Food is an integral and important part of our lives. They say that the way to a person’s heart is through their stomach and with good reason. Food stuffs of various kinds are significant not only from the perspective of nutrition, but also from the very important view of taste. Life would be so boring and uninteresting but for the presence of various types of delectable dishes and lovely food items that make life worth living and also give many folks something to look forward to. This is also one of the reasons why a lot of people weave in food items of choice, namely fruits into special and celebratory occasions of their lives.

There is no moving away from the fact that fruits add a lot of joy into our life. Here are some ways in which you can combine fruits into events of happiness and mirth in your life:

Fruit Cakes: The festive season and birthdays are not really complete without a wide range of cakes that seem to flood the food market. Fruit cakes are some of the most lovely gifts and also foods fit to entertain your esteemed guests, relatives and loved ones. Fruits like bananas and dry fruits are quite an apt ingredient for delectable cakes and you would do well to look up a variety of recipes to ensure that your baking skills are at their best. These cakes are quite easy to , and you should have no difficulty in coming up with the best cakes in your neighbourhood.

Fruit desserts: Fruits are an extremely important ingredient of many kinds of desserts like custards, puddings and soufflés. You can easily garnish many of the lip smacking sweet concoctions and creations with all types of fruits. These fruits are able to add to the taste as well as the colours, look and texture that would not be quite so exciting, but for these splendid fruits. You can get these from the local fruit mart and would be yet amazed by the exquisite and delicious taste that these fruits afford.

Fruit baskets: These are, undoubtedly, some of the most popular gift items that people prefer. You can put together a combination of lovely fruits in various types of baskets so that you can convey the right amount and nature of your love and affection through these fruits. Fruits baskets can be put together in different varieties comprising of fresh fruits, seasonal fruits, dry fruits and exotic fruits of every kind. Apples, oranges, citrus fruits, dates and sultanas can easily be considered for the fruit basket and would effortlessly do the trick. Is it any surprise that fruit baskets are all so popular the world over?

When you look at gifting your loved ones, do take note of the special needs, desires and tastes of the recipients so that there are no mistakes. Love comes in various shapes and, and if you use basket of fruit gift properly, you would always be considered an ace in gifting.

Have you ever thanked God for his countless blessing to you? In fact, have you ever noticed God’s blessings? Well! Open your eyes and think about it. We always blame God for the things which we can’t get in our lives but we never see so many blessings around us which we get without any effort and never thank God for all these blessings.

But we should realize God’s blessings to us, as God has created this world for human beings; he loves us and decorates this world with his marvelous living and nonliving creatures like mountains, flowers, plants, animals and many other things. We can’t deny his blessings.

Here I am going to tell you about another blessing of God. As we all know God blessed us with four different seasons: summer, winter, autumn and spring seasons. Similarly, God also created different fruits according to seasons. Fruits with different colors, smell, sizes, shapes and with different nutrients are good for human health.

God creates us and knows human nature. Humans can’t live a monotonous and static life, they get bored as Abraham Lincoln said “Human action can be modified to some extent but human nature cannot be changed”. Although human nature cannot be changed but human nature likes changes.

If humans eat fruits according to the season then it’s good for their health, as God has planned better for us and loves us. Every season has its own uniqueness as we prefer different kinds of clothes in different seasons; we cannot enjoy the charm of coat and scarf’s in summers and can’t wear sleeveless tops in winters so enjoy the things in their time and Thank God for his blessings.

When the season changes then the fruit items in markets also gets change. Summer season fruits are different from winter and cannot be available in market during winters. Mangoes, watermelon, strawberries, cherries, leeches and peaches are the special fruits of summer. Mangoes are good for digestive issues, watermelon is the fruit with huge amount of water content, strawberries and cherries are good to increase blood production in the human body.

When we think about winter fruits then the most important fruit which comes to our mind, the juicy, beautiful with many benefits are oranges. Oranges are good for skin because they have Vitamin C in it. Orange juices are common during winters. Dry fruits like peanuts, almonds, nuts, cashew, and walnuts are the gift of God for humans during winters. Dry fruits are enriched with Vitamin E which is awesome for the skin and prevents human from cancer. Dry fruits are also good for the patients suffering from diabetes and heart problems.

Spring Season another beautiful season, with different fruits like .pineapples, raspberries and papaya bring happiness in life. William Cullen said about autumn season that “autumn the year’s last loveliest smile”. Autumn season also brings special fruits like apricots, pears, plums and apples. There is a famous saying about apples that is “An apple in a day, keeps a doctor away”. So, autumn season fruits are also enriched with different vitamins. When you eat these fruits by sitting in your garden then think about God’s blessings and be thankful for his unbelievable and countless blessing to us.

Believe it that God loves you, every day and every moment. He is with all of us and showering his countless blessings on all of us without any discrimination.

So thank God for his blessings as he filled the four seasons fruit basket with yellow, orange, purple, green, red and with many other colored fruits which are the colors of nature and good for humans. Thank him each and every moment of life and recognize his greatness through these blessings. Live a happy and healthy life.

Fruits are a wonderful creation of nature. I often think what a beautiful thought God was having when He thought of creating fruits. Their beautiful skin, wonderful colors, amazing shapes and the beautiful pattern on them are just eye catching. On the whole one can say that the world of fruits is amazing and beautiful.

We usually use fruits as an item on the dinner table in the form of salads and desserts. Fruits on the other hand deserve much more importance. If we can present flowers, pets, ornamental plants as gifts then why not fruits? Yes, fruits can be presented as gifts keeping in mind the occasion, season, and the person whom you are going to present the gifts.

You can make the idea of presenting the fruits as gifts even more exciting if you are going to send them by post. Especially if someone is not medically fit, is a vegetarian or is pregnant then the idea of sending fruit baskets by post can become even more thrilling.

If you know the person very closely then you can arrange the gift basket yourself. By incorporating all the fruits of his or her choice in the basket and sending it by post. It can create a sense that you are really very concerned about that person that you managed some time out of your busy routine and then kept in mind his or her choice you ordered the fruits. Also it can create a sense of how much you are aware of the next person’s choice.

Different fruits can be sent by post on the arrival of the new season.  A basket full of mangoes, guava, papaya, grapes, plums and watermelon can be sent with the arrival of the summer season, as people want to have juicy fruits in summers. You often have watched people have pipes inserted in the watermelon and enjoying the juicy flavor along with the sun on the beaches. On the other hand, Apples, oranges, pears along with the dry fruits are the best components of the fruit basket during the winter season.

Posting fruits by post could be entirely a new idea and can impress the receiver about your innovative abilities. It can present an idea to him that you are really concerned about his health. For example if you are going to post the fruits to pregnant women then you should incorporate pomegranate, avocados and apple as part of the fruit basket.

A very important thing is how you are going to present the fruit basket. Firstly the basket you select should be beautiful rather than the traditional baskets available in the market. Usually the companies which are providing the posting service have some websites on which they have shown the different styles of the baskets they have. You should select it depending upon the choice of your receiver also keeping in mind the quantity of fruits and types of fruits you are going to send. Secondly the presentation of the basket matters a lot so you should decorate with some ribbons and some accessories which are also available in a variety of sizes shapes and styles on these websites. The color of the ribbon is also very important; if you are going to present the gift to a young girl you should always go for a pink color. Also pink color can work for a small baby girl. On the other hand the blue color can work well for a male of almost all ages.

So we can say stepping ahead utilizing the innovative approach of fruit baskets by post can not only show your love and affection towards receiver but also can lead to a way forward in the tradition of presenting gifts.

If you travel a lot in tropical countries, you are bound to encounter a lot of strange and exotic fruits! Ones, which you have never seen or heard before, leave alone tasting them. So far in course of my travels, I have encountered many such fruits, tasted them and collected information about them from the locals and made notes about them in my travel diary. Fruit baskets in UK sometimes have a couple of these fruits in them, but mostly these fruits are tropical and not seen much across Europe. These fruits are rich in minerals and vitamins and go a long way in keeping you healthy. These fruits help fight vitamin deficiency diseases and have been around for thousands of years in the tropics.

Here are some of my diary excerpts about the exotic fruits I came across when on a trip around a few tropical countries. While some of them have tasted like the best strawberry I have ever tasted to others plain watery and tasteless. Whatever be the taste, these fruits are truly rare – at least at other parts of the earth!

The list of these exotics is pretty interesting:

Grenadia – This belongs to the passion fruit family and tastes amazing. The fruit is high on flavors and less acidic than the other fruits of the class. Mainly, found in Northern Parts of South American continent, it is fun to peel and eat this fruit.

Gooseberries – These will remind you of a black grape or a kiwi, and taste like a mixture of both. There are red currants, the white and the black. Overall, the taste is nice and satisfactory.

Mangosteens – You can call this fruit perfectly exotic! These are natively found in Southeast Asia. The outer crimson rind is soft and can be peeled away comfortably. Inside it is a white satsuma like fruit which is pulpy and melts into a very sweet and soft combination in your mouth. The taste is a real delight. Not close to anything you have tasted before!

Alphonso Mango – Crisply put, it is sweet, soft and heavenly! The soft pulp, the flavour and the texture is truly worth dying for! Found mainly in the Indian subcontinent, these mangoes taste the best when fully ripe.

Sweetsop – A sweet sop is sometimes referred to as the custard apple. When peeled off it tastes sweet and has a flavour unique to it. This is definitely one of the fruits that one cannot afford to miss out.

Jabuticaba – This is another exotic fruit that comes from Brazil. In the local language, it means a ‘fruit bud’. These fruits are unique because they are completely attached to the tree trunk. They look a bit like black grapes and are rich in phosphorus, iron and vitamin B.

On a side note, exotic fruits may not always overwhelm you with their taste. They may look great but may not taste that good. However, there are always exceptions

Do you analyze what your child likes to eat? You should do that if you do not do it already. Most children nowadays are picky eaters. What tastes good to him or her may not be good for health. On the other hand, what tastes good to you also may not be the perfect food for him. Food should be chosen with the nutrient content in mind as well as compatibility. In other words, one should be comfortable with what one eats.

As a kid, I too used to complain about foods that made my “throat itch.” However, my parents countered that throats cannot itch, and I was made to eat these food and vegetables I had trouble with. However, eating all these never made my health better. Instead, I remained the same skinny and malnourished I always was. Today, I know that this was the ‘Oral Allergy Syndrome’.

The Oral Allergy Syndrome is a health problem when the stomach produces mucus to save itself from allergy causing substances. Due to all the mucus produced in the stomach, the nutrients are not absorbed by the body and that leads the person becoming skinny.

Therefore, the point is ‘good’ foods are not always ‘good’. You may be allergic to them, and they may be causing mucous formation in your stomach. Some children have a rare allergy called the gluten intolerance. This would cause the child to be allergic to foods like the bread, burger or sandwich. These allergies to food within the body may also be responsible for children’s picking eating habits. It may not be that, the child is being mischievous and avoiding certain foods, it could be because of Oral Allergy issues. These children may not know what food is not good for them, but they do not have the words to explain exactly how it makes them feel when eating.

Here, we are not trying to convince you to give up and let the children eat whatever they like, but we want you to pay heed to their reactions to food and observer their eating habits. You should be careful during the observation and should not draw any conclusion. For instance, stomach aches may not always be caused by Oral Allergy Syndrome. Try to analyze what foods your child likes and see the nutrient values in them and prepare a balanced diet formulation based on that. In case, his likes are not balanced out, you can include new sources of compensatory nutrients.

Fruits are almost always great with nutrients and are least responsible for Oral Allergy issues. So, it is always great to have fruit baskets delivered to your home for your picky eating kid. Apart from this, it is always great to make it a habit for kids to have milk every day. It is the best balanced diet one can have. In case, your child does not like the smell, you can always sprinkle a bit of chocolate flavour over it.

Nutrition is one of the most important things for a child’s all round development. Hence, it is imperative that food selection is done well.

 

Europe is where the Tour de France was born. It is the home of the Rear De-railer, and houses the trans-continental bike route. However, it can be a daunting task to cover the continent on your bike. The planning has to be very tight and perfect to make the tour a success. Here, we will discuss some challenges that are posed to amateur cross continent bikers pursuing the European saga.

Planning one’s own bike tourney makes it economical. It allows the entire itinerary to be tailor-made and makes it flexible for route changes. It enables you to understand the nitty gritties involved in making the tour a success and helps you to enjoy the food and culture of every city you pass by. It gives you a better experience away from the time bound pressures of a tour initiating company and lets you be on your own.

Many couples choose a bike tour extending to about two months for their honeymoon. That involves a lot of adventure riding their bikes through countries like Ireland, Italy, France, Germany and Switzerland. That helps them evolve as persons from their experiences and also helps them bond together by spending quality time together away from the hustle bustle of the everyday life.

Europe has a map that can confuse a newbie. The biggest problem of choosing any route across Europe is that you would be spoilt for choice. The best way is to choose the flat routes in between valleys. It is also wise to use national and transnational bike routes. There are also classic routes that are well travelled by people all round the year and you can almost always find the company of the fellow travellers.

As for the time, June is the best time for visiting Northern France and England. During one of such trips, I happened to pick up some fruit baskets in UK, which lasted with us for the rest of the season. All the natural scenes at this time of the year look majestic and all of them are worth being published as picture postcards!

In times like middle of July through August, most of the Europeans go on vacation.  Dordogne Valley looks gorgeous, scenic, and silent; however being there in July is not a good idea because of the numbers of tourists around at that time.

Italy is also not recommended for the month of July and August. It is very hot out there during this time of the year. South Germany or the valley of the river Rhine is a good place to visit in these times.

The best ways to navigate when biking is reading maps and being able to properly decipher the scales and routes. It is also imperative to have a good knowledge of reading the terrains sketched in physical maps. Apart from reading the maps, bike touring also requires one to be aware of the weather conditions every day before beginning a trip. In case the weather goes bad, one should always have backup plans to get out of the ordeal safely.

Travelling gives a very good experiences and memories. Bike travelling is more enriching than normal travelling because it literally keeps you grounded.

The love of food takes precedence over many aspects of life for a large number of people. Such people are most conscious and particular about what foods they have at what time. Gifting food items and beverages to such people can be a little tricky this festive season. But, if you know what popular fruits are healthy this winter, you can choose from the multitude of fruit baskets in UK and become an instant hit in this field! So, if you are gifting a fruit hamper this year, here are some fruits that you should include in your hamper!

• Apples – A top-selling fruit throughout the year, this fruit acquires an extra-sweet and appealing flavour during the winter. Toss in a couple of these red and plump apples in the fruit basket and gift a taste of well-being to your loved ones. Apples can be big or small, sweet or plain or could be red or green in colour.

• Pears – This delicious and exotic fruit is ideal for people who enjoy a rich flavour but like a lot of tart juice in their fruits. A bit of this can transport you to a different world of flavours and textures. Delicate in nature, these fruits should be included in hampers that will not be exposed to the sun for too long and will be travelling short distances with care.

• Blackberries – Another fruit that has a sweet to tart flavour, a bunch of these berries are great sources of antioxidants, vitamins and taste for your loved ones. More popular at the onset of winters, these fruits make for a fabulous accompaniment to wine and cheese and can be included in almost all after-party dessert menus, too!

• Squash – In certain parts of the world, there are some varieties of squashes that are considered as fruits. Available in summer and winter varieties, squashes are a delight to cook and eat to keep oneself warm during the chilly season. They have a high amount of vitamins and generally have hard, thick skins to keep the insides protected from harsh weather conditions. Include a couple of varieties of this fruit in your fruit basket to add more to the nutritional value of your gift.

• Passion fruits – This dark purple fruit with a sweet pulpy texture is a popular fruit amongst many people. You can either make its juice or have it raw as is, after you remove the numerous seeds in it. Its unique flavour makes it a popular ingredient in jams and preserves. So for a sweet touch to the fruit hamper, you could add a few of these small, oval fruits, as well.

• Pomegranate – A rich source of vitamins and iron, pomegranate seeds are delicious to taste, can be had on their own or be sprinkled over ice cream or other forms of desserts. Just their bright, red exterior is enough to add a dash of colour to the hamper. Its interiors are equally, colourfully red and its sharp combination of tangy and sweet flavours make it a popular fruit amongst the health-conscious and the casual fruits eaters alike. These also have a hard exterior compared to the other fleshy fruits and can easily be transported for a few days.

So, gift a basket of health that reveals your thoughtfulness towards your loved ones this festive season with a choice array of fruits in various hues and or varying tastes.

Fruits are not only great for their excellent flavour, but also good for their nutrient content especially antioxidants and vitamins.

Here are a list of fruit and their natural health benefits:

• Raspberry:  It is rich in anti-oxidants and ellagic acids. Prevents colon as well as cervical cancer. Keeton extract of raspberry boosts metabolism and helps burn fat.

• Apple: It has anti-oxidants called as flavonoids, which the reduce risk of diabetes and asthma. It also cleans teeth and is a natural mouth freshener. The skin is a source of vitamins.

• Coconut: The major fatty acid contained in this fruit is Lauric acid, which has anti-protozoal, anti-viral and anti-bacteria properties. These attributes have crowned its oil as one of the healthiest oils.

• Berries: It contains strong phytochemicals, which provide antioxidant protection. They are an excellent source of zinc, carotenes, potassium, vitamin c, magnesium, calcium and iron. They are low in fructose (sugar) and high in fibre.

• Olives: It contains Polyphenols, which have anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic properties. They are rich in mono-unsaturated fats.

• Papaya: It is rich in antioxidants like flavonoids, vitamin C and Carotenes. Rich source of magnesium and potassium minerals. Helps digestion by enzyme papain, which helps in the breakdown of proteins. It supports the immune system and protects against cancer.

• Pear: It contains soluble fibre, which helps cure constipation. It also helps lower blood cholesterol and fight heart disease.

• Grapes: It contains resveratrol, an antioxidant, which helps reduce the risk off blood clots and lowers blood pressure. It also helps cease the spread of colon, breast and stomach cancer.

• Tomato: It is the best source of Lycopene, an antioxidant that aids in fighting prostate cancer and lowers cholesterol levels.

• Mango: Rich in zeaxanthin and lutein, which are antioxidants that give strength to vision and prevent eye problems in elderly. It contains amino acids and proteins.

• Avocado: It contains double the amount of potassium as compared to banana. It is rich in raw fat as well as monounsaturated fat. It is a good source of vitamin C, riboflavin, vitamin E and vitamin B6, folate, and dietary fibre.

• Pineapple: It contains enzyme Bromelain, which helps in digestion, lowers inflammation, swelling and is anti-carcinogenic. It is loaded with Vitamin C and also supplies support to the immune system. It is an excellent source of riboflavin, thiamine and manganese, which are good for production of energy.

• Guava: It is an excellent source of lycopene, vitamin C, folate, carotenoids, potassium, iron, calcium and fibres. It reduces LDL (bad) cholesterol. It has anti-microbial properties that help fight bacteria.

• Kiwi:  It is rich in beta carotenes and antioxidants such as Vitamin C and E. It also contains phytonutrients, which protect human DNA from free radical damage. They are a great source of, copper, phosphorous, potassium, magnesium and fibre.

• Cherry: It is rich in the antioxidant anthocyanin. It helps alleviate inflammation as well as pain caused by arthritis and gout.

• Grapefruit: It contains flavonoids and Lycopene, which protects against a few types of cancer. It contains Pectin, a soluble fibre, which helps reduce cholesterol levels.

These are some of the types of fruit good for human health. If you intend to send a hamper of fresh fruit delivery in UK, select from the above list of fruits.

Diabetes is a disease on the rise, globally. It is associated with high levels of blood sugar. It also implies low levels of the hormone insulin vital for maintaining blood sugar levels.

Warm weather features a multitude of luscious fruits.  Diabetics who have to be careful about sugar in their diet are doubtful about how these fruits rich in sugar can fit into their special diet.

As per the American Diabetes Association (ADA), fruits are rich in vitamins, fibre and minerals and should be part of the diabetic diet. Only, take care of the portions you consume. Also, one must avoid fruits preserved in sugar syrup. If you are targeting the Glycemic Index (GI) in your diet, fruits suit your need as they are low GI.

Indulge in your sweet tooth and maintain your blood sugar levels with the following fresh or frozen fruit choices:

• Berries: All kinds of berries, including blue berries and strawberries are really good for your health and you can treat yourself to these in any amounts. The ADA points out that berries are super food for diabetes as they are loaded with anti oxidants, fibres, vitamins and are also low carb food.
• Cherries:  They are a low GI and low Carb choice and are safe element of your diabetic diet. 14 gm of carbohydrates and 59 calories are found in a serving of twelve cherries. Tart cherries are full of anti-oxidants, which help combat heart disease, cancer, etc. Cherries can be bought canned, frozen, dried or fresh. Take care that it does not contain added sugars.
• Peaches: Juicy, fragrant peaches are a great summer treat. They can be added to the diabetic, low carb diet. They contain Potassium, fibre and Vitamins A and C. Peaches have a delicious flavour in their fresh state or added to iced tea for a fruity drink. If you are thirsting for a snack, make a smoothie by pureeing peaches with crushed ice, buttermilk and cinnamon or ginger for flavour.
• Apricots: Low carb, sweet apricots are a staple summer fruit and a great ingredient for your diabetes diet.  A single apricot contains 4 gms of carbohydrates and 17 calories. A single serving consists of four fresh apricots, and this makes for 70% of your daily dosage of Vitamin A. These fruity treasures are a good source of fibre. Toss them in a salad or a cold or hot cereal.
• Apples: As per the saying, an apple a day might keep the doctor away. A small apple is made of 54 calories and 15 gms of carbs. They are loaded with vitamin C and fibre. Apple peel is rich in antioxidants, so don’t peel them.
• Oranges: One orange contains all the required Vitamin C for the day. It is a great choice for a low carb, low GI diet containing only 62 calories and 15 gm of carbohydrates. Oranges are a good source of folate and potassium, which help control blood pressure.

These are some of the fruits ideal for a diabetic diet. One can include a bunch of each fruit when you send fresh fruit delivery in UK in a hamper meant for a diabetic recipient.