§   Oranges are one of the few fruits that will not over ripen if left on the tree.

§   Apples are more efficient than caffeine at waking you up in the morning.

§   The average chocolate bar has 8 insect legs in it.

§   Honey is the only food that does not spoil.

§   In the 1950's a McDonald's hamburger, fries, and coke had about 600 calories. Today you can get a quarter-pounder, super-sized fries, and a 42 oz coke along with 1550 calories.

§   In general, raw vegetables have a much higher nutrient value than cooked, though there are a few exceptions, such as cooked tomatoes. Cooked artichokes are very high in overall antioxidant value.

§   A well-done steak, especially if it has “charred” portions, contains much higher levels of carcinogens than a medium-done or rare steak.

§   There are 1,200 varieties of watermelon.

§   Those mega-size apples and oranges you’ve been seeing lately at conventional grocers are pumped up due to added water volume, rather than fruit substance. This is a crop-yield technique by farmers designed to produce bigger fruit for more consumer appeal.

§   Lemons have more sugar in them than strawberries

§   There are more than 1,000 chemicals in a cup of coffee.

§   The temperature outside can effect your appetite. When it is cold outside, you are hungrier.

§   Tomatoes are one of the richest sources of lycopene—one of the most powerful antioxidants attributed to preventing cancer and other diseases.  Cooked tomato products can provide over six times the lycopene than equal amounts of fresh tomatoes.  Cooking breaks down the tomato cell walls making it easier to absorb lycopene. 

§   Research has shown that chewing gum may help improve alertness and concentration and help relieve daily stresses like driving in traffic or waiting in line.

§   Sometimes frozen fruits and vegetables are more nutritious than fresh. The longer that fruits or vegetables sit around waiting to be sold or eaten, the more nutrients they lose. But fruits and vegetables grown for freezing are usually frozen right after they're picked. Therefore, they have less time to lose their nutrients.

§   Within 2 hours of standing in daylight, milk loses between half and two-thirds of its vitamin B content

§   If you are having trouble sleeping, try pairing a tryptophan food source (milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, egg, oats, peanuts) with a carbohydrate choice

§   Refried beans are only fried once

§   Researchers at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center found that there is a 41% increase in risk of being overweight for every can of diet soda you consume each day. The study found that diet soda drinkers gained more weight than those who drank regular soda, with one reason claiming that diet soda fools your body into thinking it’s getting calories and when it doesn’t get the calories, it craves them.

§   Coconut water can be used (in emergencies) as a substitute for blood plasma. The reason for this is that coconut water (the water found in coconuts – not to be confused with coconut milk, which comes from the flesh of the coconut) is sterile and has an ideal pH level. Coconut water is liquid endosperm – it surrounds the embryo and provides nutrition.

§   Eggs that float in water are considered to be “off” and should not be eaten; as eggs age, gases build up inside the shell making it more buoyant.

§    Fish consumption may be more than brain food but also help protect your eyes from age-related macular degeneration, a potential cause of blindness

§   Himalayan gogi berry contains weight for weight, more iron than steak, more beta carotene than carrots, and more vitamin C than oranges.

§   White chocolate is not a true chocolate because it contains no chocolate liquor; instead it’s made of sugar, cocoa butter, milk solids, lecithin and vanilla.