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Meals on Wheels: Too Much Salt, Not Enough Vitamins

If you don’t want to or can’t cook anymore, you can often have your warm meal delivered to your home. Older people in particular regularly order Meals on Wheels. But that is anything but healthy, as the samples examined now show.

Meals on wheels put to the test

The quality standards for the meals from Meals on Wheels are high: After all, the eaters should receive all the important nutrients – with good taste and delivered warm. But how much “good” is actually in the delivered meals?

The NDR magazine “Markt” took samples of the five most expensive dishes from well-known suppliers and had them examined in the laboratory. Measured against the quality standards for meals on wheels designed by the German Society for Nutrition (DGE), all samples were conspicuous, according to the report.

These Meals-on-Wheels meals were studied:

  • Cod fillet with potatoes and vegetables from the Johanniter for 8.39 euros
  • Roast leg of lamb with beans and rosemary potatoes from the country kitchen for 8.99 euros
  • Matjes in sour cream with bacon beans and potatoes from Hamburg kitchen for 8.90 euros
  • Green cabbage platter with sausage, smoked pork, fried potatoes, and onions from Hanse Menüdienst for 9.40 euros
  • Rostbratwurst with red cabbage and mashed potatoes from Meyer Menu for 6.90 euros

Too much salt

The results of the samples show that the salt content of four of the five samples tested was too high: the front runner with 8.7 grams of salt was the matjes with bacon beans and potatoes – although it must also be said here that this result is not surprising given a salty fish. Nevertheless, only six grams of salt per day are usually recommended – and not per meal.

Too few vitamins

According to the laboratory report, vitamin C was no longer detectable in any of the samples examined. If you order meals on wheels, you should realize that the meals are kept warm for a long time – sometimes even for many hours – and that many vitamins are reduced or even completely dissolved, as the nutritionist Matthias Riedl explains in an interview with “Markt”.

Low in minerals

Calcium and magnesium are important for healthy bones, among other things, but the levels in two of the samples tested were too low. The calcium content of the cod dish (87 milligrams) was around a third lower than the DGE quality standards for meals on wheels recommend (333 milligrams).

These standards also provide for a magnesium content of 117 milligrams for a menu. According to laboratory analysis, however, the grilled sausage with mashed potatoes only contained 56 milligrams of magnesium.

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Lifestyle

Water: How Much Do I Actually Use?

Water is precious, so we should use it carefully. Here are some tips for your own water management.

Kitchen, bathroom and garden: Where is the most water used?

For many, the daily shower is part of the fixed ritual at the start of the day. Accordingly, it is not surprising that 36 percent of water consumption is used for body care. The second largest item is toilet flushing with a full 27 percent. This means that almost two thirds of the water in households is used in the bathroom. That makes this room the number one water guzzler in the home. The proportion for eating, drinking and washing dishes is comparatively low at ten percent. The rest is needed for cleaning purposes and in small businesses.

You can count on these average water costs

The cost of drinking water is based on the amount consumed and a fixed fee. Added to this is the fee for the waste water, which makes up a significant part of the water price. The costs for one cubic meter of cold water are therefore around 2 euros, including the waste water fee 4.40 euros.

Tips for saving water in everyday life

Saving water is worthwhile financially and to protect our environment. Here are some tips on where and how you can reduce your water consumption:

In the bathroom: take a shower instead of a bath, turn off the tap when brushing your teeth, buy a water-saving shower head, press the stop button in the “little shop” on the toilet.

In the kitchen: always fully load the dishwasher and run it on the eco program, wash the salad in a bowl instead of under running water.

In the garden: collect water for watering in a rain barrel, water the garden (or balcony plants) in the evening to avoid evaporation.

By the way: Even if saving water is generally a good idea, it shouldn’t be overdone either. Because sometimes it can also lead to problems if not enough water flows through the pipes.

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Lifestyle

Pets and The Climate: Cats and Dogs Cause so Much CO2 – and What That Means For You

The negative ecological balance of air and car travel as well as meat consumption is well known. But dogs and cats also have a significant impact on the carbon footprint of their owners.

What does carbon footprint mean?

Global warming should be limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius
Binding target values ​​for the emission of greenhouse gases, which are primarily responsible for global warming, were laid down for the first time in the Kyoto Protocol on December 11, 1997. In addition to CO2, other greenhouse gases are listed here, such as methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), hydrofluorocarbons (HFC), perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and nitrogen trifluoride (NF3). Since the Kyoto Protocol expired in 2020, a new climate protection agreement was introduced in order to be able to continue pursuing the international climate protection process after 2020. In 2015, at the 21st UN Climate Change Conference in Paris, 196 countries agreed to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius — if possible below 1.5 degrees Celsius. In November 2002 the Glasgow Climate Conference (COP 26) took place and ended with the Glasgow Climate Pact. Here the 1.5 °C target was again emphasized and for the first time reference was made to phasing out unrestricted coal-fired power generation and to the abolition of inefficient subsidies for fossil fuels.

What is the carbon footprint?

The carbon footprint indicates the amount of greenhouse gases released by a specific activity, process or action. This means that every product also has a CO2 footprint, which is made up of the sum of emissions that come together through manufacture, use, recycling and disposal. But the CO2 emissions can also be determined for activities such as air travel, car trips, hotel accommodation or events. The carbon footprint accounts for about 60% of the ecological footprint. This indicates how sustainably a person, a company or a country deals with global resources. According to Welthungerhilfe, the world’s population would need 1.7 earths to cover the need for resources. Earth Overshoot Day, the annual deadline when all ecological resources of a year are used up, was already reached on July 27th in 2021.

Calculate your own carbon footprint
The World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF) provides a carbon footprint calculator on its website that you can use to calculate your personal carbon footprint. The Federal Environment Agency also offers a CO2 quick check, which also takes pet ownership into account, among other things. Questions about the following areas of life are asked here:
Your shopping behavior for fruits, vegetables, dairy products, eggs, meat and fish
The proportion of organic or fair trade products you consume
How often you throw away food
How many car trips, plane trips and cruises you take and how often you use public transport.
What type of heating and water heating you use in your house or apartment
The standard and size of your house or apartment
How many people live in the household
Which energy efficiency class your household appliances have and how many small appliances you own
The type and frequency of laundry washing and drying
The money spent on clothes and shoes, leisure, consumer electronics, furniture, restaurant visits, overnight stays away from home, consumer goods and pets.

Why do pets also have a carbon footprint?

So far, there are only a few studies that look at the environmental impact of a dog or cat’s life. In 2020, the Technical University (TU) Berlin examined the entire life cycle of a dog in this regard and identified food, urine and faeces in particular as the main influencing factors. The environmental impact increases with the size, weight and lifespan of the dog. Animal and plant life are negatively affected by urine and the feces of the fur friends can make the trees more susceptible to diseases. For a dog weighing 15 kilograms that lives for 13 years, an average of 1000 kg of faeces and almost 200 liters of urine could be determined. With regard to dog food, the greatest burden was caused by the high proportion of beef and poultry and the packaging materials.

Are there too many dogs and cats?

Many pet owners may wonder why their beloved four-legged friend causes so much CO2. It is not only the CO2 emissions of a single animal that is decisive, but the large number of pets. According to the Federal Environment Agency, the number of dogs in Germany has more than doubled within 20 years. In addition, the Industry Association for Pet Supplies (IVH e.V.) states that 15.7 million cats and 10.7 million dogs lived in Germany in 2020, the number of which has most likely increased further in the course of the pandemic. 47% of all households had at least one pet. Justifications that dogs ensure more exercise for their owners and can encourage children to take more responsibility should not be included in the considerations.

The feed has the most harmful effect on the climate

Dog and cat food is largely based on meat and meat by-products. According to a report by Galileo TV, which documents a long-term experiment with vegan dog food in cooperation with the University of Veterinary Medicine Hanover, meat-based dog food accounts for 90% of a dog’s carbon footprint. Around 1 million tons of meat are consumed annually for the 26 million dogs and cats in Germany. It would theoretically be possible to feed dogs on a purely plant-based basis, as Volker Wilke from the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover explains in the article. This would reduce CO2 emissions for wet food by 35% and for dry food by as much as 70%. So far, no adverse effects have been observed with feed made from peas, lentils, sweet potatoes or soya supplemented with vitamins and amino acids. However, the changeover should be carried out under expert supervision so that the dogs do not suffer any organ damage or muscle atrophy. However, the origin of the vegan feed is also important. Because if the feed is made with soy from Brazil or other countries of origin, it can be much more harmful to the climate than dry feed made in this country.

What is the life cycle assessment of dogs, cats and horses?

With the provocative book title “Time to eat the dog?” (Is It Time to Eat the Dog?), two New Zealand authors caught the attention of many pet owners in 2009. Is the ecological paw print really that bad?

No more than 2 tons of CO2 per year

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), every inhabitant of the earth should not cause more than two tons of CO2 per year, so that the climate would not be further burdened. The amount of two tons of CO2 corresponds to the capacity that the earth could absorb naturally. The actual values ​​significantly exceed these two tons, depending on the country. According to Statista, in 2019 an average of around 30.68 tons of CO2 was produced per capita in Qatar, around 14 tons in the USA and around 7.8 tons in Germany.

What is the carbon footprint of dogs and cats?

Researchers at the Technical University (TU) Berlin have examined the life cycle assessment of dogs. Among other things, the production of feed and the consequential damage to the environment caused by urine and faeces were included. The result shows that the popular pet causes significant amounts of CO2. For example, a dog weighing 30 kilograms produces around 1,050 kilograms of CO2 a year, as reported by the Tagesspiegel. Thus, with just over a tonne of CO2, this dog causes about the same amount as a one-way flight from Berlin to Washington. With an estimated lifespan of 18 years, the dog’s CO2 emissions would increase to 19 tons.

The life cycle assessment for cats was determined in 2019 by the Swiss eco-balance institute ESU-Services. In addition to feed and environmental pollution, domestic conditions such as heat loss when installing a heat flap were also taken into account. According to this, a cat weighing 4.2 kilograms produces about the same amount of CO2 per year as a 1,165-kilometer car journey, which roughly corresponds to the distance from Berlin to Venice.

Horses are climate sinners too

A study examined all important effects on the life cycle assessment of pets. This included, for example, feeding, housing, faeces, trips by car to the veterinarian or even going for a walk, as well as all necessary purchases for the pets. The authors compared the results with the environmental impact of a car trip. The results showed that horses had the worst environmental record. According to the calculations, the annual cost of keeping a horse corresponded to an annual car mileage of 3700 km. Overall, the scientists came to the conclusion that the larger the pet, the greater the environmental impact.

This is how you can optimize your pet’s carbon footprint

Remove legacies left by four-legged friends

Dogs defecate and urinate when they go for a walk. A researcher determined in 2017 that the dogs and cats kept in the USA alone produce a good five million feces a year. It is not possible to get rid of the urine, but you should collect the dog poop in a waste bag and dispose of it. Thus, the environment is less polluted, because the amounts of phosphorus, nitrogen and heavy metals contained in the feces contribute to freshwater eutrophication and freshwater poisoning. In addition, disposal companies have to collect less manure, which also saves CO2. Also against the background that the production of the manure collection bags is less harmful to the environment than the entry of manure into nature. At the same time, walkers are happy when they are spared stepping into a dog pile.

Adjust the amount of feed as needed

Since many pets are overweight, CO2 can certainly also be saved with regard to the amount of feed. Keep your pet at a healthy weight and avoid overfeeding. As a dog owner, you should also consider that the production of dog food also requires factory farming, because dog food rarely comes from organic farms.

Reconsider BARF feeding

Biologically appropriate raw feeding, or BARF for short, contains 75% high-quality raw meat and is therefore a much more climate-damaging form of feeding than ordinary wet food. This doubles the CO2 footprint. The BARF feeding is considered to be particularly adapted to the needs of the dog as a descendant of the wolf. In the meantime, however, the opinion is becoming more and more widespread that dogs have adapted their digestive system to carbohydrate-rich food in the course of their development and that such a high protein intake is therefore no longer absolutely necessary.

A simple calculation illustrates the dimensions: A meat ration of around 300 – 500 grams per day is recommended for a medium-sized dog weighing 30 kg. This adds up to 150 – 185 kilograms per year over the year – per dog. And this does not include meat consumption for cats.

Insect-based dog food as an alternative

The latest trends include food cans that contain insects as a protein source. Insect food producer Tenetrio reports that insect protein-based dog food contains all the amino acids that dogs need. In addition, dogs are very good at splitting and utilizing the insect protein. A study that examined compound feed containing larvae of the black soldier fly came to the conclusion that the feed was very well tolerated by the dogs even if they suddenly switched. However, the price here is still far higher than for dog food containing meat, which is due to the high production costs.

Vegan dog food possible, but expensive

Feeding a dog meat-free sounds strange at first. It is also not in line with a dog’s natural diet and requires some additives to keep the dog from becoming ill. In fact, it is possible to provide the dog with all the nutrients, even if no animal protein is included. Vegan dog food consists of vegetable protein in the form of legumes such as lentils or lupins, supplemented with vegetables, millet, taurine, L-carnitine, iron, minerals, vitamins or algae. The disadvantage, however, is that the price is currently three times higher than that of conventional dog food. In addition, the current study situation does not yet allow an unrestricted recommendation for special phases of the dog’s life, such as growth or age.

Cats are more difficult to change their food

So far, there are hardly any studies that have examined the effects of vegan diets in cats. The option remains to choose a feed that contains more animal by-products or to offer more dry feed.

Conclusion: Every hobby entails a certain amount of CO2 emissions. Whether it’s a pet or the sports car in front of the front door. Here you have to decide for yourself where you see savings potential. Several pets, a lot of air travel, high meat consumption and cars with high fuel consumption are perhaps too much of a good thing. If you keep a dog as a pet, you can reduce your dog’s CO2 footprint by consistently collecting the droppings in poop bags and by changing the diet.

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Food

Unnecessary Food Waste: That’s How Much Food Ends Up in The Trash Every Year

Food waste is a global problem. Far too often food ends up in the trash. A study shows that people who buy healthy food often throw away more. This wastes a lot of resources – and harms the environment.

Study shows: Fruit and vegetables in particular end up in the trash

The study examined the relationship between diet quality, consumer food waste and various sustainability measures. A look at the results shows that between 2007 and 2014 an average of 422 grams of food per person was thrown away every day.

Important resources are used to grow fruit and vegetables: in particular, irrigation water and pesticides are required more than for other foods. These resources are also wasted by throwing away fruit and vegetables – important resources that could have been used to grow other foods.

Wasted resources – simple household countermeasures

Accordingly, consumers who strive for high-quality nutrition are faced with the challenge of buying the right amount. Increased consumption of fruits and vegetables means buying more – which in turn increases the risk that some of it will go uneaten and end up in the trash instead. According to the researchers from the USA, this could be particularly difficult for consumers with little time and money and for families with children.

However, there are some approaches to counteract this. For example, you can enter exactly when which meal is prepared on a plan. This way you can plan better. In addition, consumers can find out how to store fruit and vegetables correctly so that the food does not become inedible. Another option is to freeze the food in between.

Impact: Waste also harms the environment

The “Federal Environment Agency” also warns against the careless disposal of food in the garbage: The authority emphasizes above all the drastic consequences this has for the environment: “More than 38 million tons of greenhouse gases are produced every year, a good 43,000 square kilometers of agricultural land are used, as well as 216 million cubic meters of water are consumed”, reports the “Federal Environment Agency”.

Conclusion: A healthier diet often goes hand in hand with increased food waste. Fruit and vegetables in particular often end up in the garbage. This not only wastes resources, but also harms the environment. However, with a few simple tips and a greater appreciation for food, this can be countered a little in the household.

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Food

How Healthy is Fruit – and Can Too Much Even be Harmful?

Fruit is healthy. But: is too much fruit unhealthy? Experts are now showing when fruit can promote diseases such as diabetes, heart attacks or strokes.

Too much fruit: when does consumption become unhealthy?

According to the fructose even increases the likelihood of developing diabetes, heart attack and stroke. This also promotes obesity and cholesterol levels. But unlike glucose, fructose does not increase blood sugar levels.

This is finally broken down directly in the liver. However, a precursor of molecules is formed here that serves to store fat, as Dr. Philipp Gerber reports. Fat pads are no longer essential for survival these days and are therefore superfluous. They are considered unsightly, annoying and harmful to health.

Fructose has no direct benefit for the organism and, in large quantities, could stimulate substances such as uric acid, which can increase blood pressure and cause mild inflammation in the vascular system. This increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Fruit does not provide any proteins, fats or B vitamins

According to the nutrition expert Birthe Wulf, the fear that the high sugar content of fruit can have a negative effect on body weight is rather inappropriate towards Edeka. In general, the more calories we consume, the more we should consume.

Among these 5 foods there is even a fruit that is said to promote weight loss. Anyone who thinks that they can only eat fruit is also wrong, because this would lead to an undersupply of vital nutrients such as fat, proteins and B vitamins. Bananas, pears and the like do not contain enough of these or none at all, but our body urgently needs them for metabolism.

In the right amount, fruit is completely harmless and really keeps us fit. Experts usually recommend the “five times a day rule”. This states that a daily consumption of three servings of vegetables in relation to two servings of fruit represents an ideal nutrient supplement.

Fructose can be dangerous: Negative effects from sweetened drinks

The levels at which fructose becomes problematic come primarily from sweetened beverages like soda, but also honey and orange juice. Consuming these sweet products over a longer period of time can have negative effects. However, there are also some types of fruit, some of which should better keep your hands off.

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health

Damaged Kidneys From Too Much Phosphate: You Should Avoid These Foods

Phosphates are all-rounders in the food industry and are contained in numerous foods. However, a high-phosphate diet carries health risks. You can read here which foods you should therefore remove from your diet.

Natural phosphates: essential substances for the body

Phosphates occur naturally in almost all foods and, according to the Apothekenumschau, are neither harmful nor toxic. Quite the opposite: They are energy carriers, an important part of cell membranes and are mostly located in the bones. In its natural form, the substance is strongly bound to animal or vegetable proteins.

Natural phosphate is found, for example, in wholemeal bread, egg yolk, meat and nuts. Without the mineral, our muscles would perish. The body absorbs only 50 percent of phosphates from plant foods and 70 percent from animal proteins.

It becomes problematic with artificial phosphates. These are mostly freely soluble and are usually completely absorbed. With processed convenience foods, the body is significantly damaged.

These foods can be replaced with lower phosphate products

Basically, experts advise healthy people, as well as people with kidney disease, to buy fresh food instead of ready meals. Flavor enhancers, cheese, sausage products and baking powder should therefore be avoided as much as possible.

Many phosphate-rich foods can easily be replaced with lower-phosphate products:
Use Brie or cream cheese instead of Emmental slices
Dilute cream with water instead of milk
White bread instead of whole grain bread
Lemonade and wine instead of beer and coke
Pretzel sticks instead of peanuts
Cornflakes instead of muesli
The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment criticizes the fact that there are no limit values ​​for phosphates in food supplements. Manufacturers add minerals in the form of phosphorus salts such as calcium and potassium phosphate to the preparations because the body cannot absorb pure calcium and potassium at all.

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Food

Water: Can Drinking Too Much be Dangerous

Water supplies the body with vital minerals. But how many liters you need every day to stay healthy depends on various factors. Drinking too much water can even be dangerous for digestion and blood values.

Water Intoxication: Can You Drink Too Much Water?

If you take in more fluid than your body eliminates, the fluid stays in circulation and dilutes the blood. This has a negative effect on your body. Muscle weakness, disorientation or epileptic seizures can then follow. In very rare cases, it can also be fatal if water intoxication (hyponatraemia) occurs.

Symptoms of water intoxication:
drowsiness
nausea
headache
seizures
However, the risk of not drinking enough is much higher because it is often simply forgotten. Become aware of how important it is for you and your health to drink enough water.

Health benefits of drinking water

Drinking water has many health benefits:
high concentration/performance
improves the complexion
serves as a lubricant for the joints
helps against headaches and menstrual pain
promotes health and digestion
helps the body regulate temperature
Many underestimate the positive effects of water and resort to unhealthy sweet drinks as an alternative to quench their thirst. They taste delicious, but our health does not benefit from them. The water, like the blood, serves to transport oxygen and nutrients to the organs and their cells and to remove “waste”. So water cleans the body from the inside.

It is best to buy a reusable drinking bottle* that you can refill as you wish. Or you set a limit in the morning for how much you want to have drunk by the evening and adjust the amount to your individual constitution.

Losing weight with water: is that possible?

You can lose weight by drinking water. Water increases the number of calories you burn even when you are resting. Drinking before and during meals is also said to help with weight loss as it fills the stomach and thus reduces appetite. However, too much liquid during food intake quenches the “digestive fire”, which in turn is less beneficial because the liquid prolongs digestion time.

Because hunger and thirst are closely related in the brain, it can make you feel hungry even though your body needs fluids. The advice here is to drink a glass of water first and wait to see if the feeling of hunger persists.

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Food

Oregano: Much More Than a Pizza Spice – What The Medicinal Plant Can do

In most households, oregano is probably better known as a spice than as a medicinal plant. However, the healing effect should not be underestimated. The ancient Greeks already knew how to use oregano for healing.

Particularly important: the essential oils of oregano

While only the leaves of the plant can be used for the spice, regardless of the growing season, the whole plant is used for medicinal purposes and reaches its best harvest time at flowering time. The tannins and bitter substances of the plant, as well as their essential oils, are particularly relevant for the healing effect. The latter include thymol, carvacrol, cymene and borneol.

Oregano mainly helps against digestive problems (in the stomach, intestines, liver or bile) and respiratory diseases and has a general anti-inflammatory effect in the throat and mouth. In addition, oregano oil is considered to be the most powerful natural antibiotic. The gesundheit.de platform recommends oregano tea (a teaspoon of oregano in a quarter liter of water) for various purposes:
Sweetened several times a day against coughs
Against indigestion, unsweetened after steeping for ten minutes
Against inflammation in the mouth and throat: gargle with tea

Oregano: Let it cook for a long time

Oregano is still very popular for cooking and is used as a spice in Mediterranean cuisine. It is important to note that the spice develops its flavor best after long cooking.

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Food

Healthy Fruit? How Much Fructose Should You Consume Each Day?

Fructose: friend or foe? The natural sweetener has long been considered particularly healthy. But where is fructose really in and what makes it so harmful?

What is fructose and what is it?

Some drinks, for example, contain up to 40 grams of fructose per liter. Even a low-sugar yogurt can contain 15 grams of fructose. These are foods that contain a lot of fructose:
Fruit: apples, pears, mangoes, grapes, all dried fruits, cherries, canned fruits, fruit compotes
Beverages: fruit juices, lemonades, instant ice tea, other soft drinks
Confectionery/sweeteners: honey, pear syrup, applesauce, agave syrup, jam, jelly, ice cream, table sugar
Other: muesli, muesli/energy bars, fruit yoghurt

How much fructose is healthy?

Fructose itself has a positive image. But our digestion is not made for processing too much fructose. About every third person cannot tolerate more than 25 grams of fructose per day or suffers from fructose intolerance with stomach and intestinal problems. If you don’t tolerate fructose well, you shouldn’t do without fruit completely. There are many health-promoting ingredients in fruits

Five times a day vegetables and fruit are healthy, a portion of them in the form of juice. A study from 2020 showed that increased fruit consumption in particular promotes the diversity of the intestinal flora. So fruits do not harm the intestines despite the fructose content. Further intake of added fructose should be limited as much as possible. An intake of more than 35 grams per meal is considered questionable.

When shopping, generally pay attention to whether fructose, fructose or fructose-glucose syrup is on the list of ingredients. Fruit juices should only be drunk in moderation, a maximum of one glass per day

Symptoms of fructose overconsumption

Symptoms of fructose intolerance or excessive consumption of fructose include diarrhoea, insomnia, flatulence, constipation, abdominal pain, nausea, headache, tiredness or even dizziness and mood swings.

What many health-conscious people often do not know: Excessive consumption of fructose can damage the intestinal flora, which causes stomach pain and diarrhea. Especially with foods that are sweetened with industrially produced fructose, the intestinal flora changes in a negative way and loses its healthy balance. In addition, high amounts of fructose can increase uric acid levels, which in turn can lead to gout if crystallization occurs in the joints

As early as 2011, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) pointed out other possible metabolic disorders, which can promote lipid metabolism disorders, insulin resistance (diabetes type II) and obesity if too much fructose is consumed. Excessive intake of fructose can also lead to fatty liver

Does fructose make foods healthier?

Fructose is the natural sweetener in food. Of course, the food manufacturers benefit from this, because fructose or fructose syrup is also often used in food production instead of granulated sugar.

Fructose is much cheaper to produce and has a ten to twenty percent higher sweetening power than conventional sugar. Fructose also masks the unpleasant taste of sweeteners and enhances the fruity aroma in foods. Descriptions on the packaging such as “less sweet”, “less sugar” or “fruity sweetness” often indicate a high fructose content.

So that your health does not have to suffer, you should take a few measures:
Reduce your household sugar
Eliminate finished products with fructose from your diet
Drink fruit juice sparingly
Honey only in small amounts
Dried fruits only in small quantities
Get inspired by sugar-free recipes

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health

Bloating, Constant Thirst, Trouble Sleeping: This is What Happens When You Eat Too Much Salt

Salt is a natural flavor enhancer and therefore indispensable in the kitchen. Unfortunately, most people eat too much of it. Too much salt can cause unpleasant symptoms that can lead to illness.

These symptoms appear when you eat too much or too little salt

Salt pulls water out of the cells to compensate for the increased salt concentration in the body, which manifests itself as thirst. The excess salt is excreted through the kidneys. In the long run, too much salt consumption can damage the kidneys. If you also drink too little, it can lead to vasoconstriction, which leads to high blood pressure. Vomiting and diarrhea are also typical symptoms, and in severe cases, the lack of water can even lead to cardiac and respiratory disorders. Physical signs of excessive salt consumption include:
Constant thirst (balance the water-salt balance by drinking)
Puffy face (salt binds water in the body, which accumulates in the cells)
weight gain (water retention)
Food tastes bland (taste buds become deadened, reduce salt intake to rejuvenate taste buds on the tongue)
Constant headaches (salt causes vasodilatation in the brain)
Kidney stones (increased salt concentration in the urine, crystals form)
High blood pressure (vasoconstriction makes the heart pump faster)
Weak immune system (low-salt diet boosts immune cells)
sleep disturbances (rise in blood pressure due to high sodium content)
Bloating (excess salt upsets fluid balance)
Too little salt in the body is of course just as unhealthy as too much salt. You can recognize sodium deficiency from symptoms that are very similar to those of excess salt: feeling unwell, headaches and muscle pain, vomiting, drowsiness, dizziness, cramps, loss of consciousness or intracranial pressure indicate a physical salt deficiency. This can be caused by frequent heavy sweating through sport or a visit to the sauna.

There is too much salt in these foods

Over 80 percent of daily salt consumption is in hidden form. Typical salt traps are ready meals such as fast food or pizza, which are not only unhealthy but also addictive. If we salt ourselves, we have a better overview of the quantity. But there are also unusual salt bombs in the daily diet. A lot of salt is hidden in these foods:
Finished products: pizza, canned meals, frozen meals, packet sauces
Sausage and meat: salami, cooked ham, meat sausage, beer ham, salmon ham
Packaged rolls and bread
Cheese: Gorgonzole, Feta, Gouda
Snacks: crackers, pretzel sticks, chips
So if you like to eat ready meals or hidden salt bombs frequently, you should take a look at the sodium content (salt content) the next time you go shopping and, for the sake of your health, opt for a lower-salt alternative.

Reduce salt consumption: low-salt alternatives

Of course, the optimal solution would be to cook for yourself several times a week in order to keep track of salt consumption. However, since many people do not want to do without certain finished products due to lack of time or lack of motivation, some lower-salt alternatives are very helpful in order not to exceed the daily dose of salt of around one teaspoon. There are these full-fledged alternatives to salt:

Finished products: Tarte flambée, tortellini, spaghetti with tomato sauce
Sausage and meat: cooked ham, turkey salami, mortadella, liver sausage or turkey breast
Cheese: cream cheese, Emmental, Camembert, mozzarella
Snacks: cheese pastries, puff pastry
Garlic has an antibacterial effect and strengthens blood circulation and the heart
Algae are the perfect source of iodine and taste salty
Celery naturally tastes salty
Soy sauce as a condiment
Yeast flakes have a cheesy note
Herbs or spice mixtures for a wide variety of dishes, completely without salt
A salt-free diet not only helps to prevent water retention in the body and thus relieves the heart, but also protects the taste buds. As a result, even a little seasoned food tastes delicious again. High blood pressure can also be reduced, and the risk of suffering a heart attack is also reduced by eating a low-salt diet.

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