There is a lot of “if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is” type information floating around in the media.

For example, dark chocolate is good for you. It is a good source of antioxidants, but so is green tea (0 calories & 0 fat) and so are vegetables (about 25 calories & 0 fat). One ounce of dark chocolate has 153 calories, 9 grams of fat, 6 of which is saturated.

Red wine is touted as another way to reduce your risk of heart disease. The jury is still out on this one because some studies show it does while others don’t. People with high triglycerides may actually increase their risk of heart disease if they consume alcohol.

Carbohydrates have been unfairly blamed for our obesity epidemic. The reality is that we have super-sized our portions of all foods and we are a nation of couch-potatoes.

Bananas are recommended as a great source of potassium for people taking diuretics. While bananas are a good source of potassium, they are not the best (see this month’s FYI)

Menopause has been blamed for middle-age weight gain. The loss of muscle as we age is much more likely the cause for the increase in pounds.

Many doctors banish all white foods from their patients’ diets. This would eliminate nutritious foods such as potatoes, turnips, bananas, milk, cottage cheese, and mozzarella cheese to name a few. A better suggestion might be to eliminate as much processed food as possible and encourage more fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

It’s always a good idea to use a little common sense when evaluating diet information.