I had a debate with my wife last evening where she suggested that seeing her mother substitute a plate full of vegetables for her typical large meat portion and seeing her heap a quarter cup of olive oil on top was just as bad as seeing her over gorge on meats and starches. 

My take was that olive oil was a good substitute for vegetable oils and the animal fat found in meat — even if she was going a little heavy on the olive oil.

I have yet to come across a study that does not tout the benefits of olive oil, but recent research I came across while studying The Health Sanctuary seems to support the notion that olive oil and vegetables together can not only drastically improve your weight loss goals, it can make you live longer.

Perhaps more than anything else as we age we become more open to the possibilities of “the fountain of youth” or anything that buys us a year or two onto what is quickly approach the last half or last portion of our time here on earth.

These are things I never paid much attention to when I was in my 20′s or 30′s, but start to think about as I enter my 40′s.

Certainly weight loss becomes a big issue as it gets easier and easier to pack on the pounds and harder and harder to take that weight off. 

Now, it seems that studies of Greeks spanning nearly 10-years have proven that extra helpings of vegetables combined with olive oil is the ticket to longevity – at least in their study.  Even more interesting was the fact that just leaving meat out of your diet was not enough – it had to be more vegetables and more olive oil to really make the difference.

So, back to my mother in law.  If olive oil is something that helps her add more vegetables and less meat to her diet, then according to this study, she certainly could be heading for a longer, healthier and more fulfilling life. 

Get the latest weight loss and health tips and articles over at the Health Sanctuary…lose weight and live longer.