Can This Oil Control Your Appetite?

Can't stop munching? Tear off a piece of chewy whole-grain bread. Now, dip it (we didn't say drench it) in the best olive oil you can find. Savor every flavor you can find in the mixture. And consider your snackfest done.

See, olive oil contains oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat that helps control your appetite. Upon reaching the small intestine, oleic acid triggers the production of oleoylethanolamide (OEA), another fatty substance. OEA then finds its way to nerve endings that carry a hunger-curbing message to the brain (one that goes something like, "Hey. Stop eating! You're full!!"). You don't need to wait for appetite-suppressing drugs using OEA to be created to lose weight and to squelch the munching that is making your clothes tighter than a corporate budget. Get a similar effect with these strategies:

• Work off your appetite. Regular aerobic exercise may make you less hungry, not more.
• Fire up your omelet. Adding a little red pepper to your morning egg whites could decrease the amount you eat later in the day.
• Have a stick. People who chew on gum after lunch have fewer hunger pangs, fewer cravings for sweets, and eat fewer afternoon snacks than people who don't chew the stuff.
• Sleep! If you don't get enough ZZZs, you increase your appetite. Tired and hungry isn't a pretty combo (ask any waitperson at an all-night diner). Next time you want to snack, see if you can hit the sack instead.