On my yoga detox retreats, I often give a few suggestions on how to eat more healthily... and one important aspect to this is that of FATS.

We all need some fat in our diet. But eating too much fat makes us more likely to become overweight. What’s more, too much of a particular kind of fat – saturated fat – can raise our cholesterol, which increases the risk of heart disease. That’s why it’s important to cut down on fat, and choose foods that contain unsaturated fat.

Eating too much fat can make us more likely to put on weight, because foods that are high in fat are also high in energy (calories). Being overweight raises our risk of serious health problems, such as:

• heart disease
• type II diabetes
• high blood pressure

But this doesn’t mean that all fat is bad. We need some fat in our diet because it helps the body absorb certain nutrients. Fat is a source of energy, and provides essential fatty acids that the body can’t make itself.

Types of fat
There are two main types of fat found in food: saturated and unsaturated.

Saturated and unsaturated fat contain the same amount of calories. But as part of a healthy diet, we should try to cut down on food that is high in saturated fat, and instead eat foods that are rich in unsaturated fat.

As many of you may know, I encourage you to start every day with a glass of lemon water - rather than a coffee!!

On my yoga detox retreats we always kick-start the day with a glass of lemon water before yoga.

Although lemons are acidic - contain citric acid - they are alkalising for the body!

The combination of the high alkaline minerals lemons contain (calcium, potassium, magnesium) and the low sugar content, means that once inside the body, they have an alkalising effect on the body (whereas a cup of coffee has a highly acidic effect on the body! I know, I know... the smell of coffee in the morning....Sorry, but it's true...to start your day with a cup of coffee is not good for you!)

A house is not a home until you have at least one cat sharing it with you... - that's my philosophy..., but then I am a hopeless cat lover. I think I must have been a witch in a previous life.

So, I have invited my four beautiful feline friends to share our magical valley in the mountains of Monchique... as soon as I can be there to help them acclimatise to their new surroundings...

Rama - the chilled out 'dad' who loves drinking water from the taps...

and Sita - the beautiful 'mommy' cat who oozes cheek, personality and charm...

Lila - the reclusive sister, who likes to live life on her own terms...

I won't be able to move the cats until late September / early October when I return from Turkey, but when I do, life in the valley will feel even more complete.