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11 Foods You’re Better Off Avoiding in Winter

Our kitchen and fridge are full, even in winter – but often with the wrong food.

If you shop correctly, you are not only doing something for your health, but also for the environment and fair working conditions.

Strawberries

Strawberries now mostly come from abroad. For example from Spain, where strawberry plantations have fallen into disrepute due to exploitative working conditions, the massive use of pesticides and questionable irrigation methods. Or they are even imported from Israel or California.

The following applies to strawberries from Germany: don’t be fooled! In autumn and winter they ripen in this country only with a considerable expenditure of energy. Above all, the power consumption for the artificial lighting is enormous.

In our Utopia seasonal calendar you can find out which fruit and vegetables you can buy from local growers.

Imported apples

What is more ecological: an imported apple from New Zealand or a local apple from cold storage? This question is a well-known ecological dilemma – luckily we can’t care until about mid-December.

Until then, there are fresh apples from the region that do not have to be cooled using a lot of energy, for example Cox Orange, Jonagold, Elstar, Berlepsch. So there really is no need for apples from overseas.

In our photo series “Determining apple varieties”, you will mainly find apple varieties that also grow here.

Green salads

When it’s cold, green lettuces (like lettuce, batavia, iceberg lettuce) come out of the heated greenhouse and end up in stores “immature”. That is why they have less taste and also contain fewer healthy nutrients such as vitamins and phytochemicals.

There are still enough lettuce in season in Germany, for example lamb’s lettuce, chicory, radicchio, endive or purslane.

Imported Nuts

Most of the nuts in our stores come from far away: peanuts from the US and Israel, walnuts from California, almonds from the US and Spain, cashews from India.

Therefore, especially in the autumn and winter months, we should eat varieties that also grow in our area (and that can be stored without using a lot of energy). So: walnuts and hazelnuts from Germany.

Conventional citrus

Even if it says “untreated” – residues of pesticides and preservatives are regularly found in conventional oranges, tangerines and lemons.

Manufacturers use tricks so that they do not have to specify the chemical treatment: Sprays that are normally applied to the fruit after harvesting are already sprayed on the lemons and oranges hanging on the tree.

So: better buy organic and fair!

Conventional ACE juice

An extra portion of vitamins for an intact immune system? Better not with conventional ACE juice. The fruit content is usually only between 20 and 60 percent. For this, water, sugar or sweeteners and vitamins are added. These vitamins often come from the laboratory, and their use is also highly controversial.

If you want to take vitamins in liquid form, it is better to drink organic not-from-concentrate juices – they are healthier and are usually bottled during the respective season. Or try one of our healthy winter smoothie recipes made with seasonal ingredients.

Tomatoes

We like to eat them all year round. But in the cold season, almost all of our tomatoes come from the Netherlands, Spain and France, where they are grown in greenhouses with high energy consumption.

Better: Avoid “fresh” tomatoes in winter and use organic tomatoes that have been strained in a glass jar for pasta, pizza, etc. These are harvested when ripe and therefore not only taste better than winter imports, but also contain more nutrients. But it’s better to take a closer look when you’re shopping, because glass and canned tomatoes often come from China and have been transported long distances.

Cucumbers

The same applies to cucumbers as to tomatoes. They are popular all year round, but we only have season from June to the end of October. In winter there are greenhouse imports and that means less healthy nutrients, problematic production conditions and long transport routes.

Another reason that speaks against cucumbers in winter: In some supermarkets you can now only find them wrapped in plastic. The supermarkets justify that the cucumbers would be better protected during transport.

We show you how you can avoid packaging in the supermarket instead.

Zucchini

Although zucchini is a pumpkin plant, it is only in season here from June to the end of October. “Real” pumpkins such as Hokkaido or Butternut, on the other hand, are available until December and from then on as stock goods from local cultivation.

We show which pumpkins you can also eat with the skin. You can also try this delicious, warming pumpkin soup recipe.

Conventional tea

Black and green tea comes mainly from China, India, Sri Lanka and Kenya. Working conditions on conventional plantations are often miserable. Exploitation, discrimination and poverty are the order of the day. The massive use of pesticides harms the environment and workers, residues end up in our cup.

You should therefore buy black and green tea from fair trade and with the EU organic seal. Or: prefer herbal teas made from local herbs.

Imported Grapes

From November, grapes mostly come from South Africa, India, Chile, Peru or Brazil. Because they do not ripen, they are harvested fresh and then transported to us by ship. Depending on the place of origin, this can take up to three weeks – and that’s it with the freshness.

Conventional grapes are also often contaminated with pesticides because vines are susceptible to fungi, lice, mites and other pests. Not only do we suffer from this, but also the environment. You should therefore only buy the fruit regionally, during the season and in organic quality.

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health

Avoiding Calf Cramps: What Are The Causes – and Which Tips Really Help

They often occur, especially when doing sports: calf cramps. There are simple ways to avoid the annoying pain. Read the best tips for relieving and preventing calf cramps here.

Electrolyte Imbalance – Most Common Causes of Leg Cramps

Common causes of cramps are overexertion of the muscle or a disturbed electrolyte balance. However, if the symptom occurs regularly for no apparent reason, it can be a sign of kidney disease, diabetes or an underactive thyroid. In this case, a doctor should be consulted.

A disturbed electrolyte balance, on the other hand, can easily be avoided. The body needs a variety of minerals such as magnesium, iron, potassium and calcium, especially when exercising. During strenuous physical activity, large amounts of it are lost through sweat production. If this loss is not compensated promptly by the intake of fluids, there is a risk of a deficiency and imbalance in the electrolyte balance, which then manifests itself in the form of cramps.

Magnesium plays a particularly important role: The mineral has a major influence “on the activities between nerve cells and muscles,” explains Apotheken Umschau. If there is too little magnesium in the body, the muscles can cramp more quickly.

These tips will help against calf cramps

If the cramp is already occurring, stretching exercises are particularly helpful to loosen the cramped muscle. The following tips can also help to prevent calf cramps:

Balance electrolytes: The loss of electrolytes through the urine or heavy sweating must be balanced, for example by drinking. Isotonic drinks can help with this.
Walking around: If you get a cramp while exercising, walking around can help a little. Even if it is painful, the movement stimulates blood circulation in the leg and relieves the cramp.
Stretching: Stretching is particularly helpful. An effective exercise for calf cramps is to lock your leg and pull your foot in toward your body. At the same time, the heel must be pushed through. After half a minute at the latest, the pulling should subside.
If you want to avoid calf cramps, you should make sure that you drink enough. However, the electrolyte balance can also be controlled through diet. Affected people should pay attention to balanced meals with minerals such as magnesium, iron or calcium. Dietary supplements are also an option to compensate for the loss of electrolytes.

In addition, you should always pay attention to the right footwear when doing sports. Anyone who regularly suffers from calf cramps should still see a doctor.

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Lifestyle

Tips for Avoiding Forest Fires

The risk of forest fires is particularly high on hot summer days. Unfortunately, it is always underestimated, so a large forest fire is quickly started. Over 64 percent of all forest fires are caused by negligence. So these could easily be avoided. But with a little caution and a few tips, such a bad scenario can be avoided relatively easily.

If a forest fire is discovered, the fire brigade (112) must be called immediately!

No open fire in the forest or meadow

Unfortunately, what sounds obvious is often ignored by many. Open fire in the forest or on a meadow can quickly trigger a forest fire. On hot summer days, a small spark is enough to start a dangerous fire. Even if this goes unnoticed for the first few minutes, it can hardly be stopped when it is finally noticed.
Also, a fire should not necessarily be lit outside, but near a forest. Sparks can be carried many meters through the air while maintaining their temperatures and so can still start a forest fire.

Avoid smoking

A still glowing cigarette is also a major source of danger. It should therefore not simply be thrown into the woods. Of course, this also applies to other burning objects such as matches. This applies above all to drivers who concentrate more on the journey and therefore do not bother about the cigarette. The ashtray in the car should be used here. Pedestrians who do not have an ashtray handy should stub out the cigarette several times. If a bottle of water or similar is available, simply pour a sip directly on it.

Properly park your car

A major danger that only very few people are aware of emanates from the car itself. Even after a short drive, the vehicle’s catalytic converter may have reached a temperature that e.g. B. grass can ignite. Especially in midsummer, drivers should therefore only park in specially marked parking spaces on the asphalt.

Keep lanes clear for vehicles

The car should only be parked in a forest (even if there are marked parking spaces) in such a way that no vehicles are obstructed. Of course, this applies primarily with regard to the use of the fire brigade in order to be able to fight a forest fire that has already started.

Ask the Forest Service for suitable places to grill

If you still want to grill outside, for example, and want to do this in the great outdoors, you should contact the responsible forest authority. This can provide information on whether and where grilling is permitted, even on hot summer days. However, one has to assume that the pitches will not be in the immediate vicinity of a forest.

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Lifestyle

6 Tips for Avoiding Heavy Crates of Drinks

Carrying heavy drinks makes every purchase tedious. That’s why we’ve picked out some useful tips that you can use to make it easier or even avoid lugging crates of drinks. For example, where you can order drinks online and how you can easily make sparkling water yourself.

1) The crate problem

Carrying heavy bottles or even crates full of drinks several times a week can not only be nerve-wracking, but it can also be harmful to your health. This is followed, for example, by back pain and a bad mood. Here you will find some alternatives that will make your drink consumption much easier.

2) Order drinks online

Probably the simplest solution is to order the drinks online and have them delivered to your home. You no longer have to carry heavy crates of drinks. Furthermore, ordering online is very quick and easy. Where and how you can best do this can be found at Ordering drinks on the Internet.

3) Make sparkling water yourself

When it comes to sparkling water, we recommend that you make it yourself using the soda stream. The German drinking water quality is very high, so you can easily use the tap water in most households to make sparkling water yourself.

How does this work?

To make sparkling water yourself, you can easily fill water from the tap into one of the Sodastream bottles. Pay attention to the marking. Then all you have to do is screw it into the device and press the big button down until you hear a loud noise. You can make your own sparkling water so quickly and easily.

Advantages of a sparkling water maker

Using a device like Sodastream is not only a time-saver, it is also cost-effective. The device only has to be purchased once and then you don’t have to pay any more money for your sparkling water. Plus, you no longer have to carry heavy crates full of water bottles. Accordingly, you have no or hardly any empties that have to be taken away and you also protect the environment at the same time. You can find more advantages and more information about these devices at water bubblers for mineral water.

5) person from the neighborhood

Alternatively, you can have your drinks or groceries brought to you by neighbors as a kind of messenger service. In this way, young people from your neighborhood could earn a little pocket money and you no longer have to carry heavy drinks with you. So it’s a win-win situation.

6) Carry heavy crates of drinks correctly

If it should happen that you have to help yourself, you should definitely pay attention to your posture when carrying it.

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