The Ultimate Low Cholesterol Low Fat Cookbook [antikvár]

Why a Low Fat Diet?We need a certain amount of fat in our diet for general health and it is a valuable source of energy. Also, it plays a vital role in making foods palatable to eat. However, most of us eat more fat than we need. You should not try to cut out fat altogether, but a lower fat diet has the benefits of weight loss and reduction in the risk of heart disease.There are two types of fat - saturated and unsaturated. The unsaturated group includes two types - polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats.Saturated fats are the ones you should limit, as they increase cholesterol in the blood, and this can increase the risk of heart disease. The main sources of saturated fat are animal products such as dairy products and meat, but also hard fats and hydrogenated vegetable fat or oil.Polyunsaturated fats are essential in small quantities for good health, and are thought to help reduce the cholesterol in the blood. There is also some evidence that monounsaturated fats have a beneficial effect. The main sources of polyunsaturates are vegetable oils such as sunflower, corn and soybean, and oily fish such as herring, mackerel, sardines, and trout. Sources of monounsaturated fats include olive and peanut oils, as well as avocados and many nuts.Fresh approach: when you are shopping for low fat foods, choose fresh seasonal vegetables (top right) and cook them without added fat. Salads (right) are a good accompaniment too, just use a polyunsaturated or monounsaturated oil for the dressing. Fresh fruits (above) are the perfect ending to a low fat meal if you haven't time to cook ~ eat them either raw in a salad or poach in fruit juice and serve hot with yogurt.Cutting Down on Cholesterol?Cholesterol is a substance which occurs naturally in the blood, and is essential for the formation of hormones, body cells, nerves, and bile salts which help digestion.A high cholesterol level can increase the likelihood of coronary heart disease, as it becomes deposited on the walls of the arteries, causing them to fur up. The main cause of raised cholesterol levels is eating too much fat, especially saturated fat. Eating too much saturated fat encourages the body to make more cholesterol than it needs, and also seems to prevent it getting rid of the excess.The cholesterol found in foods such as egg yolk, Uver, cheese, butter, and shellfish does not have a major effect on the amount of blood cholesterol in most people, but it is best not to eat large quantities of these foods too often.