These days we’re bombarded with diet and nutrition advice: what to eat to burn fat, build muscle, boost metabolism or ward off disease.

It comes from our friends and family, our co-workers, our personal trainers, the Internet, magazines and food companies.

But how accurate is what we hear? With everyone a nutrition expert, misconceptions are bound to arise – and linger. Whether based on outdated science, old wives’ tales or plain old lies, some of the advice you hear can’t be believed. This week, I take on common nutrition and fitness myths – some of which may surprise you.

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The stars of  Sex And The City have had their share of rows but if there was any lingering tension they didn’t let it show as they reunited to shoot scenes for the movie sequel in New York yesterday.

Kim Cattrall was spotted warmly embracing Sarah Jessica Parker as she arrived on the set while Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis.

The two were said to have fallen out during negotiations for the last film after Cattrall demanded she receive the same salary as her co-star, who plays the central character Carrie Bradshaw.

But it seems they have now put aside their differences ahead of the second big screen film.

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Children with self-esteem problems are more likely to be obese as adults, a research team has found.

A study of 6,500 participants in the 1970 British Birth Cohort Study found that 10-year-olds with lower self esteem tended to be fatter as adults.

The effect was particularly true for girls, researchers from King’s College London reported.

One obesity expert said the results highlighted that early intervention was key to tackling obesity.

The children had their weight and height measured by a nurse at the age of 10 and they self-reported when they were 30.

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Adding rapeseed oil to the diet may lower the cholesterol and blood fat levels of patients who have had high cholesterol from birth.

The metabolic condition, known as familial hypercholesterolemia, affects around 60,000 Britons. It can lead to an increased risk of developing atherosclerosis or furring up of the arteries, and heart disease.

The oil can cut levels of bad cholesterol and triglycerides – blood fat levels – by up to 29 per cent after just five months.

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Beautiful skin is created by a body that is functioning properly – that is eliminating waste efficiently, digesting food and transporting nutrients around the body. It is not something exclusively reserved for the genetically blessed.

By ensuring that our skin is in the best possible condition, we can not only improve our overall health – after all, what’s good for our skin is good for our body as a whole – but also our confidence and happiness.

Whether you are suffering from a condition such as acne or psoriasis, or you just want beautiful skin, I have devised a natural dietary and lifestyle approach that will help you get the healthy skin you’ve always wanted.

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A UK survey has revealed that myths about contraception may be widespread.

One in five women said they had heard of kitchen items, including bread, cling film and even chicken skin, being used as alternative barrier methods.

Others had heard food items such as kebabs, Coca-cola or crisps could be used as oral contraceptives.

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Pop princess Kylie Minogue looked better than ever as she returned to the spotlight yesterday ahead of her first ever US tour.

Minogue, 41, donned a dazzling strapless silver dress as she launched the latest in her Kylie at Home bed linen range at The Grove hotel in Hertfordshire.

The Australian songbird was the epitome of effortless glamour in matching silver heels and with her hair in a casual updo.

The pint-sized star looked happy and relaxed – no doubt the result of recent romantic getaways with Spanish boyfriend Andres Velencoso.

She admitted she drove her boyfriend crazy by studying bed linen every time they stayed in a different hotel.

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A great-grandmother whose 34-inch fingernails snapped off in a car crash has revealed that the accident left her feeling like she had lost part of her identity.

However, 68-year-old Lee Redmond, of Salt Lake City, Utah, admitted it had become much easier to get around since she was robbed of her record-breaking assets.

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Beer could stop bones from going brittle, research has shown.

A study found that the bones of women who drink beer regularly are stronger, meaning they are less likely to suffer from osteoporosis.

But wine does little to protect against the disease, the journal Nutrition reports.

It is thought that the high level of silicon in beer slows down the thinning that leads to fractures and boosts the formation of new bone.

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Her skin is so pale that she wears Factor 100 sun cream on even a dull summer day.

Yet, incredibly, 23-year-old Darcel de Vlugt was born black.

In a case of extreme rarity, the skin condition vitiligo has taken the pigment from her entire body.

Experts say they have never come across such a striking change and she says: ‘I have a hard job convincing people that I was actually born with dark skin.’

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