HOUSTON—‘Tis the season for stress and just trekking through the aisles in search of the perfect holiday dinner can raise your stress level.

Experts say this year we have more than dinner on our plate.

“Because of the economy we’re facing, retirements evaporating, bills to pay,” said Baylor College of Medicine Doctor Rebecca Reeves.

Add stress to comfort foods and it can be a recipe for heart problems, said Dr. Reeves.

“When stress is added to a body which has heart problems or we know there’s some build of plaque in the arteries, additional stress may cause you to have some kind of incident with your heart,” she said.

The key is to reduce cholesterol in order to avoid the buildup, said Dr. Reeves.

“It’s just recently that foods are getting plant sterols. These plant sterols reduce bad cholesterol in your blood,” she said.

11 News photo

Staying stress free this holiday season.

That ingredient can reportedly be found in some breads, orange juice and milk.

“The symbol indicates that there are plant sterols,” said Reeves.

It’s something to think about for holiday meals.

“If you’re doing some kind of sweet potato casserole you can use egg beaters and skim milk,” said Reeves.

Doctor Reeves said you don’t have worry about reaching for the turkey because it’s a lean meat and it won’t increase your risk for heart disease.