A Quick Guide to Fats

The cold weather usually brings a massive craving for comfort food, preferably with lots of fats like stews, deep fried goodies, and luscious puddings. I'm eating some of the new Whittaker's spiced dark chocolate as I write. Absolutely delicious and oh-so-comforting!

So I thought it's about time I write something to debunk the myths about this much-maligned nutrient.

Our body needs fats to be healthy. Fats provides insulation for our bodies. It protects our internal organs, keeps our hair and skin healthy, and helps our bodies absorb fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K.  

Our cell membranes are made up of fats and proteins, and it is the fats that allow the selective transport of substances in and out of the cell. Fats are also essential components of hormones and hormone-like substances such as protaglandins that regulate many body functions. 

Fats are actually a more efficient energy source per gram compared to carbohydrates and proteins. We burn carbohydrates within the first 20 minutes when we're exercising, and after that we rely on fats to continue fueling our bodies.

So how do we ensure that our bodies get the fats it needs to be healthy? While at the same time preventing cholesterol build-up and obesity? 

(1) Whole foods and free range meats. Whole foods contain the right balance of nutrients to help you digest and absorb only the nutrients that you need. Free range chicken is a good example. Chicken skin is actually mainly made up of monounsaturated fats in the form of oleic acid. Oleic acid, also found in olive oil, is known for beneficial effects on cholesterol. While chicken skin does contain unsaturated fats but you do need some of that, too.

Whole foods are naturally low in fats, such as whole grains, vegetables, and fruits. They also contain plenty of soluble fiber that can help lower LDL (“bad”) blood cholesterol by interfering with the absorption of dietary cholesterol.

It's not just what you eat but how you prepare and cook your food that makes a huge difference on how much nutrients are left when you consume it. For example, olive oil breaks down at high temperatures so I would only use it in salad dressings and low temperature cooking. Coating chicken with flour before frying also increases the amount of fat that it retains when cooked. 

(2) The optimum amount of different fats that your body needs. We all know that there are different types of fats: fatty acids, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, saturated, and trans-fatty acids. This article rates them from best to worst and provides a traffic light guide on what and how much to eat. I find this type of guide very useful as it is not overly prescriptive. 

As a guide, healthy adults should consume a maximum of 30% of calories from fats, with around 10% from "Yellow Light fats". 

**Remember that what "optimum" means depends on many factors, such as how much physical activity you do, if you're recovering from an illness, or the season of the year. If you need help figuring this out, drop me a note :)

A Healthy Weekend Routine

I look forward to Saturday mornings because of its nice little routine that goes like this: plan the coming week's meals, go to the fresh market, brunch, and a little walk around town. Planning can be as simple as searching the web for recipes, or as involved as going through my foodie magazine and cookbook collection AND searching the web for recipes.

I used to write the plan in a professional-looking document, accompanied by a shopping list that I'd then print out and take to the market. Recently I've gone paperless, using Evernote, planning the meals and creating the list in my laptop computer then syncing it with my smart phone. Definitely a lot more efficient,  with the added flexibility of making last minute changes while shopping. This lets me take advantage of what's in season, or try out new artisan products I find at the fresh market.

We're so lucky in Wellington to have Moore Wilson's Fresh, which sells not only fresh produce and artisan products, but has a whole section dedicated to fine wines from around the world, craft beers, and liqueurs. They also have a wholesale dry goods section, and an Alladin's Cave for cooks filled with culinary implements and gadgets to help you become an expert...or just to impress your friends :) I've got my eye on their ceramic tapas bowls and plates collection for a while now.

It's best to be early to beat the rush at the market. Parking becomes nearly impossible after 10 a.m.and you'll have to elbow your way to get to the herbs and vegetables. Or queue up to get your pancetta sliced! This being my favourite cured meat means I have as much as 500 g sliced sometimes and this takes a very long time, indeed!

Once were done with shopping, it's time for Wellington's most popular weekend foodie activity: brunch! I've got one criterion for choosing a place to eat: must have great coffee!! Luckily, this is also the coffee capital of New Zealand so we're generally spoiled for choice. The Top Notch Brunch Spots is a great guide to get you started brunching in the city.

A couple of weeks ago, I went to Flight Coffee Hangar for the first time. It was pretty busy but the staff were friendly and they had one of the best single-origin filtered coffee selection I've seen around town. I had a light, floral Sidama from Ethiopia and a fragrant, sweet Kenyan Wakulima.

It started to rain while I was at the cafe. So I had to wait a bit before going on a short walk back to the carpark. On the way, I stumbled on this neat little place called Wellington Apothecary Co.  An apothecary, strictly speaking, is an old name for what has now evolved to become a pharmacy or chemist. This one is actually a "dispenser of herbal remedies," according to its web site.

I was offered a warming cup of herbal tea, and spent a good 20 minutes exploring and discussing the merits of various essential oils with the lovely herbalist on duty. I was really impressed by her knowledge and the number of dried herbs on display. Went away with a couple of herbal teas: a depurative blend to cleanse the blood, and an expectorant to strengthen the immune system for the coming change of season. I also bought a Eucalyptus essential oil and almond oil to act as a carrier. This oil is great for easing the discomfort from coughs, colds and the flu. I will visit again and perhaps get them to custom-blend some teas for me.

This pretty much takes up a good part of the morning, but having a routine like this is a great way to set a relaxing, mindful, and healthy theme for the weekend. What's your healthy weekend routine?

Summer!!

Summer is the easiest season to be well: plenty of sunlight, an abundance of mineral-packed fruits and vegetables, longer daylight hours mean more time to spend outdoors to exercise. I thought I'd offer a few tips on how to take advantage of this season to maximise its benefits to your wellbeing.

It's the season to indulge in meandering nature walks. Even a short, 20 minute walk in an inner city park will free your mind of clutter. Walk slowly and mindfully, paying close attention to what you see, feel and hear at every step. My favourite walk is uphill to the Botanic Gardens, where I sit on a bench for a few minutes to admire this beautiful sculpture by Henry Moore.

Image by Amy Schulz Photography

Meals are lighter, with more raw ingredients, and  full of colour: berries, herbs, salad leaves, beans, melons, tomatoes, peppers, corn, courgettes, apricots! We are truly spoiled for choice when it comes to summer produce. Drink raw juices first thing in the morning or even throughout the day. A couple of recipes I love are the Green Smoothie of Life and the Energy Booster Juice....or one I'd drink all day, Watermelon and Cucumber Juice. Yum!

Of course, summer go-to dishes are salads but summer soups are just as good. I'm inspired to create new soup dishes after seeing this Instagram post by Marc Weir, chef owner of Floriditas and Loretta's in Wellington, so watch this space. Meanwhile, to get you started check out BBC Good Food's Summer Soups Recipe Collection.

This is the time when our skin is most exposed to the elements, so skincare routines and rituals also need to be adjusted for the warmer summer months. Avoiding the sun when it's strongest, from 10 - 4 pm, is a must. Use higher SPFs, mineral-based sunscreens and slather it on generously at least 30 minutes before going out in the sun. It took a while for me to find a site that gives easy to follow tips without selling skincare products, good thing I finally found Dr. Frank Lipman's Summer Skincare Guide.

Finally, take time out to relax and enjoy the many activities of the season. Sit on the beach and read a book, go to outdoor concerts, swim on the sea or outdoor pools, take long bike rides, and shop for fresh, artisan food from farmer's markets.