Ask Tufts Experts

Is it true or an old wives’ tale that you’re supposed to wait an hour to go swimming after you eat?

Everybody’s body responds differently to food and exercise, but there is a rationale behind waiting to swim after a meal. When you eat, the body directs blood to the GI tract to help with digestion. If you exercise hard right after, the body diverts blood to the muscles and away from digestion. That, the theory goes, could give you nausea, diarrhea, or painful cramps. And if you’re stuck far out in the water, it could potentially put you at risk for drowning. Of course, “if you’re just cooling off, it’s probably fine” to go in the water, says William O. Roberts, MD, a sports medicine specialist at the University of Minnesota. “If you’re swimming 2 or 3 miles across a lake, you’d want to wait a while,” especially if you’ve had a heavy, fatty meal that takes longer to digest.

What’s the best place to store potatoes—in a cabinet or in the refrigerator?

Ideally, potatoes should be stored in a location between 45 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit, which is root cellar temperature—warmer than the refrigerator but cooler than the temperature at which houses are generally kept. Since most people don’t have root cellars, err on the side of too much heat and keep them in a pantry or kitchen cabinet, dry and away from direct light. If you keep potatoes in the refrigerator, their starch converts to sugar, which can give them a sweet taste as well as cause them to darken when cooked.