Fish, nuts, olive oil ... Zorba the Greek would have no problem getting 30 percent of his daily calories from monounsaturated fats, as Dr. Giampapa suggests. The tips below can help you eat like Zorba.

Go a little nutty. The people in Mediterranean countries eat a lot of nuts, a primo source of monounsaturated fats. Follow their example and toss a small handful of raw almonds, walnuts, or sunflower or pumpkin seeds on salads, rice dishes, or veggies, suggests Dr. Lieberman. In a 10 year study of 86,016 women ages 34 to 59 conducted by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health, women who ate 5 ounces of nuts a week were 35 percent less likely to have heart disease, most likely because of the nuts' beneficial effects on cholesterol.

Get hooked on fish. Eat fish such as salmon, tuna, cod, haddock, herring, perch, or snapper once or twice a week, suggests Dr. Lieberman. These fish, caught in the deepest and coldest waters of the North Atlantic, are rich in omega 3 fatty acids, substances that have been shown to raise HDL cholesterol. (Omega 3's also help make eicosanoids, hormonelike substances that encourage our bodies to make hGH, says Dr. Giampapa.)

Feast on a fatty fruit. Toss a few chunks of avocado into your salads, or add a few slices to a sandwich in place of cheese. Avocados are rich in oleic acid, the same monounsaturated fat found in olive oil. Since avocados are high in calories and contain about 30 grams of fat apiece, enjoy them in moderation, says Dr. Lieberman.

Protect olive oil. Buy small bottles of olive oil with long, narrow necks. And after you use the oil, cap the bottle tightly and refrigerate it. "These steps limit the oil's exposure to oxygen, which will keep it from turning rancid and discourage the formation of free radicals," says Robert Goldman, D.O., Ph.D., cofounder of the American Academy of Anti Aging Medicine and coauthor of Stopping the Clock.

Refrigerated olive oil will solidify. When you're ready to use it, run the bottle under warm water for a few minutes, then pour off the reliquefied oil that forms at the top.