Get with it, man! How to make your guy naturally healthy.(Innerbeauty: new strategies for vibrant living)

When they first hit the market, I once made low-carb pancakes for an unsuspecting male "victim" before I even tasted them myself. He couldn't bring himself to swallow the chewed matter (nor could I), and it took months to restore his faith in my taste sensibilities.

Fortunately, low-carb pancakes have dramatically improved, and fortunately, most men are as open as ever to dietary changes. But over-zealous efforts to make your choices his choices can backfire. Conducting unwitting taste tests, for example, is risky business and could make him rebel against all things healthful.

Still, there are subtle ways to slip healthier choices--not only into his diet--but also into his personal care routine. All this requires is some product savvy and a keen ability" to relate to his tastes. And so, in this 2-part series, I offer effective strategies for easing any resistant man into smarter choices. This month, I'll start with some sneaky culinary strategies that will have him wondering why you "gave up the health food kick."

Comfort for "Carb-ivores" and Carnivores

You may have experienced the myriad rewards of reducing carbs in your own diet, but be careful if you plan to convert your man. Only well-chosen low-carb munchies, pastas and cereals will cut it with serious carbivores. See "Man-Tested, Man-Approved" (p. 57) for some taste-tested favorites.

Now, if your man demands meat, and you want to find ways around serving him hunks of meat all the time, try merely flavoring foods with meat. For example, otherwise-fir rot-challenged, reduced-carb pastas or leafy greens such as spinach become savory when pan-tossed with a bit of pancetta or bacon.

If you're a vegetarian, you'll skip this idea. If you're not, you might just see him devour half a plate of spinach or a serving of low-carb pasta without complaint for tire first time. If he loves grilled meat, keep in mind that non-sweet marinades containing antioxidant herbs such as turmeric were shown to reduce the harmful free-radical effects of grilled meals.