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Olive Oil for a Flat Belly

Rating: 4 out of 5
That bagel? It could go right to your gut. Literally. But a bit of olive oil each day may help keep your middle little.

That's what researchers are saying after testing two diets -- one high in carbs and the other based on healthy fats from olive oil. The "fat" diet kept bellies flatter.

Why Belly Fat Is So Bad
Besides making you sad when you zip up your pants, excessive abdominal fat increases your risk for high blood sugar and many other health problems. But in a recent study of overweight people, a Mediterranean-style diet -- where approximately 30 percent to 40 percent of the calories came from unsaturated fats, like those in olive oil -- seemed to help prevent tummy-expanding over time. Another bonus: The fat-focused diet helped people maintain better insulin sensitivity, too. Not so with the high-carb diet, which seemed to encourage body fat to relocate to people’s bellies. (Read this to find out how much Mediterranean eating it takes to reduce heart disease.)

Weight Loss Arithmetic
Keep in mind that extra olive oil isn't going to help you trim your middle. It could just help keep your pants from getting tighter. For serious waist whittling, you'll need two must-do's: a healthy diet and extra exercise. Try the YOU Docs' plan for making this 1+1 waist loss equation work for you.

Did You Know?
Some fats make you hungrier. Get the scoop here on which ones can leave you wanting.
RealAge Benefit: Eating only healthful fat can make your RealAge 3.4 years younger.

References Published on 10/13/2008.

EDITOR'S PICK


When food this good for you tastes this great, how can you go wrong? The bounty of fantastic recipes from the Mediterranean vegetable garden makes this cookbook one of our member favorites!

What is the BEST healthy gift you have ever given or received?
Tell us at Products@RealAge.com -- we may feature it in our upcoming Holiday Gift Guide!

 
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Tips from the RealAge Community MemberTipsIcon
How do you use olive oil in your diet?
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OliveOyl50
1 of 1 people found this helpful.
2/14/2009 1:33:03 PM

We use Olive Oil to make popcorn on the stove in a whirligig pan. We just lightly salt it. Our friends and family love the popcorn. We ar [Show More]
Debbieha
17 of 18 people found this helpful.
10/17/2008 9:31:20 AM

Love the stuff.. the magic of EVOO.. I marinate with it, add it to make salad dressing as blueonthebay does. I also infuse it with herbs and [Show More]
blueonthebay
21 of 22 people found this helpful.
10/17/2008 4:43:18 AM

Start making your own salad dressings that start with olive oil as a base. You can add any combination of vinegar, fresh herbs, fresh squee [Show More]
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