10 a day!!!!

What is the definition of "premature death" that we are supposed to be trying to avoid and that all this fruit and veg could (which means it also might not) prevent? A year or two earlier than you might have died anyway?

Other recent news claims the average lifespan will be 90 by 2030.

What are we supposed to die of nowadays? It isn't infectious diseases any more. Things like heart disease and cancer are, by and large, age related so in one sense people who die of them are dying of old age.

I know thatbags, its all a bit worrying that we are being made to shy away from the idea that we will actually die of something at some point. We cannot put the inevitable off for ever.

Far more sensible to think of it as just helping ourselves to be as healthy (for our age/stage) as we can i.e. not being a burden too soon. Its not a bad idea to try to remain as fit as we can through half decent nutrition and a bit of well aimed exercise....but we do need to be enjoying life after all!

I have found the Imperial College London report on the study. It is at www3.imperial.ac.uk/newsandeventspggrp/imperialcollege/newssummary/news_22-2-2017-16-38-0 (and it is just a perfectly readable account with no jargon, so don't be afraid to look at it) and they promise that "A link to the paper will be provided as soon as it is available" As soon as that appears, we will be able to check on what the paper actually SAID and whether it was sponsored by anyone with a vested interest.

I should have added that Imperial college London is where the study was done. These diktats are usually based on a traceable study by someone or other, and they CAN be accessed and judged by Joe or Josephine Bloggs without being filtered through a journalist.

Nellie potatoes don't count toward your daily total (re your soup)

When the media print headlines like that it puts people off, they feel as though they will fail so may as not try.
Fresh(ish) berries are so expensive but frozen are much better value. I think veg is cheap when you compare it to a takeaway coffee, chocolate bar or a sausage roll from a bakery.

To answer your question Bags - one possible cause of death you might care to indulge in is sepsis. 44,000 die from this every year in the UK, which is 3667 every month, 122 every day, 5 people every hours or approx one every 11 seconds.

No saying that eating veg and fruit would combat this, but just picking up point that infection doesn't kill.

I shall not 'indulge' in sepsis if I can help it, anya

If we followed every 'best for you' bit of advice we would go mad! 10,000 steps led to so many other things falling to pieces in my day as I just couldn't walk fast enough to fit in that amount of steps every single day. I've just comfortably made it to 5 a day knocking it back to no more than 2 fruits and now I have to raise it again. Yes it is expensive to do I don't care what others say. Yes you can make it in dishes like soups and " problem solved" but then you find to make it possible you can't have soup every day, otherwise when do you get your oily fish, protein etc etc. Half the time tv chefs add so much salt or fry or add things to make them tasty but surely we are then eating badly to eat well? I'll do my best as I've said every day, you can only do your best!

Good grief! I'm a martyr to my bowels already! I wouldn't leave the house if I ate that lot.

Also, seriously, longevity is rising throughout the world so I think we just worry too much about what might kill us in the end.

My father hates all fruits and vegetables. If we take him out for a meal he thinks it's a great insult if they put vegetables on his plate ' Why do they do that? I haven't asked for them'. he wails! He celebrated his 90th birthday last week and still lives in his own house and catches the bus into town. His favourite meal is bacon, eggs and fried bread - all cooked in lard! I don't take any notice of any dietary directives apart from trying not to become overweight. Dad still weighs the same as he did when he was 20.

Anya wrote:
"Nellie potatoes don't count toward your daily total (re your soup)"
That's a shame - I was counting chips and tomato sauce as 2!
Not really - I'm lucky, I don't like chips.
I would like to know what counts as a 'helping'.Maybe it's in one of the links that people have given.

NfkDumpling gave a link to the NHS guide to portion sizes in her post of 12.44 today, Tricia.

80grams I think. So 1 tomatoes 1 apple, etc. Adds up really easily.

Not wishing to sound rude but I would be spending a lot of time on the toilet.

As I understand, the 5 a-day mantra was plucked from thin air and not based on any scientific fact .... so who knows whence 10 a-day comes from!

I am puzzled by something (as usual). Two broccoli spears or four heaped tablespoons of cooked kale, spinach, spring greens or green beans count as one portion. A medium tomato counts as one portion. But if you put them all in a smoothie and drink them (god forbid!) that still apparently only counts as one portion, not several portions. So, if you can eat them and achieve several portions a day, why can't you drink them and achieve several portions a day?

Good grief! How long will this fad last? 10,000 steps has been around a while and I guess it's now time for the next one. Eat sensibly is my maxim - with the odd treat thrown in here and there.

Everything in moderation?
Sensible, preferably home-cooked food - frozen veges are very good as they haven't sat on a shelf somewhere for weeks; etc.
I don't think that smoothies etc are especially good as one consumes rather more sugar than recommended. Sugar is a big NO NO, isn't it? though I am told that agave syrup and date syrup are much better being "natural" [and very expensive]
Hahaha

What about the beans in coffee and chocolate and the berries in gin?

Exactly, pittcity

I've eaten all I'm going to eat today (except maybe some hot chocolate later (cocoa is a vegetable) and if nuts and seeds are included I reckon I've covered five, maybe six, but in nothing like the quantities recommended, mainly because I eat small portions as suits my size and rate of food burn.

So - 80 grams.
What if I eat 2 tomatoes (I always have more) - does that mean 2, 3, or 4 veg?
Just being awkward.

Porridge with fruit for brekkie. Then if you make a batch of homemade soup for lunch, you could probably cram about 6 vegetables in there- onion, carrot, sweet potato, courgette, cabbage, tomato etc. Vary it. Pick blackberries for free in the autumn and you can have enough to last the year. A couple of veg with your dinner. Easy, peasy.

Fruit often has a high sugar content and is expensive. Vegetables are a much easier alternative. Just tried a 'Leon' recipe ( cookery book was a present to my husband) - cous cous with 7 vegetables. Really good and not over expensive. Certainly cheaper than meat. Incidentally I'm not a vegetarian.