by Michael Messner
The one problem that most single men have is, they never have a well stocked pantry. This can cause major problems. If you don't have a stocked pantry, you are more likely to fill up on snack food or even worse, fast food. You need to make sure that you have a well stocked pantry so that you can cook healthy meals without much effort. Don't know what kinds of things that you should always have on hand? Well, no need to worry about it anymore. We will give you a list of 20 items that are must haves for you pantry.
1. Water his might sound silly, but always have some cold water on hand. Get yourself a pitcher or something that you can keep water in the ice box.
2. Milk. You should always have some low fat milk on hand. Cereal in the morning is a great way to get a good easy meal.
3. Fruit. Always have some fruit on hand. It is great for snacking. You can eat fruit and instead of potato chips.
4. Carrots. These are great for snacking. Just add some low fat dip and you have a snack that will rival any deep fried snacks.
5. Peanut butter. This is a great way to get some protein without having to worry about the fat. Use it on your toast for breakfast instead of butter.
6. Eggs. You need these for baking and other specialties. Also they are great for a protein filled breakfast.
7. Yogurt. This is great for hot summer days. You can make tons of drinks out of this. Also, it is great with chicken. You should learn a bit about Indian cooking for more ways to use yogurt. Indians love yogurt and eat it often.
8. Butter. You shouldn't suck on butter like you do a lollipop. But, butter is a must for baked goods. Also, fried eggs taste great cooked in butter.
9. Lemons. These are a must if you eat a lot of seafood. Also, a cold glass of lemonade is great after a hard days work.
10. Mayo. Don't use this stuff every day. But, you do need to use some if you make tuna or chicken salad. It can also be great on low fat cuts of chicken and such. It is good on items that are dry. Make sure to buy the low fat kind and to use as little as possible.
11. Mustard. I like to use this instead of mayo on sandwiches. It is a great way to knock out the fat.
12. Cheese. This is a must have. Don't eat too much of it. But, cheese is the beauty of life. It can make a dull dish come alive.
13. Drinks. Always have some drinks on hand. Have some fruit juice, beer and sodas in the ice box. Don't go over board with them, but have a beer from time to time as a treat.
14. Fresh ginger. This will keep for a long time in your ice box. Don't cover it or anything like that. Keep it whole in your ice box for best keeping.
15. Bread. You should always have some bread on hand. Don't go hog wild here on the carbs. A good sandwich is great from time to time. I would suggest that you find a local bakery and buy your bread there. Don't buy that awful white stuff that has been sitting on the shelf for who knows how long.
16. Canned veggies and fruits. When in a pinch, canned is better than none at all. Even though I suggest that you always eat fresh fruits and veggies, you should have some canned ones on hand. How do you know when you will have a craving for corn and not have any fresh on hand? Canned food can last a very long time, so you don't have to eat it right away.
17. Pasta. Want a meal in a minute? Pasta is the way to go. It cooks quickly and easily.
18. Rice. Same as pasta.
19. Spices and herbs. Always keep some of these on hand. Go to a place where you can buy them in bulk. Don't buy those little containers in the store. Not only are they too expensive, but you don't know how long they have been sitting there. When you buy from a place that sells bulk, you know that you will be getting fresh items.
20. Cereal. Great for that last minute breakfast. Have some of this on hand so you don't have to wait in line at the fast food joint to get your heart attack on a muffin. Read more...

In this day and age of heart disease, we all need to be careful. Did you know that 50% of men will die from heart disease? It is sad, but true. It is important that you watch what you eat. Not only if you are a body builder, but even if you aren't one. All of us should be concerned about our diet and our health. Take some notes and make sure that you pay attention. I'm sure there will be a few items on this list that you never dreamed were bad for you.. Solid oils. You know what these are. Stuff like Crisco and other shortening.
I think that some people use them in place of lard and actually think it is better for them. If you are making a pie crust or something, skip the shortening and use the lard. Actually, the lard is better for you. People tend to use this kind of fat because it has a long shelf life. This stuff will stay good for ever. Personally, I hate the stuff. I can't see why anyone would like it. I think it tastes awful and it feels awful in my mouth.
Deep fried foods. You should avoid these like the plague. It is said that when something is deep fried, its DNA changes. I don't know how true this is. I do know that deep fried foods have been linked to cancer.
Refined flour and store bought flour. This has been bleached and everything under the sun done to it. When this happens, all the good stuff from it is taken away. The reason why you are eating is, is been stolen from you. Stick with good whole wheat. That is what is best for you.
White rice. I would piss off most of the world if I said that you should never ever eat this stuff. Though, I have to say that brown rice is better for you. Brown rice has all the stuff white does and more. You can mix brown with white if you still aren't used to eating the brown rice.
Sugar. This is a no brainer really. You should try to consume as little as you possibly have to. Also, fructose is a building block for cholesterol. Keep that in mind when you have your next can of soda.
Canned soups. These are almost always loaded with salt. If you want to buy these, make sure you get ones that are low in salt. If you have a craving for soup, see if your local deli makes soup. It will be lower in salt. That will make your heart happy.
Alfredo sauces. Don't buy items with already made Alfredo sauce. Usually they are loaded with butter and salt. You don't want any of that.
Processed meats. These tend to be high in fat and high in salt. They are a heart attack in a can.
Hydrogenated palm oils. Avoid anything that is made with these. These will give you a heart attack faster than eating a bucket of lard.
Lunchables and other items like them. They are loaded with salt and fat. I can't believe any parent would give this junk to their kids.
What comes in, must come out. That is true with the food we eat. This might sound like a disgusting topic, but it is something that we should talk about. You can tell if your diet is high in fat by the stool you produce. If it sinks straight to the bottom, you are eating too much fat. You would think that fat would float, but it doesn't when it is coming out.
Your stool should float in the toilet bowl. If it does, it is a hint that you have a good diet. If it doesn't, then you need to change what you are eating. Read more...

It is often said that we eat with our eyes. Though this might sound stupid, think about it for a second. You know that we are attracted by the opposite sex with our eyes. You wouldn't go down on a woman who you weren't attracted to would you? So, we do eat with our eyes first. It is important then when dealing with a new diet that we understand that we do eat with our eyes. It is important because if we don't like what we see, chances are we won't eat it. This is why restaurants put a little bit of green leafy material on the side of your plates. It is to make your eyes wake up. If it looks good, it probably tastes good. I think that the problem that most people have is that they don't make their food look pretty enough. When they go on a diet, they tend to make the food look too bland. But if they were eating a pound of bacon, they would work extra hard to make it look good.
Maybe it is due to some part because we dress up things that are bad for us. We try to dress it up so that we forget how bad it is. I think this is true some times when going out to a restaurant and eating. They don't want you to focus on all the butter and fat that is in the dish.
What can you do to liven up your diet? You need to remember some fundamental things. Here we will discuss those.
Like in all things, our senses lead us. If something looks or smells bad, we will run away from it. The same is true with food. Make sure that your food is alive and looks good. Use contrasting colors that make the food jump off the plate. Try to blanch green veggies so that they keep their color. Use lemon juice or other acid to maintain color when you have to.
Color is important because of something looks wilted and over cooked, we won't want to eat it. It is as simple as that. Make the colors come alive. Try to be an artist with your food. Veggies come in all colors. You can use red bell peppers or purple onions. Go to your super market and pay attention to the colors of the veggies. Also, by doing so you will pay closer attention to freshness. Smells are important. Try to use as many spices and herbs as you can. Just because a dish is low in fat doesn't mean that it has to taste like card board. You should try to wake up your taste buds with every meal you have.
Hot peppers are a great way of doing this. You get a lot of bang for your buck when it comes to hot peppers. Usually they are very cheap and one will go a long ways. If you want flavor instead of heat, you can always add a little pinch of sugar. I love hot peppers and try to use them every chance I can.
Texture.
This is one area that people tend to really over look. If it feels weird in your mouth, chances are you won't want to eat it. Make sure that your food isn't over cooked. Don't cook the veggies to the point they are mush. Try to keep everything looking and tasting like it did when it was fresh.
The way that you arrange your plate makes a difference as well. Try to make your plate look as full as possible. Don't push everything to one side. Spread things out a bit and make it look like as big of a meal as possible. Use all the room on your plate. Sometimes it helps to burn some incense or something while you are eating. Just don't do any of the fruit flavored ones or ones that will make you more hungry. Something that smells good will take your mind off of your hunger.
Also, drink plenty of fluids while you eat. I have known many people who wait and drink their fluids after they are done eating. This will take more food to fill you up. Instead, sip on your drink as you eat. This will also help in digestion.
You see, when you are starting a diet you have to make sure that you are telling the brain that you aren't depriving it of the food that it loves. You have to make sure that you keep things exciting and try new things. If you can do this, you will have more success with your diet. Read more...