Fish for Abs

            On the fence about what to order? Choose surf over turf.  Swedish researchers found that men who ate fish for lunch consumed 11% fewer calories at dinner than those who ate beef for lunch.  Interestingly, both meals contained the same amounts of calories, protein, fat and carbohydrates.  “The protein in fish takes longer to digest than that found in beef and chicken,” says lead study author Stephen Rossner, Ph.D. “So eating fish may help you feel full longer and may reduce you appetite at your next meal.” (For our favorite fish foods, check out the frozen fish sticks and ready-to-eat salmon and tuna in “The 125 Best Food for Men,”)

The Comfort-Food Zone

            It’s not your imagination: Stress does make you crave sweets, according to researchers at Montclair State University, in New Jersey.  In the study, scientists provided groups of stressed and unstressed people with four bowls of different snacks: potato chips, peanuts, grapes and M&M’s.  Although everyone ate the same amounts of chips and nuts, the stressed-out participants consumed five times more M&M’s and four times fewer grapes than their more laid-back counterparts.  One likely reason is that foods high in simple sugar, such as candy increase levels of serotonin, a feel-good chemical in your brain.  Problem is, this may make you happier momentarily, but it won’t reduce stress.  Instead, manage your stress and waistline simultaneously: Danish researchers found that those who exercise at any intensity for 2 hours a week- about 17 minutes a day – are 61% less likely to feel highly stressed than sedentary people.

Miles to Go

          Running off the pounds becomes harder as the years pass, report scientists at University of California at Berkeley.  In a recent study, researchers discovered that men who logged the same weekly mileage year after year- regardless of the amount- gained weight.  Even those who ran more than 40 miles a week susceptible.  “Your metabolism slows a little more every year, so you need to increase activity levels as you age,” says study author Paul T. Williams, Ph.D.  “Yet most men do the opposite,” Additional research suggests that regular running improves your body’s” exercise efficiency,” meaning the same amount of activity burns fewer calories.  The researchers calculated that to avoid weight gain, runners need to boost their weekly mileage by 1.7 miles every year.