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Healthy Sleep: 6 Tips for Better Sleep

Healthy sleep is extremely important for us: body and mind recover at night. Thus, sleeping is a nocturnal rejuvenation cure, because the cells regenerate, and the brain processes the impressions or information of the day. Therefore use valuable tips for better sleep.

Why is good and healthy sleep so important?

Medical sleep researchers are deeply concerned with the subject of sleep. She came to the conclusion that sleep has positive effects on the psyche, heart, memory, and much more. Healthy sleep also strengthens the immune system. Consequently, a good night’s sleep is essential for the well-being of every individual. You can only maintain your performance in the long term and counteract premature aging processes if you sleep sufficiently and well. If you constantly sleep badly or too little, you have to reckon with serious health consequences! Since important processes are neglected during sleep:

  • the cells renew themselves
  • metabolism is regulated
  • strengthens the immune system
  • the brain processes information and forms memories

Simple tips for sleeping better

If you experience restless nights, it can be an indication of anxiety or depression. Do you often lie in bed brooding and worrying? Or do you keep going through certain situations in your head? Then there are typical patterns of thought loops that won’t let you sleep. Consequently, tips for successfully combating sleep problems will help you. And if you just want to improve the quality of your sleep, then here are a few tips to keep in mind:

1) Sleep well with the right pad

Healthy sleep needs enough time and individually suitable equipment. As a result, too little space in the bed can disrupt the nocturnal regeneration phase. You should also choose your mattress individually according to body weight, personal needs, and quality. Mattresses that are too hard or soft impair the musculoskeletal system and lead to complaints. If the mattress is too soft, the body finds it difficult to fall asleep and tenses up at night. For allergy sufferers who are sensitive to house dust, for example, there are also special models that do not give mites a breeding ground. In addition, note useful tips for cleaning mattresses.

2) Choose the right pillow

Choosing a suitable pillow is also helpful for better sleep. Many cheap pillows are too soft, too big, or just hard. As a result, they provide little support and cause pain in the cervical spine and neck. The empty space between your shoulder and spine should be filled with a neck support pillow, for example, to prevent unpleasant consequences. If you are one of those people who prefer to sleep on their side, a side sleeper pillow will help. Consequently, with the right pillow, you can prevent back pain and prevent neck pain.

3) Appropriate sleeping position for better sleeping

Everyone has their individual and preferred sleeping position. But not all promote a good night’s sleep. For example, lying on your stomach is considered the unhealthiest sleeping position. Therefore, you should definitely avoid lying on your stomach. Meanwhile, sleeping on your back is the healthiest, and alternating from side to side also helps to get healthy and restful sleep. Therefore, make sure you fall asleep in the right position in the future.

4) Create a healthy sleeping environment

If you want to sleep better, you should ensure a healthy sleeping environment. You should be able to feel comfortable and relaxed around the bed. In order to achieve an ideal sleeping environment, the following aspects are also important:

  • Make sure there is enough darkness, as light impairs the formation of the sleep hormone melatonin.
  • 18 degrees in the bedroom is the ideal room temperature for a good night’s sleep.
  • Regular cleaning of the bed reduces house dust and ensures pleasant freshness.
  • Choose suitable bed linen: Cotton is best – flannel or beaver for cold winter days, jersey or satin in summer.

5) Ensure a good indoor climate

There are a few tips on how you can positively influence the indoor climate in the bedroom. The easiest way is to air the bedrooms regularly. Accordingly, you should “ventilate” after getting up. So open all the windows completely and thus ensure a complete exchange of air. You should do the same ritual in the evening at least ten minutes before you go to bed. If the room climate is still bad, you can get tools that, for example, reduce the humidity. Plants can also improve the indoor climate.

6) Avoid electrosmog in the bedroom

The magic word is short-term “digital detox” – at least a few hours before going to bed, you should observe a certain level of sleep hygiene. And that means banning smartphones, laptops, TVs, or tablets from the room in the hour before bed. You should also avoid surfing the Internet at night or watching a marathon of your last favorite series before going to bed. As a result, your body can switch off early. By replacing your cell phone with a quartz alarm clock, you can reduce electromagnetic radiation. Then your sleep quality should improve significantly.

 

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Cooking Tips

Make Delicious and Healthy Smoothies

Are smoothies healthy? Yes, freshly prepared you can create delicious and healthy smoothies that are good for your health. We explain why smoothies are healthy and give great tips for making them from leftover vegetables. We have recipes for summer and winter.

Are smoothies healthy?

Do you often ask yourself are smoothies healthy or is it all just a marketing strategy? Of course, it depends on the preparation of the smoothies whether they are healthy or not. But when you make smoothies yourself, it’s in your hands. That’s why smoothies have experienced real hype in recent years. Because freshly prepared, they can be full of healthy ingredients. As a result, smoothies are healthier than juices because they use whole fruit or leafy greens. This preserves important fiber, which is important for good intestinal health, regulates blood sugar levels, and curbs appetite.

Make delicious smoothies and avoid flavor enhancers

And the good thing is that delicious smoothies are quick and easy to make yourself. You avoid unhealthy flavor enhancers. This is important because these, especially glutamate, are suspected of being harmful to health and of being a co-trigger of various diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and multiple sclerosis. It is also said to contribute to migraines, asthma, allergic reactions, nausea, dizziness, and a constant feeling of hunger, which in turn leads to obesity. However, it should be said here that glutamate is controversial in science.

Eat healthy with homemade smoothie juices

As a result, you are on the safe side if you consume flavor enhancers such as glutamate in moderation. So try to eat healthily. That means: eating as much unprocessed food as possible, mainly basic, home-cooked dishes. Also, eat little or no sugar and also avoid other artificial sweeteners of any kind. As a result, you should have raw or lightly cooked food on your menu that is as fresh as possible. Wild herbs and organic products are also beneficial. The purer the food, the better. Keyword Clean Eating. So you can eat healthily and still eat deliciously. Various smoothies will also help you with this.

Make smoothies from leftover veggies

It’s in our kitchen, in our freezers, or on the shelf. The vegetables are no longer attractive, but thanks to the smoothies you can conjure up something very special from them. So you don’t have to throw away what you paid dearly for and thus contribute to food waste. So put the vegetables in the practical kitchen helper called a blender, add water and some fruit, and you’ve created something completely new that doesn’t look as wilted or shriveled as it did before.

Benefits of a vegetable smoothie

But a smoothie is not always a healthy smoothie. Because there is a difference between whether you put vegetables or fruit in a smoothie. A lot of vegetables are one of the most important basic nutritional elements. Fruit, on the other hand, should only be eaten in moderation, in whatever form, as it contains fructose. Although this does not work like industrial sugar, it causes blood sugar to skyrocket. As a result, fructose can promote obesity and other unhealthy side effects. This contradicts the general belief that a lot of fruit is also healthy, but as mentioned, that is only partially true. Consequently, not all smoothies are suitable for successful and healthy weight loss.

Make your own green smoothies

Green smoothies have become particularly popular. They contain a lot of green leafy vegetables such as spinach, green salads, and wild herbs, which in turn contain a large number of vital substances, chlorophyll, and antioxidants. Chlorophyll purifies the blood, promotes detoxification, accelerates wound healing, and much more. A green with particularly sweet fruit, such as a ripe banana, still tastes very sweet with greens.

Green smoothies can also be prepared with cucumbers, broccoli, savoy cabbage, and other green vegetables. In addition to celery and garlic, other possible ingredients include tomatoes and peppers. You should always add some oil so that the body can also absorb the fat-soluble EDEKA vitamins. If you want to try wild herbs first, you can start with nettle, chickweed, and sorrel. When using dandelion, you should be careful, especially at the beginning, because it can be very tart and bitter.

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Lifestyle

Healthy Eating During Pregnancy

Healthy nutrition during pregnancy is important for the good development of the child. But what can you eat during pregnancy and what not? What is certain is that a balanced and healthy diet is good for both mother and child. Therefore we have collected important tips.

Pregnant women should eat consciously. Because the need for nutrients increases. Consequently, there are foods that you should eat more of, such as vegetables and legumes. Meanwhile, you should avoid other foods, such as raw meat or eggs.

That is why a balanced diet is important

Nutrition during pregnancy is an important issue. Because the child’s organism is still developing. And the growing body needs suitable nutrients for healthy development. Consequently, regular exercise and a healthy diet during pregnancy will have a positive impact on the health and well-being of the child in the long term.

But what shouldn’t you eat during pregnancy and what should you eat? As a rule, the recommended diet for all people applies to pregnant women. Accordingly, the regular consumption of vegetables, fruit, and whole-grain products is advisable. You should also eat low-fat dairy products and meat, as well as oily sea fish from time to time. In addition, pregnant women should ensure that they consume the nutrients folate and iodine during pregnancy. And the drinks should be zero or low calories.

Important nutrients during pregnancy

If you are pregnant, you should eat more consciously and not necessarily more. Because the energy requirement is hardly increased in the first phase of pregnancy and increases to 200 to 300 calories in the second phase. In contrast, the need for nutrients increases. And nutrients are very important for the healthy development of the child. For example, an iodine deficiency can negatively affect a child’s brain development.

Healthy diet for pregnant women

There is a lot to consider and pregnant women keep asking themselves “What shouldn’t you eat during pregnancy and what should you eat?” Our table should give you a first insight. Here is a selection of foods that are particularly recommended due to their vital substances. Also, read our article about important vitamins for women. Please note that the foods listed here are of course not the “only right” foods for pregnant women. Nevertheless, your diet should contain healthy and high-quality foods. Therefore, when shopping, pay attention to organic quality goods.

1) Pseudocereals provide protein

Gluten-free pseudocereals, like quinoa or buckwheat, are a great alternative to wheat flour products, which you’re better off reducing during pregnancy anyway. Pseudo-cereals during pregnancy are ideal. Because they contain a lot of protein and iron. Therefore, you should integrate them into your diet during pregnancy.

2) Diet during pregnancy with avocado

The popular superfood avocado is rich in valuable omega-3 fatty acids. The fruit also contains a high proportion of folic acid and vitamin B6. So if you are pregnant, you can often prepare wholemeal bread with avocado or an avocado dip.

3) Eat fish when pregnant

Especially in the case of iodine deficiency, various sea fish, such as haddock or redfish, is a good way to meet the need in abundance. In addition, fish contains a high iron content and is rich in the important vitamin B12. Also, see our article on cravings during pregnancy.

4) Broccoli for iron supply

As is well known, tastes differ when it comes to broccoli. However, it remains undisputed that broccoli is also a healthy source of vital substances for you during pregnancy. Because it has very high iron content and is particularly recommended. Please also note our article on tips for correcting the iron deficiency.

5) Eat eggs when pregnant

If you are pregnant, chicken eggs are good food for you. In addition to valuable proteins, they also offer an above-average proportion of vitamin B12 and folic acid. However, you should never eat them raw! Our natural home remedies for stretch marks are also interesting.

6) Oats against morning sickness

A high proportion of vitamin B6 is said to reduce morning sickness. Therefore, foods like oats or whole grains can be good home remedies for morning sickness. In addition, they provide important nutrients for the development of the child. So they are well suited for a healthy diet during pregnancy.

What not to eat during pregnancy?

In addition to the numerous important nutrients for a healthy pregnancy and a good development of the child, you should avoid some foods and ask yourself: What shouldn’t you eat during pregnancy? Because what many women do not know before their first child is that some otherwise harmless foods can become dangerous for the child during pregnancy.

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Cooking Tips

Tips for Healthy Baking with Whole Foods

Baked goods should be delicious and you don’t want to pay attention to the calories. Nevertheless, with some wholesome and natural substitutes, you can not only bake healthier but usually also much more delicious. The modern bakery cannot do without sugar and flour. Both are relatively inexpensive foods, but they are not necessarily healthy.

Many of the ingredients of the whole grain are usually removed from conventional flour. And the sugar also lacks any taste but provides all the more sweetness. The end product, therefore, contains hardly any nutrients, but all the more calories.

1) Use flour as coarse as possible

Flour is an example of how many products we now use that have almost completely lost their nutritional value. Especially the frequently used 405 flour is only an extract of the whole grain and tastes far inferior to it.

Here it is already advisable to use coarser flours. Although these are primarily suitable for baking bread, they can also be used for delicious wholemeal cookies. The 1050 and 1740 flour in particular still contain the nutrients and the taste of the ripe grain. Also, learn how to prevent the dough from collapsing.

2) Refined sugar should be avoided

Another frequently used substance in our bakery is sugar. It may be cheap, but it’s bad for your teeth, high in calories, and just plain sweet to taste. Another problem is that although foods with too much sugar are initially filling, the next food cravings appear very quickly after eating.

Instead of sugar, natural products should be used that are not only nutritious but also add flavor to the pastry. Honey should be mentioned here first. With him, the taste can also be creatively influenced by the different types of honey. However, it is also possible to add syrup. Raisins can also be used for coarser pastries.

3) Reconsider all the ingredients

Once you have started, you should reconsider all the ingredients in the recipes and look for full-fledged alternatives. Instead of flavorings, the originals can often be used, which have a much more intense taste. You can buy spices as coarse as possible to grind them up at home.

This alone gives you valuable ingredients and flavors that benefit the baked goods and ultimately you. You eat more consciously and healthier, and cravings in between are avoided. And ultimately, the home-baked food is simply tastier than with alternative ingredients. So you should bake your own bread more often.

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Food

Healthy Chestnuts: Information on Nutritional Values and Calories of Chestnuts

Chestnuts are healthy, regional and delicious. Chestnuts are in season in the autumn months. Here you can find out everything about their nutritional values ​​and ingredients.

Chestnuts: their nutrients

Chestnuts are very healthy because they are full of vitamins, minerals and trace elements. They provide about as much vitamin C as oranges. Chestnuts also contain all the B vitamins and vitamin E. Sweet chestnuts contain the following important ingredients per 100 grams:
Potassium: 707 milligrams
Calcium: 33 milligrams
Phosphorus: 87 milligrams
Magnesium: 45 milligrams
Iron: 1.4 milligrams
Vitamin E: 1.2 milligrams
Vitamin B1: 0.23 milligrams
Vitamin B2: 0.22 milligrams
Vitamin B3: 0.9 milligrams
Vitamin B6: 0.35 milligrams
Vitamin C: 27 milligrams
100 grams of chestnuts contain the following nutritional values:
Calories: 200 calories
Carbohydrates: 41 grams
Fiber: 8 grams
Protein: 2 grams
Fat: 2 grams
Chestnuts are a type of nut, but have significantly fewer calories and fat than other nuts. They contain just as much high-quality protein and are also rich in simple and unsaturated fatty acids

The healthy chestnuts also have many complex carbohydrates and fiber. They ensure that your blood sugar level only rises slowly after eating. If you eat chestnuts, you will be full for a long time afterwards without developing a feeling of fullness. The roughage supports your digestion – chestnuts contribute to a healthy intestinal flora
Chestnuts also contain flavonoids, which are antioxidants in the body

Therefore chestnuts are healthy

Thanks to their many important ingredients, chestnuts have a positive effect on the body. The gesonden chestnuts have the following advantages, among others:

They provide a lot of energy.
They serve as food for good intestinal bacteria.
They hold the connective tissue
They strengthen bones and teeth
They support the immune system
They balance the acid-base balance.

Chestnuts: What you should know

Sweet chestnuts are in season from September to December. During these months you can buy them loose in many supermarkets and health food stores. For the rest of the year you will receive the healthy chestnuts pickled or vacuum-packed. You can also easily freeze cooked and peeled chestnuts.

Good to know: chestnuts are healthy, but not edible raw. You have to roast them either in the pan or in the oven. Then they are easy to digest. You can eat roasted chestnuts pure, but you can also process them into a delicious chestnut cream, puree or soup.

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Food

Tannins: Effect and Importance For a Healthy Diet

Tannins belong to the secondary plant substances. We get them from a variety of fruits and vegetables. Here we explain how they work and why they are important for a healthy diet.

What are tannins?

Tannins belong to the group of so-called polyphenols. In the chemical sense, these are compounds with a tanning effect. This means that they are used to “precipitate” proteins. This means that they break down proteins into their components – for example into the individual amino acids.

The textile industry, for example, makes use of this property: it uses tanning agents to change the consistency of leather, for example. Among other things, tanning makes the leather more durable and firmer, explains Spektrum magazine.

Vegetable tanning agents: They are found here

Vegetable tannins belong to the secondary plant substances. They are also called tannins and are found in many different plants and parts of plants. According to the spectrum, they are part of:
leaves (tea)
seeds (coffee)
fruits (berries)
Wooden
Tannins are acidic. They are therefore often referred to as tannic acids. They create, for example, the typical tart, sour taste of blueberries or sloes.

Tannins also have an astringent (tightening) effect on mucous membranes and cause a furry feeling on the tongue. You’ve probably noticed this effect before when you ate unripe berries.

This is how tanning agents work

Tannins in plants act as natural defenses against microbial pathogens and pests. For a long time, however, they were considered undesirable ingredients in human nutrition.

According to the knowledge magazine Spektrum, this is because they can form complexes with proteins in the digestive system. These complexes can interfere with the body’s processing of vitamins and minerals.
This can lead, for example, to the body no longer being able to absorb enough iron from food. This can lead to an iron deficiency.

Healthy diet: These foods contain tannins

If you eat a balanced and healthy diet, you often consume tannins. For this reason alone, they are of a certain importance for nutrition. The following foods contain relevant amounts of vegetable tanning agents:
Grain
legumes
Many types of fruit:
apples
bananas
blackberries
cranberries
Grapes
peaches
pears
plums
raspberries
strawberries
Green tea and black tea
red wine
Coffee

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Food

Radish: It Really is That Healthy

It is a popular kitchen vegetable because of its pungent aroma, but is radish also healthy? Here you can find out everything about the nutritional values ​​and side effects of the root.

Radish not only gives your dishes a pleasant spiciness, it is also healthy thanks to its valuable ingredients. Whether raw as a crunchy snack or in a salad: the root vegetable is a real all-rounder.

These nutrients make radish healthy

The radish owes its pungent taste primarily to the mustard oils it contains. It has been proven that these kill pathogens such as bacteria and viruses and thus play an important role in a strong immune system. They should also be able to strengthen the liver, bile and digestion. But radish contains even more substances that make it healthy.

Vitamin C: With 200 grams of radish you have already covered half of your daily vitamin C requirement. The root vegetable is therefore an important support for your body’s defences.
Vitamin B1 and B2: Your body needs vitamin B1 or thiamine to break down carbohydrates, while vitamin B2 supports various metabolic processes.
Flavonoids have a positive effect on the immune system and are said to help with certain cardiovascular diseases.
Bitter substances: In addition to mustard oils, radishes contain numerous bitter substances that have an antibiotic, cholagogue and expectorant effect.
Potassium ensures that the stimulus transmission of the muscles works properly. The mineral also has a positive effect on cell growth and blood pressure.
Sodium transmits movement impulses from the nerve tracts to the muscles. If you have a sodium deficiency, you often have to struggle with headaches and nausea.
Magnesium plays an important role in your body’s fat burning process.
Calcium is a must for strong teeth and bones and also regulates the acidity of your body.
In addition to calcium, phosphorus is one of the most important components of the skeleton and strengthens the cells.
Iron transports oxygen in the blood and strengthens your immune system.
Already knew? The mustard oil in radishes causes more bile to be produced in your liver. In this way, fat digestion is stimulated. If you suffer from bloating caused by bile problems, eating radish in moderation can provide relief. However, it is best to talk to your doctor beforehand.

Radish as a healthy fitness vegetable?

Radish is not only full of healthy ingredients, according to Austria’s public health portal, it is also very low in calories with 15 calories per 100 grams. The root vegetables also contain hardly any carbohydrates (about 2 grams per 100 grams). This makes radish a healthy low-carb snack for in between meals. To do this, you must first wash the radish thoroughly. Then cut it into thin slices and sprinkle some salt on top to draw out some of the water from the radish. Complete!

The mustard oils in radishes can bring another advantage. Their sharpness is supposed to boost fat burning and help you lose weight. Especially in the black radish you can use the mustard oils as cough syrup!

When you should give up the healthy radish

As healthy as radish is, the spicy mustard oils are not digestible for everyone. If, for example, you often complain of stomach problems after eating, you should rather eliminate radish from your diet: According to the DocJones health portal, the mustard oils in radishes can irritate your stomach lining. So it is better to switch to more stomach-friendly vegetables. Furthermore, too much radish can loudly lead to flatulence. If you have gallstones, DocJones also advises not to eat the root vegetables.

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Food

Are Rice Cakes Healthy? What You Need to Know

That rice cakes are healthy is an accepted fact. You can find out here why the popular snack is still not harmless to health.

Rice waffles are considered healthy and low in calories: A waffle contains just between 20 and 40 kilocalories. According to the list of ingredients, rice cakes often contain relatively few ingredients and usually no questionable additives.

The crispy snack is also popular as a snack for children. But according to several studies by Öko-Test, the popular waffles are not harmless to health.

Rice cakes as a healthy snack?

Arsenic is found in all rice products. However, the contamination is particularly high in rice cakes. In order to produce the supposedly healthy rice cakes, the producers have to extract the moisture from the rice grains by heating them up. This increases the concentration of the pollutant. Research is still being carried out into other reasons for the high arsenic content in rice cakes.

According to the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), inorganic arsenic is classified as a carcinogenic substance. In addition, even small amounts can damage the nerves, skin and blood vessels, as well as cardiovascular diseases and have a negative impact on development. The BfR is therefore of the opinion that foods should contain as little arsenic as possible.

Other pollutants: acrylamide, mineral oils & Co.

The second factor challenging rice cakes as a healthy snack is acrylamide. According to scientific studies, this substance is also suspected of increasing the risk of cancer. However, the exact connection has not yet been clearly clarified.

Acrylamide is formed when carbohydrate-rich foods are heated to high temperatures, such as when baking rice cakes. As a result, however, it is also found in many other baked, roasted or fried products, e.g. in chips or fries.

There is no fixed limit for the daily intake of acrylamide. The consumer center recommends consuming as little as possible. Children are considered to be particularly at risk. Because of their lower weight, the acrylamide concentration in their body rises faster.

Healthy despite rice cakes? You should note that

The investigations of the BfR showed that we ingest relatively high amounts of inorganic arsenic through rice products. This is particularly dangerous for children, who are even more sensitive to pollutants.

Nevertheless, the BfR recommends consuming rice in moderation as part of a balanced diet and alternating it with other types of grain. Appropriate amounts of (low-emission) rice cakes can also be part of a healthy diet.

Especially people suffering from celiac disease often consume large amounts of rice and rice products. In this case, you should also regularly include other gluten-free grains such as buckwheat, corn or millet in your diet. To avoid arsenic in rice cakes, you can also use alternatives such as spelled and corn cakes.

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Food

Postelein: This is How You Plant and Use The Healthy Herb

Postelein is a hardy leafy vegetable and provides you with valuable vitamins even in the cold season. Here you can find out how to plant Postelein yourself. We also show you a simple recipe for salad with Postelein.

Postelein is a healthy leafy vegetable for the cold season. That is why the plant is also called winter purslane, although it is not related to purslane itself.

Postelein belongs to the springwort family and is also known as common plate herb. The annual plant originally comes from North America, but has also been cultivated and valued in Europe for many years.

Postelein has been somewhat forgotten in recent years. The regional leafy vegetables are easy to care for and provide you with vitamins even in the cold season.

Postel in your garden

You can easily plant Postelein in your garden. The lettuce is easy to care for and particularly suitable for the winter. Postelein withstands cold temperatures down to minus twenty degrees.

You should consider the following points so that Postelein thrives in your garden:
Location:
Postelein prefers a sunny to half-shady site.
Since the leaves don’t take root very deeply, you can grow the leafy greens on the balcony.
Floor:
Postelein thrives best in well-drained, humus-rich soil.
Before you start sowing, you should loosen the soil well and enrich it with some ripe compost.
Sowing:
The optimal germination temperature for Postelein is below twelve degrees. You should therefore only sow Postelein from the cool days of September. Depending on the temperature, sowing is possible until March.
To do this, make a groove about one centimeter deep in the soil and scatter the seeds densely. Then cover them lightly with soil. If you create several rows, you should keep a distance of four to six inches between them.
At eight to twelve degrees, the seeds need about two to three weeks to germinate.
Care:
Like spinach, Postelein is one of the so-called weak eaters. If you enriched the soil with compost at the beginning, you do not have to fertilize the plants additionally.
Postelein is sensitive to drought. Make sure the soil is always moist.
Harvest:
You can harvest Postelein for the first time after six to eight weeks. Cut the leaves about an inch off the ground.
Similar to arugula, the leaves grow back – so you can harvest regularly.
From April, Postelein will sprout small white flowers. It is then no longer suitable for consumption.
Caution: In the flowering period, Postelein likes to multiply itself and spreads widely. Cut off the flowers early to avoid this.

Recipe for a delicious salad with Postelein

The thick, heart-shaped leaves of Postelein are characterized by their mild, slightly sour taste. The winter salad provides you with something in the cold season

Vitamin C,
iron
and calcium.
Postelein is usually prepared as a salad. Older leaves can also be steamed like spinach. We present you a simple recipe for the tasty winter salad:

Ingredients:
200 g Postelein
1 ripe pear (alternatively 1 apple)
optionally 1 ripe avocado
1-2 cloves garlic
olive oil
balsamic vinegar
Salt
pepper
a handful of walnuts
Preparation:
Wash the Postelein thoroughly and pluck the larger leaves into small pieces.
Also wash the pear and cut it into small cubes.
Divide the avocado and cut the flesh into cubes.
Peel the garlic cloves(s) and cut them into fine pieces.
Mix all ingredients in a suitable container.
Season your salad with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.
Garnish with walnut pieces before serving.

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Food

Molasses: How Healthy Is Cane Molasses?

Due to its high nutrient density, molasses is considered a healthy alternative to sugar. Here you can find out what the dark syrup is all about and its health benefits.

What is molasses?

Molasses is a by-product of sugar production. The sugar cane is spun until the solid and liquid components separate. The solid pieces are the small crystals that are later sold as table sugar.

The liquid is what we refer to as molasses. It is boiled a few times, which gives it its typical dark colour. The following applies: the more often molasses is boiled, the darker it is and the less sugar it contains. Nevertheless, the sugar content is still very high with an average of 60 grams per 100 grams.

Note: Sugar beet syrup looks very similar to molasses and is therefore often confused with it. However, the syrup is made from whole sugar beets, which are boiled for it. Molasses, on the other hand, is actually just a “waste product” from the production of sugar from sugar cane.

use of molasses

Molasses is mainly used in agriculture as animal feed and is particularly well-known as a strengthening food for horses. The food industry likes to use the dark syrup as a basis for fermentation processes – for example to produce yeast or alcoholic beverages. For example, some rum, vodka and whiskey are made from molasses.

You can also buy molasses pure in health food stores and use it as a spread or topping for porridge, yoghurt and the like. It is also suitable for baking and for strong sauces or stews. Molasses tastes tart, malty and slightly reminiscent of liquorice.

Molasses a new superfood?

Due to its high nutrient density, molasses has become known as a new superfood in recent years. Since the sugar content is relatively low compared to other sweeteners such as honey or maple syrup, it is often used as a healthy alternative to sugar. With around 280 kilocalories per 100 grams, it actually contains significantly fewer calories than normal table sugar.

However, the concentration of vitamins and minerals, as well as the sugar content, vary depending on the type of production. Light molasses, also known as golden syrup, still contains a relatively large amount of sugar and few micronutrients.

A strong dark molasses scores primarily with its high content of iron, calcium, potassium and magnesium. Iron plays an essential role in the transport of oxygen in the blood and the function of our immune system. We need magnesium and calcium for our bone and skeletal system, among other things, while potassium is particularly involved in the transmission of signals between nerve cells.

The iron content of molasses in particular is relatively high compared to other foods. 100 grams of the syrup contains between 10 and 20 milligrams of iron. For comparison: The daily iron requirement for adults is ten milligrams. This means that around 15 grams of molasses per day already cover around a fifth of your daily requirement.

You can also make it easier for your body to absorb iron by taking the molasses together with a food containing vitamin C. For example, you can dissolve two teaspoons of the syrup in some water and add some lemon or orange juice.

Nevertheless, you should be careful not to consume too large amounts of dark molasses. For example, the WHO has long recommended limiting the daily intake of so-called “free sugar” to less than ten percent of total calories. Recent WHO guidelines indicate that free sugars should ideally be less than 5 percent of total calories. This usually corresponds to about 25 grams of sugar per day, i.e. about six teaspoons.

In order to get enough iron, you can also use other, lower-sugar sources such as whole grain products, legumes, oatmeal or pumpkin seeds.

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