Recycling for the Bachelor

One of the major disagreements you and your roommates are bound to get into is the recycling issues. The problem is that not everyone has the same idea as to what it means to recycle; some people think that everything can be recycled. As this is not true, it may help to look through what can and cannot be recycled:

Aluminum: Okay, so pretty much anything made of metal can be recycled. Just make sure that you separate aluminum before you head to the recyclers; steel and other metals may be accepted, but they have their own reward, and it’s usually better than for aluminum. This is why you hear so much about air conditioner units being stolen and stripped; the metals that make them up are worth more than the unit.

Paper: Almost any paper products can be recycled. However, there is a catch; anything that has been in contact with food, especially grease, cannot be recycled; this applies to cardboard as well. In 2009, recyclers spent $700,000,000 repairing their shredders because of grease in cardboard boxes killed the machines. Throw pizza boxes and fast food wrappers in the garbage where they belong rather than in the recycling bin where they will cause damage.

Glass: Although without labels is best, glass is probably the easiest thing to put in the bin. There is usually no problem, but keep in mind that there is another kind of recycling: craft brewing. You can buy bottles for brewing beer and then recycle them yourself by washing them at home. Just don’t let anyone take your bottles out of your premises or you will need to buy more bottles, and you will need to watch out for bottle poachers.

Plastic: If you think that getting your roommates to put pizza boxes in the garbage was a problem, this is even worse. The problem is that there are several types of plastic, and only one is usually accepted. The real issue is that each type of plastic is made differently, with different chemicals. The softer plastics are usually made with a plastic-softeners, and this gives them a limited lifespan while making them great for the food they store. The key is to look for the small triangle with a number in it; you want a “3”, the same plastic as most two-liter plastic bottles. Keep your plastics to #3 plastics and you should be fine.

Keep those notes in mind, and you should get the most bang for your buck. Parties can thus make some of the cost back if you just remember to not let people take your recyclables home. Do what you can for the environment, and start at home.

More Interesting Shopping Tips

Shopping can be one of the most onerous parts of cooking. Here are some more tips to deal with the store.

Strategize: The first time you go through a store, pay attention to the store’s layout. Although there are sites that point out that all grocery stores are planned the same, this is pretty much ridiculous; the floor plans may be similar, but there are more than sufficient differences between stores that memorizing one store will not help you with another. As such, try to figure out where items, especially your more common items; it not only minimizes the time you spend there on subsequent trips, it also means you can relax a bit when it comes to finding things. Also, on the first trip through grab the store card; even if you have no plans to return it can only help.

Organize Your List: At the very least, organize your list per section. This is another way to minimize the time you spend in the store, and it helps to make sure that you do not forget what you came in to buy. Anything you can do to make sure you get what you come for is a great thing, and figuring out where everything is combined with a list of what to grab from the sections as you hit them really helps.

Dry Erase Board: Keep track of what people would like to eat, as well as their allergies via a dry erase board. You can also use it to plan parties by mentioning things that you need to buy for the event. In short, if it’s something that’s needed for any food issues, it needs to go on the dry erase board. Just remember to copy the notes to your list before you head out the door…

Know The Recurring Specials: Although fewer people use coupons and more rely on store cards, it can also help to know when the store has sales on particular items, especially if those sales repeat over time and the item is popular at the house. Although it may not seem like much, this will help you save a lot of money over time.

Pantry Stock: If you happen to have some money left in your budget, try to build up a back-up pantry, even if it’s just an extra flat of ramen every so often. It’s always nice to have back-up, and this is themost efficient way of building it up. You’ll appreciate when you run short, and that always seems to happen at some point or another.

Diet and Exercise IV

Another issue for carnivores will be a dislike of vegetables. Make sure that you eat at least one serving of vegetables each meal, even if you have to cheat; ketchup may not be the best choice, but it does contain lycopene, an anti-oxidant. Also, just frying them doesn’t remove all of their nutrients, so potatoes are your major ally. At the same time, keep in mind that frying and corn syrup both have their own issues, so don’t take advantage of this cheat too often.

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The last person you want as your exercise partner is your significant other. Sometimes that person will actually drag you down, and sometimes it’s because that person’s job leaves them too tired for exercise.  If you continue to demand that the two of you exercise together it could result in a separation or worse. As such, respect that he may not be interested as you are and just find someone else.

Exercising works out best when you have a partner. You can keep each other honest, and it’s always to great to have some support; when you want to give up, she can keep you going and when she wants to give in, you can keep her in the regimen. You can also push each other to succeed, given each other that extra bit of push. So if you can find a partner who happens to share your weight loss goals, do so!

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Another great thing about a partner is when the two of you are at the same experience level. You’ll find that finding things out at the same time as someone else will actually keep the experience fresh. Also, no matter how vital, having an “expert” partner can actually get annoying, as you want an equal partnership, and the other person simply can’t give that to you. Search out a partner with the same level of experience as you and you’ll love the experience of finding new ways to shave pounds off.

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If you can, find a good mentor. This is someone you can go to when you have questions, and you feel embarrassed to go anywhere else, even online. Try to find someone with proven results who is strict yet fair; a sense of humor is nice, but sometimes a mentor with more in common with Chef Ramsey than Mary Poppins may be just what you need; he’ll suffer no excuses while she may let you slide. You may think that this is just something to do, but your mentor needs to understand how serious this is, as a good regimen can put you in great health for the rest of your life, whereas a more coddling mentor will try to maintain a friendship, and that’s not always the best thing for you.

Diet and Exercise III

If you get caught in rush hour traffic a lot, keep some sort of granola bars or trail mix at the ready. You can buy or make your own, and they usually don't rot away any time soon. You'll find that not only do they keep you on your diet, but they also take the edge of any anger you feel at the time, making them healthy and akin to meditation.

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The biggest problem areas will usually be mod-morning and mid-afternoon. Have some sort of snack prepared for those times, such as fruit or vegetables. If you are at work, you can keep a supply in your desk or bring it every day. Not only does this deal with the rumblings, but can also keep you focused and help you keep your anger, something people tend to lose a lot right before lunch and heading home.

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If you work away from home, prepare your lunch ahead of time. This allows you to pack a healthy lunch, save money compared to buying it at a fast-food place, and allows you to have the portions you want with no waste. Storage may be an issue, but there are any number of different insulated lunch bags available for anything you want to pack, from soup to sandwiches to salad.

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Debate going vegetarian. Although there are some health advantages, there are two major disadvantages: It's actually more expensive, and you need to be eating all day. You also need to keep a closer eye on what you are eating, as making sure that you are getting the full range of vitamins you should be getting. Although you can take multivitamins for most of the missing nutrients, that adds to the cost of the diet. Just be don't surprised at the cost when you switch over.

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Surprisingly, the best part of a vegetarian diet is the nuts. If you have allergies to nuts, a vegetarian diet may not be the best thing for you, as most of your protein will be coming from nuts of various types. Also, nuts make great snacks due to their extremely long life and high energy, allowing you to keep your focus all day long.

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Debate which stripe of vegetarianism you are going for, as they get more restrictive. Standard vegans are allowed dairy and egg products, but no other animal products. Strict vegans must forego all animal products, even dairy and eggs.  Raw vegans must forego not only all animal products, but also any cooked foods, which includes bread and even most alcoholic products. Once one is picked, stick with it, but don't you need to be religious about it; it's your diet after all, so have fun with it, such having one day a week you can can eat meat.

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Major tip for vegetarians: If you eat out a lot, start asking questions about your food in order to make sure that you aren't eating meat products. A common trick  for some restaurants is to cook their rice with chicken broth; great for flavor, lousy for vegetarians. Also, beware of sauces and other condiments, especially if you are a strict  vegetarian, as they employ creams and eggs for the texture. In essence, avoid oriental cuisines and find a great vegetarian restaurant you can trust.

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Carnivores have their own problems. The fat in most meats is a great energy source, but is also the source of a number of GI problems, as well as a contributor to coronary problems. Worse, if that fat isn't worked off immediately it can contribute to weight problems. Try to have no more than one or two servings of meat a day, with more protein from other sources, such as peanut butter. A few more veggies or fruit a day is definitely not going to kill you, and cancel out some of the issues that meat can cause.

Diet and Exercise Tips II

Daily Tip: Avoid crash diets, especially the "big pot of vegetable soup" variety. You'll lose the pounds as advertised, but the weight will be right back in a few weeks. The best diet is to just eat healthy, but to eat less and back it with exercise, even if that exercise is just walking a few extra blocks a night.

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Tip of the Day: Debate the gym versus home. Working out at home is cheaper and easier, even if you buy equipment. The gym, however, gives you a chance to get out of the house, has different classes, and you can easily get support to keep you exercising. It's always going to come down to cost vs. support regardless of other factors.*   *   *   *   *Most people need to drink 8 or so glasses of water a day. The best idea is to spread them out throughout the day, as they not only keep you hydrated, but they also can keep you from eating between meals; sometimes your stomach just wants something to fill it, and water can do that, especially when drank an hour after each meal. Drink an hour after each meal, soon after any exercise; on average, you should drink a glass  every two hours, but don't enforce it like you would a regimen.

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The Atkins Diet (or any high-protein/low carb diet) should be strongly debated, and definitely don't get attached to it. Because of the limits of the diet, it's usually only good for adults, and even then only about 6-8 months. Any longer and the lack of dairy in the diet has the potential to cause bone damage due to the lack of calcium. Use it to change how you eat, and for the weight loss, but after six months or so start re-introducing carbs and dairy.  Also, if you do a lot of exercise,  this may be a bad diet do the lack of carbs.

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Don't inflict your diet on your family. Just because you want to lose weight doesn't mean that everyone else in the family needs to, or even should. This applies double if you have teenagers, as they need a lot more carbs for proper growth and getting around, especially if they are still taking gym class and definitely if they do any kind of sports. Basically, the diet may be good for you, but will mess with your teens' energy levels, making them unable to do much physically.

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Your MP3 player can be your best friend when you are exercising. If you know how long your exercise period is going to be, program a playlist along the following lines: three songs of increasing tempo for the beginning of your exercise period (for warm-up), a medium tempo for the last song (for cool-down), and the rest either fast or medium-fast songs (to keep you in the mood). You can create any number of playlists, especially if you note that certain songs work better on certain days. However, do not play on shuffle, or you lose the advantage of the playlists.

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If you would prefer not to listen to music, you can listen to podcasts or books on tape instead. This allows you to disassociate from the workout, letting your body do its thing while you learn something. It's a great opportunity to learn about something you have always wondered about or more about what you already know, or just have fun with something entirely different, such old radio dramas.

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Oh, and you're MP3 player can be your drill instructor as well. There are some exercise courses that can be downloaded and played during your workout, instructing you on what to do during each workout. Although there are some obvious issues regarding individualization of the courses, they should be able to give you enough of a basis and give you the support you need during your exercise period.

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When you shop, don't forget to buy vegetables. Too many people remember to buy milk and meat and forget the extra carbs, but they forget the vegetables. Make sure that you buy a lot of fresh vegetables and fruits. They make great snacks and desserts, and if you buy the non-canned version they can be ready when you need them. Best yet, there are rarely any limits on how many you can eat, making them an ideal snack.