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Can you tell me more about peri-peri sauce, a popular condiment in Mozambique?

Introduction

Peri-peri sauce is a spicy condiment that is popular in Mozambican cuisine. It is made from a combination of chili peppers, vinegar, and spices, and it is often used as a marinade or a dipping sauce for grilled meat and fish. The sauce has gained popularity around the world in recent years, with many people enjoying its fiery flavor and unique taste.

Origins

Peri-peri sauce originated in Mozambique, a country located on the southeastern coast of Africa. The sauce is named after the peri-peri chili pepper, which is native to Mozambique and is known for its intense heat and fruity flavor. The sauce was first made by Portuguese colonizers who arrived in Mozambique in the late 15th century. They combined the peri-peri chili with vinegar and other spices, creating a sauce that was both flavorful and spicy.

Ingredients

The main ingredients in peri-peri sauce are chili peppers, vinegar, garlic, and oil. Other spices, such as paprika, cumin, and oregano, are often added to enhance the flavor. The type of chili pepper used can vary, but the most common variety is the peri-peri chili. The sauce can be made at home using fresh ingredients, or it can be purchased pre-made from a store.

Uses

Peri-peri sauce is used in a variety of ways in Mozambican cuisine. It is often used as a marinade for grilled meat and fish, giving them a spicy and flavorful kick. The sauce can also be used as a dipping sauce for bread or vegetables, or it can be mixed with mayonnaise or yogurt to create a creamy dip. Peri-peri chicken is a popular dish in Mozambique, and it is often cooked on a grill or in a skillet with the sauce.

Popularity

Peri-peri sauce has become popular around the world in recent years, with many people enjoying its fiery flavor and unique taste. The sauce is often used in fast food restaurants, with chains like Nando’s and KFC offering peri-peri chicken on their menus. The sauce has also become popular in the United States, with many specialty food stores and online retailers selling different varieties of the sauce.

Variations

There are many different variations of peri-peri sauce, with each region and country adding their own spin to the recipe. In Mozambique, the sauce is often made with a mix of chili peppers, while in South Africa, the sauce is made with a blend of peri-peri chili and bird’s eye chili. Some variations of the sauce include additional ingredients such as lemon juice, sugar, or honey, adding a sweet and tangy flavor to the sauce. Overall, peri-peri sauce is a versatile condiment that can be used in a variety of ways, making it a popular choice for home cooks and food enthusiasts around the world.

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Food

Healthy Canteen Food More in Demand Than Ever

Currywurst with fries or schnitzel: that’s the usual canteen food cliché. But the typical menu is in transition. More and more people are opting for a more conscious way of life, and regional and seasonal products are becoming increasingly important to consumers. This also affects the orders in the canteens, because healthy canteen food is more in demand than ever!

Healthy canteen food is extremely popular

Healthy meals are being ordered more and more frequently in the canteens of companies, clinics, homes, and rehabilitation facilities. This is shown by a survey of around 300 managers, which the Internorga trade fair presented in advance.

According to this, 80 percent of those surveyed said that they influence a healthy diet with the food they offer. Especially vegetarian and vegan meals are in demand, as Internorga reports.

A conscious way of life

It is also particularly pleasing that more regional and seasonal products are used for the canteen food. In this way, various dishes can also be offered more cheaply, which creates a renewed incentive to buy. Around 30 million meals a week are served in canteen kitchens.

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Food

Sweets are Getting More Expensive

Bitter news for those with a sweet tooth: Sweets are getting more expensive! This year, consumers must expect the price of chocolate and other confectionery to increase. A bar of chocolate can soon cost more than one euro.

Sweets are getting more expensive

The reason for the coming higher prices for chocolate and other sweets is the increased cost of sugar, cocoa, and other ingredients. This is now announced by the managing director of the confectionery trade association, Hans Strohmaier.

The price of one euro for a bar of chocolate is given as the absolute “pain limit” – but this could be cracked this year and continue to rise.

90 bars of chocolate per year

Last year, the price of a bar of chocolate increased by five percent. But that doesn’t stop those with a sweet tooth from enjoying it: Consumption of the sweet sin has remained stable in Germany for years.

Everyone eats around nine kilos of chocolate, which corresponds to 90 bars, every year – including processed chocolate.

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Food

Cheap Fat in More and More Foods

Cheap fats such as palm oil are being used more and more frequently in foods. This is the result of a current long-term study with more than 115,000 foods.

The study

Since 2012, the percentage of cheap fat in food has been documented annually by the Codecheck advice portal. The latest survey now shows that cheap fat is being processed in more and more foods. This is an increase of 6.5 percent since the analysis began. According to the results of the study, there was even a 26 percent increase in nut and chocolate creams.

According to Codecheck, around 6.5 percent of the products examined were declared as containing palm oil in 2012 – in 2015 it was already 13 percent. This cheap fat is used for cooking and frying. But palm oil can also be found in chocolate, sausage products, or Asian-ready meals.

Palm oil

The extraction of palm oil has been highly controversial for years because it causes significant environmental damage. The use of palm oil as a portion of food plays a rather subordinate role.

International environmental protection organizations criticize above all the use of palm oil as a basis for fuel and in the production of candles and cosmetics because the establishment of huge plantations regularly destroys large areas of the tropical rainforest and thus also the habitat of various animal species threatened with extinction.

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Food

Is Fructose More Dangerous Than Granulated Sugar?

Fructose sounds healthy and natural – but is heavily criticized. Because more and more experts are calling fructose the biggest villain in the sugar family.

More dangerous than granulated sugar?

Fructose is naturally found in fruit, vegetables, and honey – but artificially produced fructose also ends up on many people’s plates every day, for example in ice cream or soft drinks. Crystal sugar also consists of half fructose.

While fructose used to be explicitly recommended for diabetics because it doesn’t cause insulin levels to rise as quickly, the good reputation has since disappeared: fructose is considered one of the most dangerous sugars of all. Those who consume too much fructose risk fatty liver, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity, among other things.

“Fructose can lead to a metabolic meltdown,” explains Dr. Detlef Pape, who, like many other experts, identified sugar as one of the main reasons for the increasing obesity worldwide.

Does fructose make you sick and fat?

“It is converted directly into fat in the liver, which then returns to the bloodstream and is stored in the fat deposits.” While our body uses glucose (grape sugar) as a source of energy, fructose causes inflammatory processes and can make us sick and fat. Above all, the particularly harmful visceral fat (internal abdominal fat) is promoted.

“Our body is simply not made for the amounts of fructose that we consume today,” says Pape. And the overconsumption is not due to the fact that so much fruit is eaten. Artificially produced fructose is a billion-dollar business. Soft drinks, ice cream, yogurts, and ready meals, for example, are sweetened with cheap and extremely sweet syrup.

“Especially the drinks are a problem for the figure,” says Pape. “Liquids don’t fill you up, and you simply consume drinks on the side without counting them in the calorie balance.”

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Lifestyle

Less Sport, More Alcohol: According to The Study, These People Are More Intelligent – What’s Behind It?

Smart people’s brains fare better in the modern world. But a study proved that the intelligent people in the focus are more likely to lead an unhealthy lifestyle with alcohol.

Smart people drink more alcohol and exercise less. what’s up

Sufficient exercise and a healthy diet play a major role when it comes to health. One might think that a person’s intelligence indicates a healthy lifestyle. After all, intelligent people are more conscious and should know better. Or?

In addition, there is ample evidence that proves that there is a connection between high intelligence and long life expectancy. It involves these factors:

Higher intelligence offers opportunities for higher education, which can bring a healthier environment and higher social status.
Intelligent people live healthier lives overall, exercise more, smoke and drink less, which increases life expectancy.
A high IQ score can indicate overall good physical condition. This means that it can cope better with environmental stresses, which also increases life expectancy.
However, according to the study by psychologist Satoshi Kanazawa of the London School of Economics and Political Science, intelligent people very often have rather unhealthy lifestyles. They tend to sleep late and have more drinks than less intelligent people. In addition, they often lack exercise.

result of the study?

In the study, the psychologist presents the savannah theory: According to the studies, the brains of intelligent people cope better with the developments and requirements of the modern world. People with a lower IQ would not do as well with urban life or the media. Alcohol, the internet and television played no role in the Stone Age. Therefore, according to this theory, less intelligent people tend to have less of a tendency to get high from drugs such as alcohol or cigarettes because their brains have not evolved as much as those of intelligent people.

The psychologist is less concerned with inferring intelligence from lifestyle. Rather, he would like to examine how people deal with the values ​​and options of the modern world.

Is this healthy?

Of course not. Because the more unhealthy the lifestyle, the higher the risk of disease, regardless of a person’s intelligence. If you don’t exercise and eat unhealthily, you risk cardiovascular problems, depression, dementia or even cancer.

No matter how high the intelligence quotient is: In order to stay fit and healthy, sport, healthy nutrition and avoiding unhealthy consumer goods should play a major role and be taken seriously.

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Food

Debate: Higher VAT on Meat for More Animal Welfare?

The Deutscher Tierschutzbund e.V. calls for a price increase on meat to improve animal welfare. There are various solution models for this – among other things, raising the VAT rate on meat products is under discussion.

Animal rights activists are calling for an earmarked price increase

The Deutscher Tierschutzbund e.V. would like to achieve a meat tax, the income from which will improve the welfare of livestock. Due to the earmarking, the money would benefit farmers who are willing to change their animal husbandry and advocate animal welfare.

Albert Stegemann from the Union parliamentary group also welcomes the idea of ​​​​the animal welfare association: He also sees the solution in earmarking, because the resulting income “must be used as an animal welfare premium to support animal owners in Germany with the conversion,” said Stegemann.

Increase in VAT as a simple solution

Both the SPD and the Greens advocate raising the VAT rate for meat. This is currently 7 percent – the increase would result in a tax rate of 19 percent.

SPD politician Rainer Spiering is counting on increasing the VAT rate “for the sake of simplicity”. The only drawback: the solution would primarily affect the consumer, but less on meat producers and food retailers, who should also be involved.

There is also opposition from EU budget minister Günther Oettinger: he is of the opinion that the tax increase would not help to reduce meat consumption.

Is taxation idea not legally possible?

Increasing VAT seems like a simple solution, but it is unlikely to bring the expected benefits. The Federal Ministry of Finance conceded that the earmarked use of VAT revenue for more animal welfare is not legally possible.

The general secretary of the farmers’ association, Bernhard Krüsken, is also critical of the taxation model: “Not the tax authorities, but the farmers need funds and support for the further development of animal husbandry”.

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health

Does Muscle Burn More Calories Than Fat? This Really Helps With Weight Loss

Those who want to burn calories and lose weight often start a diet. But sport is also important for success, which is due to the high calorie consumption of the muscles. Building muscle can help with weight loss.

Muscles have a higher energy requirement

Appropriate nutrition after training is crucial for building muscle. In particular, in addition to proteins, the calorie requirement must also be considered – “muscles need 100 to 200 kilocalories more energy per day in order to guarantee the build-up at all

Interesting is the high consumption of kilocalories of muscle mass. However, this is necessary, because the muscles have to be “supplied with blood, supplied, warmed up and ultimately also activated by the metabolic process all day long and that costs energy.” A kilo of muscle mass requires about 50 to 100 kilocalories per day, explains the Froböse.

Muscle also differs from fat in terms of weight: muscle is about 13 percent heavier and therefore requires significantly more energy. The big difference: “Fat is a passive organization.”

Burn Calories: Weight Loss by Building Muscle

The high calorie consumption of the muscles can be taken advantage of. Building muscle is also crucial for losing weight. Froboese explains this in a separate blog post

In it he describes that losing weight is a slow process with many small steps. In particular, he recommends beginners and returnees “start with two cardio and three strength units per week.” He’s not talking about several hours, the main thing is muscle building: “The fact is: If you want to burn excess fat, you have to build muscle.” As a result, losing weight initially stagnates, but the weight may even increase.

Nevertheless, the muscles are important because they help to get to the fat reserves faster. At rest, the body uses very little fat. But: “The more muscle I have, the more calories I burn – even when I’m resting,” he explains. If the body burns more calories in a day than it gets from food, it goes to the fat reserves – and the weight loss process begins.

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Food

Protein Bombs: These Plant Foods Have More Protein Than Eggs

Not only relevant for sports enthusiasts, but for everyone who wants to eat healthily: protein. Proteins have become a popular term, especially due to the fitness trend. Animal foods such as meat and milk are considered protein guarantors. What many do not know: many plant-based foods can compete with them. These are the vegetable protein bombs.

Benefits of plant-based protein sources

An egg has about eleven grams of protein. Not that much at all, considering that proteins owe their name to him.

It is well known that animal foods are harmful to health in large quantities. An egg, for example, contains five grams of fat and up to 280 mg of cholesterol, more than half the recommended daily allowance.

Plant-based sources of protein are a real alternative, not only because of the lack of cholesterol, but also because they fill you up for longer with the high levels of dietary fiber and secondary plant substances.

These are the vegetable protein bombs

But these are not the only advantages of plant-based protein sources. If you use protein sources from plants, you almost automatically avoid factory farming and the associated problems such as animal suffering or exposure to antibiotics. Another advantage of vegetable protein sources is the ecological footprint: the eco-balance of vegetable protein suppliers is generally better than that of animal protein sources. We have compiled a list of the top protein suppliers among plants for you.

Spirulina

Spirulina doesn’t tell you anything? No wonder, the superfood is only slowly making its way into the supermarkets. Spirulina is an alga found mainly in Mexican and partly African lakes. There, the algae have long been valued by primitive peoples for their anti-inflammatory and detoxifying effects. But that’s not all: 100 grams of spirulina contain a whopping 57 grams of protein.

Spirulina, which is considered a superfood, is now being cultivated or bred in a targeted manner. Although the alga is not a food in the narrower sense, but rather a dietary supplement, it is still the protein bomb par excellence. For comparison: Spirulina contains more than twice as much protein as beef.

The green-blue alga has a slightly fishy taste. If you like that, you can, for example, prepare a smoothie with a spoonful of spirulina powder and thus add almost eight grams of protein. Important: When buying spirulina products, you should always make sure that they are sustainably produced and certified.

wheat germ

Wheat germ is also a rather less well-known food in this country. Perhaps you know them from yoghurt or smoothies, for example. Wheat germ is actually – just like wheat bran – a “waste product” in flour production, even though it is very healthy. The oily wheat germ is located at the top of the wheat grain and accounts for only about three percent of the total weight. In addition to many B vitamins, vitamin E and other nutritional values, 100 grams of wheat germ also contain 32 grams of protein.

Overall, wheat germ contains 70 important nutrients, lots of fiber and also a lot of folic acid, which makes them particularly interesting for pregnant women. With their antioxidants, wheat germ also ensures beautiful and healthy skin and a healthy cardiovascular system. Wheat germ* is ideal as an addition to yoghurt, in a smoothie, in a salad or as wheat germ oil*. Wheat germ is high in calories, so two to three tablespoons a day is enough.

Important: Wheat germ is very sensitive to heat, so it should not be heated, boiled or baked, otherwise it will lose valuable nutrients.

hemp seeds

eat hemp seeds? Yes indeed. Competitive athletes have long discovered hemp protein for themselves. The seeds of industrial hemp – so everything is legal, no problem at all – contain many amino acids that the body cannot produce itself, but are very important for muscle building. In addition to this and the reported potency and fertility-enhancing effect, 100 grams of hemp seeds* contain 24 grams of protein, which is exactly as much as beef.

lenses

Lentils, a rather inconspicuous food that has it all. In addition to the many uses of legumes, lentils are also very healthy. Lentils, which, like all legumes, contain a lot of fiber and thus keep you full for a long time, also have a high zinc content, which stimulates the metabolism. In addition, 100 grams of lentils have 23 grams of protein – almost as much as beef – which also has a high biological value, i.e. can be easily absorbed by the body. Lentils are rightly the miracle cure for vegetarians and vegans.

pumpkin seeds

Nuts, kernels and seeds are healthy snacks for in between. They all have one thing in common: they all contain a lot of fat. For example, 100 grams of walnuts contain 65 grams of fat. Pumpkin seeds come off relatively well with their 19 grams of fat. In addition, the tasty seeds also contain all the essential amino acids and 19 grams of protein per 100 grams. The high lysine content also speaks in favor of the pumpkin seeds: lysine is an amino acid that ensures healthy bones and strong connective tissue. Chew on a handful of pumpkin seeds* regularly – your health will thank you.

quinoa

Quinoa: The South American plant is one of the pseudocereals and is one of the healthiest protein sources of all: It contains all the essential amino acids, with the high tryptophan content being particularly noteworthy. Tryptophan is an amino acid that stimulates the production of the happiness messenger serotonin and thus makes eating happy. In addition, quinoa is gluten-free and therefore also edible for people suffering from celiac disease. 100 grams of quinoa contain 13 grams of protein – significantly more than other grains.

Other plant-based protein sources

But that’s not the end of the list of plant-based protein sources. Other high-protein plants are (per 100 grams):
Soy flour – 40 grams of protein
Soybeans – 34 grams of protein
Peanuts – 25 grams of protein
Pine nuts – 24 grams of protein
Pistachios – 23 grams of protein
Peanut Butter – 22 grams of protein
Kidney beans – 22 grams of protein
Chia seeds – 21 grams of protein
Almonds – 20 grams of protein
Oats – 13 grams of protein

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Strengthening The Immune System: Five Good Reasons to Eat More Berries

Strengthen the immune system, eat lean and then they are also good for the heart and the intestines: berries are real power fruits and absolutely essential for a healthy diet.

Blueberries and currants: That’s why they’re so healthy

The little fruits are real superfoods that you should not do without.
We introduce you to the five great benefits of berries.

1. Berries are good for the immune system

If you want to strengthen your immune system, you should definitely rely on berries*! Because the sweet fruits are rich in valuable antioxidants that protect against many viruses, bacteria and free radicals. In this way, they ensure that the immune system is strengthened. Blueberries are of particular note: according to a study by the American Society for Nutrition, 100 grams of blueberries provide five times more antioxidants than the same amount of raspberries – up to 490 micrograms.

Dark blueberries can also do a lot for beauty, because they contain large amounts of vitamin C and vitamin E. Vitamin C* is known, among other things, for driving collagen production, which is responsible for the skin being significantly plumped up becomes. It is most contained in blackcurrants – these contain a whopping 170 micrograms of vitamin C per 100 grams of berries. Vitamin E* is responsible, among other things, for scavenging free radicals. These free radicals are harmful and are caused by smoking, UV radiation or stress, among other things. Other substances in berries that strengthen the immune system are flavonoids, which also inhibit viruses and bacteria. They also support weight loss during a diet*.

2. Berries protect the intestines

Berries* not only strengthen the immune system due to the antioxidants they contain, they are also extremely beneficial for a healthy intestinal flora. A healthy intestinal flora* is always crucial for an intact immune system. If the intestinal flora is attacked, one falls ill more often with influenza infections, for example. Even those who suffer from diarrhea or irritable bowel syndrome can cure themselves with the help of blueberries, as a study by the University of Lund revealed. The tannins and color pigments contained in the blueberries react with proteins in the mucous membranes and insoluble compounds are formed. This forms a kind of protective layer that has an anti-inflammatory and germ-killing effect.

As further studies show, the consumption of wild blueberry juice has a positive effect on bifidobacteria, which have a protective effect on the intestinal flora. These bifidobacteria keep harmful intestinal bacteria, as well as pathogens, away.

3. Berries lower blood sugar levels

Many diabetics ask themselves which fruit they are actually allowed to eat and what they should better avoid in order not to drive up the blood sugar level. In contrast to high-sugar fruits such as bananas, pineapples or grapes, berries* are very suitable. This is because berries have a comparatively very low glycemic index, meaning they have little effect on blood sugar levels.

Once again, the blueberry should be mentioned in the first place: the dark berry is even said to have an antidiabetic effect, i.e. it lowers blood sugar. It is responsible for lowering the general blood sugar level and for getting more sugar into the cells.

4. Berries are good for the heart

In addition to all these positive properties, berries* also increase heart health. In a diabetes study by the American Society for Nutrition, researchers found that blueberries reduced LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and adiponectin. At the same time, they increased HDL cholesterol, which is considered beneficial to health. In conclusion, daily consumption of blueberries is believed to be beneficial for heart health. You can thus prevent heart disease and lower cholesterol levels that are too high.

Another study shows that vascular functions can be improved by eating berries – in this case, primarily by eating raspberries and blueberries. This makes it easier for the heart to pump blood around the body, which can help prevent heart attacks.

5. Berries are great for dieting

Berries* are also ideal as part of a diet*. For example, you can prepare the berries as a smoothie* or smoothie bowl or mix them in muesli*. The delicious little fruits create a feeling of satiety relatively quickly and they also accelerate the metabolism, which makes the pounds tumble.

Since obesity is often a trigger for various diseases – for example heart disease or diabetes – it is advisable to eat healthily. Berries are perfect for this. The anthocyanins contained in the berries are also very important as they inhibit free radicals. After all, anyone who trains a lot – meaning their body is temporarily under heavy strain – should take care to avoid oxidative stress in the body, which in turn can lead to illness.

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