Most of you know that regular everyday cholesterol is a very bad thing that leads to all sorts of nasty things like arterial blockage and heart attack; however HDL Cholesterol or “good cholesterol” is a very good thing and your body wants as much of it as we can give them. So how do you raise good cholesterol levels? Well, it’s not exactly rocket science. So, take out your pen and pad, and jot down these sure fire ways to raise good cholesterol.

For at least 20 minutes a day, you need to exercise. You don’t have to joing a gym and go crazy. I mean just walk around the block a few times. Call a friend to see if they will go for a jog with you before work. You do not have to wear yourself out, you just need to spend that minimum amount of time doing it. So, turn off that television and do something good for your cholesterol!

Another less than fun topic is really important here. You need to keep off any extra pounds. Talk to your physician about the best way to lose weight and do it soon. Having even a few extra pounds does a lot of harm. It will raise the levels of the bad cholesterol and take down the healthy or HDL cholesterol levels. Hey, refer back to the first tip if you cannot think of ways to lose weight!

Quit Smoking – About the only advantage you might have as a smoker, is that you have an extra thing to refrain from. Stop puffing and your body will start increasing HDL levels almost immediately.

Here is the hard one for me. Stop eating all of the fried, fatty foods. If you can stop eating them completely, that is this the best. However, even a slight decrease in you consumption of them will help. Start replacing them with as many fresh fruits and vegetables as possible.

Alcohol – Drink Some! Not a lot, mind you. But many studies show that one or two alcoholic drinks per day do help to raise good cholesterol. Drinking too much leads to its own problems; so just enough for medicinal purposes please.

This by no means is a complete list of ways to increase your good cholesterol. Use your common sense. Maintain a healthy diet and exercise regime. Always keep in mind that you only get one body, so be careful with it!