Fruity Friday

Five a day

If you are on five a day Fruity Friday may be insignificant and not seen as a challenge. Having fruit on a daily basis was something I grew up with, although when I left home fruit and vegetables where not the first thing on my shopping list, more like five packs of biscuits and cakes for my sweet tooth cravings. There are substitutes of natural sugars for my addiction to the sugar cane, black grapes and mangoes are such fruit. With the variety of fruit and vegetable juices it is now so much easier if you have trouble counting and consuming your five a day, than in a typical balanced meal.

In 1990 the World Health Organisation recommended an intake of five pieces of fruit and vegetables a day to reduce the risk to cancer and chronic illness, but as we all know lifestyle is equally important, increasing regular exercise, lowering alcohol consumption – and who counts units when drinking- and stopping smoking improve our health and well-being. I have noticed the recent trend in fruit juice bars and it is in vogue to hang around there to get your non-alcoholic shots, as was the craze of chilling at coffee shops. Today though, I have had my coffee cup but no fruit or vegetables as yet, perhaps I will catch up with ten portions tomorrow.