Protect your heart and arteries during the holiday season

The people who suffer from certain health conditions become slightly anxious when the holiday season is coming, especially the people who suffer from some heart disease or high triglycerides and high cholesterol. They are a little bit apprehensive since they know that they would not take care about their diet while they are on holiday, and that they will sink into plenty of sweets even though they would regret doing it when the holiday is over.

However, there is a way to eat all those sugary foods, indulge in the favorite cookies and ice creams, and still protect the heart and the blood vessels. It is just necessary to avoid consuming the trans fats and everything will be all right. Trans fats are also called hydrogenated oils and they are considered to be the worst fats. They are created artificially when the hydrogen molecules are added to the vegetable oils. This process is known as hydrogenation and during it, the liquid oil is transformed into the solid substance.

Stay away from trans fats!

There are several reasons why trans fats are harmful for the health of the individual. First of all, in the process of hydrogenation, the oils are converted into solid and saturated fat, which can get stuck into the blood vessels. Additionally, when one consumes high amounts of saturated fats, the liver produces much cholesterol, which can accumulate on the walls of the blood vessels thus making the plaque that can further obstruct the blood flow. While the bad cholesterol rises in amounts, the amount of good cholesterol decreases, and the good cholesterol is required by our body to cleanse our arteries. Furthermore, when the hydrogenation ends, the original oil changes its chemical structure and it may cause malfunctioning of our cells, including the heart and blood vessels cells.

However, even though it is quite impossible to avoid all the foods that contain these trans fats, we can still reduce the potential harm that these fats can cause. It is recommended to avoid eating commercial baked goods that have hydrogenated oils as an ingredient. It is always better to bake the cookies and cakes at home instead of buying them in a store. Butter should be used instead of solid margarine, which is rich in trans fats. By avoiding the consummation of these harmful fats our cardiovascular system can be protected always and not only on holidays, since all we need to do is pay attention to the presence of trans fats in our foods.