Test your summer nutrition savvy with this true/false quiz.
Test your summer nutrition savvy with this true/false quiz!
Nutrition Diva is hosted by Monica Reinagel. A transcript is available at Simplecast.
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Hi there. Monica Reinagel here. Thanks for tuning in to this week’s Nutrition Diva podcast. Summer officially begins this weekend (here in the Northern Hemisphere, anyway). To celebrate, I have a little quiz for you to test your summer nutrition savvy. Can you get a perfect score? (If you're a longtime listener, I bet you can!)
And now, are you ready for our summertime nutrition quiz?
TRUE!
Eating garlic may give you some mild protection against mosquitoes, both from the odor on your breath as well as sulfur compounds that you emit through your skin when you eat garlic. (Smearing garlic-scented lotion on your skin is even more effective, but has obvious drawbacks.)
In the end, though, scientists estimate that genetics account for about 85% of our attractiveness to mosquitoes, so mosquito magnets may have to reconcile themselves to their fate.
For more foods that can help repel mosquitoes, see What to Eat to Avoid Mosquito Bites.
TRUE!
Watermelon is over 90% water and also contains potassium and other electrolytes—just like sports drinks, but with less sugar. Other super-hydrating fruits and vegetables include cucumbers, grapes, honeydew, cantaloupe, celery, and tomatoes.
There's more on this in my episode, How Much Water Should I Drink?
FALSE.
In fact, you burn slightly more calories in a cool room because your body has to work a bit harder to maintain your body temperature. Not only that, but when it gets hot, people tend to move around less. You expend less energy and, therefore, burn fewer calories.
For the whole story, see Does Air Conditioning Make You Fat?
TRUE.
Marinating meats for just 30 minutes before throwing them on the grill can reduce the formation of harmful compounds when grilling by up to 90%. And here's a bonus tip: marinate and baste your chicken in Italian dressing instead of barbecue sauce and you'll slash sugar and calories by 90%.
There’s more on this in my episode on healthy grilling tips.
TRUE (kinda).
Very high intakes of carotenoids can give your skin a tan (well, orange) hue. That’s what’s in those all-natural, self-tanning pills you see advertised in the back of magazines. Foods high in carotenoids include carrots (of course), sweet potatoes, kale, spinach, and winter squash. And if you overdo it, don't worry: the effect is temporary!
See also: What to Eat for Gorgeous Skin
FALSE (probably)
Although yogurt contains probiotics, beneficial bacteria that help keep your digestive system healthy, these bacteria are usually inactivated by the processing used to make frozen yogurt. If you can find a frozen yogurt that specifies “live and active cultures” on the package, though, you’re in luck.
For the whole scoop (pun intended), see Is Frozen Yogurt Good for You?
FALSE
Nothing beats the flavor of fresh local strawberries, but when it comes to nutrition, frozen strawberries are sometimes more nutritious. Why? Strawberries and other produce can lose up to 50% of certain nutrients after just 2 or 3 days of room temperature storage (And can the back of a pickup truck in July even be considered “room temperature?”) Frozen strawberries are frozen within hours of being picked, effectively “locking in” nutrients.
See also: How Cooking Affects Nutrients.
TRUE.
Eating foods that are high in vitamins C and E on a day that you'll be out in the sun can actually prevent or lessen the severity of a sunburn! You get the best protection if you have both of these vitamins in your system at the same time. The tricky thing is that very few foods contain both vitamins.
For a list of tasty food combinations that give you both, see Foods that Can Prevent a Sunburn.
TRUE
Peach pits (along with the pits of plums, apricots, and cherries) contain small amounts of cyanide. The amount of cyanide in a single peach pit wouldn’t be likely to cause anything worse than a stomach ache in an adult. Nonetheless, it’s best to avoid swallowing these pits … and be sure to remove them from fruit before giving it to children.
FALSE:
Engaging in really vigorous exercise immediately following a big meal is probably not the best choice, but there is no reason to avoid going into the water after eating.
See also: What to Eat Before and After Exercising.
So, how'd you do? Are you a summertime nutrition savant? You are now! Go forth and share your knowledge... and have a great and healthy summer.
I'll be back next week with more Quick and Dirty Tips for eating well and feeling fabulous.