Todd's Helpful Hints

THE REAL TRUTH ABOUT 12 HEALTH MYTHS

1. You Shouldn't Cut Off the Bread's Crust. It's Full of Vitamins.
The truth is: Researchers found that the baking process produces a cancer-fighting antioxidant in bread that is eight times higher in the crust than in the crumb. But, it's actually more important to serve whole-wheat bread, with or without the crust, because it's all around higher in nutrients. Make sure the ingredients list "100% whole-wheat flour." Breads just labeled "wheat" are usually made with a mixture of enriched white flour and whole-wheat flour so they have less fiber.

2. If You Go Out With Wet Hair, You'll Catch a Cold.
The truth is: You will feel cold but will be just fine healthwise. In one study, volunteers got a cold virus up their noses. Half the group stayed in a warm room while the rest took a bath and stood dripping wet in a hallway for half an hour, then got dressed but wore wet socks for a few more hours. The wet group didn't catch any more colds than the dry.

3. If You Cross Your Eyes, They'll Stay That Way.
The truth is: There's no harm in eye crossing. But if a child is doing this a lot, they might have other vision problems.

4. You Should Feed a Cold and Starve a Fever.
The truth is: In both cases, eat and drink, then drink some more. Staying hydrated is the most important thing to do, because you lose a lot of fluids when you're sick. There's no need for special beverages with electrolytes unless you're severely dehydrated from vomiting or diarrhea.

5. Gum Stays in Your Stomach for Seven Years.
The truth is: Fluids carry gum through the intestinal tract and it passes within days. Also, even though gum isn't easily broken down in the digestive system, it probably won't cause a stomachache.

6. An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away.
The truth is: A handful of blueberries a day will keep the doctor away more effectively. Blueberries are rich in antioxidants and fiber. That said, eating a variety of fruits and vegetables is important to prevent chronic illnesses like heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.

7. You Lose 75 Percent of Your Body Heat Through Your Head.
The truth is: It's important to make sure an infant's head remains covered in cold weather. But for an adult, the figure is more like 10 percent. And keep in mind that heat escapes from any exposed area, so putting on a hat is no more important than slipping on gloves.

8. To Get Rid of Hiccups, Have Someone Startle You.
The truth is: Most things like holding your breath or drinking from a glass of water backward, haven't been proven to work. But you can try swallowing one teaspoon of white granulated sugar. According to a study, that trick led 19 out of 20 people to stop hiccupping.

9. Eating Fish Makes You Smart.
The truth is: For kids up to age three or four, this is true. Fish, especially oily ones like salmon, are packed with omega-3 fatty acids, which help with brain development, cognition, and visual acuity.

10. You Shouldn't Swim for an Hour After Eating.|
The truth is: Splash away. After you eat, more blood flows to the digestive system and away from the muscles. The thinking was that if you exercised right after eating, that lack of blood would cause you to cramp up and drown. But that won't happen. You might have less energy to swim, but it shouldn't stop your ability to tread water or play.

11. Every Child Needs a Daily Multivitamin.
The truth is: Children who are solely breast-fed during their first year should be given a vitamin D supplement. After that, a multivitamin won't hurt anyone, but experts say that even if your child is in a picky phase, there's no need to sneak vitamins into the applesauce. Kids will eventually get what they need.

12. Warm Milk Will Help You Fall Asleep.
The truth is: Milk has small amounts of tryptophan, which is what's found in turkey. But you would have to drink gallons to get any effect.

THE LIFE SPAN OF FOOD

How long should you keep old food around? Here's a handy guide:
1. Fresh meat - fish, beef, pork, and poultry - won't last longer than two days in your fridge. Cooked pork chops should be eaten within three days. Ham and other smoked or cured meats can last a week. A good general rule is that if it smells bad, it is bad.
2. Soft and stinky cheeses - cottage cheese, cream cheese, blue cheese, Camembert, and feta - should be eaten within a week. Hard cheeses like cheddar and Parmesan will stay fresh for up to two months. When you see mold on a soft cheese, throw it out. By the time mold becomes visible, it's already infected the whole lot.
3. Condiments:
- Ketchup will keep for eight to 12 months.
- Mayo will stay fresh for up to six months.
- Relish will survive in your fridge for a year.
- Mustard is hearty; it can kick around your fridge for up to eight months.
- Salad dressing may last for nine months.
- Soy sauce lasts only about three months in the fridge after it has been opened.
- Butter, when refrigerated, will last up to a year before it becomes inedible.
- Jams and jellies will last you a year.
- Syrup will last a year.
4. Cooked vegetables and grains: Three to seven days
- Rice: throw it out after seven days in the fridge.
5. Alcohol
- Beers, which have been pasteurized and filtered, will keep longer than microbrews; in fact, they'll last about three months.
- Unopened white wine can turn sour within a year, while red wine - if stored in a cool, dark place - can last for decades. Once you open your wine, keep it in the fridge;
- Spirits such as rum, gin, vodka, whisky, and brandy have no expiration date.
6. Canned foods. Contrary to what you might think, canned foods don't last forever. All canned goods, if stored in a cool, dry place, will keep for about a year. Open it up and give it a sniff. If it smells sour, toss it. If the can is bulging at all, toss it without opening it. The bulge could be bacterial growth or even botulism, which is a food poisoning that can be fatal.
7. Frozen foods
- Ice cream and sorbet have the shortest life spans of any frozen food.
- A whole chicken or turkey will stay fresh for up to a year. Most everything else falls somewhere in between.
- Frozen veggies are good for three months.
- Bread will last three months as well.
- Ground beef can last up to four months.

 Wintergreen Ttic Tacs in my car console, 3 years and still holding strong.

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