Tomatoes can help protect you from sun damage. Well, we eat lots of tomatoes around here. Brian is 100% Irish, but I'm 50% Italian, and the rest is a mix of Irish & American Indian. But honestly, you'd never know by my pale skin. But my kids & I tan in the summer. Brian, some, but not that much. I'm glad to know that along with our heritage, our diet full of tomatoes is helping protect against damage, since we use very little sunscreen. (Someday, I'll do a post on why that is)
The other thing I was shocked to learn was: DETOX DIETS/CLEANSES DON'T WORK! How do you like that. In the episode, they took 10 women and leading up to the detox week, they let them eat & drink in excess. Upon arriving at the test destination, they were tested-blood, saliva, urine, etc. for toxins. Then they split them into 2 groups-one group carried as as usual with meat, coffee & their regular eating habits. The detox group was restricted to almost exclusively fruits & veggies. They did this for 7 days. After the week was up-they were all retested. The results? Everyone was exactly the same as the week before! Our bodies are built to cleanse themselves. The kidneys and liver do a great job of purging waste from our systems. No cleanse or diet is going to make them more efficient or work harder. A couple of the girls even said they felt great at day 4, but beyond that, they felt worse.
So there you have it-scientific proof that all the money & time wasted on these detoxes and they have no effect! I'm not saying you wouldn't feel better lightening up your food intake, I'm sure you will, but that's about it-there's not magic reset button, much to my dismay.
If you care to read, this is the synopsis from the website about the show:
Forget all the headlines you read. Here for the first time, we will reveal the real truth about food. We'll cut through the spin and by using scores of original experiments on hundreds of volunteers, we'll show you the real science behind the food you eat and reveal just what it does to your body.
The Truth about Food answers the questions and busts the myths we've all heard about the food we eat every day.
At its core is hard science—tested and proved before your eyes. The series will reveal the best foods for every area of your life: not just what to eat, but why.
This will be the biggest ever undertaking of its kind: a huge scientific televised investigation—delivering for the first time real provable evidence of just how your diet influences every area of your life. You will see convincing proof of the incredible and sometimes shocking effect of food on the inner workings of your body, from your immune system and appetite to your memory and even libido.
Each program will explore specific foods and food types. Watch transformations as well as surprising scientific results that will change the way you think about food and what you eat. These experiments will reveal not just what to eat to keep slim, but how to influence everything from your mood and fertility to your competitive edge and even your life span.
The Discovery Health Channel, working with leading food scientists, has conducted over 30 of its own original groundbreaking experiments. Through the most rigorous volunteer tests ever undertaken, we deliver the truth on all the myths you've heard—and we'll put to the test new ideas on the effects of food on your body.
Using the most compelling and up to date scientific methods, we follow the results of our food trials over hours, days, weeks and even months on our volunteers. We'll use every possible test on the human body, from blood tests and faeces analysis, to full body MRI scans, retina laser screening, and even the latest genetic testing.
