keep our hearts healthy, preventing the risk of stroke or heart attack. It is vital to keep cholesterol under control, and happily, a balanced diet can make a real difference.

A recent study by nutritionists in the UK found that a diet of carefully selected superfoods could reduce cholesterol by up to nearly 30% naturally, without the need for any medication.

The main influence on cholesterol levels from our diet is the amount and type of fat that we consume so it is very important to know exactly what is in your food.

It's time to stock up on fish (especially oily fish like mackerel, salmon and sardines), porridge oats, fruit, including lots of apples, vegetables, including lots of dark green leafy varieties, carrots, tomatoes and onions, tins of cooked pulses for quick bean stews or salads, extra virgin olive oil, herbs, spices, tea (green or black), naturally lower-fat cheeses like ricotta and feta, and even a bar of really good 70% or 72% cocoa solids chocolate.

The foods to steer clear of include butter, double cream, fatty meats including chorizos and salamis, and most definitely those bags of crisps.

Thankfully, all the food that is good for lowering cholesterol is delicious, so you don't have to compromise on taste, and the added bonus with a cholesterol-friendly diet is that the extra pounds that one may have accumulated over Christmas will soon be history too.

Tips for a lower cholesterol » As we are always being told, porridge oats are one of the best ways to start the day, either in porridge itself or in a muesli.

»Change to extra-virgin olive oil or vegetable (rapeseed) oil, and spreads made from these.

»Include two portions of oily fish in your diet each week, or take a daily supplement if you don't eat fish.

»Treat meat as an accompaniment to vegetables and salads, not the other way around. An ideal portion is the size of a deck of cards. Fill the gaps on your plate with salads and vegetables.

»Have fruit, or a few nuts (almonds or walnuts are the best) or seeds for between-meal snacks.

»Use more herbs and spices in your cooking, for extra anti-oxidant nutrients.

»Enjoy a glass of wine or a small beer most days.

»Every day eat two (yes, just two) squares of dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa solid content.

»You still need calcium so use low-fat (skimmed) dairy foods for calcium benefit without the saturated fat.

»Maintain a healthy weight for your height.

Thai chicken salad Serves 4 I adore this fresh zingy salad. The dressing can be used for other salads too.

Four chicken breasts, skinless 17One tbsp vegetable (rapeseed) or olive oil One small bird's eye red chilli, finely chopped, not deseeded 2 1/2cm cube of fresh ginger, grated Two lemongrass stalks, peeled and finely chopped One tbsp chopped fresh mint One tbsp brown sugar One garlic clove, crushed Juice of one lemon One tbsp reduced-salt soy sauce One tbsp Thai fish sauce 150g baby spinach leaves Lime wedges, to serve Slice the chicken breasts into 2.5cm pieces. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the chicken on a medium-high heat until it is cooked through. Try not to keep turning the chicken in the pan so that it gets a nice, caramelised glaze.

Meanwhile, put the chilli, ginger, mint, lemongrass, sugar, lemon juice, garlic, soy sauce and fish sauce in a bowl and mix together very well. Add the cooked chicken to the bowl and mix again. Now add the raw spinach, mix well and serve as a salad at once, with the lime wedges on the side.

Japenese-style beans Serves 4 900g French beans One tbsp vegetable oil One garlic clove, crushed Four tbsp sesame seeds Four tbsp sesame oil Two tbsp reduced-salt soy sauce Dash of Tabasco sauce Freshly ground pepper Put the beans in a pan of boiling water for three minutes - do not overcook.

Drain. Heat the oil in a large wok or pan. Add the beans and garlic, fry for one minute on a medium-high, then add the remaining ingredients. Cook for a further minute and serve.

Steamed sea bass - Chinese style Serves 4 This dish is wonderful in its simplicity - try it with any whole fish. I recommend investing in a steamer - it's such an easy and healthy way to cook fish and vegetables.

Four whole sea-bass (or any whole fish) Four spring onions, each sliced into three-four pieces Two tbsp reduced-salt soy sauce 2 1/2cm cube fresh ginger, grated Two tbsp sesame oil Two tbsp vegetable oil You can either get your fishmonger to remove the scales and gut the fish or you can do it yourself - it is very easy. Just use the back of a knife and scrape up and down the fish. All the scales come off this way. Then slice through the belly and remove everything under cold water to gut the fish.

Put the fish in a large steamer (bamboo is best).

Top the fish with the spring onions, soy sauce, ginger and sesame oil and steam on a medium heat for 18-22 minutes.

In a small pan, heat the vegetable oil. Pour the hot oil over the fish to make a crackle on the skin. Serve with rice.

Moroccan lamb on couscous Serves 4 Use shoulder of lamb for a wonderful flavour. Use roasted root vegetables instead of asparagus when not in season.

Four large boneless lamb steaks 250g uncooked couscous Juice of one lemon Four spring onions, finely chopped One tbsp olive oil 10 large asparagus spears, cut into 2 1/2cm pieces 1One garlic clove, crushed For the marinade:

One tbsp soy sauce One tsp honey Drop of olive oil One garlic clove, crushed Four sprigs of fresh rosemary, finely chopped Juice of one lemon Combine all the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl and add to the lamb steaks. Refrigerate for at least an hour so that the flavours are absorbed.

Put the couscous in a bowl and add boiling water to just above the level of the couscous. Cover with a plate to keep in the heat and set aside for five minutes. Squeeze over the lemon juice and add the spring onions.

In a large wok, heat the olive oil and fry the asparagus, add the garlic and fry for a minute. Add to the couscous and stir well.

Sear the lamb on a high heat in a frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil. (I do this for two-three minutes on each side as I like it quite pink; for well done cook for four minutes on each side).

To serve, remove the lamb from the pan, slice each steak into three pieces and put on a bed of couscous.

Light crème brûlée Serves 4 This is a very healthy way to make crème brûlée, if you are told to cut out the cream, so you won't have to miss out.

400g raspberries or sliced strawberries One tsp vanilla extract 300g plain low-fat yoghurt Six tbsp Greek yoghurt Six tbsp brown sugar Four sprigs of fresh mint Preheat the grill to high.

Divide the fruit between four ramekins or bowls.

Mix together the vanilla and yoghurt (not the Greek yoghurt) and pour on top of the fruit in each ramekin or bowl. Now add a thin layer of Greek yoghurt to each ramekin to prevent the mixture from curdling.

Sprinkle 1 1/2 tbsps of brown sugar on each ramekin to cover the surface. Put under the hot grill for twothree minutes until the sugar has caramelised. Top with fresh mint and serve.

All recipes taken from Healthy Eating for Lower Cholesterol, by Daniel Green and Catherine Collins, published by Kyle Cathie BOOK OF THE WEEK Healthy Eating for Lower Cholesterol, by Daniel Green and Catherine Collins, published by Kyle Cathie, is definitely the book to get if you are trying to follow a cholesterol-friendly diet. It is full of delicious and tempting recipes, featured here, covering every meal from breakfast to dinner, and packed with the latest research and findings in cholesterol and food, along with easy-tofollow nutritional and dietary recommendations, clever cooking and shopping tips.