I have always had a total cholesterol around 220-230, which I know is borderline. But my last test, on my 49th birthday, was 271 (fasting). My HDL is 42, and my trigs. are 182, so my LDL at 202 and my total at 271 are the bad actors here.

I exercise regularly and don't smoke; i am not overweight. I have tried even very small doses of statin drugs, but they had side effects that I could not tolerate, plus Niacin made me flush badly. Help?

(PS: I have recently moved back to whole milk and cheese because my GP recommends milk fat as "good fat." As well, I use only olive oil when I cook).