2020

Facing the Fats: Unsaturated Fats and trans-fats (Part 2)

by Christina
10/04/2020

To recap, triglycerides are what we typically call fats or oils which consist of 3 fatty acids fused to a glycerol backbone.

The basic structure of a dietary fat which is called a triglyceride or triacylglycerol. It is comprised of 3 fatty acid chains and one glycerol backbone. — R here represents the variable fatty acid chains. Source

Fats can come from animal or plant sources, providing and assisting with the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins such as Vitamin A, D, E and K, along with essential fatty acids (EFAs). As we stated in part 1, the structure of fat has a big role in its function and you’ve probably heard lots about unsaturated vs saturated fats, trans fats or even weird abbreviations like MUFA, PUFA, EPA and DHA. So, what are these?

What are monounsaturated fats?

If you recall, saturated fats which come from animal sources, have as many hydrogens as possible surrounding the carbon atoms and can fit closely together like strands of wool closely packed to make a solid sweater. So typically, saturated fats are solid at room temperature, while unsaturated fats have fewer hydrogen atoms bonded to the carbon chain, forming kinks in the structure and enabling these lipids to be liquid at room temperature. Many unsaturated fats are available from plant sources.

Avocados are good sources of unsaturated fatty acids, typically monounsaturated fats. — Avocados provide unsaturated fatty acids, typically monounsaturates. Source

Facing the Fats: The Basics and Saturated Fat (Part 1)

by Christina
03/04/202009/03/2022

Fats… poor demonized and misunderstood fats. Almost like the middle child of the macronutrient trio. Aside from Carbohydrates which are quite often condemned, no other nutrient is as unappreciated as fats. Hopefully, in this 4-part series, we’ll be able to unravel some of the misconceptions associated with fats and oils, and by the end be able to make more educated decisions on our fat intake.

Assorted bottles of cooking oils. — Source

Fats, also known as oils or lipids are important for supporting cell growth and maintenance, providing the body with warmth and protecting your organs. Interestingly, 1 gram of this nutrient can provide 9 kcal (calories) of energy, in comparison to Carbohydrates and Protein which provide about 4kcal per gram. Meaning that fats are “energy-dense” (you might want to remember that phrase).

When we speak about dietary fats, we are referring to a molecule consisting of a glycerol backbone and 3 fatty acid chains. These are called triglycerides by scientists and health professionals. Excess fatty acids which have not been used for energy production or other bodily functions are stored as… you guessed it, Fat in tissues around the body called adipose.

Checking in and CPD in a Crisis

by Christina
01/04/2020

Hey everyone! I hope you’ve all been doing as good as you can in these challenging times 🤗. I just wanted to quickly check in… Read More »Checking in and CPD in a Crisis

Cruising through the supermarket aisles, hoping to be able to purchase healthy foods

Shocking Grocery Bill Shows Five-a-day May Not Be Affordable

by Christina
15/02/202021/11/2021

A few days ago, I decided to head to the supermarket to pick up some groceries, namely some fruit, vegetables and beverages to drink when I wasn’t sipping on cold water because Barbados is hot all year long. I was a bit disturbed by what I continued to notice. I knew things were expensive before, but I was quite frustrated when I started to calculate and reason out how I could get the most healthy selection within my budget.

Keep in mind that all prices mentioned are in Barbados dollars (BD$2= US$1).

When I first got to the produce section, I searched for some of my regular purchases and realized being unemployed, and wanting to eat adequate servings of fruit and vegetables left one with a difficult choice. I picked up a bag of 10 oranges for $10.99, a small bag of 5 tiny Gala apples for $3.50, half of a cantaloupe for $4.39 and a bag of onions ($1.85) out of necessity. To be honest, I hadn’t quite written a list because I had not yet decided what I wanted to cook for the week, as sometimes I’d choose my fruit and veg based on the price and what stood out to me. However, that was a terrible idea, as nothing stood out and there were no specials at that time. I did remember to buy some canned tomatoes ($5.50 for 2) for a sauce I planned to make, given it would have a longer shelf-life than fresh tomatoes, which I don’t remember finding.

To Eat or Not to eat the Chocolate

by Christina
10/02/202008/07/2022

With Valentine’s Day fast approaching and the US$43 billion Cocoa and Chocolate industry promoting their products as gifts for your loved ones, it’s hard not to get drawn in. Let’s be honest, we’re bound to get at least one box, even if we bought it for ourselves. I’m not a huge fan of chocolate, but I do enjoy it occasionally, especially a good-quality dark chocolate bar. So, should we be wary of our chocolate cravings during Valentines?

Hand drawn cacao sticker design elementHand darwn cacao sticker design element — The origins of chocolate, the beautiful and exotic cacao pod.

Chocolate is a mixture of cocoa solids, cocoa butter fat, milk, sugar and stabilisers like lecithin which help the main ingredients to form a solid mass. As if that didn’t sound like a bit of science, the cocoa solids give the chocolate its antioxidant properties, as they contain flavanols which are psychoactive organic compounds. And so, the higher the cocoa contents, the more of these antioxidants you’ll get. Typically, dark chocolate will contain 45 – 90% cocoa solids and trace amounts of milk, while milk chocolate will have mostly milk and sugar, and between 10 – 32% cocoa solids (at least in the States).

You may see vanilla included in the ingredient list, and that tends to round out the flavor and may lead to less sugar being added too. But some manufacturers use cheaper alternatives to cocoa butter such as vegetable oils and palm oil, and other additives to stabilize the product. Now although I like my KitKats, Cadbury, Agapey and Lindt, when it comes to quality chocolate, you want to see a very minimal ingredient list. That’s the standard of chocolate, I’m talking about in this article.

What’s up with the Five-a-Day?

by Christina
29/01/202020/03/2023

What is the Five-a-day?

Five-a-day is a health promotion campaign the UK uses to encourage its population to eat adequate amounts of fruits and vegetables (F&V). In other parts of the world the recommendation may have different names like “Go for 2&5” in Australia, “Fruit and Veggies – Mix it up!” in Canada, a similarly name “5 a Day” in USA and 6 a Day in Denmark, however the premise is the same. In Barbados, our dietary guidelines suggest that we eat 2 – 3 serves of fruit and 3 – 5 servings of vegetables daily. But why is this even important?

In the Beginning

by Christina
29/01/2020

Here we begin the journey to improving health, one forkful at a time. I should introduce myself. I’m Christina, a recent postgraduate and a Registered Associate Nutritionist. I’m from the beautiful island of Barbados, and my interests are very varied. I’m a passionate and mostly organised nerd, though I do have my moments of procrastination. Though I’m not that new to blogging or vlogging, and I previously shared parts of my life and beauty tips on my lifestyle blog, making the transition to a career in Nutrition, definitely is a new experience.