What's Your Diet and Fitness IQ?

With so much emphasis on losing weight and eating right, many of us are becoming armchair experts on living well. Take our health quiz and see if you know how to have a healthy holiday and happy new year.

Question 1: Holiday plates piled high with gravy, mashed potatoes, and pie are not exactly good for you. How can you minimize the negative health impact of a fatty meal?"
A. Fast for the rest of the night
B. Walk for 45 minutes after the meal
C. Wake up 30 minutes earlier the next day
D. Do nothing; one meal won’t hurt you

The answer is...

...Walk for 45 minutes

Researchers at Indiana University analyzed the blood-vessel health of eight volunteers after they ate a low-fat meal, a high fat-meal, and then a high-fat meal followed by 45 minutes of leisurely walking. The participants’ arteries were at their healthiest after a high-fat meal and the walk.

Question 2: Match the drink below with its caloric equivalent in food.
A. Glass of red wine
B. Burger King large Fanta
C. Starbucks Grande Caramel Frappuccino
D. Pina colada

1. Lean Cuisine pasta dinner
2. Two pancakes with syrup
3. Six Oreo cookies
4. Five Hershey’s Kisses

The answer is...

...See picture for answer

"Beverages add calories to our day but little nutritional value. Quench your thirst without expanding your waistline, by switching to less decadent coffee drinks (try a low-fat latte), fruit juice in moderation, and plain old water. If you must have soda, go for diet and save wine for special times.

Question 3: Which combination of objects should you use as a reference for a healthy serving of meat, vegetables, and starch, respectively?
A. A softball, a baseball, a Frisbee
B. A golf ball, a deck of cards, a softball
C. A deck of cards, a baseball, a computer mouse
D. A Frisbee, a matchbook, a softball

The answer is...

...A deck of cards, a baseball, a computer mouse

Supersize portions are "the reason we’ve gained so much weight,” says Lisa Young, PhD, RD, the author of The Portion Teller Plan. Young recommends keeping portions in check with the visual clues provided in answer C. “It doesn’t have to be exact,” she says, “but it gives you a clue.”

Question 4: One in three Americans will develop diabetes as an adult. What’s the most important thing you can do to lower your risk?
A. Exercise
B. Maintain a healthy weight
C. Get enough sleep
D. Eat a low-calorie diet

The answer is...

...Maintain a healthy weight

It's smart to do all those things, but a National Institutes of Health–sponsored study found that people at risk for diabetes who lost just 5% to 7% of their weight cut their chances of developing the disease by nearly 60%.

Question 5: True or false: A diet rich in calcium will give you everything you need to keep your bones healthy.

The answer is...

...False: You need more than just calcium

Your body needs vitamin D to absorb the calcium you take in and most of us don't get enough. A lack of vitamin D and calcium can lead to bone-density loss, a major contributor to osteoporosis. The National Osteoporosis Foundation advises taking a daily 400 IU to 800 IU vitamin-D3 supplement (800 IU to 1,000 IU if you're over 50) in addition to getting enough calcium. If you rely on a calcium supplement, pick one with at least 400 IU of vitamin D.

Question 6: True or false: Exercise improves your sex life.

The answer is...

...True: Exercise does improve your sex life

Men who are overweight and physically inactive are more than twice as likely to experience erectile dysfunction. That's what Harvard School of Public Health researchers discovered after surveying approximately 20,000 men between the ages of 40 and 75.

Question 7: Grains high in fiber can help lower cholesterol and protect against some cancers. Can you rank the grains below in order of the highest fiber content to the lowest?
A. Barley
B. Brown rice
C. Quinoa
D. Oats

The answer is...

...barley and quinoa have the most dietary fiber

Barley and quinoa tie for first place with around 3 grams of dietary fiber per serving (1/2 cup). Half of that fiber is soluble, the kind that can lower bad cholesterol and help control blood sugar. Oats pack a respectable 2 grams total (half of it soluble), and brown rice follows with 1.8 grams, mostly insoluble. The government recommends at least three servings of whole grains daily.

Question 8: Antioxidant-rich berries make a very healthy snack. Rank these berries in order of their antioxidant content, highest to lowest:

A. Cranberries
B. Blueberries
C. Raspberries
D. Blackberries
E. Strawberries

The answer is...

Blackberries are best

While blueberries may get the most press, blackberries actually have the highest per-serving antioxidant content, according to a study in the July 2006 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Still, all five varieties are good sources of antioxidants, which are abundant in fruits and vegetables.

Question 9: When you come home after a stressful day, which beverage might help you relax?
A. A cup of black tea
B. A glass of skim milk
C. A mug of hot cocoa
D. A pint of beer

The answer is...

...tea time

Alcohol may help you cut loose, but if your goal is long-term stress relief, black tea may be a better bet. British researchers had 75 volunteers drink a fruit-flavored beverage daily; unbeknownst to some participants, their drink actually contained four cups of black tea. After six weeks, they were put through a series of stressful scenarios. Everyone experienced increased blood pressure and heart rates. But, an hour later, the tea group reported feeling more relaxed and their levels of the stress hormone cortisol fell faster.

Question 10: Which easy, maintainable change should you make to your diet if you want to stick to a weight-loss plan?

A. Banish snack foods
B. Use a smaller plate
C. Always take the stairs
D. Skip the cream and sugar

The answer is...

...change plate size

Switching from a 12-inch dinner plate to a slightly smaller 10-inch plate will cause you to automatically serve yourself as much as 28% less food, according to Mindless Eating author Brian Wansink, PhD. Wansink says you can lose almost two pounds a month making just this change.