The Urban Trainer Blog - UK

The sweet potato is also known incorrectly in parts of the USA as a yam. The sweet potato goes by the scientific name of Ipomoea batatas, is a member of the Convolvulaceae family and a storage root. While the yam has the scientific name Dioscorea Species, is from the Dioscoreaceae family and is a tuber. And finally, sweet potatoes are native to Central America while the yam is native to Africa and Asia.

Now that little confusion has been cleared up, more about the sweet potato; one of the oldest vegetables known with relics dating back 10,000 years discovered in Peruvian caves. They were brought to Europe by Christopher Columbus. Today the main commercial producer is China which is responsible for around 80% of the World’s production. Read more »

We all know fruit and vegetables are good for you, and you’ve all probably heard of the campaign ‘5 a Day!’ encouraging us to consume five servings of fruit and vegetables a day, but it’s not always obvious as to how these five should be made up. Fruit and vegetables need to be consumed, along with a variety of other quality foods, to ensure you’re obtaining adequate amounts of all the vitamins and minerals (collectively known as ‘micronutrients’) necessary for optimal health. Different fruits and veg are higher in different micronutrients; for example, oranges are packed with vitamin C, carrots are high in vitamin A, leafy green veg contains iron, bananas provide potassium, and so on. Read more »