We've all read about the extraordinary measures celebrities go through to wipe out every molecule of cellulite from their bodies. Remember how pop star Jessica Simpson followed an aggressive exercise and diet plan to be able to wear Daisy Duke's signature shorts in the Dukes of Hazzard movie? Her fitness regimen included two hours a day of intense squats and lunges with her personal trainer, and her diet plan required that she cut out all sugar except fruit. But you don't have to have your own reality show to banish cellulite forever, and here's a simple and affordable diet and exercise plan that proves it.

There is mounting evidence that foods that break down fat, slow down the breakdown of collagen, and improve circulation and blood flow help to combat the appearance of cellulite.¹ Just as Jessica cut out sugar, you'll want to cut back, too. Plus, add these foods to your diet and watch those unsightly lumps and bumps fade away:

• Whole grains, fruits, beans, and vegetables contain key nutrients and phytochemicals that burn fat and help reduce cellulite. But, as we keep saying, try to cut back on bad, refined carbs like white bread, cookies, and muffins.
  
  
• Coffee, tea, and cocoa are high in caffeine and can also help burn fat. To really accelerate your fat-burning results, taking a green tea supplement such as Beachbody's Slimming Formula may also do wonders for your backside, especially when combined with an exercise program.
  
  
• Celery, onions, eggplant, asparagus, and watermelon are natural diuretics and will help reduce fluid buildup. Stay away from foods high in sodium, which have the opposite effect.
  
  
• Water (and lots of it!) helps eliminate waste and toxins from your body and maintain normal blood pressure and blood flow.
  
  
• Salmon and other fatty fish have omega-3 fats that expand blood vessels to improve circulation and blood flow.
  
  
• Red wine, red grape juice, and red grape skins block the function of two enzymes that break down collagen, which is believed to prevent the production of cellulite.²

Just adding red wine to your diet won't do the trick (regardless of what those banner ads tell you!) unless you also follow an effective workout program. As mentioned, Jessica followed an intense program of squats and lunges with her personal trainer—a luxury most of us can't afford. Instead we'll need to learn the right moves, or even better, follow an effective in-home fitness program along with online trainer support. Here's what you need to know . . .

• How to do the perfect lunge. Stand up straight, with your abs lifted, arms hanging by your sides, and your feet together. Inhale, and take a large step forward with your right leg, keeping your arms by your sides. Bend both knees so your right knee is directly over your right ankle and your right thigh is parallel to the floor. Hold for two seconds and then exhale as you straighten both legs. Repeat this motion with the left leg forward. Make sure to keep your body weight centered. Special Tip: If you're having trouble, use a chair for support.
  
  
• How to do the perfect squat. Stand up straight, with your abs tight and your feet at hip width. You can clasp your hands in front of you or let your arms hang straight down. Inhale and bend your knees as if you were going to sit back in a chair, lowering down until your thighs are nearly parallel to the floor. Pause at the bottom of the motion, then exhale as you slowly stand up. Special Tip: If you're having trouble, start by sitting in a chair and standing back up, using your hands to help you.
  
  
• Best fitness programs for lunges and squats. In Slim in 6^®, celebrity trainer Debbie Siebers will show you the right technique and motivate you to keep going for your best toning results. If you've already completed a Beachbody fitness program, you'll want to skip Slim in 6 and go straight to Debbie's advanced Slim Series™ program. You'll learn even more ways to do lunges and squats than you ever thought possible, go deeper, and do more reps with added resistance until your thighs and buns are smooth, toned, and tight!
  
  
• Best online trainer support. You can get more tips on technique and more support to reach your goals at Beachbody's online diet and support club, TeamBeachbody.com.

^1,2 Kleiner, Susan M., PhD, RD, FACN, CNS. The Ultimate Anti-Cellulite Diet. Fitness RX. October 2005.

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If you thought the spin doctors in Washington, D.C., were masters of the craft, they don't hold a candle against the slicksters working in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Every couple of years, the chocolate industry comes out with this claim or that about how chocolate is good for you. While there's a shred of truth to this, for the most part, chocolate is chocolate is chocolate and the health benefit it has is outweighed by the saturated fat and sugar that will clog your arteries and make you fat.

Don't get me wrong. I love chocolate. In fact, you have no idea how much I love it. I'd bathe in it, if I could—but I'm also willing to admit that it's just not good for me.

Not buying it? I thought that might happen so, in the spirit of fairness, I challenged a member of the chocolate community to a debate. The following is an excerpt from a conversation between me and the Red M&M Guy. Given he's obviously smarter than the Yellow M&M Guy, it makes it more of a fair fight.

Red M&M Guy: Chocolate is a good source of minerals.

Beachbody: Wrong. Sure it has potassium, copper, and magnesium, but as stated above, it also has plenty of saturated fat. If you're looking for a sweet source of minerals, eat a banana.

Red M&M Guy: Chocolate is packed with antioxidants.

Beachbody: That is correct. The cocoa bean contains flavonoids that act as powerful antioxidants, but so do fruits, veggies, tea, and coffee—and these things don't contain (say it with me now) saturated fat and tons of sugar.

Red M&M Guy: You're a sarcastic jerk.

Beachbody: Yeah, probably, but that's off topic. We're talking about chocolate here.

Red M&M Guy: Chocolate's saturated fat isn't bad saturated fat.

Beachbody: Hogwash. Stearic acid, a "good" saturated fat, is indeed present in chocolate, but the stuff's also full of other saturated fats, like palmitic acid, that are nasty as can be.

Red M&M Guy: But studies show its benefits!

Beachbody: Here's where the real spin comes in. Yes, in 1998 Harvard University published a study that indicated men who ate chocolate lived up to a year longer. But if you read the fine print, you'll see the guys who benefited most ate a small amount one to three times a month.

Red M&M Guy: Wow. This is all really depressing. It makes me want to . . . eat chocolate! Wait a minute. I've read that chocolate works as an antidepressant! I've got you this time, wisenheimer!

Beachbody: You do have a point, but there are a couple other things that have proven more beneficial in the long term to fight a case of the blues: diet and exercise.

Red M&M Guy: I hate you.

Beachbody: Come on, man! I'm not telling you to cut it out completely. I love chocolate and eat it regularly, but as a treat. It's all about moderation. Like a margarita or a Bruce Willis movie, chocolate isn't good for you, but it's an acceptable, occasional pleasure. Those fellas in the Harvard study probably lived a little longer because they knew how to relax a little without overdoing it.

As a matter of fact, I haven't had a treat in at least a week—and you're looking pretty good.

Red M&M Guy: Get away from me.

Beachbody: Come back here, little buddy! It's snack time!

All characters in this article—even those based on real people—are entirely fictional. All celebrity voices are impersonated . . . poorly. Well, you can't hear them, but trust us, they are. The facts, however, are all true.

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