1.) Daily nutrition recommendations are actually based on weekly targets. Don’t stress if you miss out on your fruits and vegetables one day because you have another six days to make up for it! For example, 2 serves of fruit per day corresponds to 14 serves of fruit across the week.
2.) We’ve all heard that spinach is a great source of iron. Unfortunately, if spinach is your main form of iron intake, it probably is not enough. For starters, spinach contains the plant form of iron (non-heme) which is not absorbed as efficiently compared to heme iron from animal sources. There are other factors that further impair absorption, such as oxalates and calcium which are found in spinach and other leafy green vegetables.
3.) The stomach contains hydrochloric acid (HCl) which has a pH of 1 to 3, similar to that of battery acid! The acidity of stomach acid assists in the digestion of food and activates the release of digestion enzymes such as pepsin. Pepsin is essential for breaking down protein!
4.) How many people are scared of gluten without actually knowing what it is? Gluten is the term given to a group of proteins found in wheat, rye and barley. Gluten helps provide the sticky consistency of dough and the ability to rise during baking, not to mention the soft and fluffy texture. This is why many gluten-free products don’t quite hit the spot!
5.) Have you ever had lactose free milk and wondered why it tastes sweeter? Lactase (the enzyme which breaks down lactose) is added to regular milk which splits lactose into two monosaccharides, glucose and galactose. Naturally, glucose and galactose are sweeter than lactose, hence creating the slight change in flavour.