We know many of you are concerned about your diet and healthy eating, but it’s hard to know which foods are good for you as advice seems to keep on changing.
Test your knowledge today with our true or false quiz.
1. You should always throw away food that’s past its sell-by date. True or false?
First, you need to distinguish whether it’s a best-before date, or a use-by date. FDA guidelines state products past their use-by date should be avoided, otherwise you risk food poisoning. But there are certain foods that can be safely eaten after the use-by date. For example, salty foods in jars, such as pickles or gherkins can be consumed months afterwards. If all else fails, the ‘smell test’ is the best way to decide whether you want to eat something or not. Trust your instincts.
2. Raw sugar is good for you. True or false?
Raw sugar is believed to be less processed and retain more minerals than everyday sugar. However, medical research has discovered no significant difference in calories between them, and minerals are only present in tiny quantities. Also, there is no evidence to suggest that raw sugar acts as an antioxidant. Ultimately, the real problem is that we all eat far too much sugar.
3. Fat causes heart disease. True or false?
For years, government-backed dietary advice has linked high-fat diets to heart disease and excess cholesterol, and have promoted low-fat diets to combat it. New studies suggest that sugar is a bigger health problem than saturated fat consumption. Indeed, cutting fat from your diet could make you less healthy, as many low-fat foods will replace it with sugar or other chemicals.
4. Are fasting diets safe? True or false?
Fad diets such as the 5:2 have become enormously popular in recent years. In short you consume only 500 calories for two days, while eating whatever you like for the remaining five. Unsurprisingly, this isn’t the healthiest approach to dieting. For starters, fasting is a source of dizziness, and it’s certainly not recommended for diabetics and pregnant women. Also like many fad diets, there is no scientific evidence to suggest that the weight you will lose will stay off long-term.
5. Gluten is bad for your body. True or false?
Most people think gluten is unhealthy as cafes and supermarkets consistently have ‘gluten free’ products for sale. Gluten is found in wheat cereals and has been linked to irritable bowel syndrome. Objectively speaking, gluten is only unhealthy if you have coeliac disease. Furthermore, research has shown that cereals contain minerals that everyone needs to be healthy, such as Vitamin B and iron.
Still have questions about your diet and healthy eating? Ask a Medical or Nutrition Expert today and debunk those food myths for good.
