Everyone knows that the liver’s main function is to filter blood, but what many people don’t know is that the liver also has a hand in creating one of the most common sources of heart disease and that is cholesterol. This waxy, fat-like substance doesn’t just exist in the food you eat (i.e., meat, eggs, dairy, etc.), it’s also created naturally by your body. And despite common misconception, it isn’t always bad for you. Some cholesterol is needed by the body to help your organs do their jobs. The problem is when you have too much of it. More accurately, it’s when you have too much LDL cholesterol and not enough HDL cholesterol. The latter is sent to your liver where it’s distributed throughout your body. The former blocks your arteries instead.

That’s why it’s important to regulate your cholesterol levels by using the following natural methods:

1. Quit smoking
Cancer isn’t the only thing smoking gives you, it also reduces good cholesterol while increasing the bad kind. Lower cholesterol isn’t the only reason to quit smoking. Deep wrinkled and leathery skin are more common in smokers. They’re more vulnerable to colds and the flu. Going through chemotherapy because of lung cancer isn’t fun either.

2. Weight loss
Weight loss is a great way to naturally reduce your cholesterol. Not only does losing weight reduce the total amount of cholesterol, it also leads to feeling great. It gives you a confidence boost, decreases stress and gives you more energy. It leads to better sleep and all the benefits you get from that. Losing weight isn’t easy. And especially with how difficult it is to avoid unhealthy foods.

3. Avoid trans fats
Our bodies handle trans fats differently than other types of fat. The result? An increase of artery-blocking cholesterol and a reduction up to 20% of the good kind. Much of what we eat contains the awful fat. Margarine, fried foods, processed and prepackaged foods, even foods that say “0 grams” can contain it. The only way to make sure the food you’re buying is free of trans fat is to check the ingredients list. If it says it contains partially hydrogenated oil, watch out.

4. Exercise
Just 30 minutes of exercise 5 days a week can reduce LDL cholesterol and increase HDL cholesterol. Even low-intensity workouts like walking can increase the amount of good cholesterol in your body. But the best benefits show up when you can increase your health rate to 75% of its maximum. If you can get it to 85%, you’ll really start to get rid of the bad cholesterol. The longer and more intense the workout, the bigger the results. And since you’ll be losing weight when you exercise, you’ll get all the benefits from that too.