Greetings Saints, as we reach the end of winter welcoming the beautiful season of spring let us remember to look after our health. In this issue I would like us to focus on looking after our hearts. Many a times we are advised that fat is bad for our hearts and it must be cut completely out of our diets. We need fat in our diets for the following reasons; it provides us with energy, dietary fat is stored inside the adipose tissue located in depots on the human frame.

The ability to store and use large amounts of fats enables humans to survive without food for weeks. Structured fat pads hold the body organs and nerves in position and protect them against traumatic injury and shock, preserve body heat, maintaining body temperature. Dietary fat is also essential for the digestion, absorption, and transport of the fat soluble vitamins e.g. Vitamin A, D, E and K.

There are three types of fats;

1. Saturated fats; this is the bad types of fat and we need to lower the consumption of food high in this type of fat examples are: Full cream dairy product, Cakes, pastries, Fat in the meat, chicken skin, butter, pies.
2. Monounsaturated fats: this is good types of fat examples are: Vegetable oils, spreads made form vegetable matter such as olives, rapeseed, avocado and certain types of nuts.
3. Polyunsaturated fats: This are good types of fats examples are tinned oily fish,

General guidelines: how to reduce saturated fat intake

1. Remove excess fat from meat and the skin from the meat before cooking.
2. Use little or no fat in cooking.
3. Rather grill, steam, boil, bake, roast, braai, stew preparation methods of food instead of frying.
4. Spread margarine and spreads very thinly, or not at all.
5. Use low fat dairy product and low fat milk instead of coffee creamers in tea and coffee.
6. Eat very few fried foods like dry or slap chips, fried chicken or fish.

Written by: Londolani Ramuada