You can always tell when it’s the start of a New Year.  Everywhere you turn – newspapers, magazines, radio, television or the internet – there’s another article about how to shape up.

I’ve already had visits from several patients who are ready to ‘turn over a new leaf’ for the New Year, but what I often find is this – with this flood of diet and fitness information coming at them, many of my patients have more questions than solutions.  Should they go vegetarian? Stay away from fruit?  Not eat after 5 pm?  Throw away the salt shaker?  The list goes on and on.  So today, I’m turning to you – what nutrition questions are on your mind?  Let me know what you’re wondering about …and check back here in the upcoming weeks to find the answers.

The human body is nearly 70% water – so it’s no surprise that we need to stay well-hydrated in order to stay healthy. We need water to transport nutrients to cells, and to get rid of waste products. Water also works to control body temperature and to provide lubrication to joints, organs and tissues. And most of the chemical reactions in the body take place in water, too. Water is also the most natural drink on earth – humans, after all, drank water long before they drank tea, or beer or wine.

So even though drinking a glass of water shouldn’t require a second thought, I run into people all the time who have questions and misunderstandings about the world’s oldest beverage.

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April 1^st in the US is a day when people play practical jokes on family and friends.  Those who fall victim are called April Fools.  But there’s no reason to be fooled when it comes to nutrition.  Whenever I talk to someone about food or their diet, I often have to spend a little time debunking a myth or two.  Here are a few of the most common nutrition myths I’ve heard.  Have they fooled you, too? 

Sugar makes you hyper. Here’s the fact about sugar… I know that I will never convince firm believers, but there is no scientific evidence that sugar makes people hyper.  Kids get hyper at parties not because of the sugary soda and birthday cake – they’re cranked up because they’re excited.  Adults often consume their sugar with caffeine – like sodas or coffee drinks – so it’s usually the caffeine, not the sugar, that’s gotten them wound up.

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