I use Carotino oil, which is made from Red Palm and Canola vitamin rich and cholesterol free, How good is this for you? I would love a reply as i use this for everything including my own oven chips which i make.

I am sorry but I do not know the exact analysis of carotino oil - ie how many 'good' fats or 'bad' fats it contains. Canola oil is rapeseed oil and therefore has a good nutritional proflie, with a ... read more good source of monounsaturted fat and omega-3. Palm oil on the other hand is a highly saturated oil which contains more 'bad' fats. The label on the bottle should give you a breakdown of the types of fat under the nutritional information. If you are still not sure, then I would keep to rapeseed oil! ... hide

I used to be able to purchase 'block' rapeseed margarine in the supermarkets but cannot now. Why? Do you know where you can purchase this as it is supposed to be better for you than other margarines. Thanks

I have been looking in supermarkets and health food shops for you but cannot see any 'block' rapeseed margarine. In the meantime you could use rapeseed oil for all your cooking requirements. Rapeseed ... read more oil is indeed a good oil as it contains omega-3 and is mono-unsaturated. It's a good all-round oil for the kitchen. Use in salad dressings or for shallow frying. If you want to choose a spread for bread or for cooking then choose one which is lower in saturated fats and high in unsaturates - both polyunsaturates and monounsaturates. ... hide

i have problem with blocked arterie in my leg,can only walk so far before pain sets in. I am under the hospital and they tried to do angioplasty but had to stop due to excess bleeding. I take 75ml aspirin also ginko biloba also a glass of diluted lemon juice every morning.Dont know if any of these have benifit. What else can i do to help

If you have a blocked artery in your leg then it is important that you try to keep to a healthy lifestyle. This means a well-balanced diet which includes plenty of fruit and vegetables (at least 5 a ... read more day), fill up on starchy foods - preferably wholegrain - bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, cereals etc and eat a variety of lean meat, fish (both white and oily), eggs, beans and pulses, nuts and seeds, low fat dairy foods. This also includes changing the quality of fat in your diet, less of the 'bad'saturated fats and more of the 'good' polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. Look at the ideas and tips on this website to help you. You should not smoke, try and walk as much as you can and seek advice from your doctor regarding medication and all aspects of your care. ... hide

I am sorry I still don't follow your logic. The article (http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/ajcn.2009.27725v1)clearly states "...that there is no significant evidence for concluding that dietary saturated fat is associated with an increased risk of CHD or CVD. " And yet you continue to refer to saturated fat as 'bad fat'. How can this research be so at odds with your own conclusions and isn't it grounds for you to moderate your simplistic advice that sat fat is bad?

The purpose of this site is to help people lower the saturated fat content of their diet to help keep their heart's healthy. Despite their conclusions in the Tarino meta-analysis the authors ... read more acknowledge the value of replacing saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat. Numerous studies and the more powerful pooled analysis of Jakobsen shows that replacing saturated fat with polyunsaturated rather than monounsaturated fats or carbohydrates prevent heart disease over a wide range of intakes. Satfatnav.com helps people to recognise foods which 'bad' saturates fats in their diet, lower them and replace them with 'good' polyunsaturates. ... hide

If the nutrition panel only gives total fat content, is it possible to estimate the amount of saturated fat?

No, it is not possible to 'estimate' the saturated fat content from the total fat. If you wanted to know approximately whether a food contained more 'bad' saturated fat than 'good' unsaturated fat, ... read more both polyunsaturated and monounsaturated then a good rule of thumb is that if the fat is solid at room temperature like butter, cheese, white fat on meat then it is likely to contain more 'bad' saturated fat. If the fat is liquid at room temperature like vegetable oil then it is likely to contain more 'good' unsaturated fat. There are alsways exceptions to the rule and palm and coconut vegetable oils have more saturated fats! You can always look on a product website for more information or phone their careline if they have one. Most labelling laws now require information for total fat and saturated fat - so the information should be avaialble. Look out for front of pack labelling like Guideline Daily Amounts (GDAs) to help you choose lower saturated fat products. ... hide

I have come across a meta analysis in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/ajcn.2009.27725v1), the conclusion of which was "...that there is no significant evidence for concluding that dietary saturated fat is associated with an increased risk of CHD or CVD. ". Do you accept this conclusion? If not, why not? How do you explain the result of this study? If so, will you be changing your advice? I'm getting confused by conflicting advice! Reg

These results are fully in line with existing knowledge that a reduction in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk depends on replacing a major part of the saturated fat in the diet with polyunsaturated ... read more fat. This was recently reinforced by the FAO/WHO consultation paper on fats and health who concluded that there is 'convincing evidence of lower coronary heart disease(CHD)risk when polyunsaturates replace saturated fat'. The researchers themselves recognised that 'the presumed beneficial effects of diets with reduced saturated fat on CVD risk may therefore be dependent on a significant increase in polyunsaturated fat in the diet.' Dietary advice remains to eat more of the 'good' unsaturated fats, which includes the essential polyunsaturated fats omega 3 and 6 and monounsaturated fats and less of the 'bad' fats such as saturated fat. ... hide

Hi I am doing a health promotion in our GP Practice in January on weight management - Could you point me in the right direction on where I could get hold of some visual tools to use. Many thanks Debbie

This list is by no means exhaustive but will give you a start .... The British Dietetic Association - Weight Wise Campaign National Obesity Forum Department of Health - Change4Life ... read more Campaign British Heart Foundation Local Health Promotion Office Commercial Slimming Companies - contact their carelines Food Standards Agency ... hide

i get hungry very often but am trying to watch my weight.i eat my three main meals during the day but i cant fight my urge for snacking. could you suggest any filling,healthy and low fat snacks? thank you

There are plenty of ideas for lower fat snacks on this web-site. Fresh fruit is always a good choice and is low in calories if you are watching your weight. Chopped salad vegetables - or carrots, ... read more celery, cucumber batons prepared in the fridge are good to crunch on between meals and also low in calories. Warming home-made soups are good filling snacks before a meal and also between meals. Crispbread with lower fat cheese spreads, bread sticks with vegetable dips add variety and there are always currant buns, fruit scones and malt bread as low fat sweet snacks for those not so concerned with watching their weight or occasional snacks for those who are! Don't forget breakfast cereals with lower fat milks or porridge make good healthy snacks too! ... hide

I have copd,i am overweight slightly(1stone) but my question is .Does sugar affect my breathing.

If you have COPD it would be better to be a healthy weight. Weight loss would help your breathing. Sugar contains calories and if you eat too many calories from whatever source - fat, carbohydrates or ... read more protein and you do not burn up those calories, then you will put on weight. If you would like to lose weight and think you eat too much sugar then reducing the amount you eat will surely help. If you would like help to lose weight then ask your doctor or practice nurse for advice or to refer you to a registered dietitian or to recommend some other agency that can help. ... hide

i have a gallstone in my bile duct and i am waiting for op what foods should i eat to stop it flaring up as anything creamy sets the pain away a rutherford

In the past people who had gallstones were advised to follow a fat free diet until research showed that this may indeed make the problem worse. Advice today is to eat a well balanced diet, which is ... read more lower in fat but not fat free and to avoid anything that particularly upsets you. If the pain persists you need to go and see your doctor for advice and ask to be referred to see a registered dietitian for individual advice. ... hide