Grapefruit burns fat. Garlic prevents heart disease. Carrots make your hair shine and increase your sex drive. These are just a few of the thousands of health claims made about what we eat. Each day on the newsstand there is a new diet plan or life-saving "magic" food or nutrient. Where do we draw the line? How do we know the right thing to do? After all, we all want to live longer, healthier lives, but how do we sort through all the inaccurate claims?

Here are some tips to help you evaluate these food claims:
* Is it a product being sold to make a profit for the seller? Remember, people will do almost anything to sell a product and you should be skeptical.
* Is it feasible? Can you really eat nothing but grapefruit for a week? Let's be realistic?
* Does it sound reasonable? If onions prevented cancer don't you think we would all know about it? And wouldn't we have a reason to celebrate?
* Is it restrictive? In other words if you're limiting your diet to only a few foods, it is likely to result in nutrient deficiencies which would be unhealthy!
* Are the claims reliable? Who did the research and are they reputable health professionals from a reputable institution?

If it seems too good to be true, it likely is. Use your best judgment and accept the fact that there are no quick fixes. If you want to live a longer, healthier life you need to work hard to make healthy eating and exercise a way of life for you and your family, each and every day.

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