It is important to eat a low-cholesterol diet if you have high cholesterol.   In addition to being careful about your diet, you can help lower your cholesterol by the following:

• Get more exercise, especially aerobic exercise. Exercise lowers your total cholesterol and your "bad" LDL cholesterol. It also raises your "good" HDL cholesterol. Ask your doctor about an exercise plan. Start slowly to avoid injury. Exercise also helps improve circulation, lower blood pressure, lower blood sugar, decrease body fat, and increase muscle tone.
• Don't smoke. Smoking lowers your HDL.
• Maintain a normal weight.
• Have your cholesterol levels and weight checked regularly by your doctor. At first your cholesterol level may need to be checked every 3 to 6 months until it is staying in the normal range. Then you may need to check it just once a year.