Girlfriends ... if you want to live longer, stay away from the Western diet. Many women filling their grocery carts with healthier choices -- fruits, veggies, beans, whole grains, fish and poultry -- are literally extending their lives.

A new study by Harvard researchers examined dietary habits and longevity of more than 72,000 American women between 1984 to 2002. Women who ate Western diets -- plenty of red and processed meat, sweets, French fries and refined grains -- were 21 percent more likely to die during the study period than women who steered clear from those foods.

I've known for years a Western diet is not a healthy one. But hearing these sobering death statistics in relation to a Western diet really makes my double X chromosomes think twice about ordering a burger and fries.