1.24. More people try to follow a balanced diet nowadays.

a) Read the text about cholesterol and health.

b) Answer the questions and add up your scores to see if you have a

balanced diet.

c) Discuss with a partner what you could change in your diet to

make it more balanced.

a) Cholesterol and Health

Cholesterol (= fatty substance found in the body tissue and blood of all animals) only becomes a problem when you have too much of it, and it starts to promote the production of a fatty plaque (= unwanted substance that forms on the surface of the arteries) that can clog the arteries. Interruption of blood flow to a main heart vessel can cause a heart attack; a blocked blood vessel on the way to the brain could cause a stroke.

Some say that cholesterol-rich foods such as eggs, shellfish and offal should be banished from the diet, but these foods don’t significantly raise cholesterol levels. The cholesterol in them is broken down quite efficiently and then excreted (= got rid of from the body), so they are fine to eat in moderation.

Fibre (= substance in food that travels through the body as waste, helping digestion) produces substances that help to clear the blood of bad cholesterol and acts as a buffer, so less fat is brought into contact with blood vessels and less is absorbed. Fibre also keeps bad cholesterol within the gut (= tubes that carry from the stomach) from where it can be excreted.

B) The Balanced Diet

FAT

1) Which do you usually eat? 7) How many times a week do you eat

butter 3 high or medium-fat cheese?

margarine 2 five or more 3

nothing 0 three to five 2

once or twice a week 1

2) Which do you usually use for occasionally/never 0

cooking?

meat fat, butter, margarine 3 8) How many times a week do you eat

vegetable oil 2 chocolate?

corn, sunflower, olive 1 six or more 3

three to five 2

3) How many times a week do you eat once or twice 1

chips? occasionally/never 0

five or more 3

two to four 2 9) How often do you eat meat?

once 1 twice a day 4

occasionally/never 0 once a day 2

most days 1

4) How often do you eat cream or ice- never 0

cream?

Every day 3 10) How many times a week do you

Several times a week 2 eat sausages/meat pies/burgers?

About once a week 1 Six or more 3

Less than once a week/never 0 Three to five 2

Once or twice 1

5) Which type of milk do you drink? Occasionally/never 0

full fat 3

semi-skimmed 1 11) If you have a choice of how to

skimmed/none 0 cook meat, how do you cook it?

fry 3

6) What type of cheese do you eat grill with adding oil 2

most of? grill without adding oil 1

high-fat (Cheddar, Stilton) 4

medium-fat (Camembert, Edam, Brie) 3 12) How many times a week do you

low-fat (cottage) 2 eat cakes, biscuits, or desserts?

variety 3 six or more 3

three to five 2

once or twice 1

occasionally/never 0

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FIBRE

1) What kind of bread do you eat? 4) How many times a week do you

wholemeal 3 eat rice or pasta?

white 1 six or more 4

mixture 2 three to five 3

once or twice 2

2) How many slices of bread do you eat occasionally/never 0

a day?

six or more 4 5) How many times a week do you eat

three to five 3 boiled, mashed or jacket potatoes?

one or two 1 six or more 5

none 0 three to five 3

once or twice 2

3) How many times a week do you eat occasionally/never 0

cereal?

six or more 4

three to five 3

once or twice 2

occasionally/never 0

TOTAL

If your fat total was less than your fibre total, well done.

If your fat total was about the same as your fibre total (within one or two points), try to cut down on fat.

If your fat total was greater than your fibre total, you need to make changes in your diet.