We’ve all had our mothers tell us little white lies growing up to get us to eat healthier. Phrases like ‘you are what you eat’ and ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’ are not foreign to us.  In my house, it was always ‘if you want to be strong like Popeye, then you better eat your spinach!’. And when I was going through puberty and was plagued with awful acne, my mother told me to have a peach every day. Not sure why, but having never suffered acne her entire life, my grandma told me that it was because she ate peaches everyday as a child. Then I started eating peaches every day, but my acne didn’t clear until I was 26, at which point my diet consisted of mostly coke and KitKat, so go figure!

This begs the question, how many food myths we grew up hearing are actually true? Well, you’ll be surprised to hear that many of them are in fact, quite accurate – to name a few:

• Orange Juice Can Cure a Cold; high in both water and Vitamin C, the fluid aids in the loosening of mucus and releasing congestion, while Vit. C fights the actual virus and thereby reduces the duration of the cold.
• Carrots & Eyesight; high in beta-carotene which the body then converts to Vitamin A, supporting cornea function and aids in our ability to see in dim light conditions.
• Speaking of carrots, did you know that too much of it will make you go orange? Yes, this myth is actually true and I’ve seen it firsthand!
• Soup is Good for Colds & Viruses; the broth, combined with the vegetables provide enough nutrients to help us beat whatever it is our body is fighting, and not to mention the fluid, which is a great hydrating agent.
• Popeye is Correct; so, eat your spinach kids! Though the effects are not as fast, spinach does contain high amounts of iron that is great for muscle power.
• Drink Water; the saying should go ‘8 glasses a day keep the doctors away’ – When it comes to being healthy, nothing beats good hydration, not only is it good for energy levels, but drinking water helps our bodies get rid of toxins, regulate temperature and protect our joints.
• An Apple a Day… may not necessarily mean fewer doctors’ visits, but there is no denying that a diet rich in fruits and veg is good for you, so be sure to aim for your 5 a day.
• Late Dinners; yes, I can honestly say from experience, that eating a heavy meal too close to bedtime does cause nightmares, or at the very least, unsettling dreams.

What myths were you ‘fed’ as a child? And were they true? Feel free to share, and also stay tuned for a fun list of childhood food myths that are actually NOT true!