THE egg has been a symbol of fertility and new life for centuries but today it is inextricably linked to Easter.

And the eggs we eat at Easter are inextricably linked to one magic ingredient - chocolate.

Why chocolate? Being considered an aphrodisiac cannot have harmed its chances.

And even if we now know chocolate is not quite in the same league as Viagra it is still a treat, which cheers us up and offers us a bit of decadence.

There is, alas, a down side to our fixation with chocolate; bad teeth and more and more people overweight.

So, after the excesses of the chocolate season, we should give ourselves another treat with plenty of fresh fruit and veg.