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Vacuum Cooking Makes Meat Tender and Juicy

Cooking meat and then keeping it warm until it is served has long been considered the best option for a tasty and juicy fillet in gastronomy. However, a new study refutes this assumption: According to the latest findings, the meat is actually rather dry and tough after this method of preparation. The magic word for preparing tender and juicy pork is sous-vide cooking – i.e. under a vacuum.

The study

Researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research in Mainz are now investigating the changes in the protein structure of meat when it is vacuum cooked – also known as sous vide. The study tested the effects of cooking time and different cooking temperatures on the water content and protein structure of the meat. These are the first research results with a time span of ten minutes to 48 hours and a temperature variance of 45 °C to 74 °C.

The result

The loss of meat juice increases with increasing temperature and cooking time. The evaluation of the study shows that the meat loses a large part of its water content above 60 °C. This makes it dry, tough, and hard – not the best result for meat lovers. Only precise control of the cooking temperature makes it possible to circumvent these properties.

The best way to do this is with sous-vide cooking: the food to be processed is placed in a plastic bag and packed airtight. The food is then cooked in a water bath at the exact temperature specified.

It’s going to be tender and juicy

Cooking meat sous vide changes its protein structure in a controlled manner. This keeps the meat tender and juicy. For the best pork tenderloin on a medium-sized cut, cook it sous vide for 20 minutes at 55ºC.

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Lifestyle

Hops For The Hair? This is How Beer Makes Your Hairstyle Shiny and Voluminous

Would you like a beer shower? Many will probably advise against it. In this case, it is a real insider tip when it comes to hair care. Here’s how good hops actually are for your hair.

While many shampoos use barley juice to give your hair that extra kick, beer works just as well. This is mainly due to the vitamin B contained in beer and the so-called pantothenic acid. These two ingredients make the hair soft and gentle. The hops also provide more volume.

The special beer shower is easy to use, just like any other conditioner: simply work the beer into your hair over the bathtub and leave it on for a while. Then it can simply be washed out. If you want more strength in your hair, you should avoid rinsing it out. The malt in the beer gives the hair more structure. And don’t worry about the smell of beer: it goes away faster than you think.

hops for the hair? – that’s better than you might think

Another secret trick is to work the beer into your hair like a tincture: Simply mix 50 milliliters of beer with egg yolk and, if necessary, with a small amount of conventional shampoo. Irritated scalp also benefits from honey, which can be added.

Then simply massage in and leave on for 10 to 15 minutes. Then rinse very well afterwards. The shiny head of hair is ready!

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health

Sugar Makes You Sick: How Best to Avoid Fattening Foods

Very tasty, but extremely unhealthy: Sugar is in various forms in almost every food. However, particularly large amounts of the fattening agent are hidden in processed products. Here are the consequences of eating too much sugar and the best tips for eating less.

How much sugar is ok?

Assuming an average calorie consumption of 2000 kcal, that is 50 grams of sugar that you can consume per day. That corresponds to about half a liter of lemonade, 17 sugar cubes, or 100 grams of chocolate. So the recommended amount is reached quickly – but how do you manage to eat less sugar effectively and easily?

There are many different testimonials from people who give up sugar, but not every way works. First of all, the most important thing is to reduce the daily amount of sugar – this is particularly difficult for many at the beginning, because our body and our taste buds are used to the sweet experience.

Ways to eat less sugar

The aim of the reduction is to sensitize our taste for sweets again. Because if you eat sugar again after giving up, it tastes all the sweeter. Now you have to either continue to do without sugar or cut out sugary foods. For example, Ökotest suggests diluting juices with water or mixing fruit yoghurt with plain yoghurt.

You should also pay attention to the list of ingredients when shopping: Sugar is often added as a flavor enhancer to many processed products. Especially here you can eat a lot of sugar quickly. The bestselling author of the “Nutrition Compass”, Bas Kast, therefore always recommends: “Cook yourself with fresh, natural food” – because this is the only way to really have control over the ingredients and the sugar intake.

Eat sugar: Less is always better

The realization that sugar is unhealthy and that we should eat as little of it as possible is nothing new. However, the fact that the health consequences can go as far as cancer is very shocking. So in order to really pay attention to a healthy diet with little sugar, the best thing to do is simply stop eating.

That means no sugar in the coffee, no sweets in the evening and always cook with fresh ingredients. This is difficult for many to implement, but reducing the amount of sugar is a step in the right direction. “Enjoy, the dose makes the poison,” agrees the expert Bas Kast.

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Food

Phosphate in Sliced Cheese: Why It Makes Cheese Extremely Unhealthy

As a topping on bread or to gratinate dishes: sliced ​​cheese can be used in a variety of ways in the kitchen, but it is not particularly healthy. This is due to the high phosphate content.

Phosphate in sliced ​​cheese: These risks are eaten

While phosphate plays an important role in our musculoskeletal system, such as muscle movement or bone and tooth structure, an elevated phosphate level in the blood poses significant risks. In a healthy person, the kidneys normally ensure that the increased phosphate level drops again and is excreted in the urine.

However, if the kidneys have to do this too often or if there is a kidney disease, this mechanism no longer works properly and the phosphate continues to accumulate in the blood. The risk of heart attack and stroke increases due to changes in the inner walls of the vessels. In addition, skin and muscles age faster.

In addition, due to increased storage in our bones, it displaces the calcium that is important for stability, which results in an increased risk of osteoporosis.

Lack of transparency on the addition of phosphate: Where it is everywhere

According to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the maximum level for phosphates that can be consumed without hesitation is 40 mg/kg body weight. Often, however, consumers can no longer explicitly track whether a finished product contains added phosphate, let alone how much.

Although the addition of phosphate is subject to labelling, there are exceptions. Labeling can be omitted if the phosphate was not added directly to the end product but was contained as an ingredient in a starting product. They are often also hidden as so-called preservatives or stabilizers, for example behind the following E numbers:
E338 – phosphoric acid
E339 – sodium phosphate
E340 – potassium phosphate
E341 – Calcium phosphate
E343 – magnesium phosphate
E450 – diphosphate
E451 – Triphosphate
E452 – polyphosphate
E442 – ammonium phosphatides
E541 – Sodium aluminum phosphate acidic

Healthier alternatives

The problem with industrially added phosphates is that they are hardly bound in the food and are therefore freely available. They go completely into our blood. Consumers can avoid this problem by switching to natural, unprocessed foods.

Meat, nuts and legumes deserve special mention here. Only a small proportion of the phosphate in these foods is freely available and absorbed by the blood, the rest is excreted undigested.

And those looking for burger alternatives might enjoy aged cheddar or can experiment with a variety of other cheeses that haven’t undergone extensive chemical processing. These are not only better for your health, but usually also packaged in a more environmentally friendly way.

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Food

Losing Weight With Oatmeal: This Secret Ingredient Makes The Superfood Perfect For Your Slim Line

Oatmeal is traded by many as a real superfood. Because if you combine oatmeal with a certain fruit, you not only lose weight faster, but also do something good for your own health. This is the way to the summer body.

Oatmeal: The popular “oats” are really healthy for the body, skin and hair

Oatmeal is no longer only popular with fitness freaks and athletes. Because they provide energy and contain numerous vitamins and nutrients that the body needs to stay healthy. We tell you what happens when you eat oatmeal every day and how you can promote your health.

According to the Federal Center for Nutrition, oats are one of the most important types of grain grown in Germany, along with wheat, rye and barley. Here, the oats trump the other types of grain with their ingredients: oats contain by far the largest proportion of fat, protein and calcium – but also numerous other nutrients such as manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, zinc, folic acid and B vitamins.

According to the health portal Zentrum der Gesundheit, oats are considered the ideal supplier of minerals, vitamins and fats, which can be absorbed in large quantities by eating small portions in the body: 50 grams of oat flakes may not look like much – but they are surprisingly full
After harvesting, the oats are heat treated, pressed, dried and rolled – this is how rolled oats are made.

Important nutrients in bulk: Why oatmeal is particularly important for vegetarians

Iron: Oatmeal contains high amounts of iron – a whopping 2.4 milligrams per 40 grams of the grain flakes. The unbelievable: oats contain twice as much iron as meat. The only problem is the utilization of the iron from the oatmeal: In order for the body to succeed, you should consume foods with vitamin C – this is also a real nutritional tip for vegan or vegetarian people.

Eat oatmeal every day: Healthy thanks to B vitamins

Vitamin B7 (= Bioton, Vitamin H): Oatmeal contains a lot of biotin (0.2 micrograms per gram). According to the Center for Health, the amount of biotin in one serving (approx. 40 grams) corresponds to a quarter of the recommended daily dose. According to the consumer center, the consumption of biotin-containing products has a beneficial effect on maintaining healthy skin and hair – whether biotin also ensures strong nails is controversial. It is not necessary to take nutritional supplements – it is better to have a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast.

Vitamin B1 (thiamine): The high proportion of vitamin B1 is also remarkable, which with a value of 0.3 milligrams per 100 grams of oatmeal is a quarter of the daily requirement. The oats stand out: no other type of grain has such a high vitamin B1 content. In addition to vitamin B6, it is the absolute “nerve vitamin” that counteracts tiredness, dizziness, insomnia and neurological complaints. Oatmeal contains one milligram of vitamin B6 per 100 grams – twice as much as other grains.

In addition to healthy nerves, you also get healthy blood: Vitamin B6 is involved in the formation of hemoglobin. A lack of vitamin B6 can lead to problems with the cardiovascular system, among other things, since the homocysteine ​​levels increase

Slim down with oatmeal: No more cravings thanks to cereal flakes

Regular consumption of oatmeal, for example daily for breakfast, keeps you slim. Because the cereal flakes contain numerous properties that support you with a healthy diet, diet or muscle building.

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Lifestyle

Flexitarians: That’s What Makes Them Special

Flexitarians eat vegetarian food, but not always. Here you can find out what makes this type of diet special and what advantages the mainly plant-based diet offers.

Flexitarians – what is that?

Flexitarians are people who eat mostly vegetarian food, but on rare occasions also eat meat. So the word is made up of “flexible” and “vegetarian”. Most of the meat that flexitarians eat is from animals that have been raised organically, appropriate to their species.

According to a survey by the Society for Consumer Research, more than a third of German households say that they consciously reduce their meat consumption. These people can also be called flexitarians.

A vegetarian or vegan diet is the most ecological way to eat. But if everyone eats less meat, the environment gains more than if only a few people live 100% consistently meat-free. You can therefore be proud of your flexitarian diet: it is already significantly more sustainable than those with average meat consumption in Germany.

Flexitarian always works

As a flexitarian, you would only eat meat in certain situations, e.g. at family celebrations or other invitations or on vacation. If you set yourself clear rules as to when eating meat is an option for you – meat only from species-appropriate husbandry, only on a certain day of the week or only from grandma – it will be easy for you to stick to your principles. In addition, self-imposed principles help you to consume significantly less meat in the long term. If at some point your principles are no longer enough for you, you can of course further reduce your meat consumption at any time.

Flexitarian nutrition for better animal husbandry

High-quality organic meat is more expensive than the discount meat from factory farming. You can still afford it if you only buy meat on special occasions. As a flexitarian, you can afford meat from organic animal husbandry on a small budget. This means that the animals have more space to roam, are not given preventive antibiotics and are fed organic feed. As a flexitarian and critical consumer, you support better animal husbandry.

Flexitarian diet is healthy

A varied diet is healthy. This can be achieved both with and without meat. For flexitarians, the varied diet is particularly easy to achieve, as they often consume very consciously.

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Food

Einkorn: What Makes This Ancient Grain so Special

Thousands of years ago, our ancestors valued einkorn for its nutritious properties. Find out here what special features the grain has and why it is so healthy.

What is einkorn?

Like emmer and spelt, einkorn is one of the ancient grains. It rightly bears this name, since einkorn was used as a food in Asia 7,000 to 10,000 years ago. From there it came to Europe and became an important food here for a long time. However, since it is not as productive as wheat, it was less and less cultivated until it was almost completely forgotten.

Now, however, the grain is making a comeback. It is not only its health benefits that put einkorn back in the limelight, but also its suitability for organic cultivation. Since it is very resistant to pests, there is no need to use chemicals to keep them away. In addition, einkorn is relatively undemanding and grows on rather poor soil without artificial fertilizers.

Today, einkorn is once again being cultivated in some European countries, such as Germany, Austria, Italy and Turkey. Incidentally, the ancient grain bears the name “Einkorn” because only a single grain grows from each spindle on its ears – in contrast to most other types of grain.

What makes einkorn so healthy?

Einkorn is considered a healthy alternative to wheat because it contains significantly more micronutrients. For example, it is rich in minerals and trace elements such as magnesium, copper, manganese, zinc and iron. It also contains many essential amino acids and, like all whole grain products, valuable fiber.

Einkorn is also easy to digest and can therefore be eaten as part of a light diet. For people with a wheat allergy, the grain may be a good alternative.

The ancient grain owes its slightly yellowish color to its high beta-carotene content. Einkorn is said to have the highest carotene content of all types of grain. On the one hand, beta-carotene is converted into vitamin A in the body and as such fulfills vital functions. However, it also acts as an antioxidant against excessive levels of free radicals in the body.

What is einkorn used for?

Einkorn has a slightly nutty and sweet aroma. Many baked goods and pasta made from einkorn, such as bread, pasta or cakes, are now available, especially in organic shops and health food stores. However, you can also just buy it as flour and get creative in the kitchen yourself!

If your morning porridge is too boring for you, you can use einkorn semolina to make an equally delicious and nutritious breakfast porridge. You can also refine salads and Buddha bowls with sprouted einkorn.

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Food

This is What Makes Beetroot so Healthy: Information on Vitamins, Nutrients and Calories

Beetroot is high in healthy nutrients and vitamins and low in calories. Here you can find out what effects the beet can have on your health and how best to prepare it.

These nutrients make beets so healthy

Beetroot contains many vitamins and minerals and is quite low in calories. 100 grams of beetroot contain just 41 kilocalories.

Among other things, beetroot contains:
Folic acid, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, vitamin C and beta-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A
the minerals potassium, calcium, sodium, magnesium, phosphate, iron and zinc
Vitamins support the body in maintaining all bodily functions. Since they are essential, your body cannot produce them on its own and you have to get enough of them through food.

The vitamins in beetroot support important bodily functions such as visual performance, bone formation, protein metabolism and the function of your immune system. Folic acid plays a key role in blood formation and cell growth, and vitamin C supports the immune system and many of the body’s metabolic processes.

Like vitamins, minerals are essential and especially important for muscles, teeth and bones. In combination with vitamins, they keep your body running. Deficiency symptoms can have serious health effects.

Beetroot is high in antioxidants and helps with high blood pressure

The pigment betanin, which gives the beetroot its characteristic color, is one of the flavonoids (secondary plant substances). Antioxidant properties are attributed to betanin. According to the German Society for Nutrition (DGE), these support the cardiovascular system and prevent heart disease. In addition, the plant substances in the body should intercept free radicals.

Folic acid and iron are also significantly involved in the formation of red blood cells, which is why beetroot also has a positive effect on the blood balance. Beetroot also contains nitrate and nitrogen compounds, which some studies have shown may help fight high blood pressure and diabetes. Nitrate is converted into nitrite in the body, which is said to have a relaxing effect on blood vessels. In addition, beetroot is said to boost nitrogen production in the body in diabetics, which means that blood sugar can be better controlled.

Health note: Too much nitrate can be harmful to infants. You should therefore not eat beetroot. Also, people prone to kidney stones are advised not to consume too much beetroot as it contains a lot of oxalic acid. Oxalic acid is said to increase the risk of kidney stone formation.

In this way, the nutrients are retained during the preparation of beetroot

In order to preserve as many ingredients as possible, the beetroot should not be cooked for too long. It is best to prepare the beets without water. You can also use them raw in salads or as a vegetable side dish. If you would like to prepare the tuber warm, it is a good idea to cook it in the oven with the skin on and peel it later.

If you do want to cook the beetroot, there are a few things to keep in mind:
Always cook the beets with the peel so that fewer ingredients are lost.
You should not cut off the leaves and roots, just twist them off.
In boiling water, the beets will take about 30-45 minutes to soften.
Salt should only be added shortly before the end of the cooking time, otherwise it will take away the colour.

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Food

Acacia Honey: What Makes the Variety so Special

Acacia honey is a special kind of honey that is characterized above all by its sweet taste. All information about this unique strain can be found here.

Acacia honey: The special taste

Both acacia and black locust have a particularly high pollen and nectar content, which attracts many bees. That is why they are also called bee pastures. The bees produce honey with a special taste from the delicious nectar:
Acacia honey is characterized by its mild and floral taste. It has a particularly intense aroma, but does not taste too sweet.
Acacia honey is light yellow to golden yellow in color and clear in consistency. If you hold the honey jar up to the light, you can see a slightly greenish tinge.
The honey variety contains a particularly large amount of fructose. Glucose, on the other hand, is only present in small amounts. This keeps the honey liquid for a long time before it crystallizes. Even after a year or two, acacia honey is usually still liquid.
In addition to fructose and glucose, acacia honey contains other important active ingredients such as trace elements, minerals and vitamins.
Compared to table sugar, honey provides more nutrients for the body, which is why it can be considered a healthier sweetener. Nevertheless, you should only use honey sparingly – also because it is a valuable raw material.

Application of acacia honey

You can use acacia honey in many different ways and individually in the kitchen:
Like any other variety, acacia honey tastes most intense on its own as a spread.
It is also suitable as a topping for waffles, pancakes or daily muesli, for example.
Due to its particularly liquid consistency, acacia honey is easy to portion. It is therefore ideal for sweetening tea, milk or other drinks.
The honey can also be mixed well in salad dressings and provides a sweet note.
Honey can develop its aroma optimally, especially in warm dishes. For example, you can use it as a sweetener for baking or to refine sauces. However, keep in mind that the health-promoting enzymes in natural honey are lost if you heat it above 40 degrees.
You can also use acacia honey in many ways as a home remedy. It contains the active ingredients inhibine and serotonin and should therefore

anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial,
prevent indigestion and bronchial problems,
help against coughs and colds, and
are suitable for mild skin care.

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Cooking Tips

Dry Rosemary: This Makes The Medicinal Herb Last Longer

Drying rosemary is very easy and makes the delicious spice durable. We explain how you can dry rosemary in different ways.

Drying rosemary: Here’s how

Rosemary is a particularly aromatic and powerful spice. It is easy to grow in the garden, on the balcony or even on the windowsill. You can use it fresh, especially in the warm season. Then you can also build up a small supply for the winter – for example by making rosemary oil or drying the plant.

If you want to dry rosemary, you have two options:
You let it dry slowly in a dry and warm place.
You dry the herb in the oven.
Drying in the oven is much faster. However, you need additional electricity. It’s only a good idea if you don’t have a way to preserve the rosemary in a dry place.

Drying Rosemary: Harvesting and Preparation

You can harvest rosemary in the summer months, when it is most aromatic. To harvest the rosemary, cut off as many sprigs as you need. Regular harvesting can replace pruning the plant.

The best time is in the morning or mid-morning, once the dew has dried on the branches. It is good if the plant has received plenty of sunshine in the previous two days. Then the aromas are particularly strong.

You should avoid washing the rosemary. The branches lose their aroma. However, remove dried or wilted parts of the plant.

Air dry rosemary

Dry rosemary by bundling it up and hanging it in a dry, airy place. For this you need:
scissors
yarn
rubber band
Use the rubber band to bundle up to eight sprigs of rosemary into a small bouquet. Tie a piece of string to it so you can hang the waistband upside down.

A suitable place for drying is important. It should have the following properties:
warm (optimal are 21 to 27 degrees)
dry
airy
preferably without direct sunlight
Once you have found a suitable place, hang up the rosemary bouquets. You leave them hanging until the branches are noticeably dry and brittle. This takes several days. Exactly how long is difficult to say. That depends on the individual circumstances.

As soon as the rosemary is dry, you can remove it and store the whole sprigs airtight. You can also pluck off the individual needles and store them in an old screw-top jar.

Drying rosemary: in the oven

To dry the rosemary in the oven, it is best to place the individual sprigs on a grid. They shouldn’t touch. Put the grid in the oven at the lowest temperature (maximum 50 degrees) and leave the oven flap open a crack so that the moisture can escape.

After about three to four hours, the branches should feel dry and brittle. If not, leave them in the oven longer and check regularly. Once the sprigs are dry, you can store them the same way you would air-dry rosemary.

With the oven method, however, consider the high energy consumption and prefer air drying. You may be able to house your rosemary with friends or relatives if you don’t have a suitable room. They will certainly be “rewarded” for their hospitality with a glass of dried, fragrant rosemary.

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