As a nation we love our food and cannot get enough of all the celebrity chefs and foodie TV programmes that are shown on a daily basis. But according to a new survey from Healthy food guide, many of us still can't separate food fact from fiction.
Out of 3,000 people polled, 42% believed eating carbs before bed makes us fat, 43.7% thought meat takes days to digest and 30% thought eggs are bad for us. With so much confusion around, its time to set the record straight.
MYTH: You'll lose weight if you don't eat carbs after 5pm
This may seem to work because if you stop eating after a certain time, you're probably consuming fewer calories overall. Carbs such as bread, pasta and potatoes contain useful nutrients and provide energy, so there's no need to only eat them at certain times.
TRUTH: It's your total daily calorie intake, not what time you eat, that matters. To lose weight, keep an eye on portion sizes and make sure you're getting enough physical activity.
MYTH: Cellulite is caused by eating junk food.
If cellulite was caused by toxins from junk food and booze, it'd be easier to shift! Those dreaded dimples have nothing to do with what or how much you eat. Harley Street skin expert Lesley Reynolds Khan - author of Look younger for longer - says "Cellulite is caused by the degeneration of connective issue that supports fat cells. It's age-related and made worse by fluid retention, excess fat and possibly, female hormones."
TRUTH: Nothing you eat will give you more of less cellulite - or make it disappear. Sorry!
MYTH: You need a detox diet to get rid of toxins
Cleansing your body after overindulging sounds appealing, but your body's own in-built detoxifiers - the liver, kidneys, skin, intestines and lungs - do a pretty good job of filtering, breaking down and excreting toxins and waste. Toxins are flushed out by the body within hours of being consumed and there is no scientific evidence that a detox diet helps speed this up.
TRUTH: If you're a normal, healthy eater, a detox will just deprive you of nutrients - and food you enjoy.
MYTH: Salads are always healthy
Of course, salads can be healthy, but they can also be loaded with fat, salt and saturates. Some shop-brought ones have more fat and calories than a sandwich. Cheese, crispy bacon, croutons, cured meat and mayonnaise are among the worst offenders.
TRUTH: Boost your intake of vitamins, minerals and fibre with lettuce, watercress, spinach, rocket, tomatoes, pepper and grated carrot. And choose lean, protein-rich food such as skinless chicken, eggs, beans and tuna in spring water to keep fat and salt down. And watch the dressing!
MYTH: Eggs cause high cholesterol
In the 70's, scientists discovered a link between high blood cholesterol and heart disease. So many foods high in cholesterol, such as eggs, got a bad press. Stack of research since has proved there's no evidence to link cholesterol in food with high blood cholesterol. It's actually a diet high in saturated fat that'll send artery-clogging cholesterol soaring.
TRUTH: Enjoy eggs and cut back on foods high in saturates like cream, butter, full-fat dairy products and fatty meat.
MYTH: Meat takes days to digest
Vegetarians often quote this statement as a reason for not eating meat. But although we might feel more full after eating meat than some other foods (protein-rich foods are known to be more satisfying over a longer period than starchy carbohydrates), that doesn't mean it isn't being digested. Meat leaves the stomach in two to three hours and is fully digested in four to six, in order to use its wide range of nutrients, such as iron, zinc and B vitamins.
TRUTH: Meat moves through your digestive system in the same way as other foods.
MYTH: Raw veg is better than cooked
Firstly, some vegetables need to be cooked to make then edible - think turnip, pumpkin and swede. But vitamin C and some B vitamins can be destroyed by heat and are also water-soluble so can leech away if veg is boiled. But heat does not destroy minerals and studies have shown beta-carotene and some antioxidants are actually easier to absorb after cooking. Nutritionist Juliette Kellows states "there is good evidence to suggest that cooking tomatoes helps to boost an antioxidant called lycopene, good intakes of which have been shown to help reduce the risk of some cancers"
TRUTH: Cook veg quickly using the minimum amount of water (or steam or microwave) and make sure it still has crunch
