NOT ALL FRUIT IS EQUAL

WE ALL know about the importance of getting our ‘five a day’ of fruit and vegetables.

Many people prefer the sweetness of fruit, so choose this over green veg. Fruit’s sweetness is not so good in large quantities if you have type 2 diabetes — yet I often see patients worried about their type 2 and weight who still believe that large amounts of fruit are healthy and that more is better.

The sugar content varies between different types of fruit. A rough rule of thumb is that the longer fruit spends in the sun, the riper it becomes and the more sugary it is. So in general tropical fruit, such as bananas and pineapples, are more sugary than Scottish raspberries, say. In fact, berries are usually the least sugary choice.

Dried fruit such as raisins are the most sugary and other fruit comes in between.

Always consult your GP if you have any health concerns, and particularly if you are taking prescribed medications, before embarking on any change in diet or lifestyle.

YOU have ten minutes to find as many words as possible using the letters in the wheel. Each word must use hub letter and at least three others, and letters may be used only once. You can’t use plurals, foreign words or proper nouns. Verbs ending in ‘s’ permitted. Clue for today’s nine-letter word: Naomi strangely intervenes between United Nations and Americans in agreement. RATING: 10 words, average; 15, good; 20, very good; 25 or more, excellent. SOLUTION TOMORROW