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A dream for many: unlimited food. However, unhealthy snacks promote obesity. However, the right food can be consumed at any time and in large quantities without a guilty conscience. We’ll show you what they are.

#1 Blueberries as a snack alternative

Whether as a snack in between or in the evening in front of the TV: blueberries are a healthy alternative to chips and chocolate. With just 42 kilocalories per 100 grams and numerous nutrients and plant substances, many of them can be eaten without hesitation. The berries also taste particularly delicious in salads or smoothies.

#2 Zucchini as a spaghetti alternative

You can definitely eat your fill of zucchini too. Zucchini noodles have now established themselves as a good alternative to spaghetti. 100 grams of the green plant contain just 17 kilocalories, so you can eat a good portion without a guilty conscience.

#3 Popcorn – the best snack in front of the TV

Popcorn is also a great snack. However, it is important that the popcorn is prepared by yourself and that excessive addition of sugar and oil is avoided. The delicious corn can be prepared in no time at all in a pot with a lid or an extra popcorn machine.

#4 Cauliflower as a versatile alternative

Granted, cauliflower isn’t for everyone. However, there are only about 25 calories per 100 grams of vegetables, which makes them a great alternative to high-calorie foods. Another advantage: the vegetables can be prepared in many different ways. So you can not only make a snack out of it, but also make a pizza crust or replace couscous.

#5 Edamame – the delicious Japanese specialty

Edamame are young soybeans and most people know them from the sushi restaurant. 100 grams of the beans contain only 122 calories and fill you up faster and longer due to the rich proteins. They taste particularly good in pasta or salads, but they are also a good alternative to chips as a snack between meals.

health

Always Tired in Autumn? How Alkaline Nutrition Helps – and Which Foods You Can Eat

Are you currently constantly tired and slack? Alkaline nutrition could be a key to more energy.

Acid-base balance imbalanced: That’s why you’re often tired in autumn

Fatigue in autumn is due to a lack of light in the dark season. Because less light changes the hormone balance: the body releases more melatonin – the so-called sleep hormone – and less serotonin. This in turn is also known as the happiness hormone.

However, the autumn blues are part of the natural course of the year, as Prof. Dr. Katja Mierke, psychologist at the Fresenius University of Applied Sciences in Idstein, Hesse, explains: “We are no longer used to living according to the seasons. It is not without reason that other creatures hibernate and withdraw into their caves,” says Mierke. Autumn and winter also serve to slow down.

These times of pause are important for the psyche, she adds, and it is not for nothing that November is a month of mourning in many cultures. “By saying goodbye to the past, you make room for the new.”

Against tiredness in autumn: light, company and Christmas spices

Although Prof. Mierke recommends accepting and enjoying the autumn phase if possible, the psychologist knows: “If you don’t want to fall too deep into the November slump, you should exercise as much as possible outside and soak up the light.” Light therapy lamps also help.

The cold also plays a decisive role, Mierke knows: “Current socio-psychological studies show that people feel lonelier when they are physically exposed to cold. That’s why it’s particularly good for us now if we move closer together. There are occasions for this in the run-up to Christmas plenty.”

According to the expert, you can also do something good for your psyche through food: the essential substances contained in cloves and cinnamon, for example, have been proven to have an antidepressant effect. “Apparently we instinctively know what’s good for us in the dark season and have created appropriate culinary traditions with Christmas baking,” says the expert.

Tired in autumn: get lively with an alkaline diet

A good way to stay fit through food intake in autumn is the so-called “alkaline diet”. This is not a diet in the strict sense. You simply fall back on foods that balance the acid-base balance and prevent hyperacidity. Because when the body is acidic, you feel limp and exhausted. The diet should include many alkaline foods such as fruit and vegetables. Potato dishes are also suitable for alkaline nutrition. We recommend a salad, refined with carrots, parsley and walnuts. Apples and pears are suitable as snacks for deacidification. You don’t have to do without meat and fish. However, you should largely avoid salt and use herbs and spices instead.

The most important alkaline foods include:
ripe fruit
vegetables
Raisins, dried figs
vegetable oils
almonds and chestnuts
Sprouts and sprouts (e.g. mung bean, millet, linseed, lentil sprouts)
herbal teas
Green tea

Conclusion: three-step plan against autumn fatigue

Basic nutrition
Dietary supplement for the right acid-base balance
Sufficient exercise in the fresh air
The alkaline diet is part of a three-step plan that is easy to implement and helps against autumn tiredness, as Erfstadt pharmacist Dr. Jutta Doebel in an interview with the pharmaceutical company Protina explains: “Basically, it is important that you eat enough alkaline-forming foods. This means that you should eat significantly more alkaline-forming than acid-forming foods – in a ratio of 80:20.” So if 80 percent of the meal consists of vegetables, fruit, salads and herbs, you’re on the right track, explains Doebel. As a second step, the pharmacist recommends dietary supplements: “We are exhausted, we are tired, we are imbalanced. And that in turn means that we are no longer as resilient and can concentrate even less. And especially now, when the dark season is coming , it may also be that our immune system becomes more susceptible to infections.” According to Doebel, it is very important that we support our immune cells, and we can do that best with the help of food supplements that have a beneficial effect on our acid-base balance. It is best to discuss which dietary supplements are most suitable for you with a doctor, as every body works differently and needs different nutrients more or less.

The third stage, according to Doebel, is to activate the metabolism. “The best and easiest way to do this is to get enough exercise. It doesn’t have to be a lot. Two or three short gymnastics sessions or nice walks in the fresh air are enough.”

health

6 Good Reasons Why You Should Eat Less Meat

More and more people are opting for a vegetarian or vegan diet.

6 good reasons to give up meat

“Do you have anything vegetarian?” Not so long ago, this question made the staff roll their eyes in some restaurants. In the meantime, meatless dishes can be found on many menus as a matter of course. Vegetarians and vegans are hardly ever looked at askance. Too many people rely on this diet for that. The reasons for this diet speak for themselves.

1. Vegetarian diet is good for climate protection

Those who do without meat ensure lower greenhouse gas emissions. According to a study by the environmental protection organization WWF, around 25 percent of the climate footprint of an average person living in Germany is due to their diet.

Animal products account for the largest share (69 percent). Meat in particular should be mentioned here – beef is the most harmful to the climate – but dairy products should also be given more attention here. “Our current food systems pose one of the greatest challenges to our planet and the continued existence of humanity on Earth,” says the WWF study.

2. Meat consumption consumes a lot of resources

About 15 percent of the greenhouse gases emitted worldwide can be traced back to keeping livestock. Cattle, for example, emit large amounts of methane gas. Alongside the energy sector and transport, industrial animal husbandry is one of the main causes of climate change.

The production of one kilogram of beef, for example, produces a good 13 kilograms of CO2 equivalents, while the figure for fruit and vegetables is well under one kilogram. For the production of one kilogram of beef, up to 16 kilograms of grain are required as feed. “Industrial animal husbandry and the cultivation of animal feed take up 80 percent of all pasture and arable land in the world. In Germany, animal feed alone accounts for 60 percent of the arable land,” writes Greenpeace, for example.

If the arable land were used for the production of plant-based food instead, significantly more people could be fed.

3. Meat production uses a lot of water

Animal products contain much more water than plant-based ones. This is also referred to as “virtual water”, the total amount of water used in the manufacture of a product until it ends up on our plate or in our cupboard.

An example from the organization Peta: On average, 2,350 liters of virtual water are needed to produce a 150-gram beef burger, while an average of just over 150 liters of water is needed for a soy burger. The difference is also extreme when it comes to soy milk: just under 300 virtual liters of water are required for one liter of soy drink, while cow’s milk requires more than 1,000 liters.

4. Eating too much meat is unhealthy

Overall, according to the German Society for Nutrition, Germans eat twice as much meat as recommended by health experts. A quantity of 300 to 600 grams of meat per week would be significantly healthier, i.e. half of the current per capita consumption. Processed meat (sausage, ham) is even classified as carcinogenic by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Meat from conventional husbandry is also often treated with medication such as antibiotics. Anyone who eats a lot of meat therefore runs the risk of developing resistance to antibiotics.

5. Vegetarian diet protects animals

The grievances in factory farming have long been known: farm animals are often kept and killed under cruel, undignified circumstances. Keeping dairy cows is also often anything but animal-friendly.

On the other hand, more organic products in the shopping basket and the consideration of replacing some dairy products with vegan alternatives such as oat milk help.

6. Eating meat isn’t “natural” or “necessary”

People who eat meat and other animal products like to argue that it’s “natural” and “necessary.” But much contradicts this claim: not a few people get sick at the sight of blood, let alone a dead animal body. Dead bodies repel us.

In addition, our tooth structure and the human swallowing reflex have the characteristics of herbivores: We do not “tear” our food and do not swallow it in large chunks, but chew and swallow it, as Geo.de writes, among others.

Conclusion: Vegetarian diet has only advantages

In conclusion, it can be said that there is a lot to be said for a vegetarian or vegan diet. A meatless diet is good for the environment, animals and ourselves.

Food

Eat Better: Are Cooked Carrots Healthier?

Carrots are one of the most popular vegetables, and not without reason! But why are cooked carrots healthier? We’ll tell you!

What is the difference between raw and cooked carrots?

The good news first: Whether raw or cooked, carrots definitely are
You should also always add some fat in the form of healthy olive oil, sunflower oil or a little butter during preparation. Because the important ingredient beta-carotene is fat-soluble. So if you add some fat to cooked carrots, you absorb the beta-carotene particularly well. This also applies to raw carrots, by the way. If you eat them uncooked, also eat them with some fat (e.g. hummus) to be able to absorb the vitamins better.

It’s best if you don’t remove the skin from the carrots at all, or only remove them where necessary. Because most of the vitamins are right under the skin. Therefore, always wash the carrots particularly thoroughly to remove smaller soil residues. Our conclusion: If you want to absorb as much of the carrot’s vitamins as possible, then pay particular attention to the correct preparation. So you always get the best of the healthy root vegetables.

Food

Diet: Can We Eat More in Winter Than in Summer?

Proper nutrition is very important for our body, especially in winter. Why we are often more hungry in winter than in summer depends on several factors.

Reason for the increased feeling of hunger

The outside temperatures drop sharply in winter and also cause our sense of hunger to change. In summer, the heat means that we often feel thirsty and only want to eat light foods such as water-rich fruit or salad. The low temperatures in winter, on the other hand, put a lot of strain on our body: it needs a lot of energy to maintain body temperature.

This was especially the case in earlier times when our ancestors spent most of their time outside, even in winter. The body was often exposed to the high temperatures for a long time, so that it demanded more energy from high-fat and nutritious food. Our body still seems to relate to this phenomenon today, because even if we hardly spend any time outdoors nowadays, many feel more hungry than in summer. The fact that you are more hungry in winter is thanks to evolution.

In order to counteract the increased feeling of hunger, it is important to provide the body with the right amount of vitamins. If it is supplied with all the vitamins and nutrients you need, you normally no longer feel hungry. So try to continue eating as usual and only give the body a supplement of important vitamins.

The main question: eat more or not?

Your first thought might be that some love handles and belly fat can provide natural protection from the cold. This is not the most important protective factor: Above all, your body needs a diet rich in vitamins and nutrients during the cold months.

The body is rarely directly exposed to winter temperatures. Many people spend most of their time indoors in heated rooms, which is why hardly any more energy is used. Also, the amount of sport one does and the amount of work one does in winter does not depend on the time of year for most people.

So the assumption that you have to eat more is not correct. Even if, due to our history, we often have stronger cravings for a substantial meal, we should try to avoid them as far as possible: the extra calories are not needed by the body, so in most cases they only lead to greater weight. So if you don’t want to gain any unwanted pounds until spring, you should rather focus on a diet rich in vitamins.

These bodily processes take place

The body has to maintain our normal body temperature of around 37 °C even in winter. If the outside temperature is significantly lower, it becomes more difficult for the organism to regulate the temperature. After all, energy is required for this

But not only the generation of energy is a cause: The winter appetite is often of psychological origin and refers more to sweet and sugary foods. The reason is obvious: the cold and dark season creates a rather depressed, dreary mood for most people. However, if you eat sugar, a larger amount of tryptophan can get into your brain. There the amino acid is converted to the well-known serotonin. This puts you in a good mood

A dreary winter mood can not only be lifted by serotonin: The University of Texas found out that too low a vitamin D level can also have a negative effect on mood. So that you can be in a good mood in winter without a lot of sugar, it is important that your body is supplied with all the vitamins. It shouldn’t depend on how much sugar you eat.

Healthy eating in winter: tips

One vitamin that can effectively strengthen your immune system is vitamin D. The body normally produces this when it is exposed to the sun. Your body hardly gets enough sun in winter. It is therefore important to eat enough dairy products, fish, eggs and mushrooms, as these contain a particularly large amount of vitamin D. Vitamin C also plays a relevant role: If your vitamin C household is replenished, your body can better defend itself against pathogens. The vitamin is found in particularly high doses in peppers, brassicas and citrus fruits.

In the group of B vitamins, folic acid is particularly important: it effectively strengthens our immune system. If you regularly eat green leafy vegetables, beetroot, legumes or oatmeal in winter, you can cover the need well. Problems with the functioning of the immune system or an increased susceptibility to infections can also be associated with a lack of vitamin A

When it comes to minerals, zinc is particularly important in winter: it helps to maintain the normal function of the immune system. Zinc is contained in relatively high amounts in animal products such as meat, milk, fish and eggs as well as plant foods such as legumes, nuts and whole grain products.

Food

Super Healthy Sauerkraut: What Happens to Your Body When You Eat It Regularly

For Sunday roasts or sausages: many people know sauerkraut as a side dish. Cabbage is also really healthy. This is what happens to your body when you eat sauerkraut every day – but does it make sense?

Vitamin miracle: Why sauerkraut is so healthy for our body

From now on, the lactic acid bacteria work at full speed and give the cabbage its typical sour taste through the production of lactic acid. Depending on the manufacturer’s production method, the process lasts from two weeks to several months. Thousands of years ago, people in China used lactic acid fermentation for different types of cabbage. But cabbage is not only valued for its long shelf life. The health benefits of sauerkraut, which is a real vitamin bomb, were already known in ancient times. This is why sauerkraut is so healthy:
Vitamin C: Sauerkraut contains a lot of vitamin C. The old seafarers already knew this, as they always took barrels of sauerkraut with them along with lemons on long and arduous journeys. The high vitamin C content of sauerkraut protects against diseases and malnutrition. Vitamin C is responsible for building connective tissue and supports the maintenance of healthy bones and teeth. It is also significantly involved in various metabolic processes in the body.
Potassium: Sauerkraut is also a good source of potassium. Potassium is involved in the transmission of nerve impulses. It is therefore jointly responsible for vital heart function and the regulation of blood pressure.
Gut Health: According to a Stanford University study, fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, and kefir naturally increase the diversity of healthy bacteria in the gut. The strengthened intestinal flora is less susceptible to inflammation and thus prevents intestinal diseases.

That’s why you should eat sauerkraut every day

In order to enjoy the lasting benefits of sauerkraut and, above all, to actively support your intestinal flora, you should incorporate healthy cabbage and generally fermented foods into your diet almost every day. Don’t worry, you don’t have to eat a can of sauerkraut every day to benefit from the ingredients. Two to three forks a day are enough to support your intestinal flora.

However, if you eat sauerkraut every day, you should make sure that you do not heat it. Vitamin C is destroyed by the heat and the lactic acid bacteria are then no longer as effective. Also buy sauerkraut that is as fresh as possible directly from family businesses or farm shops. The less processed the sauerkraut, the more vitamins and lactic acid bacteria it contains. Health food stores and organic shops often offer sauerkraut in good organic quality. This way you avoid unnecessary ingredients such as sweeteners, flavorings and large amounts of sugar.

If you want to bring a little variety to the plate, you can also serve the sauerkraut with apples, pears or grapes as a salad. The sweetness of the fruit contrasts well with the acidity of the cabbage. But of course finely shaved carrots or beetroot also go well with it. So you can do something good for yourself and your health without much effort!

Food

Ginger: Can You Eat The Tuber Raw?

Ginger is trendy – whether in dishes, as a refreshing drink or tea: the yellow tuber is considered healthy. But can you eat them raw?

Healthy root: ginger

Ginger is considered very healthy. It contains, for example, essential oils, potassium and vitamin C. Ginger is said to strengthen the immune system and have a positive effect on blood circulation and digestion. You can also take it for nausea or pain.

Consume ginger properly

Ginger is often found in dishes or as a tea. But you can also eat it raw. If the tuber comes from conventional cultivation, the skin can be contaminated with pesticides; therefore, it makes sense to peel the ginger before eating it. However, you can buy organic ginger and usually eat it unpeeled after washing it thoroughly.

Caution: Raw ginger is very spicy. Some of the spiciness is lost during cooking; if you eat ginger raw, this is not the case and more positive ingredients are retained. If you don’t like spicy food or can’t, you should be careful. Also, you shouldn’t eat raw ginger for long periods of time; the daily amount should not exceed about fifty grams. Otherwise you can get flatulence, diarrhea or heartburn.

health

Fasting For 5 Days: This is What Happens in Your Body When You Don’t Eat

Hunger is not a nice feeling. It is triggered in the hypothalamus of our brain. As soon as the blood sugar level drops, it reacts. But what happens if this state is maintained for several days?

Consciously abstain from eating for five days: That sounds hard at first. You shouldn’t do it just like that and without informing yourself. There is the so-called therapeutic fasting: The withdrawal of food has positive effects on the body. In the meantime, the metabolism has to adapt strongly.

If the body is no longer supplied with food, although it is asking for it, it switches to emergency mode. He fears for his survival. First, the organism draws on its sugar reserves. These are stored as glycogen in the liver. But after 24 hours they are used up too. Next comes the egg white. It is broken down from muscles and also from the organs. The organs also lose size. At five days, however, the loss is still very small. From day four, the body falls back on the fat reserves and you start to smell unpleasant. Acetoacetic acid is produced when fat is burned. This is then transported away via sweat and breathing air.

Eating nothing: There are positive and negative effects

However, there are also side effects due to the lack of food. These include, for example, circulatory problems, headaches, freezing, water retention, sleep changes, muscle cramps, temporary visual disturbances and disturbances in the electrolyte balance.

In addition, the heart beats slower and blood pressure drops. After just a brief abstinence from food, the brain begins to produce more serotonin. Serotonin is also known as the happiness hormone. After a few days of fasting, serotonin stays in the blood for a longer period of time and your mood improves.

Under no circumstances should you just stop eating like that. If you want to cure fasting, you should get as much information as possible beforehand and possibly consult a doctor. Pregnant and breastfeeding women in particular, people with eating disorders or mental illnesses, type 1 diabetes, dementia or liver and kidney dysfunction should not fast.

Food

Tangerines and Oranges: Is the White Poisonous – or Can You Eat It?

Many people also remove the white from their tangerines and oranges, considering it poisonous. But there is more to the white threads than initially assumed.

Can you eat the white part of tangerines or oranges?

The white skin between the skin and the flesh is called the mesocarp or albedo. That means something like “middle fruit”.

Fans of tangerines and oranges can be divided into two distinct groups: some thoroughly remove the white strands until only the flesh is left, while others simply eat the white part.

You don’t need to worry under any circumstances: the white threads are not only edible, they are also really healthy.

What’s in it?

The intermediate layer is therefore by no means toxic, but even contains a number of vitamins and phytochemicals. The mesocarp provides us with lots of vitamin C and flavonoids, which support the immune system with important antioxidants.

In addition, the flavonoids also appear to prevent cardiovascular disease. Some of them are also said to have antibacterial or antiviral effects.

The white threads consist of indigestible fiber that stays in the digestive tract for a long time and ensures that we don’t get hungry again so quickly.

Conclusion

The bitter taste of the white layer does not mean that it should not be eaten. The white threads even contain as much vitamin C as the pulp.

Therefore, the white can be eaten without hesitation, you don’t have to worry about your health.

The white layer consists mainly of fiber, which gives you a longer feeling of satiety.

Food

Breakfast Tips From The Experts: Why You Shouldn’t Eat Bananas in The Morning

Bananas are healthy and delicious, which is why many eat them for breakfast. Nutrition researchers explain why it’s not such a good idea.

Breakfast tip: Do not eat bananas in the morning – nutrition experts warn

Bananas in particular are considered very healthy because they provide the body with a lot of potassium, magnesium and vitamin B6. Athletes in particular often use bananas before and during exercise as a quick, tasty and healthy source of energy. But an expert is now warning against eating bananas for breakfast.

British nutritionist Dr. Daryl Gioffre warns of the yellow “superfruit” in his internet blog “Byrdie”. He writes, “Bananas are about the worst thing you can eat for breakfast.” His reasoning sounds plausible.

Bananas for breakfast: the combination has to be right

Bananas have a very high natural fructose content (about 25 percent) and are therefore a quick source of energy. According to Gioffre, however, the disadvantage is even greater: the insulin level skyrockets due to the fructose, but then drops again just as quickly. The consequences are cravings, tiredness and loss of concentration.

Another disadvantage of the high sugar content is that it ferments during digestion and is converted into alcohol. This creates acids that put a strain on the body. Hyperacidity can be proven inflammatory processes

But there is also good news for banana fans. According to Gioffre, the negative effects of the banana can be compensated. The solution lies in the right combination: If you always combine the bananas with healthy fat or with herbs and spices, you can neutralize the acid during metabolism.