Cosmopolitan

BUSTED: Skipping breakfast isn't that bad...

We're all guilty of it - waking up late and grabbing a coffee on the way to work. We all know breakfast is the most important meal of the day - but if you skip it once or twice, that's OK right?

Wrong. There's a reason it's called "break-fast". Once you wake up, your body instantly needs fuel (food) to get it going and kickstart the all important metabolism.

Occasionally skipping brekkie can be even worse because not only will you binge-eat come 10am, but you're also messing with your metabolism as you get out of sync.

BUSTED: Mixing drinks means a bad hangover

Feel free to mix your wine with Walker, your Midori with your martinis (as long as you're being responsible, of course). The next morning hangover isn't related to the types of alcohol you're drinking - but the quantity.

It's true that dark-coloured drinks (red wine, whisky, brandy etc) make you feel worse because they also contain large amounts of impurities formed during fermentation.

To feel better in the morning, drink beer - it has a high water content, so not only are you less drunk, you're also hydrated. Cheers!

BUSTED: If you exercise enough, you can eat anything

We all know this is too good to be true. If you're exercising your butt off, but find yourself actually adding kilos, it might be because often people overindulge as a "reward" after physical exercise.

Also, your weight depends on the simple formula - your exercise must be the equivalent of your kilojoules. Plus, junk food is just plain bad for you!

BUSTED: You should drink eight glasses of water a day

We've all heard it before - but that doesn't mean it's necessarily true. It all depends on how hydrating your foods are. Believe it or not, it's actually better to be eating juicy, water-packed fruits and veges than to chug a bottle of H2O.

If you can't stomach any more water, then try upping your intake of cucumbres, tomatoes, watermelon and oranges.

BUSTED: Cold weather gives you a cold

We all get the sniffles around winter time - and are quick to blame the weather. However, this may not be the case. According to the Common Cold Research Unit, people in warm conditions and cold conditions were both susceptible to the virus.

BUSTED: Eating late at night is bad for you

It's not the time of day that you eat - but more about why you're hungry. If you've been missing meals during the day, you will be more likely to binge when you get home.

When cooking dinner (or fixing a midnight snack) look at the amount you're eating - in order to maintain a healthy weight, you should be burning off the kilojoules you consume during the day - no matter what time.

BUSTED: Vitamin C prevents colds

Vitamin C can definitely help prevent the common cold - however it doesn't offer you immunity. If you're stressed, tired or worn out, your body isn't as fighting fit, meaning there's not much you can do to protect yourself from the cold virus.

BUSTED: You can catch up on sleep

Sorry, but those weekend lie-ins aren't helping you make up for lost time after you've been out until the wee hours.

A study from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine proves that even after a weekend full of sleep, participants' reaction times, attention span and levels of fatigue were as if they'd never had a nap.

So make sure you get more than 40 winks every night!

BUSTED: Reading in the dark leads to bad eyesight

Did your mother used to tell you to always turn a light on when you were reading your bedtime books?

According to researchers from the Indiana University School of Medicine, reading in dim light causes temporary dryness and eye strain - but there's no permanent damage (and the same goes for sitting too close to the TV!).

BUSTED: Carbs make you fat

It's more about what kind of carbs you're eating - refined-carbohydrate- rich foods (like donuts) can lead to health problems and weight gain - but "good carbs" (like grains, beans, vegetables) are necessary in any balanced diet.

It's simple: if you're cutting carbs out completely, your body is missing its main source of fuel as well as vital nutrients and fibre. A low-carb diet might make you lose kilos quickly, but it's hard to sustain a long-term carb-free eating routine.