But I thought cooking with
olive oil makes it toxic?
All oils break down with heat
and can produce harmful
substances, but there’s little
evidence that this is a problem
unless you are reusing cooking
oil and continually
heating it up to a
high temperature.
Due to its high
content of
monounsaturated
fat and antioxidants,
olive oil is actually more
stable for cooking
than many other
oils. While you’ll
destroy some of the
beneficial antioxidants
and phytochemicals, and
lose some of the flavour,
heating olive oil doesn’t make
it toxic and it’s still the best
choice as your main cooking oil.
Aren’t nuts too high
in fat if I am trying
to lose weight?
Nuts consist mostly of
‘healthy’ polyunsaturated
and monounsaturated fats.
They also contain plant protein,
dietary fibre and important
vitamins and minerals, so are
one of the best sources of
healthy fats in your diet.
Studies have shown regular
nut eaters are less likely to be
overweight than those people
who don’t eat nuts. Nuts are
satisfying, so eating them may
lead to less consumption of
other foods. It also seems we
don’t absorb all of the fat from
nuts – it has been found about
5-15 per cent of energy in nuts
is excreted rather than absorbed.Aren’t low-fat foods
higher in sugar?
While this is the case for
many low-fat foods (such
as cakes, biscuits, yoghurts
and ice-creams), this statement
isn’t always right. Unsweetened
foods, particularly dairy foods
such as plain milk and yoghurt,
don’t actually contain any
added sugars. The sugars they
do contain are natural milk
sugars, and they simply have
the fat removed. This means
they are lower in energy(kilojoules) and fat, and can still
be a good choice, particularly if
you do happen to be watching
your weight.You mentioned fruit –
but doesn’t it have too
much sugar?
Fruit does contain natural
sugars, but this doesn’t mean
it’s off the menu when you
have diabetes. In fact,
eating more fruit has been
associated with a reduced risk
of developing type 2 diabetes,
and in those with type 2,
restricting fruit intake has
been found to have no impact
on their weight or HbA1c
levels. The sugars in fruit
come along with dietary fibre,
vitamins and minerals, and
most fruits have a low to
moderate glycaemic index,SO OLIVE OIL IS GOOD, BUT
I’M TRYING TO LOSE WEIGHT- SHOULD I BE CHOOSING THE
LITE VERSION?
The term ‘lite’ on an oil means the oil is lighter
in colour and/or flavour, not lower in fat or
kilojoules. All oils are 100 per cent fat.
And the extra-virgin variety, rather than
regular or lite, has the greatest health benefits.
special report