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Secret codes are not only used by the police – also at Ikea. Codes are often used for announcements, which customers cannot do much with. But what do they actually mean?

These secret codes are very common at IKEA – what do they mean?

In most cases, the meaning of the codes is only temporary: In order to guarantee the security of the codes, it can be assumed that IKEA will periodically renew some of the codes. Nevertheless, the meaning of some codes that appear particularly frequently can be interesting.

With some of the codes you can be pretty sure of the meaning. This includes, for example, the code 89. This is not only used at IKEA, but also in many other department stores: The code expresses that the store is busy and more staff is needed.

Code 88 is about a basic cleaning, maintenance or repair. Also, the meaning of the code 200 is pretty certain. This is also due to the fact that additional skilled workers are required.

The meaning of other mysterious IKEA codes – “Pippi Longstocking” and Co.

However, many of the IKEA codes are only speculative for us and their meaning is not certain. Nevertheless, it can be interesting to take a look at the codes that are common but raise a big question mark for us as buyers.

For example, if “Pippi Longstocking” is mentioned in an announcement, this is code for the need for security personnel. “Lucky Luke” is a code that requests that more registers be manned. Nevertheless, it can be assumed that a code will never remain identical for long. The code 300 is used to notify that there is an injured customer. The code 500 is used in a similar way: This is used to call first aiders in German IKEA stores. If you go to a branch in Switzerland, the code 500 has a different meaning. By naming this code, the Swiss IKEA branches are informed that a caregiver has lost sight of a child in Smaland. Other customers and employees are asked to help with the search.

The code 1000 has a different meaning depending on the number of executions. Simply calling it out suggests that all customers and staff should be on the alert. If the code is called a second time, an evacuation will be prepared. The third time the code “1000” is called, the evacuation is then carried out. How serious the situation really is cannot be predicted: it can be a compulsory exercise, but it can also be a bomb alert or a real danger to life.

More and more people are dealing with healthy eating for the sake of their health. But what does a healthy diet actually look like? EAT SMARTER explains.

Eating not only serves to satisfy our needs and maintain the functionality of our body but can also be a pleasure and connect people. However, when diet affects our weight, it can also become a test of patience. But what exactly is a healthy diet and how can it be delicious? We have taken on this major topic and collected everything you need to know about healthy eating.

What does healthy eating mean?

There is no uniform definition for this. First of all, the term “healthy” must be considered a little more closely. This means that the daily food intake should consist of foods that provide nutrients that the body needs to function daily. But the choice of food plays a decisive role here (more on this in Chapters 2 and 5). Overall, the menu should contain more plant products such as fruit, vegetables, or legumes than animal foods such as meat, milk, and dairy products. The choice of drinks is also part of a healthy diet. Other factors, such as getting enough exercise, contribute just as much to a healthy life as diet.

The combination of all these factors can also be described as a balanced diet. Balanced in the sense of a balance between the intake of the right amounts of essential nutrients and an overall healthy lifestyle that includes plenty of exercises, a healthy level of stress, and moderate consumption of stimulants (alcohol, cigarettes).

How does a healthy diet work?

  • The topic “How do I feed myself properly?” is always controversial. While some prefer to rely on their own experiences and needs of the body, there are others who jump on every diet trend such as low carb or paleo. However, the German Society for Nutrition developed a good guideline for a healthy diet a long time ago. This includes ten rules, which we have summarized for you below:
  • Use the variety of foods: There is a very large selection of foods that add variety to our diet and also replenish our nutrient balance. Because no food has all the nutrients. However, the majority of your daily diet should consist of plant-based foods. Animal products such as milk and meat are more likely to be seen as “side dishes”.
  • Five times fruit and vegetables a day: The DGE recommends three portions of vegetables (about 400 grams) and two portions of fruit (about 250 grams) per day. Legumes such as beans and lentils are also included and, with their fiber, ensure a long-lasting feeling of satiety. Dried fruit can also replace a portion of fruit. However, this should be smaller because the calorie content is higher.
  • Consume whole-grain products: Whole-grain foods such as pasta, rice or flour are significantly richer in fiber and nutrients than white flour products. Not only do they keep you full for longer, they also contain many more important nutrients such as minerals and trace elements. Potatoes that are not heavily processed (ready-to-eat meals such as French fries or rösti are not suitable due to their high-fat content) are also a very good source of carbohydrates.
  • Animal products as a supplement: Animal foods such as sausage and meat products, fish as well as milk, and dairy products are to be seen as a supplement to the vegetable component of the diet and are particularly important for the vitamin B12 requirement. Dairy and dairy products such as cheese and yogurt should be consumed daily as they are an important supplier of calcium. Calcium is important for building bones and teeth. The DGE also advises eating fish once or twice a week because of the iodine and omega-3 fatty acid content. For weekly meat consumption, it should not be more than 300 to 600 grams of sausage and meat products (depending on the calorie requirement). Eggs should also be eaten in moderation.
  • Prefer healthy fats: These are mainly found in plant products. Animal fats mostly contain saturated fatty acids, which can have a negative effect on our blood fat. In vegetable fats, there are more unsaturated fatty acids. These have many positive effects on our health. It is also important to pay attention to hidden fats, which can be found in sausage products, for example.
  • Sugar and salt in moderation: Sugar not only has a high calorie content, but also no nutrients. Eating too much sugar increases the risk of diabetes and obesity. Sugar alternatives like dried fruit or honey can be a good alternative. Salt should also not be consumed in large quantities. The DGE advises no more than 6 grams per day since salt increases blood pressure and draws water out of the body.

  • Drink plenty of water: Sufficient fluid intake every day is essential for maintaining the functionality of our body. The guideline for this is 1.5 to 2 liters per day. Water and unsweetened tea are particularly recommended here since sweet drinks such as soft drinks or fruit juices contain unnecessary calories, and a large amount of sugar and carry the risk of diabetes and obesity. Alcohol should also be consumed in moderation. The DGE recommends consuming no more than 10 grams of alcohol for women and 20 grams (equivalent to half a liter of beer or 250 milliliters of wine) for men per day. Daily consumption should be avoided, however, as this increases the risk of cancer.
  • Gentle preparation: When preparing food, it is important to pay attention to a gentle and low-fat preparation method. Many vitamins and nutrients are water-soluble or heat sensitive. Important nutrients can therefore be lost if the water is heated up or boiled (e.g. potatoes). Gentle preparation methods such as steam cooking or steaming are to be preferred. High-fat methods such as frying should also not be used regularly.
  • Eat consciously and mindfully: Enjoying the meal and being aware of what is being eaten is an extremely essential factor for a healthy diet. It is also important to take enough time to eat and eat the food slowly. Because only after 20 minutes does a feeling of satiety set in. So if you eat very quickly, you eat more food in the West. It is also beneficial to chew well so as not to make it too difficult for the stomach to digest.

Kosher food is the designation for food that is permitted under kashrut. The kashrut is a religious food law. Many rules relate to the consumption of animal products.

Kashrut are traditional religious law regulations. They regulate which foods believing Jews are traditionally allowed to eat. The kashrut divides food into “kosher” and “treat” – permissible and impure.

There are several reasons for this distinction. The Jewish Museum in Berlin indicates the conscious lifestyle of religious people. Medieval scholars would have explained that non-kosher food harmed the body or soul, while rabbis attributed the divine origin of kashrut to the reason.

Kosher food: clean foods

Kosher foods are those foods specifically classified as clean or permissible by the kashrut.

Plant-based foods such as fruit, vegetables or grains are kosher. However, it is important to ensure that no insects, snails or similar animals hide in them. These must not be eaten. Special rules apply to Israeli products, i.e. products from the “Holy Land”, for example for cultivation.

The following foods of animal origin are also kosher:
Meat from ruminant mammals with cloven hooves.
Animals that live in water and have both fins and scales.
Eggs from kosher animals are also kosher if no traces of blood are found in them.
Honey is an exception as it comes from non-kosher animals but is itself considered kosher.

Non-kosher food: mature foods

“Do not boil a kid in its mother’s milk” (Ex.23:19) is a quote from the Book of Exodus found in the Torah and the Bible. This sentence illustrates an important principle for combining foods according to the Jewish dietary law:
Dairy products and meat should not be eaten together. Therefore, kosher households have two sets of dishes and pots: one for dairy and one for meat. The combination of the products is not permitted.

Blood is always dripping. Therefore, only meat that no longer contains blood is considered kosher food. This ensures a special method of slaughter, the slaughter. In Germany, slaughterhouses are only allowed to be slaughtered with a special permit, which can be granted for religious reasons, as the SWR describes.

Combine kosher: parwe always works

Parwe means something like neutral in the Jewish diet. Foods that you can combine with kosher food in any way are neutral. With vegan products you are on the safe side in this respect: fruit and vegetables are parwe. In addition to vegetables, kosher fish and kosher eggs are also parwe.

The Central Council of Jews describes that vegetable products that replace milk are also parwe. Soy drink, which is popular with many vegans, can also replace the kashrut according to milk, bypassing the above regulations for combining dairy products. Vegetable substitute products can not only be combined kosher, but are also more environmentally friendly than animal products. Appropriate: According to the FAZ, Israel is the most vegan country in the world.

Every person has an individual basal metabolic rate. We’ll show you what basal metabolism means and what it has to do with calorie consumption.

What is a basal turnover?

The basal metabolic rate, also known as the resting metabolic rate, indicates the amount of energy a person needs at rest per 24 hours. This energy keeps vital bodily functions such as breathing and heartbeat going. The basal metabolic rate depends on various factors such as age, gender, height, weight, muscle mass and state of health. It is therefore different from person to person and individual.

How can you calculate your basal metabolic rate?

The basal metabolic rate is a theoretical construct that is calculated using a formula. A formula that you can use to calculate your approximate basal metabolic rate is the “Harris-Benedict formula”:
Women: Basal Metabolic Rate = 655.1 + (9.6 * body weight in kg) + (1.8 * height in cm) – (4.7 * age in years)
Men: Basal Metabolic Rate = 66.47 + (13.7 * body weight in kg) + (5 * height in cm) – (6.8 * age in years)
There are other formulas like the “Mifflin-St.Jeor formula” which are similar but different:
Women: Basal Metabolic Rate = (10 * weight in kg) + (6.25 * height in cm) – (5 * age in years) – 61
Men: basal metabolic rate = (10 * weight in kg) + (6.25 * height in cm) – (5 * age in years) + 5
You notice that these formulas can only reflect a guideline and no binding, actual information.

If you don’t want to calculate your basal metabolic rate yourself, you can alternatively use one of the numerous free basal metabolic rate calculators on the internet.

Understanding Calories

Calories, actually kilocalories (kcal), is a unit that indicates the calorific value of food. Calorific value means heat energy that is released when a substance is burned. The more calories a food contains, the more energy it provides. You can find information on calories in Germany on every packaged food item in the nutritional information.

Note: Even healthy foods can contain a lot of calories. Pay attention to the quality of your food and a healthy diet.

Basal metabolic rate and calorie requirement

As mentioned, your basal metabolic rate is the amount of energy your body needs to survive. Your calorie requirement (or energy requirement) is the energy that you consume through exercise and work in addition to the basal metabolic rate.

This is how you can calculate your calorie requirement: total energy requirement = basal metabolism + performance metabolism

Each activity of the day is added up and, together with your basal metabolic rate, represents your specific daily calorie requirement. Another factor that influences your total energy requirement is thermogenesis. This is the energy you need to metabolize the food you eat.

Just as there are online calculators for basal metabolic rate, there are also calculators for calorie needs and total energy expenditure.

Lose weight with the knowledge of basal metabolic rate and calorie requirement

The more you train, the more you move every day, the more calories you burn. Your basal metabolic rate is always the same, you can only make a difference with exercise and food intake.

When you consume calories from food or drink, you have to use that energy to keep from gaining weight. Otherwise, the excess energy is converted into body fat. This is due to evolution, because in the past it was vital to have (fat) reserves for bad times. In today’s society, this is no longer an issue.

There are three options:
If you take in more calories than you expend, you gain weight. (calorie excess)
If you take in the same number of calories as you expend, you will maintain your weight.
If you take in fewer calories than you expend, you lose weight. (calorie deficit)
If you’re a little over your energy needs, that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re gaining weight. For example, if you do strength training, this excess energy is used to build muscle.

In order to burn one kilogram of body fat, almost 7,000 calories must be burned. Every body burns energy and therefore calories at different rates. People with a higher proportion of muscle, for example, have a higher basal metabolic rate because muscles also use energy at rest.

In short: More exercise means more calories burned. If you also pay attention to a correct diet, you can lose or maintain your weight.

Important: You should never consume so many calories that you fall below your basal metabolic rate. Because this is essential!

Note: Losing weight quickly is unhealthy and usually has a yo-yo effect. Listen to your body and take your time. Avoid cheat days, extremes are rarely good. A balanced diet is the be-all and end-all.

You can calculate your BMI as a guide to your current weight status, because this makes statements about whether you are normal, underweight or overweight. However, the BMI does not say whether you are healthy or not and should therefore be viewed with caution.

Packed in a protective atmosphere – you can read that on many products in the self-service counter in the supermarket. In this article, you will find out whether this is good or bad.

What does “packaged in a protective atmosphere” mean?

Most groceries in the supermarket come in packaging. But packaged is not always packaged. For example, you can differentiate between “packaged under air” and “packaged in a protective atmosphere”.

Fish and meat from the self-service counter are most often packaged in a modified atmosphere. Bread, pre-baked rolls, pasta from the refrigerated section, packaged cheese, sausage, nuts or ready-cut fruit are now also packaged in this way.

If food is packed under air, this can lead to unfavorable changes. Some examples of this are:

faster corruption processes
proliferation of bacteria
oxidative changes, i.e. changes in color or taste.
In order to avoid such changes, many foods are packaged in a protective atmosphere. This works in such a way that the ambient air is first extracted and then replaced with a specifically modified gas mixture. The gas mixture is adapted to the individual product. It can consist of oxygen (O2), carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen (N2) or other noble gases. The process is officially called “Modified Atmosphere Packaging”. The protective atmosphere then extends the shelf life of the food and you can recognize this from the note on the package (“Packaged in a protective atmosphere”).

Pork and beef are also often packaged using an advanced process. It’s called “High O2–MAP”. The special thing about this is that the oxygen content is higher than in normal air and higher than in normal packaging in a protective atmosphere.

Advantages and disadvantages of products packed in modified atmosphere

Disadvantages of food packed under modified atmosphere:

Food packed in a modified atmosphere is always packed in plastic.
You do not have the option to adjust the amount of the product to your consumption. This is relevant, for example, when you buy meat. If you buy groceries fresh at the counter, you can buy exactly as much as you need and thus avoid food waste.
In addition, products that have already been packaged are less fresh – even if they are packaged in a modified atmosphere.

Advantages of food packed in a modified atmosphere:

The packaged products are of higher quality. This is because changes in the products are reduced by the packaging.
The light red color of beef and pork is preserved.
The food has a longer shelf life.
Additional preservatives are not necessary.
Products that are packaged in a protective atmosphere must be stored with particular care. If the packaging is damaged, it is no longer effective.
Foodstuffs packaged in a modified atmosphere are also marked with a use-by date. In contrast to fresh products, it is clear to the consumer how long it can be enjoyed. The use-by date indicates the period in which bacteria and fungi do not noticeably multiply. Since the protective atmosphere slows down bacterial growth, the use-by date can also be found on the packaging.

Are there any health concerns?

According to the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, food packaged in a protective atmosphere is not harmful to health.

The products in a protective atmosphere are regularly checked for their gas composition. This means that the composition of the air in the packaging is checked. In an investigation by the State Office for Consumer Protection in Saxony-Anhalt, for example, the ambient air was completely replaced in 90 percent of the products.

One final tip: if you’re buying groceries that are packaged in a modified atmosphere, check the packaging for damage. She just looks undamaged.