As a family caregiver, one of the things you may do for your aging relative is prepare meals. No doubt you do your best to cook meals that are both healthy and delicious. That can be challenging because of all the rules health experts say you need to follow for food. One of the things you’re probably careful about in your loved one’s meals is fats. There are fats that are considered good and fats that are considered bad. But, if you ask a doctor, they’ll likely tell you the worst kind of fat out there is trans fat. In fact, trans fat is believed to be so bad that the World Health Organization (WHO) recently announced an initiative to rid the world of man-made trans fats by the year 2023.
Senior Care in Cranford NJ: What’s So Bad About Trans Fats?
The Replace Plan.
The WHO’s plan to get rid of trans fats is called “Replace.” Trans fats usually appear in foods as partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs). The United States is already working toward ridding food of PHOs. However, some countries, like India still regularly use them in their cuisine.
PHOs are found in many kinds of foods, including:
- Some kinds of shortening.
- Processed snacks and baked items.
- Coffee creamers.
- Margarine.
Trans fats do occur naturally in some kinds of food, such as meat and dairy products. These products are not part of the Replace effort.
Health Effects of Trans Fat.
Man-made trans fats are created when liquid fats are turned into solid ones. To do this, the fats are hydrogenated, which means that hydrogen atoms are added. Manufacturers use trans fats because they give foods a longer shelf life.
Before the 1990s, people had no idea how trans fats negatively impacted health. They were created to replace the saturated fats found in animal products, which can clog arteries. Then, manufacturers realized that trans fats were inexpensive to make and made their products last longer, so they really caught on.
Now, doctors know that trans fats are more dangerous than saturated fats. Consuming trans fats can lead to:
- Heart attack.
- Stroke.
- Type 2 diabetes.
In addition, trans fats raise LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels and reduce the amount of HDL (“good”) cholesterol in the body.
Trans fats are identified on nutritional labels, so it is important to read labels while grocery shopping and avoid trans fats as much as possible. A senior care provider can drive your aging relative to the grocery store and assist them with reading labels. Senior care providers can also carry heavy grocery bags. If the older adult has difficulty cooking for themselves, or simply doesn’t enjoy it, a senior care provider can prepare healthy meals for them as well.
If you or an aging loved one are considering hiring senior care in Cranford, NJ, call the caring staff at Helping Hands Home Care today at 908-418-4299. Providing Home Care Services in all of Northern and Central NJ, including Clark, Westfield, Cranford, Scotch Plains, Rahway, Linden, Summit, Edison, Elizabeth, Mountainside and the surrounding areas.
Sources
https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/trans-fats-science-and-risks
https://healthyforgood.heart.org/eat-smart/articles/trans-fat
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/in-depth/trans-fat/art-20046114
After graduating from Seton Hall University with a BS in finance Helping Hands Homecare’s Owner / President, Robert D’Arienzo, went to work on Wall St. for six years. However, after Robert’s grandmother became ill with stomach cancer Robert and his family needed to find assistance in the home for her. After many trials and tribulations Robert could see that there was a great need for quality home care services here in NJ and loved the idea of being able to assist other families who were going through what his family went through with his beloved grandmother.
Thus, Robert had found his passion. After almost a year of preparation Robert opened Helping Hands Homecare in 2003. Robert wanted Helping Hands Homecare to focus on providing the highest quality of caregivers, exceptional customer service, and providing a service that familys could depend on in their time of need. Since then Helping Hands has assisted hundreds of individuals with the simplest of needs to more complex cases while preserving those standards set out many years ago.
Robert is a Google Verified Author
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