How can we reduce our Saturated Fat intake?
The easiest way to reduce the amount of saturated fat in our diet is to reduce the total amount of fat we eat or to replace some of the saturates in our diet with unsaturates, such as polyunsaturates. When reducing the fat we consume you should avoid products, which contain hidden fat, such as cakes and biscuits.
How can we reduce the risk of Heart Disease?
Polyunsaturates are particularly thought to lower the body’s blood cholesterol level. Certain polyunsaturates (Omega 3) found in oily fish, such as herrings, mackerel and salmon can reduce the tendency of the blood to clot. In addition, the essential fats, which the body cannot make for itself, can be found in these foods, which contain polyunsaturates. These essential fats are important for cell structure. The highest proportion of polyunsaturates is found in vegetable and fish oils and also nuts. The best oils to use are those low in saturates –
Sunflower
Soya
Olive
Corn
I interviewed my GP/ Medical journalist. He gave the following answers to the following questions I asked him, about salt.
Question 1) Do we need Salt in our diet at all ?
Answer) Certainly, there’s no doubt about that.
Salt is composed of both sodium and chloride. These are main components of the tissue fluid in which every cell in the body is in. This transports the vital oxygen and nutrients from the blood stream to feed the cells. Also, our bodies use the sodium particles as small sponges to attract water so that the tissues don’t get too dry.
Question 2) How much Salt should we eat ?
Answer) On average we take in about 9g of salt a day when we could manage on just 1g.
Question 3) Should everyone cut down on their salt intake ?
Answer) Certainly, yes
In Britain, 1 in 10 people has abnormally high blood pressure – hypertension, and the higher the blood pressure, the more likely is it that a blood vessel can burst under the strain. Should this happen in the brain it is called a stroke- which can cause paralysis in movement or of the senses.
Eating too much sodium keeps everybody’s blood pressure a little higher. The excess sodium could be a contributory cause of permanently high blood pressure for people with fairly normal blood pressure.
People with raises blood pressure are more likely to develop various types of heart problems and kidney disease. It is therefore important to look at ways o keeping blood pressure low, by reducing our salt intake.
Question 4) Where do the main sources of salt come from ?
Sources of salt in our diet:- 15% present in fresh foods e.g. milk, vegetables and meat
15% salt we add in cooking or at the table
70% processed and convenience foods, which have added salt
Question 5) How can we cut down on our salt (sodium) intake ?
Answer) When buying processed and convenience foods check the ingredients label to see if salt is present, check to see how high up the ingredients list it comes (the higher the more there is in the product). Look for ‘low in salt’ or ‘no salt added’ products. Try not to add salt when cooking, add salt only after tasting, if at all. If salt is needed use herbs or spices as an alternative or ‘LoSalt’, which gives the flavour of common salt but only, contains 1/3 of its sodium content. It replaces 2/3 of the sodium content in common salt with 2/3 of potassium. Therefore, ‘LoSalt is a blend of 2/3 potassium chloride and 1/3 of sodium chloride (common salt)
Vitamins are the substances that are vital for life; our bodies need them for just about everything. We need them to help our cells to grow and repair themselves. They are also needed for healthy muscles, nerves, bones and blood vessels. They can help us to fight off diseases. Vitamins that we need are: Vitamin A, C, D, E, K, biotin and B Vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, folic acid). Eating at least 5 fruits and vegetables each day, helps to fulfil the required amount of a wide range of useful vitamins and minerals. Vitamins A, C and E may protect against cancer and heart disease. They are anti-oxidants that help to prevent cell damage.
Small amounts of minerals that we need include: Calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, sodium and zinc.
What is sugar ?
Sugar contains just calories with no other nutrients.
‘Official Government figures for average adults’.
Why do we need sugar ?
Sugar is used for a variety of things including the following:
A sweetener
A preservative (as in jams) at the right concentration it helps to stop micro organisms to grow and so prevents food spoilage
A bulking agent (as in jams, ice-cream and cakes)
Is used to create a structure in cakes
To produce subtle changes in flavour, it removes the acidity and sour flavour in many foods e.g. in tomato ketchup
It acts as a humectant, it can hold water to delay drying and staling time of baked products
To raise the boiling point or lower the freezing point in some recipes (as in the making of ice-cream)
To speed up the process of fermentation (by yeast) in bread making
It absorbs moisture (as in biscuits it keeps them crunchy)
It can caramelise to give colour
It makes cakes light and keeps meringues stable
Why do we need to cut down on our sugar intake?
Sugar is purely calories. It is the major cause of tooth decay. Bacteria live in our mouths. The mixture of food and bacteria, which forms on teeth, is called plaque. The bacteria in plaque break down the sugars we consume into acids, which then attack the enamel coating of the teeth. If there is enough time between attacks the enamel can rebuild itself, but if the acid attacks are too frequent, this can lead into cavities being formed.
If enough calories are consumed, the body converts the excess amount of calories needed into body fat. An easy way for slimmers to lose weight is too cut out calories without losing nutrients.
How can we cut down on our sugar intake ?
- We can cut down on our sugar intake by not adding sugar to hot drinks.
- When buying soft drinks, choose low-calorie or unsweetened fruit juices.
- Buy tinned fruit in natural juice rather than in syrup.
- Limit the amount of cakes, biscuits, sweets etc.
- Cut down on jams, treacle, honey etc.
- Choose wholegrain cereals.
- Try halving sugar in recipes (except in jams, meringues and ice-cream), where the sugar is required to form the stucture.
- Use low-sugar varieties of products.
What is dietary fibre and where is it found ?
Dietary fibre is the name given to insoluble Non-Starch Polysaccharides (NSP). It is found in the cell walls of fruit, vegetables and cereals. It cannot be digested.
What is the function of dietary fibre and how does it affect the transit time in the digestion process ?
The most important function of dietary fibre is to hold water, like a sponge. This makes the faeces soft and bulky so they can pass easily through the large intestine. The rate at which food passes from the mouth to the anus (the transit time) is less in a diet high in dietary fibre.
What bowel disorders can occur as a result of lack of fibre in the diet ?
If there is a lack of fibre in the diet the faeces become small and hard. This makes the faeces difficult to pass out of the body. A person will feel uncomfortable and will become constipated. If the muscles tighten into a painful spasm this is called irritable bowel syndrome. The wall of the large intestine can also develop weak points, which will stretch into pouches (diverticula). There is some evidence that a high fibre diet will prevent large intestine cancer.
How much dietary fibre should we eat ?
The average person should eat 18g of dietary fibre a day, however they only eat on average 12g.
High Fibre sources include:
Wholemeal/ wholegrain products
Fruit/vegetables, which may also help to keep blood cholesterol levels down
Oats/bran
Fibre in the diet is also a good source of other nutrients, vitamins and minerals.