HEALTHY WAY TO LIVE

Fat is the word of the present days .everywhere you go you will fine labels saying “low fat, no fat” and so on.fat is a necessary evil in our diet but we don’t really need quite as much of it as our modern diets tend to provide. Having said all of that there is evidence that goes to show that people are much more discerning about what they are feeding their families.

No one wants to suffer from heart disease and other debilitating illness, so it’s up to each of us to constantly look at what we are eating. As they say “you are what you are eat”. I am not saying that you can never eat another cream cake ever again. Or relish that samosa.if you feel like it enjoys it. But learn to balance the good with the bad-weighing heavier on the good than the bad.

It’s not that difficulties to make changes in your own recipes-sometimes the family won’t even notice. As I suggested earlier use low fat oil for cooking. Use herbs and spices to balance flavors. Lowering the fat count lowers the risk and higher life –you've only got one so why not enjoy it. Remember to treat yourself better than you treat anyone else. You deserve it.

In this part of the world where vegetables are plentiful we can cook. Classical recipes, or create new ones with the least effort. To cut down of fat try using spray oil where possible this means just the right amount of fat the do the job without loading down the dish with fat. Experiment with leaving out of fat some recipes. Steam vegetables in a little chicken or vegetable stock where is says sauté and use a light cooking oil for frying if you need to.

The first figures in grams give the actual weight of the ingredients, the second tells you the nutritional value. Make cooking fun by learning all about the food you are eating. On average we need between 2000 to 2500 calories per day to servive.busy hard working manual workers can need up to 3000 calories, while a secretary sitting down all day may only need 2100 calories. Pregnant mums and feeding mums need upwards of 2400 to 2750 per day.

Fat provides more than twice the energy as carbohydrate. While fruit and vegetables are lower in energy. Grains meats, fish and dairy products on the other hand are quite high in energy. As you probably already know any excess fat consumed in your daily intake of food is only stored away as fat and is much hard to get rid of.

A minimum of 30 grams of fat per day is required to ensure that essential fat-soluble vitamins are processed. For ease of identification we have compiled a list of the types of fat you will find in our everyday foods.

Saturated fat:          coconut oil, Animal fats, Palm oil, beef fat, butter, coco butter, hydrogenated fat

Monounsaturated fat: fish oil, olive oil, rapeseed oil

Polyunsaturated fat: sunflower oil, corn oil safflower oil, linseed oil, evening primrose.

There are not such things as a “bad food “more foods be to eaten in lesser amounts. So what should we be eating, check out the list to see if you are getting it right. Lean meat, cheese/beans, pulses and nuts eats once a day .fish twice a week whole meal bread ,potatoes ,rice, or pasta eat with each main meal. Green vegetables /salad everyday, carrots twice a week, fruit especially citrus fruits everyday, milk 1/3^rd pint more if skimmed everyday.

Where do we get out fat from? Eggs, fish and fruit provide 22.1 %,

Meat provide 21.5 %,

Cereals including breads, biscuit, and pastries provide 16.9 %

Milk and dairy products 13.4 %

Fat spreads such as margarine and butter 14.1