Our daily bread

A guide to cooking oils

Olive oil

Olive oil is long-lasting as it forms fewer of the degenerating peroxides that cause rancidity when exposed to heat or daylight.

Olive oil also produces fewer of the dangerous peroxides and aldehydes that have toxic effects in the body. So for those who still insist on the occasional fry-up, use olive oil, as its chemical structure remains the most stable at high temperatures. In cooking terms, olive oil has the fewest number of negative factors and the greatest number of health-giving properties.

The link between olive oil and heart disease was first discovered by scientists at the University of Minnesota who undertook an extensive study into the worldwide numbers of deaths from heart disease. They discovered that the death rates were lowest among those whose main source of dietary fat is olive oil.

One of the lowest incidences of heart disease is in Crete, where the oil flows like wine and the people receive up to half their kilojoule intake from olive oil alone.

Olive oil has traditionally been used for stomach disorders and we now know that it stimulates bile production and will encourage the gall bladder to contract, reducing the risk of gall stones.

It also promotes pancreatic secretions and may even protect against stomach ulcers.

Pure, unrefined cooking oils are more expensive than the processed blends, but they taste far better and contain many important nutrients such as vitamin E and lecithin.

All unrefined oils have their own natural flavours and you can play around with the different varieties to suit your tastebuds.

Bread is food we all enjoy and like to it daily. It tastes delicious, it’s convenient and it’s good for us.

We could eat a different bread every day for a month, for there is an amazing variety of breads to choose from.

There rye and black breads, bread sticks, flat breads, white bread wholemeal and mixed grain breads. And they come myriad shapes: round plump cottage loaves, long bread sticks, squares, rolls, crisp breads, tank loaves – and that’s just the beginning.

Bread is one of man’s oldest convenience foods and is still acclaimed for its versatility and economy. It’s important to recognise that bread makes an important and nutritious contribution to our diet. Vary the types of the bread you buy, enjoy them fresh and any leftover can be used in wonderful soups, puddings, salads and snacks.

Every country that considers bread an essential part of its life and wellbeing has developed ingenious ways of using leftover bread and has created dishes that can star in their own right. There’s double value in knowing that, as well as providing dishes you and your family will enjoy, bread helps to build healthier bodies.

Дата добавления: 2015-05-23