6 simple ways to shrink stress (and ab fat)

1. Eat more foods with omega-3 fats. These essential fatty acids have been linked to a decrease in both stress and body fat including ab fat.

2. Take a hike, a vigorous walk or a bike ride. You've heard it before, but daily exercise is truly one of the best stress reducers you'll ever find -- and it will also help you lose weight.

3. Go Mediterranean. The Mediterranean Diet is a boon twice over: It reduces weight and chronic disease. (See "4 Stress-Busting Recipes.")(see "4 Stress-Busting Recipes")

4. Relax -- every day. Deep-belly breathing, meditation and muscle relaxation therapy (in which you tense and then relax your muscles, moving down the body from head to toes) are all tried-and-true ways to beat stress.

5. Limit stress-fueled noshing. People who frequently turn to food when stressed have higher levels of both insulin and cortisol.

6. Think positively. Negative thought patterns create stress, but if you learn to look on the bright side more, you can cut tension. Pick up the book Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy, by David D. Burns, M.D. (Quill, 1999), which is filled with tips on how to improve your outlook and fight negative thinking.