. . . the tips and tricks you need to make it work for YOU!

This morning, i took a dose of something that could slash my risk of heart disease by nearly 25 per cent. it could reduce my risk of a stroke in later life by a third, and confer protection against a range of common cancers, too.

The latest research even suggests this ‘treatment’ is capable of cutting my risk of premature death from any cause by a whopping 30 per cent. Want to know the secret?

No, it wasn’t some kind of miracle pill. it was simply my breakfast. And it wasn’t an awful ‘superfood’ green smoothie, either — just cereal and toast, like millions of other people ate this morning.

All i did differently was to chuck a handful of berries on the cereal, slice a banana on to my toast and pour myself a glass of juice. That’s it. Plain and simple.

These little tweaks boosted my intake of fruit and veg by three to four portions in a single sitting. Repeated at each meal, this would add up to about ten portions a day — double the minimum recommended daily intake of the good stuff.

Why is this relevant? Well, according to a growing body of international studies, getting beyond five-a-day and closer to ten confers significantly more protection against the diseases that most affect the Western world.

Yes, ten-a-day — not five. The fact is, those now-famous five-a-day guidelines always tended towards the minimum end of what science suggests we need.

Even at the time of their publication in 1990, we knew that five-a-day was not based on levels optimal for good health, but the least amount required to enjoy a significant health benefit.

SINCE then, we’ve discovered even more convincing evidence to show that the positive effects of fruit and vegetable consumption are cumulative.

in other words, for every extra portion of fruit and vegetables you enjoy, your statistical risk of various illnesses falls — especially cardiovascular disease.

stroke risk reduces by a whopping 17 per cent with each extra portion, for example, and heart disease by 5 per cent. (The benefits eventually seem to plateau, with researchers suggesting an optimal intake of nine-a-day for heart health.)

A high intake of fruit and veg could well make a difference to your risk of getting cancer, too.

The largest and best- quality study to date on cancer and diet, published by the National cancer institute, found that those who ate about eight portions of fruit and vegetables a day had an 11 per cent lower total risk of developing any form of the disease.

in fact, dietitians across the board agree that the simplest dietary change you can make for good health is to consume more fruit and vegetables.

But, no matter what the lab geeks say, is scaling up towards ten portions of fruit and veg a day feasible? could it be done easily by someone leading a busy life, who is also relatively lazy?

Yes, with a few super-simple tips and tricks . . .

THE DISHES THAT DO NOT COUNT

POTATOEs. i hate to be the bearer of bad news, but potatoes don’t make the cut because of their higher calorie content and lower amounts of nutrients when compared to other fruit and veg.

( Weirdly, sweet potatoes, parsnips and swedes do count because, in general, the balance of nutrients to calories they contain is tipped in their favour.)

hiGh-FAT foods, such as onion rings and coleslaw, don’t count either. The massive amount of added fat is considered to negate the benefits of the veg content.

siMiLARLY, jams and condiments won’t tick off one of your ten portions, as they are loaded with sugar or salt. FIVE COMMON FOOD MYTHS BUSTED YOu hear people say that getting more fruit and vegetables in their diet involves hours of chewing, huge amounts of prep and a massively prohibitive cost. i was a sceptic too — but now i’ve done it, i can honestly say none of that’s true. Let’s bust some myths.

1. It takes time and effort

iN FAcT, it’s easy to get your hands on an effortless veggie boost in seconds — an apple as you dash out the door, a shopbought fruit salad on your lunch break, a can of baked beans on toast, a handful of frozen mixed veg put in an omelette, a pot of low-fat hummus. All will do it.

2. It’s expensive

ONE portion of veg can cost as little as a quarter the price of one portion of meat. so choosing more veg is good for your health and your wallet.

3. Fresh is best

REsEARch consistently shows frozen fruit and veg are nutritionally comparable, and sometimes even superior, to the fresh kind.

4. Fruit is full of sugar

ThE sweet stuff in whole fruit is trapped within a matrix of plant fibres, which slows down how quickly it’s released into your bloodstream.

Dietitians are quite clear: the intrinsic sugars found in whole fruit should not limit your consumption.

5. Organic is better

iN TERMs of our health, the research is contradictory.

When experts have gathered together all the best- quality studies and tried to sift through the numbers to find patterns, no significant difference in the levels of vitamins and minerals has been found.