41. You assume the only heart-healthy alcohol is red wine

THE RESULT: You miss out on beer, white wine, and liquors, which all have benefits.

THE FIX: The so-called French Paradox elevated red wine to health-food status when researchers thought it was the antioxidants in the drink that protected the foie gras– and cheese-loving French from heart disease. More recent research, however, has shown that antioxidants aren’t the answer after all. Alcohol—the ethanol itself—raises levels of protective high-density lipoproteins (HDL, or good cholesterol), which help protect against plaque buildup in the arteries and reduce clotting factors that contribute to stroke and heart attack. Any kind of beverage that contains alcohol, when consumed in moderation (and that means one to two drinks per day), helps reduce heart disease risk.