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Mate tea is a natural pick-me-up with a long tradition. Here you can find out how South American tea works, how it is prepared and manufactured.

Mate tea: South American traditional drink

Mate tea (also called “mate” for short) is a hot drink made from the brew of finely chopped and dried leaves of the mate bush (Ilex paraguariensis). It originally comes from South America, where it is still drunk a lot today. There the tea is often drunk together in traditional tea ceremonies. These are subject to numerous rules, mostly passed down orally, which are intended to promote respectful and polite cooperation.

In the meantime, mate tea is becoming more and more popular with us: You can find both pure tea and various mixed drinks made from mate in stores. The caffeinated leaves of the mate bush have an invigorating effect and stimulate digestion.

Mate tea: how it is made

Mate as a tea is available in two different forms of preparation:
Green Mate (Taragin)
Roasted Mate (Chá Mate)
Both varieties consist of leaves, stalks and shoot tips of the mate bush cut in winter. For Chá Mate, these are rolled in wire drums over an open fire. This destroys enzymes in the plant parts and interrupts the natural fermentation process. It has a characteristic smoky aroma.

For green mate, the shredded cuttings are fermented by heating them at 60 degrees for around a month. The tea is then heated to 400 °C for a few minutes, causing the mate pieces to lose more than half of their remaining water.

Both varieties are then further dried for a few days until only a small amount of residual moisture remains. They are then crushed into equally sized pieces or ground into powder and packaged.

The taste of both types of mate is smoky-earthy, slightly sweet and contains a bitter note. In many regions, the tart taste is refined with sweet ingredients, such as pieces of orange, peppermint or cinnamon.

Prepare mate tea traditionally

A gourd is traditionally used to infuse mate tea. The typical bulbous drinking vessel is usually made of wood or dried gourd. Mate tea is drunk from a bombilla. A small sieve is attached to the bottom of the metal drinking tube so that the small leaves cannot be sucked in when drinking.

How to prepare mate tea traditionally:
Start by filling the mate calabash about halfway with dried mate leaves.
Then close the opening with the palm of your hand, turn the container upside down and shake it back and forth gently. This separates the fine tea leaves from the coarser ones.
Carefully turn the gourd over again.
Moisten the mate leaves with a few drops of warm water. Then, press them along the rim along one side of the jar.
Insert the bombilla into the jar on the opposite side.
Let the moistened mate, pressed to the edge, sit a little longer before pouring water over the entire calabash. The leaves swell better during this time and are less likely to get caught in the sieve later.
Now fill the mate gourd up to the brim with water at a temperature of around 70 °C. Slowly pour the water into the jar along the bombilla: this will prevent the pre-sorted leaves from being stirred up again.
After two to three minutes of infusion, the mate infusion is ready to eat.
Traditionally, mate is infused several times. The first infusion is usually very bitter and is therefore often thrown away immediately. When traveling, many South Americans carry hot water in thermos flasks with them so that they can fill their mate calabash on the go. At the latest when there are no more bubbles and individual mate leaves are floating on the surface, you have to prepare the tea again.

Mate tea: preparation in the teapot

Of course you can also enjoy your mate without the traditional South American drinking gear. It can also be prepared in the classic way in a teapot.

To do this, put about five teaspoons of mate tea in a tea strainer and pour one liter of boiling water over it. (You need a heaping teaspoon of tea for just one cup.) Let the mate steep in the hot water for 3-5 minutes and pour it up again up to three times.

Tip: If you like, you can refine your homemade mate with herbs. Various types of mint, lemon balm or pieces of dried fruit are suitable for this.

Effects of mate tea on health

In a study conducted at the University of Illinois, numerous healthy substances were found in mate tea. The tea is said to have cholesterol-lowering and circulatory-stimulating properties, among other things. It is also said to strengthen the cardiovascular system. Mate tea is also a small vitamin bomb – it contains, among other things:

Vitamin A
Vitamin B1
Vitamin B2
vitamin C
Iron, Potassium, Calcium and Zinc

Food

Jasmine Tea: Effect, Application and Peculiarities of The Fragrant Tea

Thanks to its incomparable scent, jasmine tea is a special kind of pleasure. But it also has many health benefits. Here you can find out what effect jasmine tea has and how it is used.

Jasmine tea: When flowers and tea “marry”

Jasmine tea is a blend of jasmine flowers with (mostly) green tea. The addition of jasmine gives the green tea a special aroma. Originally, jasmine was supposed to enhance less high-quality teas. In the meantime, however, jasmine tea is considered a particularly fine tea specialty.

The tea is made using different methods: either whole flowers are added to the green tea or the tea is flavored with the rising steam of a jasmine flower bath.

However, there are clear gradations in quality, depending on how the jasmine flowers are selected and how often they are mixed with tea. Incidentally, these mergings are called “weddings” and take place in late summer, when the jasmine blossoms are ripe and the green tea, picked in the spring, comes out of its storage. The more often blossoms and tea are “married” together, the more intense the jasmine blossom aroma.

Effect and ingredients of jasmine tea

Jasmine tea not only smells and tastes good, but also has positive effects on health. This is due to the many valuable ingredients in jasmine tea. Jasmine tea contains, among other things:
vitamin A, B12, and vitamin C,
minerals such as fluorine, magnesium, potassium, copper, and nickel,
Saponins, i.e. plant substances that serve as defensive substances for plants and therefore have anti-fungal and anti-microbial effects.
Tannins: These are also plant substances which, according to studies, have an anti-microbial effect.
Furthermore, jasmine tea has EGCG, i.e. epigallocatechin gallate, a substance that has been shown in a study to reduce the rise in blood sugar after starchy meals.
The essential oils contained are said to have a positive effect on mental and spiritual well-being.

Jasmine tea is used in so many different ways

You can use the tea to support your well-being in many areas:
Jasmine tea strengthens the immune system
Jasmine tea supports the immune system due to its antioxidant properties. Scientists have found that jasmine tea contains a wealth of antioxidant substances that support the immune system in the body’s protective function against free radicals. The immune system is the first “barrier” in the body that viruses and bacteria have to overcome.

Jasmine tea promotes weight loss
A study from Dalhousie University, Canada, showed that the many antioxidant properties of green tea (the most common base tea that jasmine flowers are mixed with) can also help with weight loss. The antioxidants boost the metabolism, which means that physical activities are more effective and the body can process food faster.

Of course, weight reduction results from the interaction of healthy nutrition and exercise. However, jasmine tea can help to optimize the metabolism and thus achieve the desired result more quickly.

Jasmine tea supports heart health
According to a study, the catechins found in jasmine tea play an important role in heart health. The catechins can help to prevent LDL oxidation. This is a process by which the “bad” LDL cholesterol in the arteries changes through oxidation, which can lead to inflammation in the body. This inflammation can lead to heart attacks or strokes. The catechins can inhibit this oxidation and thereby prevent high blood pressure [R] and reduce blood lipid levels.

Jasmine tea reduces stress
Jasmine tea can also have a positive effect on a psychological and emotional level: Many sensations are triggered via the sense of smell and, according to a study, the aroma of jasmine tea has a calming effect on the mind. Enjoying a cup of jasmine tea not only warms you from the inside, but also exudes a scent that makes you calm and relaxed.

Tea: a problematic indulgence?

A cup of tea exudes a lovely scent and provides inner warmth and a feeling of well-being for body and soul. For us, a cup of tea means a brief moment of pleasure, but for many others, the downsides outweigh the downsides when it comes to tea.

Tea production often cannot do without the exploitation of those who work on the tea plantations. Wages well below the living level, discrimination, and appalling living and working conditions for workers are the order of the day. In addition, there are ecological grievances in conventional tea cultivation, because large amounts of pesticides are used in most fields, which harm people and the environment.

Food

Soybean Oil: Effect and Application in The Kitchen and Cosmetics

Native soybean oil is rich in healthy ingredients, for which it has been valued for centuries, especially in Asia. However, not all soybean oil is the same: we will explain what you should pay attention to and how you can use the vegetable oil.

Soybean oil – it depends on the production

Soybeans contain many valuable fatty acids. With cold-pressed, native oil, these are gently pressed from the beans. The native soybean oil is dark, almost brownish and has a strong taste with a slightly nutty note.

The extracted soybean oil is different: This is removed from the beans in an industrial process with the help of solvents. It is lighter in color and has lost many of the healthy ingredients through manufacturing.

Ingredients of Cold Pressed Soybean Oil:
Unsaturated fatty acids, such as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. The body can only absorb these fats, such as linoleic acid, through food. He needs them for many bodily functions such as defense against pathogens or the regulation of cholesterol and blood sugar.
Vitamin E acts as a protective shield to protect the body’s cells from damage.
Vitamin K is important for strong bones and is involved in blood clotting.
Lecithins are involved in the metabolism of fats in the liver and thus supply the cells and especially nerve cells with energy.
The isoflavones it contains are also interesting. These are plant hormones and messenger substances.

In the human body, they prevent deposits of cholesterol on the artery walls.
These hormones in soy are similar to the human hormone estrogen and could thus reduce hormonal problems. In Japan, where soy is traditionally included in meals, women experience fewer menopausal symptoms. Japanese studies attribute this to isoflavones.

Soybean oil in the kitchen – versatile

You can cook and fry with soybean oil, but you can also use it cold for salads or vegetable dips.

The smoke point of soybean oil is 230°C, which makes the vegetable oil good for cooking and frying. You should never exceed the smoke point, as the smoke contains harmful gases that can potentially be carcinogenic.

With a healthy mix of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, soybean oil can help lower cholesterol levels.

Attention: Do you tend to allergies and react sensitively to nuts or birch pollen? Then, as a precaution, you should first test soybean oil to see if you can tolerate it.

Skin care with soybean oil

For skin care, soybean oil is a very well-tolerated care oil due to the linoleic acid. The oil is quickly absorbed by the skin without forming an unpleasant greasy film. The linoleic acid binds moisture in the upper layers of the skin so that the skin feels firmer and looks fresher.

You can use soybean oil for daily skin care on all skin types. It doesn’t matter whether you tend to have impure skin or whether your skin dries out and becomes wrinkled with age: the fatty acids in soybean oil care for the skin.

1) Soybean oil for facial care
It is best to use the soybean oil in the evening together with your usual care cream.
Cleanse your face with a mild cleansing cream.
With your moisturizer, put two drops of soybean oil in the palm of your hand and apply the mixture to your face.
Tip: Mix only the amount you need for one application. This has the advantage that you do not need an additional emulsifier that binds the soybean oil and the moisturizer.

2) Soybean oil for body care
Again, you can mix several drops of soybean oil (about five to ten drops) with a moisturizing lotion or aloe vera gel.
You can pamper yourself with an oil pack when your skin is dry due to wind and weather. Spread the soybean oil liberally on your skin and wrap yourself in a sheet (which can get oily). Then lie down under a blanket and treat yourself to a break for half an hour. You can then massage in the residue of the oil or remove it with a damp cloth.
You can also use soybean oil for skin care if you suffer from skin diseases such as psoriasis or neurodermatitis. The soybean oil restores moisture to the dry skin and takes away the itching. However, you should discuss the use with your dermatologist beforehand, especially for the treatment of skin diseases.

Soybean oil – a mass industrial product

Soybean cultivation has increased rapidly worldwide in recent decades. By far the most industrially used soy is grown in the USA and South America. The WWF puts the annual soybean production for 2015 at almost 270 million tons worldwide, with over 80 percent coming from North and South America.

The soy from these regions is mainly used as animal feed. In the industrial fattening of livestock, the main feed is the soybean meal, which was originally a by-product of the production of extracted soybean oil. With increasing global animal fattening, soybean meal is becoming more and more important.

But soybean oil is still widely used in industry and is a cheap vegetable fat that is available in large quantities.

Vegetable margarine and spreads contain soybean oil.
In skin cream and shower baths, soybean oil is added as a care oil.
Soybean oil is also used for bio-diesel (mainly in the USA).
Some printing inks and varnishes also contain soybean oil.

Food

Pumpkin Seed Oil: Application, Effect and Production

Pumpkin seed oil is a particularly aromatic oil. Here you can find out what properties it has, what you can use it for and what you should definitely pay attention to when buying.

Many oils do not have a particularly distinctive taste or are even considered tasteless. It’s completely different with pumpkin seed oil: the oil is valued for its strong taste. It tastes particularly nutty and is suitable for numerous dishes and body care.

Pumpkin seed oil – origin and production

Pumpkin seed oil is made from the seeds of pumpkins, i.e. the pumpkin seeds. To be more precise: from the pumpkin seeds of the oil pumpkin. Only with this variety do the kernels have no woody shell, so they can be squeezed out. The special pumpkin variety came about through a random mutation around 100 years ago in Styria (Austria), where people soon discovered the oil in the seeds.

Austria and neighboring countries such as Hungary, Slovenia and Russia are still the main growing areas for the oil pumpkin. Another important growing area is China.

Only the cores are used for the production. They are washed, chopped, roasted and then pressed. The pulp can be plowed into the field as fertilizer and used as animal feed.

Properties and ingredients of pumpkin seed oil

Pumpkin seed oil is very dark in color. You can also tell the origin and processing of the oil by the color:
Oil from Austria is mostly dark green with a slight red-brownish tinge.
If the oil is more brown to yellowish, it usually comes from China, Russia or Eastern Europe.
The color of the oil can also be an indication of its manufacture and quality. If the oil is heated during processing, it also turns red-brownish to yellow. However, excessive heat damages the oil. The oil should therefore be processed as cold as possible. If the oil is dark green and shimmers slightly red against the light, it is ideal.

Other properties of pumpkin seed oil are its viscous consistency and its pleasant smell, which is not nearly as strong as the taste.

Pumpkin seed oil is characterized by a high proportion of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. The main ingredients also include:
Various vitamins (vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2 and vitamin C),
pantothenic acid,
biotin,
Minerals (e.g. chlorine, iron, fluorine, iodine, potassium, calcium, copper, magnesium, sulfur and zinc).

Use of Pumpkin Seed Oil

You can use pumpkin seed oil in different ways:
for cooking in the kitchen,
as a natural remedy,
for body care.
Due to its many good ingredients, pumpkin seed oil is considered an effective natural remedy. It is said to relieve prostate problems, lower blood pressure and help with joint problems. In addition, it is said to strengthen the immune system. For the precise use of pumpkin seed oil for health problems, you should speak to a doctor or pharmacist.

use in the kitchen

The most common use of pumpkin seed oil is in the kitchen. Because the oil just tastes really good. You can use it in many ways:
to refine pumpkin soup or pumpkin seed soup,
in the salad
in desserts.
You should mainly use pumpkin seed oil cold. If you heat it, the oil will quickly turn bitter. This can also happen to you if the oil is exposed to light for too long. Because pumpkin seed oil is also sensitive to light. Therefore you should store the oil in a cool and dark place. When storing, you should also note that the sensitive oil loses its aroma very quickly. It has a shelf life of around 12 months in an originally sealed bottle. Once you open it, you should use it within three months. It is therefore best to buy pumpkin seed oil in small quantities.

When buying pumpkin seed oil, you should pay attention to the origin of the oil. The oil is a regional specialty from Austria. The Styrian pumpkin seed oil is even a product with a protected geographical indication. You should also pay attention to the common organic labels when choosing the oil. In organic farming, for example, pesticides are prohibited.

Food

Grapeseed Oil: Effect, Ingredients and Application of The Gourmet Oil

Cold-pressed grapeseed oil is one of the most expensive oils. But the price is justified: it has a special aroma and is full of healthy ingredients.

As the name suggests, grape seed oil is made from the seeds of grapes. There are 50 kilograms of grape seeds in one liter of oil. You can buy both cold-pressed and hot-pressed oil in stores.

With cold-pressed oil, the cores are not additionally heated during pressing, but only warmed up by the pressure. The oil obtained from the kernels is light green in color and tastes nutty and fruity, reminiscent of grapes.
Hot-pressed grape seed oil is additionally heated and mixed with a chemical solvent (chemical extraction) so that more oil can be extracted. The agent ensures that the oil dissolves particularly well from the kernels. The mixture is then heated to evaporate the solvent and leave behind the oil. Hot-pressed grapeseed oil is also commonly refined. This means that numerous accompanying substances, such as coloring or flavorings, are filtered out. Therefore, hot-pressed grape seed oil is colorless and tasteless.

Grape seed oil: Healthy ingredients and their effects

Hot and cold pressed grape seed oils not only look different and taste different. Both consist of about 90 percent unsaturated fatty acids – apart from that, however, they differ in their ingredients:

Linoleic Acid: Grapeseed oil is made up of about 70 percent of this omega-6 fatty acid. Linoleic acid is one of the substances that your body cannot produce itself. Among other things, it needs them to regenerate cells and heal wounds. But beware: If you consume too many omega-6 fatty acids and too few omega-3 fatty acids, this can possibly promote chronic diseases. According to the Budwig Foundation, the optimal ratio of omega 3 to omega 6 is 1:2 to 1:5. Grape seed oil contains omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in a ratio of 1:135. So you should use it sparingly.
Antioxidants: Cold-pressed grape seed oil is considered very healthy because it contains many antioxidants. These are substances that protect the cells in your body from harmful influences such as diseases. The oil provides, among other things, vitamin E and vegetable procyanidins (OPCs).
Vitamin K: The fat-soluble vitamin is also an ingredient in cold-pressed grape seed oil. It plays an important role in your body in metabolic processes and in blood clotting.

Application of grape seed oil

Hot-pressed grapeseed oil can be heated to high temperatures because of its high smoke point. You can use it for frying and frying. Since the oil is tasteless, it goes well with many foods.

Cold-pressed grape seed oil, on the other hand, should only be heated gently. Better use it for cold foods, like salads. The nutty taste also goes well with cheese.

The cold-pressed oil is not only used in the kitchen, but also often in cosmetic products such as night and moisturizing creams. Studies show that linoleic acid reduces inflammation in the skin and supports its regeneration.

Food

Cinnamon: Effect, Ingredients and Differences Between The Varieties

Whether in hot apple juice, on pancakes or in cookies: cinnamon is not only versatile as a spice, but also has a reputation as a remedy. Depending on the variety, cinnamon should also be consumed with caution. We explain why.

Cinnamon and its origin

Cinnamon is actually the bark of a tropical tree. The trees are mainly found in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and China and can grow up to twelve meters high. However, only shrub-high plantations are planted for the cultivation and sale of cinnamon.

For cinnamon production, the bark is dried and sold either as cinnamon sticks or ground. This works best after the four-month rainy season, when the bark is particularly flexible.

There are two types of cinnamon: Cassia and Ceylon.
The more common variety is Cassia cinnamon. It comes from southern China – the bark of the Cassia cinnamon tree is removed in thick layers. It is coarser, darker and smells more intense than Ceylon cinnamon. Because its quality is slightly lower, cassia cinnamon is cheaper.
Ceylon cinnamon is harvested in very thin layers of bark, which are then pinned together to resemble a cigar in appearance. Ceylon is more aromatic and less pungent compared to cassia. However, its noble quality makes it many times more expensive than cassia cinnamon.

Cinnamon – Healthy or Toxic?

There are repeated warnings against consuming too large amounts of cinnamon. The reason for this is the curamine flavoring substance contained in cinnamon, which is toxic to humans in large quantities.

The cheaper cassia cinnamon contains curamine in comparatively large amounts. Ceylon cinnamon, on the other hand, contains hardly any curamine and is therefore usually harmless.

Regardless, cinnamon has some health benefits:
Cinnamon has a regulating effect on the blood sugar level and can lower it.
Cinnamon promotes appetite and stimulates intestinal activity. This helps prevent bloating and gas.
Cinnamon also has a disinfecting effect due to the essential oil it contains, eugenol.
This is why cinnamon also helps relieve cold symptoms.
A student at Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia also found that smelling cinnamon boosts brain power.
Cinnamon also has an effect on cholesterol levels and helps to lower them.
Because of the curamine, however, pregnant women in particular should check with a doctor beforehand whether they are allowed to eat cinnamon.

Ideas with cinnamon

Cinnamon goes well with many dishes and drinks and gives them a special touch:
We especially like to use cinnamon with apples – whether for apple fritters, in hot apple juice, in apple compote or in apple strudel.
Cinnamon can also spice up other juices, whether cold or warm.
Cinnamon gives many jams a Christmassy touch.
Coffee, cocoa, a glass of milk or milk substitute – cinnamon goes with everything.
A light note of cinnamon also goes well with many teas – or, of course, with mulled wine or punch.
Cinnamon can refine many pastries: Whether as cinnamon rolls, cinnamon rolls or classic as cinnamon stars or as a special tip: homemade Franzbrötchen. For this you need a slightly sweetened yeast dough, because you roll it out flat and spread it with a paste made of fine sugar, cinnamon and oil or melted butter. Then you roll the whole thing into a roll and cut the roll so that it has sloping sides. Then you can flatten the individual pieces and get the typical fan-shaped structure of Franzbrötchen.
Thanks to its disinfecting properties, you can also use cinnamon to treat gingivitis – as a diluted oil or as a gargling solution.

health

Yo-Yo Effect: How to Avoid it With a Healthy Diet

The yo-yo effect destroys any success in losing weight. You can find out what is behind the effect, how it is promoted and which diet you can use to maintain your desired weight in the long term in our guide.

With a lot of willpower and discipline, the desired weight is reached, but within a very short time the pounds that have been painstakingly slimmed down are back on your hips. When things go really bad, it’s even more than when you started the diet. This is the yo-yo effect.

The goal of losing some weight is desirable for many people: According to the German Society for Nutrition, 59 percent of men and 37 percent of women are overweight. This is accompanied by an increased risk of a variety of diseases, such as cardiovascular problems.

This is the yo-yo effect

This is how the yo-yo effect is created:
When dieting, you avoid certain foods and often reduce portion sizes as well. The more you restrict your calorie intake, the more your brain interprets an imminent danger from starvation. So to give you a good chance of surviving during a food shortage, your metabolism works more slowly. Muscles are broken down and the basal metabolic rate decreases.
If you have now reached your desired weight after tedious weeks, the restrictions in your diet are a thing of the past. You’re consuming your usual amount of calories again. However, your body still metabolizes them too slowly and puts them on so that you are prepared for the next famine. You’ll be back to your starting weight in no time.
Another problem is that when you eat less, your brain releases stress hormones. When stress persists, cravings and cravings for sweets increase. These have a particularly high glycemic index, which causes the blood sugar level to rise rapidly. Even if saturation occurs quickly, the sugar is immediately stored in the liver. When insulin levels drop, the food cravings begin again.

Prevent yo-yo effect – tips & tricks

The real problem with losing weight isn’t the yo-yo effect, it’s the diet itself. Every body is different and should therefore be treated differently. A diet can never work the same for everyone. In addition, utopian promises tempt you to restrict yourself completely insanely and one-sidedly.

Use these tips to prevent the yo-yo effect:
Give up diets! In order to reduce your weight, you should monitor your diet closely for a few days. What are you eating and drinking? Do you take your time with your meals? Where is hidden sugar?
Approach your diet carefully and slowly. Become aware of which foods are unhealthy and not good for you. Gradually remove them from the menu. This can include replacing fruit juices with unsweetened tea in the first week, for example. Next, the frozen pizza can give way to a healthy evening of cooking with friends. Get used to the change step by step so that you don’t get the feeling that you have to do without something.
In particular, remove ready-made products from your menu and replace them with fresh recipes that you can prepare yourself. We recommend that you use regional and seasonal fruit and vegetables. With short transport routes you can reduce your CO2 footprint. In addition, fruit and vegetables are rich in vitamins and important nutrients.

According to the New England Journal of Medicine, you should eat a high-protein diet and make sure your food is low on the glycemic index. This means cutting out sweet and fatty foods. Instead, you grab too many vegetables, nuts, legumes and tofu. Lean meat or fish is also recommended. However, due to the overfishing of the seas, we advise against the latter.
There is often a deeper reason behind excessive eating habits. Does stress or grief make you overeat? do you eat out of boredom If you are aware of the trigger, you can counteract it more easily. For example, by integrating more relaxation and deceleration into your everyday life.

Eat a balanced diet and lose weight

Here’s what you can do every day to lose weight:

Start your day with a balanced and high-fiber breakfast to lose weight. This fills you up, boosts your metabolism and prevents annoying cravings.
Drink a glass of water before every meal. This fills the stomach and makes you feel full faster.
Don’t over-pack your plate. Try moderate sizes and get a second helping if you’re not full.
Take your time to eat. Practice mindfulness and avoid distractions like the TV or cell phone.
Protect yourself from impulse buying by only going shopping with a list once a week. This saves you additional trips and money.
Integrate movement into your everyday life. Muscles increase your basal metabolic rate and ensure that you burn more calories. You don’t necessarily have to go jogging. Maybe you’ll find a great club in your area or try to walk 10,000 steps a day.

Food

Peanut Oil: Effect and Application in The Kitchen and Cosmetics

Peanut oil is a classic in Asian cuisine. For us, on the other hand, it’s more of an exotic thing. The oil can be used in many ways. Learn more here.

Peanut oil in the kitchen

There are two types of peanut oil: the cold-pressed, more flavorful, and the refined. The oils differ in how they are made and how they are recommended to be used.

The cold-pressed peanut oil:
…is obtained from dried, peeled and ground peanuts, which are cold-pressed in so-called screw presses.
This manufacturing process protects the aromatic substances of the peanut and gives the oil an intensely nutty taste.
Cold-pressed peanut oil is particularly suitable for refining dishes.
It should not be overheated.
Refined Peanut Oil:
…is produced under the influence of heat and is therefore also suitable for roasting, grilling, boiling and deep-frying.
Its smoke point is very high: at 230 degrees Celsius. In Asia, for example, the oil is often used for wok dishes.
Peanut oil is also ideal for salad dressings. Refined peanut oil is usually cheaper than cold-pressed and can be obtained quite cheaply in the supermarket or Asian market.
Since peanut oil becomes cloudy at temperatures below 10 degrees Celsius, you should not store it in the refrigerator. A dark, cool storage location is ideal. Whether the oil is suitable for frying or not should be written on the bottle.

Constituents of Peanut Oil

Peanut oil has a particularly high vitamin E content: it contains around 23.4 milligrams of vitamin E per 100 grams of oil. The vitamin actually consists of a whole group of antioxidants that are said to prevent Alzheimer’s and cancer and rejuvenate skin and hair.
Peanut oil also contains the important vitamins K, which support blood clotting and bone formation, the nerve vitamin B1 and vitamin D, which regulates the calcium content of the blood and supports bone formation.
Peanut oil is also considered healthy because of its high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids. These help lower cholesterol and regulate blood pressure. 44 percent of the oil consists of diunsaturated fatty acids and 37 percent monounsaturated.
However, the composition of the peanut oil varies depending on the growing area and growing conditions. Attention: Allergy sufferers should first test the oil on their skin.

Peanut oil for skin, hair and body

In addition to using it in the kitchen, you can also use the oil in cosmetics:
Peanut oil nourishes and smoothes the skin. You can even use it for eczema, it compensates for the lack of fat, provides sufficient moisture and relieves the symptoms.
Peanut oil is also suitable for dry lips. The complexion is immediately refined after the application of peanut oil.
Peanut oil is also a good base for massage oil: It absorbs slowly, so you can use it very sparingly. It also works well on its own and supplies the skin with important nutrients.
Peanut oil is also suitable for the hair: it forms a protective film around the hair, which makes the hair supple and stays healthy.
You can also use peanut oil to treat hard skin on your feet thanks to its softening properties. It is best to make a foot mask with peanut oil from one part peanut oil and two parts foot care cream and leave it on for at least ten minutes.
Peanut oil can also be used to make enemas that loosen constipation in the intestines – but only in consultation with a doctor.

Origin and production of peanut oil

Peanuts originally come from South America, where they have been cultivated for over 3000 years. By the way: Peanuts, as the name suggests, grow underground and are not really nuts, but peas.

Peanut cultivation is now widespread around the world. China and India are the largest producers, but peanuts are also grown in West Africa. In dry regions, the peanuts need irrigation because they need about 500 to 1000 millimeters of rainfall per year. The fruits of the plant, which is about 60 centimeters high, can be harvested between July and September. To do this, the whole plant is pulled out of the ground.

The peanuts are then dried for about two weeks to reduce the water content and thus increase the percentage of fat. They are then peeled, sieved and ground, and the oil is then either cold-pressed or extracted using heat in a refining process.

If you buy peanut oil, you should definitely make sure that you buy one that is organic. Then you can be sure that you are buying a high-quality oil. Ideally, the oil also has a Fairtrade seal that guarantees fair cultivation conditions.

Food

Nutmeg: Origin, Effect and Use

Gingerbread or mulled wine would be unimaginable without nutmeg. But nutmeg goes well with many other dishes. Here we explain what you need to know about their ingredients and use.

Cultivation and origin of nutmeg

Strictly speaking, nutmeg is not a nut at all, but a seed from the nutmeg tree, which originally comes from Indonesia. The nutmeg that you find in stores in this country mostly comes from Africa or South America these days. Grenada is the main export country.

The five to eighteen meter high nutmeg tree is evergreen and very choosy: it does not like temperatures below 20 and above 30 degrees Celsius. It only bears the first fruits after eight years.

The seeds form from apricot-like fruits that burst open after about nine months, releasing the seed. The seed coat, called mace, is carefully removed and what remains is the core, which has to be dried for a few weeks until it separates from its shell.

Incidentally, nutmeg used to be a well-kept secret, which made the spice very expensive in the Middle Ages. The healing effects of nutmeg have long been appreciated.

Healing effects of nutmeg

Nutmeg is rich in iron, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc and sodium, as well as vitamin A, vitamin C and B complexes. Nutmeg also contains 16 percent essential oils. It is said to have the following healing effects:
Nutmeg is said to strengthen and strengthen the intestines, help with intestinal problems and stomach weakness and, due to special extracts, against flatulence.
Nutmeg is also said to help with gallbladder or liver weakness or cardiac insufficiency. But be careful, always consult a doctor first!
Nutmeg can have a calming and relaxing effect, for example in warm milk, so that it can also help with insomnia.
Early on, nutmeg was also considered a sexual enhancer and aphrodisiac.
Used on the skin – either in creams as nutmeg butter or as a powder stirred into warm water, nutmeg can also have an anti-inflammatory effect.

Nutmeg toxins

However, the first rule with nutmeg is: in moderation, not masses. Because nutmeg contains the toxic substance myristicin, which can have a hallucinogenic effect and can thus cause intoxication or even poisoning.

The intoxicating effect can start from around four grams of nutmeg. The condition can last up to 48 hours and comes with a number of unpleasant side effects:

Consumption can cause hallucinations.
Nutmeg in too large amounts can bring on stomach cramps, nausea, and vomiting.
It also causes heart palpitations and headaches.
The effects of a nutmeg intoxication are unpredictable and can lead to horrific trips through the combination of physical symptoms and hallucinations.

Nutmeg contains small amounts of the substance safrole, which is suspected of being carcinogenic. Myristicin also inhibits a certain type of enzyme called MAO enzymes, which are responsible for breaking down norepinephrine, dopamine and serotonin.

This inhibition makes “normal” foods toxic. These include tofu, aged cheese, smoked or dried meat or fish products, some types of wine, sauerkraut, products containing cocoa or caffeine, or alcohol.

Buying and Using Nutmeg

Nutmeg can be bought in various forms: as a whole fruit, which you can grate yourself with a nutmeg grater, as a ready-to-go powder or as nutmeg butter. However, nutmeg is also sold as an essential oil or in spice blends such as garam masala.

You should make sure to buy fair trade and organic spices. Whole nutmegs keep for three to four years with almost no loss of flavor and thus significantly longer than already grated nutmeg or nutmeg butter. With whole nutmegs you also avoid the risk of getting bad products: The humid climate in which the nutmeg tree grows promotes some molds that can circulate through illegal processing of infested fruit.

In the kitchen you can use nutmeg in many dishes:
Christmassy in gingerbread and mulled wine
sauces, in particular béchamel sauce
Mashed potatoes or similar potato dishes
Vegetables: For example spinach, cauliflower, carrots or kohlrabi
stews

Mazis: The “mace” from the seed coat

Less well known is mace: The spice is also incorrectly called mace, although mace is actually made from the seed coat of the nutmeg seeds. The aroma of mace is similar to that of nutmeg, only slightly milder.

However, mace loses its flavor much faster than nutmeg. Maze is sold either in powder form or in strips of flowers.

You can use mace in just as many ways as nutmeg: in a quiche, in a risotto, with potatoes or spinach or in pastries.

Food

Fir Honey: Effect and Origin of The Special Honey

Fir honey is a special delicacy among honeys that are rarely available for purchase. Honey connoisseurs appreciate it for its special taste, but also for its health effects.

Fir honey – a special forest honey

Types of honey are divided into blossom honey and honeydew honey, the latter also being referred to as forest honey. While blossom honey is mainly obtained from the nectar of plant blossoms, so-called honeydew is the starting substance for forest honey. This is a sweet liquid excreted by plant-sucking insects. The bees collect this substance and use it to produce honey.

The honeydew for the fir honey comes from aphids that have settled on fir trees. These scale and bark lice feed on the plant sap, which is mainly found on the needle tips of the fir tree. What the microorganisms then excrete is ultimately the starting material from which the fir honey is made.

Fir honey is therefore a forest honey that can only be obtained in fir forests. In this country it is the silver fir, which is why the honey is often referred to as silver fir honey.

That is why fir honey is so precious

In Germany, “fir honey” is a protected term: beekeepers are only allowed to call their honey that if it actually comes exclusively from the honeydew of the silver fir trees. The Black Forest is the most notable area of silver fir that is large enough for the extraction of fir honey. The designation Black Forest fir honey or Black Forest silver fir honey is therefore often found. In addition, there is sometimes fir honey from the Swabian Jura for sale.

But the fir honey is not only locally limited, but also dependent on the weather conditions. Because the amount of plant sap, but above all that of the settled aphids, is only sufficient under certain climatic conditions to extract the honey. In the Black Forest, this is only possible every two to three years.

This makes fir honey a rarity that also has its price: 500 grams of organic silver fir honey is not available for less than 10 euros.

Fir honey: properties and effects

Fir honey is not only special in its origin, but also in its other characteristics:
Appearance: As is typical for forest honeys, fir honey has a dark colour. Depending on its origin, it is reddish-brown to almost black, but sometimes also dark green.
Taste: Fir honey has a strong, tart, spicy taste with resinous aromas and an unmistakable note of fir. As forest honey, it has more acid and therefore tastes a little less sweet than blossom honey.
Consistency: Like all forest honeys, fir honey has a slightly firmer consistency, but remains liquid longer. If it does crystallize, you can liquefy it again in a warm water bath (below 40°C!).
Components: The high fructose content is characteristic of fir honey. The fructose-glucose ratio here is about 1:3. It contains healthy essential oils and is particularly rich in enzymes. As forest honey, it also provides more trace elements and minerals than blossom honey, according to the Bavarian Consumer Advice Center.

But fir honey is not only appreciated for its special taste – it is also said to be particularly healthy:
Since forest honey generally contains more trace elements and minerals, it is generally considered healthier than blossom honey.
What is special about fir honey, however, is the high content of essential oils: For this reason, it is considered a good home remedy for respiratory diseases.
Furthermore, the enzymes it contains are relevant to its health effects: Its antibacterial effect is mainly attributed to the enzymes glucose oxidase and catalase.
Fir honey is also said to have an anti-infective effect and also provide relief for urinary tract disorders.