We all grow older, don’t we? And, at least in America, it seems that as we grow older, our waistlines grow, too. That’s completely natural. Or is it? I’m sure, however, you’ve seen that man or woman who seems to be aging quite a bit more slowly than you and everybody else is. What’s their secret? Well, Consumer Reports wanted to know the same thing. And their findings might surprise you.

It’s Not Genetics

You might be tempted to think it’s all in the genes. But guess what? It’s not! Consumer Reports’ study found that a large part of how well certain people aged was not in their genes, but in what they ate. Specifically, they tended to get more of their calories through fruits and vegetables than everyone else.

The survey was conducted through Consumer Reports’ subscribers. They were asked to fill out a questionnaire about their weight, eating habits, and exercise habits. 21, 632 readers completed the survey. This found that there were roughly three groups of people. Those who had never been overweight. Those who once were overweight and now were the correct weight. And those who had been chronically overweight.

Key Behaviors

Consumer Reports used this information to identify six key behaviors of the thin group and of the successful loser group. On top of the list was eating lots of fruits and vegetables. Roughly half of the thin and successful loser groups said they ate five or more servings of fruits and vegetables at least five days out of the week.

Fruits and vegetables help weight loss in several ways. For once, they are naturally low in calories while being high in volume. They’re also high in important nutrients that make the body run better. In fact, this relationship between what’s called “energy density” (calories) and weight has recently been studied by the Department of Nutritional Sciences at Pennsylvania State University. They found that increasing the volume of the food while keeping the energy density the same or lower reduced the amount of food eaten at a meal. Less food, fewer calories. Fewer calories, less weight. Interestingly, people tend to eat food by it’s weight. So, if a food is less dense in terms of calories, you get fewer calories per ounce of food. You’re volume of the same, but the calories eaten is less.

You have worked hard all week eating healthy and making smart choices. You took the stairs at least one more time than usual this week and you might have even parked farther out in the parking lot and on top of it, you got in all of your scheduled workouts. Congrats! Then it hits you, that overwhelming craving for something on your ‘do not eat’ list. You actually felt it sneaking up on you yesterday and you ignored it. You did find yourself standing at the pantry and refrigerator door about fifteen times hoping that there really might be something sweet (or salty - depending on your vice) in there to snack on this time. If you are like me, the best I can find is a bag of baking chocolate chips leftover from holiday baking. I just cannot pull myself to eat those now that they turned a funky chalky white color and I finally throw them away. Then the craving mounts… It becomes bigger than you. You get irritated. You decide to find something healthy instead and will the craving to go away. Nope. It is still there. Know what happens next? Yep - you make it a mission to fulfill that craving no matter what and you do. Not only do you fulfill the craving, you manage to eat enough to fulfill the craving for you and five of your closest deprived friends as well. Shortly the aching starts. Not the bellyache from all you ate, but the aching you feel from beating yourself up. It’s a cycle doomed to repeat itself unless you look at this whole mess another way.

There are ways you can healthfully manage the cravings. One way is to find a healthy substitute for your craving right away and be done with it. For instance, if you are craving chocolate chip cookies, have one small portion controlled snack pack of chocolate chip cookies. Savor each cookie and enjoy the flavor. Don’t just break open the bag and inhale. There aren’t that many pieces in a snack pack and if you cram them quickly, your mind will not register it on the craving satisfaction meter. Essentially, it is as if it did not count at all. There are many 100-calorie snack pack options available now and if you take the time to enjoy them, you will usually find your craving is satisfied and you are able to go on with life without obsessing over cookies. My newest satisfaction substitution is the Chocolate Shakeology. *Commercial Alert* Seriously, I was craving something sweet the other night and I made myself a chocolate Shakeology shake with one cup of nonfat milk and lots of ice. I blended it in the blender until it was thick and creamy and it was so yummy! I satisfied my craving with an indulgent 210-calorie shake that is loaded with nutrients vs. the full-fat version that can come in over 500 calories! I am not a fan of anything chocolaty in the morning so I have a Greenberry Shakeology every morning and that made the Chocolate Shakeology a real treat for me. Anyway…

Another way to handle the craving madness, and one that is truly reserved for those with very strong will-power, is to indulge in a small (and I mean smaller than RDA standards, not yours) amount of the one thing you are craving the most. For me, that would be ordering a piece of apple pie ala mode and sharing it with the others at the table. If I get others to agree to share, I am less likely to scarf it all down myself and risk the evil stares from those that didn’t get their share of the pie.

A suggestion for those that work in an office environment - you know that traditionally vending machines are full of temptations and traps. Stay away from that trap. ?Buy a supply of your favorite portion controlled snack packs or maybe miniature chocolate bars and have a friend keep them for you in his or her office or desk. The trick is, you will have to find a buddy who has their own vice, preferable different than yours and you make an agreement to also hold their snacks. When you want a snack, you will have to go to your buddy to ask for it. This may help prevent you from eating two or three packs at one sitting. Just make sure you aren’t pilfering through the stash you are holding for your buddy!

The point is that you do not have to deprive yourself completely when a craving strikes. There are ways to manage through and come out satisfied on the other side. Do not wait until you cannot take it anymore and then overindulge. Be proactive, make smart choices, and allow yourself the occasional controlled delight. You will feel better if you do and trust me, the world around you will be thankful you did because you are much happier when you are content.

Thanks to celebrity diets and endorsements from Oprah, millions of people are losing weight fast, and just in time for beach wear.

Many popular diets have come out in the past months, and they’re working. From Rachel Ray to Britney Spears coming back into the spotlight, these high profile people are letting America know about their secret to getting firm and fit in a matter of days.

So what’s the hottest, most effective diet for 2009?

The most notable is the acai berry diet, which is a supplement that will increase your energy levels and metabolism so you burn fat literally in your sleep. You’ll want to be careful not to take any acai berry before you get ready for bed, because it will keep you up at night.

But during the day, you can take this natural supplement to boost your metabolism, flush away impurities that make your body feel sluggish, and enjoy rapid weight loss like you’ve never experienced. In just days you can lose 10 pounds or more and firm up your stomach and watch jaws drop at the beach.

The acai berry can be taken in a capsule form with your breakfast or while on the run. Of course it always helps to incorporate exercise and a healthy diet, but as busy as we are that’s not always possible. Your increased metabolism will be running at full speed with the help of this powerful natural supplement, which will melt away pounds even as you rest. It’s the hottest trend in Hollywood and quickly caught on to allow millions of Americans to get their body back.