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Hidden dangers

Written by Staff Reporter

Thursday, 11 November 2010

Last week I talked about the different types of oils there are and the balance you need between them. You need to pay attention to how many oils and fat you eat on a daily basis, the recommended amount is between 20% and 30% of your daily intake of food.

One thing you need to remember is that fat is essential for the body to function well. You would think then that if you kept the amount of oil or fat to within what is recommended you would be ok. However, this is not necessarily the case - it is the quality of your oil, not just the quantity that is equally important.

Oils come in many different qualities and therefore the effect they have on your body can be very different. Oils, especially the unsaturated kind I mentioned last week, are incredibly delicate. The more processed an oil, ie the more exposed it is to light, heat or air, the more likely it is to turn rancid. These rancid oils turn into free radicals in the body, causing chaos for those with cholesterol, heart or weight issues.

It is worth the extra money, in terms of your health, to buy extra virgin or unrefined oils. You can find these in most supermarkets and food retailers. Another highly dangerous type of oils are called trans fats or hydrogenated fats, which can be found in most processed foods.

Remember, even if you buy unrefined or extra virgin oils, try not to cook with them or use the minimum amount. I now do all my cooking with no or little oil, here is an example below of how to do a water sauté which can be adapted for any recipe.

Fish with Spicy Tomato sauce

2 fillets of white fish (cod, haddock, whiting)
6 medium tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic (optional) -
1 medium onion – finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon chilli powder

Preheat oven to 180 oc

Place the onions in a saucepan with a little water and sauté for about 5-10 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, garlic and rest of the spices. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes.
Place the fish in a pie or oven dish and cover with the sauce.
Place in oven for 10 minutes or until fish is cooked.
Serve with brown rice or baked potato.

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