The five C’s of five a day in selecting fruits and vegetables

GREATER KAILASH, India - Feb. 11, 2014 - PRLog -- The current recommendation is to eat 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables daily to prevent cancer and heart disease.  Fruits and vegetables contain vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and antioxidants and are low in calories. Those with the most color – dark green, red, yellow, and orange – have the most nutrients. Carrot, Celery, Cantaloupe, Cucumber and Corn are the five "Cs" which can be incorporated in the five a day diet. Ayurveda recommends that one should mix all seven colors and six tastes when choosing fruits and vegetables.

The USDA new Food Plate recommends filling half your plate with fruits and vegetables. Fruits, vegetables and grain products that contain fiber, particularly soluble fiber, may help reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.  Fiber-containing grains, fruits and vegetables also reduce the risk of some cancers, said Padma Shri & Dr. B C Roy National Awardee, Dr. K K Aggarwal, President Heart Care Foundation of India and Senior National Vice President, Indian Medical Association.

A serving size is: one medium-size fruit, 1/2 cup raw or cooked fruits or vegetables, 180 ml fruit or vegetable juice, 1/2 cup cooked or canned legumes (beans and peas), 1 cup raw  leafy vegetables, 1/4 cup dried fruit.

5 servings mean 2 fruits and 3 vegetables, 7 servings means 3 fruits, 4 vegetables and 9 servings means 4 fruits, 5 vegetables.

Tips for safe eating

  ·         Snack with raw vegetables instead of potato chips.

·         Add fruits in your breakfast.

·         Eat at a salad bar when you go out for lunch

·         Prefer juice instead of a usual coffee, tea or soda.

·         Wash fruits and vegetables with water and scrub with a dish brush when appropriate.

·         Throw away the outer leaves of leafy vegetables, such as lettuce and cabbage.

·         Peel and cook when appropriate, although some nutrients and fiber may be lost when produce is peeled.

·         Avoid fruits and vegetables that look brownish, slimy or dried out. These are signs that the product has been held at an improper temperature

·         Wash cutting boards with hot water, soap and a scrub brush to remove food particles.

·         Wash hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds before and after handling food, especially fresh whole fruits and vegetables and raw meat, poultry and fish. Clean under fingernails, too.

About HCFI : The only National Not for profit NGO, on whose mega community health education events, Govt. of India has released two National Commemorative stamps and one cancellation stamp, and who has conducted one to one training on" Hands only CPR" of 86664 people since 1st November 2012.

The CPR 10 Mantra is – "Within 10 minutes of death, earlier the better; at least for the next 10 minutes, longer the better; compress the centre of the chest of the dead person continuously and effectively with a speed of 10×10 i.e. 100 per minute."