10 Hidden Truths About Your Kitchen

"An apple a day keeps the doctor away." You may have heard your mother fondly — albeit irritatingly — tell you this every time you reached for a cookie instead of fruit. And almost undoubtedly you ignored her words of wisdom and reached for the cookie anyway. We all have taken this piece of advice, like so many other wives' tales, as just cultural fodder.

But here is the kicker — mom was right. What with their overabundance of vitamin C, phenols to reduce bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol, and ability to aid in the fight against heart disease and even cancer, apples may even give you superpowers!

Ok, maybe not the last part, but you get the point.

There are a lot of truths in the old wives' tales you've heard since birth, and a lot of falsities. This is abundantly true for the tricks and misconceptions surrounding the kitchen. And with your kitchen being the heart of the home, it's important to know what tips and tricks you should follow like the law and which you should toss to the curb.

For instance, have you faithfully been avoiding chocolate your whole life to avoid breakouts? Sadly, my friend, you've been wasting your time — chocolate equating bad skin is completely a myth. And get ready to lay on the Tabasco sauce; spicy foods don't cause ulcers either. Before you start cursing fables to the depths of Hades, keep in mind that some tell-tale kitchen tricks ring true. The amounts of chicken soup you inhaled to help your cold was not for naught. Avoiding eating peanut butter by its lonesome wasn't in vain — since the Heimlich maneuver can't save you if you're choking on it.

The truth — and the lies — behind these familiar tales may just save you time and improve life in the kitchen.

Click here to see the 10 Hidden Truths About Your Kitchen Slideshow.