Red wine

While I will never advocate that drinking alcohol is OK on a weight loss diet - it's pretty damaging actually - I do feel that a bottle of red wine is a must in your perfect pantry.

There are two reasons for this:

1. If you enjoy a glass of wine every now and then, there's no reason not to have one

Alcohol is not good for weight loss, however three or four glasses of wine per week is not harmful if the rest of your diet is clean.

Plus, some say that wine is good for you in a couple of other ways. It is rich in antioxidants, good for your gut bacteria and your heart. There is even some research which shows that red wine may help to protect against certain cancers.

Contrary to Facebook opinion though, a glass of red wine is NOT the same as an hour in the gym.

2. Red wine is great for making your cooking taste better, and not just because your dinner guests will be so drunk that they won't even taste the food

Red wine can be used in many recipes and adds a great flavour to food, as well as helping to tenderise meats. The alcohol cooks off under heat too, so you lose the adverse effect it has on fat loss.

Cooking with wine sure beats adding store-bought sugar-laden sauces to your food.

The gist is this... Get a bottle or two of wine for your pantry, and learn to drink responsibly and cook well. These both lead to a better, leaner, healthier life.

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