“Live a long life and die as young as possible,” suggests Shirley Randall of Orrington.

“Years have nothing to do with being young. Be active right up to the end,” she said.

Randall, a registered dietitian, recently gave a talk on nutrition to the Brewer chapter of TOPS, a national, non-profit weight-loss organization that helps people to Take Off Pounds Sensibly.

As for diet, it still comes down to the basic food groups. If you are interested in losing weight, Shirley suggests that a 1,200-calorie diet be followed.

For those who don’t like measuring, weighing and counting, here is an easy way to keep on track:

Think of servings as being a half cup, or a slice, or 3 ounces. A fast-food hamburger is about 3 ounces. But don’t think about a fast-food hamburger.

Then remember to eat about three servings a day of the groups:

Milk, cheese, yogurt;

Meat, fish, poultry, beans, eggs, nuts;

Vegetables;

Fruits;

And six servings of the bread, cereal, rice and pasta category.

Eliminate most fats, oils and sweets.

Shirley recommends drinking skim milk — not 2 percent lowfat milk and not 1 percent. “Once you become accustomed to skim, you’ll never go back because the fat will stick to the roof of your mouth,” she said.

For a treat she enjoys fat-free frozen yogurt. It is a guilt-free snack.

Tofu is fabulous. It is a bean curd. You may need to develop a taste for it, but give it a fair chance.

Tofu assumes the flavor of the food you’re cooking. So, if you want to eat a lot of something without adding many calories, add several chunks of silky, firm tofu.

Be creative, but not with all of the hot sauces, walnuts, syrup and whipped cream you put over your fat-free frozen yogurt.

Baking, roasting, steaming and poaching are in. Frying is out.

Robbin Addams is a free-lance writer who lives in Brewer.