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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.

The days are getting shorter and colder. Many dishes and teas contribute to the body developing heat. Spices in particular provide inner warmth. This is not new, most spices that have this effect have been used in pastries or drinks around Christmas time for ages. Therefore, use the following spices in winter and stay healthy.

Clever spices in the cold winter

And with good reason, at that time it was always particularly cold and the warming effect of various spices was recognized very early on. These spices are usually hot and trigger a pain stimulus in the body. The body reacts to this stimulus with heat. The warming spices can be used in many dishes, not just at Christmas.

1) Cloves

With the cloves are the flower buds of the clove tree. They have a peppery, hot taste. Cooked in tea, they develop a strong heat. They go very well with sauerkraut, red cabbage, or an apple compote. Sauces, vegetables, and meat dishes are refined with cloves. In addition to the warming effect, they activate the body’s own defenses. By the way, if you want to test the quality of the cloves, put them in a glass of water. If the carnations float upright in the water, they are of good quality and have a correspondingly good effect.

2) Chili

Chili is a nightshade plant-like pepper. The chili is the hot little pods, while the peppers or hot peppers are larger and less hot. Capsaicin is responsible for the sharpness and addresses the pain receptors of the mucous membranes. In addition to the warming properties, chili releases endorphins, which ensure that a pleasant feeling of happiness spreads. In addition, chili has an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and pain-relieving effect. A pinch of chili refines almost every dish and gives it a pleasantly spicy taste. Chili with chocolate is a very special taste experience, exotic but excellent.

3) saffron

Saffron is the most precious and expensive spice in the world. About eight hundred flowers are needed to obtain five grams of saffron. Saffron is the dried stigma of the saffron flower. Saffron is responsible for the yellow color of the dishes in which it is used. The taste is bitter-aromatic. Saffron should be dosed carefully. Saffron is probably known to everyone in paella, but it also goes well with rice dishes, fish, meat, and pasta.

4) cinnamon

Cinnamon is obtained from the bark of the cinnamon tree. Cinnamon is indispensable in Christmas baking and mulled wine. Cinnamon has a delicate, sweet taste. Cinnamon is used in baked goods but also refines roast lamb, and Indian curry and is excellent to enjoy in tea. Cinnamon develops the warming property in every variant.

5) Nutmeg

Nutmeg also has warming properties on cold days. The spice has a bitter, fine-spicy taste. A touch of nutmeg refines potato dishes, white sauces, cream soups, chicken fricassee, and scrambled eggs. Many types of vegetables can be refined with a pinch of nutmegs, such as cauliflower, red cabbage, peas, kohlrabi, and carrots.

6) pepper

Another classic warming spice is pepper. There are black, green, red, and white peppers and cayenne pepper. Pepper is available in mild and fiery-hot versions, ground or whole grains. It is important to know that pepper is not heat-resistant for long, so it should only be added to the food fresh from the mill just before serving.

7) Curry

Curry is not a spice in its own right, but a mixture of different spices. Among other things, cloves, cinnamon, allspice, turmeric, caraway, mustard seed, and ginger are contained in curry. Some the spice mixture consists of up to 36 different spices. The aroma ranges from mild to spicy to hot. Curry refines almost all dishes, vegetables as well as meat or exotic dishes. The hotter the curry, the more warming it is on cold days.

8) Ginger

Ginger is a root that is used as a spice. Essential oils, resin acids, resin, and gingerol make the ginger spice so healthy. It contains lots of minerals and is rich in vitamin C. Ginger also has a wonderful warming effect. Freshly chopped or grated ginger can be added to any dish. Ginger tea offers a lot of warmth on a cold day. Fresh ginger is grated or sliced ​​and boiled for fifteen minutes. With a little honey, freshly squeezed lemon, or drunk pure, the cold disappears immediately and a pleasant inner warmth spreads.

9) Turmeric

Turmeric, a plant from the ginger family, also provides inner warmth. Turmeric smells similar to ginger, has a very spicy taste, and is slightly bitter. The spice goes well with potato and vegetable dishes, rice, soups, spreads, or pancakes. Turmeric tea also brings inner warmth. For turmeric tea, about a quarter teaspoon of turmeric is poured with hot water, about 200 milliliters. A quarter teaspoon of ginger and a pinch of black pepper complete the taste. The tea can be sweetened with sugar, honey, or stevia.

10) cardamom

Cardamom is a warming spice that has both sweet and pungent flavor components. Cardamom is an integral part of Christmas baking and mulled wine. However, it goes well with both sweet dishes and savory dishes. Lamb, chocolate cream or cake, or cardamom gives almost every dish that certain something.

Growing mushrooms – is that possible? In fact, it is not that difficult to grow your own mushrooms. We will explain to you which varieties and methods are best suited.

Growing mushrooms at home: why it’s a good idea

Mushrooms – which are not plants, by the way – are low in calories, but provide important nutrients. Most mushrooms are a relatively good source of protein and can also contain important ingredients such as the important nerve cell component potassium, B vitamins or iron and phosphorus. Mushrooms, for example, contain 91 percent water, potassium, phosphorus and vitamins B1 and B2.

In contrast to wild-collected mushrooms, you don’t have to worry about the fact that home-grown mushrooms are contaminated with heavy metals or radioactive. If you grow mushrooms yourself, you can harvest all year round.

When it comes to where they grow, mushrooms are undemanding. However, they prefer shady places to sunny ones. Many varieties, such as mushrooms, can even do without light, which is why you can even grow mushrooms in the basement. They don’t like direct sun that much because they dry out too quickly there. Some mushrooms depend on sufficient humidity, more about that in the next sections.

This is what you need to grow mushrooms

You don’t need much to start your mushroom cultivation. Essentially, there are two things: the fungus and a substrate.

You have two options when choosing the mushroom: Either you only buy the mushroom culture, the so-called mushroom mycelium. Or you buy a mushroom culture kit, where everything you need is already prepared. Making a mushroom culture yourself is quite difficult for you as a hobby mushroom grower, so you will probably have to buy it. Ready-made sets also have an advantage: the substrate is usually already penetrated by the fungal tissue, so that the fungus very quickly begins to form its fruiting body, i.e. the part that we eat. That’s why you already have the first harvest successes after three to five weeks.

Choosing the substrate is easier. Ordinary residual products are used here. For example, you can use the following as a substrate for growing mushrooms:
coffee grounds
straw
sawdust
wood (untreated and unvarnished)
tree stumps

Make sure the substrate is as clean as possible. Because mushroom cultivation needs a lot of moisture, which in turn promotes the growth of germs or mold. If in doubt, you can treat your substrate with steam over 60 degrees Celsius. This kills germs and unwanted fungal spores.

You can fill the substrate in a bucket, pot or box, for example. Depending on the location you choose, a mushroom grow bag may also come in handy. It prevents the mushrooms from drying out. Mushroom growing bags are used in particular when your chosen location is very dry. You can buy together with the mushroom cultures.

Grow mushrooms yourself: This is how you start your mushroom cultivation

Once you have the mushroom culture and substrate together, you can get started. With these tips you will succeed in growing mushrooms:

Before you put the mushroom culture in the substrate, water the substrate and then let it drain. It should be damp but not soaking wet.
Also make sure that the humidity in the area is high. 80 to 95 percent relative humidity is ideal. The basement, bathroom or kitchen are probably best suited here. If you don’t have a room with high humidity, you can support the growth of your mushrooms with a mushroom grow bag or indoor greenhouse.
Make sure the temperature is right: Mushrooms like a warm, humid climate, so the temperature should be between ten and 25 degrees Celsius. But it is worth taking a look at the packaging of your mushroom culture. This often indicates a temperature window.
Mix the mushroom culture under the substrate and fill it in a bucket or box. The layer should be a few centimeters thick.
Now it’s time to keep wet and wait. Check daily that your substrate is still damp. It is best to moisten it with a spray bottle. Be careful not to let the water stand in it and always use fresh tap water – otherwise mold can form here too.
If you only work with a mushroom culture, it will take a few weeks for the mycelium, i.e. the subterranean networks of your mushroom, to develop. Only then does the fruiting body form.
When the mushrooms are the size you want, you can harvest them. The best way to do this is to cut them off with a clean knife.
As a rule, a mushroom culture will sprout three to four times after you have harvested it. In between, she always needs a few days off.

Grapefruit is considered healthy because it contains many vitamins, phytochemicals and fiber. However, grapefruit can also be dangerous – especially in combination with certain medications.

Like all citrus fruits, grapefruits are very healthy because of their high vitamin C content. The grapefruit has a lot to offer and also provides many other important nutrients. That is why the fruit is also considered the queen of citrus fruits. However, fresh grapefruit and grapefruit juice can also become a serious health hazard. We explain what makes grapefruit so healthy and what you should definitely pay attention to when eating.

Grapefruit is healthy – thanks to these ingredients

Grapefruit has a particularly high content of vitamin C. The so-called ascorbic acid is important for the immune system and the development of connective tissue, among other things.

In addition, grapefruit also provides folic acid (vitamin B9), the vitamin A precursor beta-carotene and some other B vitamins in smaller quantities. The citrus fruit also contains the minerals potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron and phosphate. The watery fruit has almost no calories and fat – but a lot of fiber pectin.

The many secondary plant substances also make grapefruit so healthy: carotenoids have an antioxidant, immune-boosting and anti-inflammatory effect. They should also be able to reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, age-related eye diseases and possibly even cancer.

Not healthy: Grapefruit interacting with drugs

Grapefruit and grapefruit juice affect the effects of 85 drugs.
Serious side effects can occur with about half of the drugs. Stomach bleeding, kidney or heart damage and even deaths have been observed.
Mode of action: Grapefruits inhibit the body’s own enzyme CYP3A4. This occurs mainly in the liver and the intestinal wall and is responsible for the breakdown of many drugs. By inhibiting the enzyme, the drugs are broken down less quickly. Many medications have a stronger effect, some weaker.
The drugs affected include antihypertensive drugs, heart pills, sleeping pills and sexual enhancers.
Even a single grapefruit or a glass of grapefruit juice can cause significant interactions. Even 24 hours apart, grapefruits can affect the effectiveness of medications.
For example, grapefruits can lead to pain and muscle weakness in combination with cholesterol-lowering drugs, heart pills to palpitations, dizziness and shortness of breath, or water-repellents to high water loss and dehydration, according to the BR.

In addition, grapefruit can also interact with birth control pills. Accordingly, the pill does not lose its effectiveness, but can lead to side effects such as breast tenderness and an increased risk of thrombosis.

Eat grapefruits healthily: Recommended intake

Based on the results, the scientists from the study mentioned advise against consuming grapefruit and grapefruit juice at all if you are taking medication.

The researchers also point out that there is still a need for research on drug interactions. It is quite possible that other drug interactions will become known in the future. Therefore, as a precaution, if you are taking prescription medication, you should minimize the consumption of grapefruit or consult your doctor.

Incidentally, the “dangerous” plant substance naringin is also found in grapefruit and in the bitter or Seville oranges, which are often used for jam. The same consumption recommendations apply to these types of fruit. According to the BR, oranges and orange juice are harmless, as is apple juice.

If you are not taking any medication, you do not need to worry about unwanted side effects: Then you can enjoy the healthy grapefruit and self-squeezed grapefruit juice and benefit from the good ingredients.

Legumes is one of the most species-rich plant families, also known as legumes. Through a symbiosis with bacteria, they bind nitrogen from the air and thus improve the soil.

Legumes are a plant family of lepidoptera that includes around 17,000 species. They are also called legumes.

Legumes form a connection with so-called nodule bacteria. These bind valuable nitrogen for the plants and enrich the soil with it.

In this article you will read which plants are legumes and why they are so valuable for humans.

representatives of legumes

The legumes are divided into two broad categories. The so-called grain legumes form the first category. They form nutritious grains and seeds for humans. These include legumes, such as:
Chickpeas
Beans (bush beans, pole beans, soybeans)
Peas
lupine
lenses
peanuts
The second category mainly includes forage crops for livestock farming. These include, for example:
clover
alfalfa
Legumes also include trees and ornamental plants:
acacias
wisteria

Legumes and their symbiosis

Legumes form root nodules in which they enter into a symbiosis with so-called nodule bacteria. This is referred to as biological nitrogen fixation.

The nodule bacteria bind the volatile nitrogen from the air and make it organically available in liquid form for the plants. They convert the nitrogen in the air (N2) into liquid ammonia (NH3).

This makes the plants independent of nitrate levels in the soil. Legumes also thrive on very nutrient-poor soils and also enrich the soil for the following plants. As a result, less fertilizer can be used. This protects the soil and groundwater.

If you want to grow legumes yourself, make sure you don’t plant them in back-to-back years. Since the plants have already enriched the soil, the soil may already contain too much nitrogen for the legumes. Plant medium and heavy feeders in the improved soil the following year.

Nutritious legumes

Legumes play an important role not only in agriculture, but also in our diet. The University of Giessen has dealt extensively with the nutrients and antinutrients it contains:

Due to the nitrogen fixation, the plants have sufficient nitrogen available for protein synthesis. Therefore, the fruits of the legumes are very rich in protein.

In addition to proteins, legumes contain fiber and long-chain carbohydrates. Since the human body needs a lot of time to process these substances, they keep you full in the long term. Legumes are also rich in vitamins and minerals such as calcium and magnesium.

In addition to nutrients that are valuable for the body, legumes also contain so-called antinutrients. These inhibit the absorption of nutrients and are sometimes toxic to the body. Legumes contain phytic acid and tannins. The substances inhibit the absorption of minerals. They also contain lectin, which is toxic to the human body.

It is therefore advisable to soak legumes such as chickpeas or lentils and cook them for a long time.

benefits of legumes

Legumes play an important role in our agriculture.
They enrich the soil with nitrogen and keep the soil fertile. Farmers can take advantage of this effect by cultivating the soil with legumes in the last year of crop rotation and thus enriching the soil with nitrogen for future plants.
The Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture has decided on the so-called protein planting strategy to promote the cultivation of legumes. This could save on chemical fertilizer in the long term, which enables sustainable and ecological agriculture.
Healthier soil also reduces plant diseases and pests. This also means fewer pesticides and herbicides are needed.
The various types of clovers grow quickly and are well suited as cattle feed, while at the same time they can serve as green manure.
Most legumes develop taproots. These also loosen the deeper layers of soil and thus counteract soil compaction.
Due to their nitrogen-fixing properties, legumes are ideal as pioneer plants. This means that they can be grown in areas that were previously not covered with greenery. As a result, they also play an important role in the renaturation of areas destroyed by humans.

To fry Pak Choi, you only have to pay attention to a few points. We’ll show you how to prepare the delicious Asian cabbage in a pan or wok.

Pak Choi, or Bok Choy or Pak Choy, is related to Chinese cabbage and is particularly popular in Asian cuisine. The vegetable looks similar to the local chard, but has its own taste with a mustard note. In this article you will find out how to fry pak choi deliciously.

Frying Pak Choi: Preparation

Basically, it is very easy to prepare Pak Choi in a pan or wok. Before you can start roasting, you must first prepare the cabbage:
Cut off the base of the stalk so that the leaves come loose one by one. If necessary, remove wilted leaves.
Wash each leaf thoroughly with water. To dry them off afterwards, you can shake them off or use a salad spinner.
Separate the leaves from the stems by either plucking them off or cutting them off with a knife. Keep the leaves separate from the stems, as you don’t want to add them to the pan at the same time afterwards.
Cut the stems and leaves into bite-sized pieces. Since the thicker stems in particular need a little longer in the pan, you can cut them a little finer.

Frying Pak Choi: This is how it’s done with a pan or wok

After you have washed and cut the pak choi, you can fry the cabbage. In Asian cuisine, the wok is usually used for this. In this you can serve Pak Choi particularly crispy. If you don’t have a wok, you can also fry the cabbage in a normal pan.

In Asian cuisine, pak choi usually goes into the wok with many other ingredients – for example other vegetables and diced tofu. But you can also serve Pak Choi separately with a side dish. The only important thing is to fry the stems first, as they take longer to cook.

How to fry pak choi:
Heat some oil in a pan or wok. In principle, you can use any oil that is suitable for frying. The Pak Choi is particularly tasty with sesame oil.
Then first put the chopped stalks into the pan and fry them for about three minutes.
Then add the leaves and fry them for about one, maximum two minutes.
Take the pan off the stove and season the fried pak choi with salt, pepper and some soy sauce.
Variations: Of course, you can also season Pak Choi creatively. Depending on your taste, some chilli paste, lemon juice, roasted sesame or peanuts are suitable.

Sushi made them famous: the nori seaweed. Here’s why they’re trending, how they’re grown and what’s behind their reputation as a “superfood”.

Nori seaweed – or just nori for short – is one of the best-known edible seaweeds. As nori sheets, they are an essential part of sushi. But you can also use them for salads and soups – as well as for various Japanese recipes. In addition, there are many cosmetic products with algae, for example masks and creams.

According to the magazine GEO, 400,000 tons of nori seaweed are harvested every year. In total, the harvest of edible algae is over nine million tons. They come primarily from Japan, China, the Philippines and Korea – but algae are also cultivated in Brittany and California. Algae farms are a good alternative to traditional farms, especially in Japan, because there is a lack of agricultural land.

Nori seaweed belongs to the red algae, a class of algae that consists of over 4,000 species and is predominantly found in the sea. Nori algae does not exist in our seas, but there are also close relatives in the North Sea, on Heligoland and on the coasts of Great Britain, according to rbb. (link to audio file)

In addition to nori algae, there are many other edible algae such as green algae. They include, for example, ulva, the so-called sea lettuce – it is considered a delicacy in France. There is also sugar kelp and brown algae like wakame, which are part of the Japanese miso soup. All of these species belong to the macroalgae, i.e. large-leaved algae with many cells. In addition, there are microalgae such as spirulina algae and chlorella, which are often marketed as dietary supplements.

Nutritional values ​​and ingredients of nori seaweed

Nori seaweed is particularly popular with vegans – because it contains vitamin B12, which is otherwise found almost exclusively in animal products. As the German Society for Nutrition (DGE) explains, it has not yet been clarified whether the vitamin in nori algae has a high bioavailability. That means it’s unclear how much of the vitamin in the algae our bodies can utilize. A Finnish study speaks in favor of algae as a source of vitamins: As part of the study, a group of vegans had consumed nori algae and/or chlorella over a longer period of time – they had twice the B12 content in their blood as vegans control group. In addition to vitamin B12, nori seaweed also contains B vitamins such as folic acid and beta-carotene.

On seaweed products you will often see warnings about the high iodine content of seaweed. Iodine is a trace element that our body needs, but which can lead to thyroid problems in excessive amounts. However, according to the Federal Center for Nutrition, nori algae have a rather low and therefore unproblematic iodine content – unlike their relatives, the brown algae. Soaking and rinsing the seaweed in water before eating can further reduce the iodine content.

Note: People with thyroid problems should avoid eating algae or consult their doctor beforehand.

This is how nori seaweed is grown

Nori seaweed is preferred in tanks. In it, the spores are stored on oyster shells for about five months. So-called seeding nets are then hung in the tank and the water is kept moving for 20 to 60 minutes. This stirs up the spores and causes them to get stuck in the web. The farmers then place the nets covered with spores in the sea.

In the first month after sowing, the algae only grow about a centimeter. Then their growth accelerates massively, they can grow up to 15 centimeters longer within two weeks. After fifty days they have reached a length of 15 to 20 centimeters. After harvesting, the nori seaweed is immediately dried and cut into leaves.

How sustainable is nori seaweed?

The nori seaweed that we buy in the supermarket or are served in the restaurant usually comes from Southeast Asia. They usually have a long transport route behind them.

It is best to use a product with an organic seal. According to the Federal Center for Nutrition, the EU organic regulation requires that the organic algae come from bodies of water with a high ecological quality and are managed sustainably. The organic association Naturland has, among other things, even stricter requirements for water quality – social standards are also taken into account. You can find nori algae with an organic seal in health food stores.

According to GEO, algae have a positive effect on the climate: they remove three times as much carbon dioxide from the air as crops – and can thus bind many greenhouse gases. However, they are not without controversy because, according to the spectrum, too many algae can lead to an algal bloom: This describes the mass proliferation of algae in nutrient-rich waters. This algae then dies, sinks to the bottom and is decomposed by bacteria. This is an aerobic process, which means that the bacteria use oxygen. As a result, numerous other creatures that are dependent on the oxygen in the water die. The body of water becomes a dead zone. In addition, gases can form under the algae carpets that are toxic and harmful to the climate. Some algae also produce toxins themselves.

How the cultivation of edible algae affects the climate, positively and negatively, has not yet been researched much. If it is operated sustainably, algae farming can produce regionally grown, climate-friendly and nutrient-rich food. Algae are also being discussed as fuel for cars, as a raw material for clothing and as packaging material.