How to leave off fat of the lamb

Q: I AM from New Zealand and my family is used to eating a lot of lamb. I'd like to know if lamb is nutritious and how it compares with other red meats.

Dr Rose writes: Lamb, like other red meats such as beef and pork, contains a higher fat content than poultry. A three-ounce portion of red meat (beef, lamb, pork and veal) contains about 70 to 75 milligrams of cholesterol. In contrast, the same amount of poultry contains about 60 milligrams of cholesterol. Depending on the cut, lamb and pork tend to be fattier than beef. The leaner cuts of lamb are the leg and loin.

If you are concerned about the fat content of lamb try to buy lean cuts and remove the fat before cooking. Broiling is an ideal way to minimise the amount of fat when cooking lamb.

Lamb is nutritious provided you consume it as part of a diet that is low in cholesterol and fats and includes plenty of grains, fresh fruits and vegetables. You can decrease the amount of cholesterol and fats in your diet by replacing red meat dishes with other protein sources such as fish, poultry and soya-based products.

Q: MY sister was recently diagnosed with a thyroid deficiency. The doctor says that she has Hashimoto's disease and will have to take thyroid pills for the rest of her life. He says that the pills will not have any negative side-effects. Could you tell mewhat the symptoms of the disease are and why the pills will not have any negative side-effects? Dr Rose writes: The most common symptoms of Hashimoto's (named after the Japanese physician who discovered the disorder) are tiredness, weak muscles, pain and tenderness in the neck region and weight gain.

Sometimes the thyroid gland or goitre is enlarged. The disease is the result of an auto-immune disorder in which the body's immune system develops antibodies against its own thyroid gland cells. It is more common in women than men.

Individuals with Hashimoto's disease are deficient in the production of thyroid hormone. The pills prescribed for your sister will replace the hormones that are not being reproduced by her own body and help to restore the thyroid to its normal level.