Every day, I get a bunch of different emails in my personal account ~ advertisements, catalogs and coupons from websites I use frequently (my fav for gifts = redenvelope.com …. so. frickin.good.), and newsletters that I signed up for at some point when I was all fired up about nutrition.  (Amongst all this “junk” are sporadic emails from friends and family … I like them the best!).

Here’s the crazy thing that I’ve learned as I’ve read these emails ~ nutrition is kind of fascinating.  I mean, all the things different foods can do, and how eating certain combinations of food is better for your digestive system, or even the order in which you consume your food ~ it’s Ah.May.Zing.  Seriously.

I’ve learned over time that the food pyramid (or whatever it is nowadays) is just the stick-figure drawing in educating oneself about nutrition.  Some people actually know enough to compose something comparable to Michelangelo.  Now that’s impressive.

For today, I thought I’d share a few of my favorite food facts.  Enjoy!

1.  Researchers have shown that MILK is a better hydrator than water or sports drinks, because milk is full of electrolytes and potassium.  Add some chocolate, and a glass becomes a perfect blend of carbs, protein and fat for speedy muscle recovery when strength-training.  Neat, right? (I love this little tidbit because I drink a ton of milk ~ I even crave it after an intense work-out.  And now I know why!  My body, which knows I loathe the sugary ick-ness of sports drinks, was letting me know what works best! Insanely cool).

2.  Chicken Soup is actually good for you if you’re under the weather.  It legit fights off viruses and reduces cold symptoms.  And we thought it was an Old Wives Tale …!

3.  Everyone knows that vitamin C boosts your immune system.  But so does garlic ~ no wonder Italians don’t get sick as often as us Yanks.  I once knew someone who ate a clove of raw garlic a day.  Yowza!  This girl gets odorless garlic gelcaps.

4.  Red wine can prevent you from getting sick.  (No joke.  This could almost be ranked #1 if I didn’t love the milk info so much!).

5.  Generally, tap water is better for you than bottled water.  Tap water is regulated, and has to meet certain guidelines.  Bottled water does not.  It’s a minefield out there when it comes to opinions on the best water to drink.  But if you look into it, free tap water usually wins.

6.  Lycopene in tomatoes actually protects your skin from the damage of UV rays.  So when there are tomatoes in the summer to be eaten ~ eat ’em up!  Your skin will thank you!

7.  Spinach helps reduce the growth of cancer cells!  (And I thought Popeye ate it because it tasted so good ….).

8.  I saved the best for last …. tonic water can help prevent getting eaten alive by mosquitos due to the quinine in it.  I learned this from my uncle, who spent most of his early life as a sailor.  He told me quite matter-of-factly, as I maniacally scratched the eight zillion bites I sprouted after one night on Hilton Head Island.  I have made a habit of drinking tonic water since then, and true story ~ it works!

I know there are more, so I’ll try to share as I learn them.  If you have fun food facts, please don’t hesitate to send them my way!  I love to learn, as I’m still pretty much in the stick-figure phase of my evolution of nutrition knowledge.