Guide

A burger can fit in a balanced diet, yet size, toppings, and how often you eat it can push it into “too much” territory.

Most one-hour screening drinks don’t need fasting; longer tolerance tests usually need an 8–14 hour fast.

You can live on near-zero carbs for a while, but your body still needs glucose, so it makes some from protein and fat while leaning on ketones for fuel.

No—an hCG blood test doesn’t need fasting, so you can eat and drink as usual unless your order includes other labs that do require fasting.

Small amounts of baking soda in food are safe for most people, yet swallowing it as a “remedy” can backfire because it delivers a heavy sodium load.

Plain sparkling water has 0 g sugar, while flavored or mixer-style bottles may add sugar or sweeteners—so the Nutrition Facts and ingredients tell the truth.

Bananas are low in protein, so they work best as an energy fruit you pair with a protein food.

Fasting is often requested so the glucose reading isn’t thrown off, yet some orders allow a non-fasting draw when timing matters.

Most rice-based crackers fit a balanced snack plan, yet many are salty, low-fiber refined starch, so the package details decide.

Yes, you can cook shrimp from frozen in a microwave, but you’ll get better texture with short bursts, stirring, and stopping the second they turn opaque.