Chocolate Sardines

In the spaghetti westerns of the 1970s, it was easy to tell good from bad by the color of their hat. Today, despite the wealth of information on food available to us in the media, it becomes increasingly difficult to separate the myths of food information and deciding what to eat to stay happy and healthy.

It is clear in all things moderation is the key to a healthy diet, and many other ancient old wives' tales seem not ring true. Here are some tips on what not to eat, and how not to eat.

SALT:

Eating too much salt can raise blood pressure, which increases your risk of heart disease and stroke. Shake salt on food without first tasting, or adding a pinch of cooking, is that the salt you add yourself. But you must also pay attention to the salt you can not see. So if you're one of the 26 million British Food Standards Agency has calculated that eating too much salt, you should take a look at what you buy, and turn detective to find out how much you really eat your salt supply daily.

A teaspoon of salt contains about 5-6 grams of salt, which is the total amount recommended per day.

Approximately three quarters (75%) of the salt we eat is already in the foods we buy, especially processed foods such as ready meals, sauces, baked beans and pizza. Even people who make every meal from scratch they usually buy foods such as bread and cheese, which contain added salt.

The recommended daily dose for adults is 6 grams, the amount contained in a sandwich wrapped in mean, then the font of your salt intake can be tricky. A recent article in the Daily Mail. Highlighted the research suggests that salt may act as a natural antidepressant. Without getting enough salt could trigger "psychological depression, research has found that rats deprived of salt" has started to behave erratically and avoid foods and activities they normally enjoy. "

FAT

Fat high in calories and most of us in the UK eat too much of it in our daily lives. It can make us gain weight and clog our arteries.

But fat also helps the body absorb certain nutrients and is a good source of energy, though some of them we need for our bodies to function properly. However, the truth is never simple, and knowledge is the key to sorting those fats are bad.

"Bad" or saturated fat is found in processed meat products like sausages, bacon, pies, butter, lard, biscuits, cakes and pastries. too much saturated fat can raise our cholesterol, and increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. He is also involved in the development of cancer, high blood pressure and diabetes.

"Good" or unsaturated fat is found in avocados, nuts and seeds, fatty fish like salmon, fresh tuna and mackerel, and sunflower oils and olive oil. These fats can lower cholesterol, including Omega 3 (fatty acids).

Omega 3 is often called the "heart healthy" fat, and mainly found in fatty fish like salmon, fresh tuna, mackerel, herring, sardines and pilchards. The recommended intake is two servings of fish per week, one of them fat and can reduce the risk of kidney disease in people with diabetes also, according to a study published by the National Kidney Federation .

In a recent 26-week study, 302 healthy people aged 65 or older (average age 70, 55% men) were randomly assigned high and low dose supplements of Omega 3. All groups showed improvements on several neuropsychological tests and significantly more attention, compared with the placebo group.

Adding fish to the dinner menu.