An eating disorder: how does it look like?

An eating disorder: how does it look like?

Basically, the desire to get the same body as the models from the covers of magazines does not lead to anything good.

According to the World Bank, in North America for example, about 30 million people suffer from eating disorders. Sometimes the symptoms are disguised as healthy habits, and if they are not detected on time, this can lead to trouble. This is what my post is about today.

1. You constantly think about food.
It doesn’t matter if you want to eat every minute or if you just strictly control food intakes – this is the same thing because you constantly think about food. The number of calories, when and how much to eat, and which products are bad for you – if you live that way, then this is one of the symptoms of an eating disorder.

2. You only cook complex dishes for guests
Those who do not allow themselves to eat tasty and special food often show tend to prepare it for other people instead. This is a symptom of eating disorders – if you can spend hours cooking something amazingly tasty for your loved ones, and at lunch you only eat a tomato salad.

3. You are always cold
The body finds it harder to produce heat when the amount of body fat is very low. If you feel cold all the time no matter how covered up and warmly dressed you are, this is one of the signs of having an eating disorder.

4. You spend a lot of time looking for your flaws.
Looking in the mirror is completely normal, only if it does not occur 20 times a day and is not an obsessive thought. A person who suffers from an eating disorder may become obsessed with their appearance and can spend hours searching for flaws.

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What can be made from bananas?

What can be made from bananas? What health benefits do they have?

How are they best stored?

This is what my blog is about today.

There are several ways to enjoy this delicious fruit:

1. Raw – simple peel the banana and eat it fresh.

2. Make your own chilled banana milkshake – the perfect combination of calcium from milk and various nutrients from the banana.

3. If you do not like milkshakes, enjoy a chilled glass of banana smoothie.

4. Make your fruit salad – combine a banana with other fruits.

5. Eat a peanut butter Banana.

6. Children can eat bananas dipped in chocolate.

7. Make a banana pudding or cream.

8. Add some sliced banana to your oatmeal.

9. Banana is good with a portion of muesli and milk.

10. Make your own banana bars – just combine the banana pulp with your favorite nuts and oilseeds – it might make a great snack.

11. A banana is even an excellent sugar substitute.

12. Use banana puree for baking.

13. You can also replace eggs with banana pulp when baking cakes.

We should also mention the possibility of cooking with banana chips and creating banana smoothies.

To make banana chips, peel and slice 6 bananas. Spread them on a greased baking sheet, then sprinkle with cinnamon and bake for almost 10 minutes in a hot oven.

For the smoothie, take one large banana, chop the fruit in a blender, add 1 tablespoon of honey, add 150ml of a cold bottle and mix thoroughly. Drink before meals once per day.

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Good or bad restaurants. Six differences you can instantly spot

Good or bad restaurants. Six differences you can instantly spot

Today, in every city in the world it is easy to find restaurants for every taste. They have lunch or dinner options, organize dinners for romantic dates and business meetings, there are places to relax in, places to enjoy delicious food, and those with a pleasant atmosphere. Going to a restaurant for the first time, without having a recommendation from a friend (especially in a foreign city or country), is likely to result in a disappointment.

However, there are several factors that highlight a restaurant’s quality. This is what my post is about today.

The number of visitors directly indicates everything about a restaurant – its reputation, prices and dishes. A half-empty restaurant is a serious reason to think about the quality of products, the professionalism of the chef, and the pricing policy of the establishment. However, assessing the fullness of the restaurant, you need to consider its location (in the center, in a residential area) and the time of day.

The interior decoration affects the mood of visitors as much as the food. The interior of a good restaurant should be in line with the food the restaurant serves. Most often, the design dictates the type of cuisine the restaurant specializes in (Chinese, Italian, French). An important aspect is its location. A very luxuriously decorated restaurant would be suitable in the center of the capital but would be absolutely inappropriate in a small village. This is an aspect worth paying attention to.

In addition to the design in general (style, quality of the materials used), the level and quality of the restaurant’s details such as the appearance of the waiters, the table setting and so on, may also tell us something about the quality of the place. If there is a tablecloth on the table, it should be made of natural fabric (not synthetic). On the table, there should only be a knife and fork, and sometimes a glass for water. Other decorations (magazines, figurines, advertising leaflets) are unacceptable. The exception is paper napkins.

The waiter or waitress of a good restaurant should be unscrupulous, middle-aged, discreet and patient in character. As for the appearance, there may not be a strict uniform but a clean white shirt (or T-shirt) is enough. An apron should be required (not applicable to establishments with a Michelin star).

The waiter is obliged to clearly and knowledgably answer visitors’ questions about the dishes on the menu. If the waiter cannot clearly explain what the dish is made of or how long it takes to prepare, this indicates a lack of professionalism, which affects the overall quality of the restaurant.

You can have an opinion about the restaurant’s kitchen before tasting the ordered dishes by paying attention to the menu offered. One of the main signs of a good restaurant is a short list of dishes. Too big a menu reflects the workload of chefs, which leads to a long waiting time for your order. The average but high-quality restaurant tend to offer a maximum of four appetizers, four main dishes, and several options written on the board. Exceptions are gastronomic tours.

The main advantage of the restaurant is tasty, properly cooked food which comes from using fresh seasonal products. Remember that the season of fresh caviar is the second half of summer, the season of fresh vegetables is autumn. If you order dishes made from such products, for example, in the winter, then either their quality will not be the best or the price will be exorbitant.

The question of how much money you can pay for visiting a restaurant is very subjective. Each visitor determines for themselves the acceptable cost of meals. On the one hand, it is true that you have to pay for pleasure, on the other hand, no one wants to overpay for a cup of coffee with a cake or a small portion of salad, trusting the assertion that this type of coffee is the most exclusive, and the salad is the freshest.

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The “one meal per day” diet: advantages and disadvantages

The “one meal per day” diet: advantages and disadvantages

“One meal per day” – the name itself explains the principle of this diet. With this diet, people who want to lose weight, eat only once a day. The whole point of the diet is to reduce the calorie intake, but you can eat everything and as much as you want. Recently, this intermittent diet has become very popular, and people usually stick to it twice a week, and sometimes even for 2 weeks a month. In this blog, I will talk about the advantages and disadvantages of this diet.

Benefits of the “One Meal Per Day” Diet:

1. Helps with weight-loss

An intermittent diet helps to lose weight because the body needs fat to function properly. Such a diet and a limited number of calories helps burn subcutaneous fat and fat around the waist.

2. Increases longevity

Studies have shown that limited calorie intake, while maintaining the necessary intake of nutrients, improves the functionality of the heart and also reduces the likelihood of respiratory and neurodegenerative ailments. It was also found that such a diet increases life expectancy.

3. Prevents the development of diabetes

It was noted that calorie restriction has a positive effect on people with a borderline state of diabetes and insulin resistance. Intermittent calorie restriction diet can increase resistance to the disease. In addition, it is very well known that weight loss improves insulin sensitivity and prevents diabetes mellitus in the initial stage.

4. Improves memory

It has been proven that calorie restriction by 20–25% improves memory and cognitive function. This preserves the function of learning and memory and reduces oxidative stress. Thus, such a diet can save brain cells from damage and destruction and prevent neurodegenerative diseases.

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Wheat shakes: some interesting facts

Wheat shakes: some interesting facts

This blog will discuss the many useful properties of wheat shakes.

1. Improved blood circulation

Poor blood circulation provokes weakness and fatigue. You start to feel exhausted. Shakes made from wheat increase blood circulation, because they are rich in iron, a mineral element that increases the number of red blood cells in the blood.

2. Wheat is a unique product

What makes it unique? Wheat grains contain a huge supply of nutrients: vitamins A, B, C and E, antioxidants, amino acids.

3. Wheat shakes as a source of natural energy

Do you feel tired and apathetic but do not want to drink coffee? Then try a wheat shake. It is rich in chlorophyll, which will help your immune system as well as increase the levels of oxygen in the body.

4. Effectively cleanses the liver

It’s no secret that the liver is the most overloaded organ. But oddly enough, we are more concerned about the health of the heart and brain. And our liver? This organ does all the dirty work in our body, and if you do not provide it with useful substances then your liver will soon refuse to function.

An overloaded and sick liver can seriously impair your life, so drink a wheat shake which is rich in fiber and is designed to remove toxins before they have time to be absorbed into the blood.

5. Enhances the immune system

You need to constantly take care of your immune system. If you eat junk food, are unmotivated to play sports and walk, then the body will sooner or later begin to falter. You can help it by drinking a wheat shake. This drink contains two times more vitamins C and A than orange and carrots. Thus, you will be provided with the most important vitamins, even in winter.

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Intuitive nutrition: seven secrets

Intuitive nutrition: seven secrets

Intuitive nutrition is a system that does not involve dieting or severe dietary restrictions. This principle of nutrition has helped many people to reach their desired shape, get rid of food addictions and “make peace” with food. So, what is this magic method?

For the first time, the concept of “intuitive nutrition” was introduced in 2005 by American professor Steven Hawks, when, after conducting a study on himself, he managed to lose 23kg. Intuitive nutrition includes several rules, but these rules have nothing to do with the rules of diets or other food systems. This is what my post is about today.

1. Learn to feel hunger

Hunger is a condition of the body in which the stomach remains almost empty, requiring new portions of food.

Frequently, people confuse physical hunger with psychological hunger. Indeed, many people are accustomed to eating when they experience some kind of emotional feeling or are with company, that is, during moments when external or internal circumstances force one to eat. But this hunger is always sudden and depends on the circumstances, while physical hunger, which occurs gradually, is accompanied by a rumbling sound and a feeling of emptiness in the stomach.

To recognize real hunger, it is recommended to use a ten-point saturation scale, where 10 points is recognized as strong overeating, accompanied by feeling heavy or even nauseous and 1 point is extremely hungry. Of course, you should never be at the extremes. You can start eating at 4-5 points and finish at 7-8.

2. No diets

Often, diets end in failure and if it is possible to reach the bitter end then there is no guarantee that the lost kilograms will not return. The reason lies in the fact that a person is in disagreement with food and his body. Intuitive nutrition allows you to harmonize these relationships.

3. Stop feeling guilty

You do not need to punish yourself with grueling workouts to not feel guilty about eating one sweet. Listening to what you want at the moment is very important, because, perhaps, the body is experiencing a shortage of some substances and it is what is needed in that moment.

4. Eat slowly

When a person eats slowly, enjoying the taste of food and every bite, the signal of saturation is fed to the brain much faster. With a quick meal, saturation will take much longer, and a person in such a situation will want to eat something else.

5. Don’t tackle your emotions with food

“Sticking” of stress, joy, sadness, of course, has an effect, but not for long. Most often, emotional relief leads to overeating. It is worth trying to find other ways to relieve tension, for example, dancing, sports, a walk in the fresh air or doing your favorite hobby can help.

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Vitamin B1 (thiamine) deficiency in food: symptoms and effects

Vitamin B1 (thiamine) deficiency in food: symptoms and effects

The first vitamin recognized for its beneficial effects on the human body is thiamine or vitamin B1. A high concentration of thiamine can be found in the liver, kidneys, brain, heart, and muscles. This is what my post is about.

Thiamine deficiency is common among people with high levels of alcohol consumption.

This vitamin B complex is important for producing energy, protecting the heart, improving brain activity and regulating our mood and general well-being.

Common symptoms of vitamin B1 (thiamine) deficiency include:

• reduced food intake (anorexia),
• muscle cramps,
• muscle atrophy,
• bad memory
• insomnia,
• irritability,
• tachycardia
• hypotension,
• chest pain,
• dysphagia,
• constipation,
• fatigue.

Now we will look at these and other symptoms, as well as the likely effects of vitamin B1 deficiency in more detail.

Food consumption decreases:

Low levels of thiamine are associated with reduced food intake and increased energy use which leads to weight loss. Thiamine deficiency inhibits the action of a compound that regulates food intake and energy metabolism.

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The benefits and recipes for making the perfect breakfast

The benefits and recipes for making the perfect breakfast

Breakfast, no doubt, is the most important meal of the day. You can sometimes skip lunch or dinner, but breakfast, by no means. This is what my post is about today.

The fact is that during the night’s sleep, our body also actively works and uses up energy, and a full breakfast is needed precisely in order to replenish these energy reserves. In addition, many studies show that people who eat breakfast regularly are sick far less frequently, have stronger immune systems and live longer than those who do not eat breakfast at all. In addition, skipping morning meals significantly increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. A big plus of eating breakfast is that in the morning you can eat almost everything, that is, you don’t need to check the calories or sugar content in foods since it is in the morning that the body should receive approximately 40% of our daily calorie intake.

So what exactly should we eat for breakfast? There are many opinions, one perfect breakfast for everyone does not exist, the most important thing is that your breakfast is healthy, has a high-calorie content and is balanced because it will serve as our energy source for the whole day.

So, we turn to the best options for your morning meal. Many people think oatmeal is an excellent breakfast. It’s true, oatmeal is full of carbohydrates, minerals and vitamins, which makes it one of the best options for your breakfast. In addition, it is easily absorbed by the body and does not cause any discomfort associated with the stomach or intestines. People who eat oatmeal on a regular basis are active and energetic, they do not feel hungry for a long time and feel great. Other types of cereals are well suited for breakfast: buckwheat, millet, wheat, corn, because all cereals are carbohydrates and carbohydrates are the main source of our energy. In addition, cereals are very nutritious, because they have many useful substances, they are well absorbed by the stomach and reduce the risk of various diseases.

But not all people are used to starting their day by eating cereal. Many, for some reason, do not like breakfast cereal or do not eat cereal at all. Another good breakfast option would be bacon and eggs or scrambled eggs with vegetables. Eggs are also very beneficial as they are an excellent and affordable source of protein, and in egg yolks a large amount of useful vitamins and minerals that are simply indispensable for our body can be found. Eating an egg or scrambled eggs from two or three eggs gives you a good boost of energy and enough calories for the morning. In addition, scrambled eggs can be prepared very quickly which is also important, since in the morning we are often strapped for time.

As for cholesterol, it is worth noting that recent research has proved that eggs contain good cholesterol which means that it does not harm the body and is not deposited on the walls of our blood vessels. Therefore, eating two eggs a day is absolutely not harmful, and many nutritionists recommend eggs for breakfast.

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Traps for food consumers. Attention, you are being manipulated!

Traps for food consumers. Attention, you are being manipulated!

Food production is a big business and, like any other business, it seeks to develop and increase the volume of its products. Growth in food production suggests that the consumer will spend more money on food, and therefore consume more food, that is, increase their portions. This is what my blog is about today.

Here are some of the newest ways in which the food industry convinces us to buy more.

Optimistic promises:

Let’s reflect on commercials related to food that we regularly see on television.

Adverts tend to show emotional life stories, where a man who has worked hard all day eats something hungrily; a photo montage of a party in which everyone is laughing and eating together; a husband and wife cooking an appetizing dinner together.

These commercials are permeated with happiness, pleasure, idyllic scenarios and, in every case, food. Advertising provokes positive emotions within us. The purpose of marketing this abundance of food is to link the process of eating in our subconscious mind, not with the concept of survival, but with the emotional aspect of our existence. In other words, they are trying to convince us that eating food is not a simple physical act necessary for the human body to function normally, but an opportunity, by consuming a large amount of different foods, to receive emotional pleasure and, thus, how to spend most of your free time. To celebrate the significant events in our life is, to welcome guests, and to eat, to spend time alone with your loved one. This is not speculation, but a well-known proven fact.
Large food companies have large budgets to explore what makes us buy a particular product. Furthermore, they base their advertising activities on the results of these studies. The giants of the food industry know that when you make purchases before a holiday, a scene from the commercial of the product they are planning to sell will stick in your memory and most likely you will buy this product in the supermarket.

Portion sizes.

Foods sold in grocery stores display information about their nutritional composition (calories, proteins, fats, carbohydrates, etc.). The label is placed directly on the food product, in a prominent place. The manufacturer knows that it is unpleasant for the buyer to buy a product that, for example, says that it contains 800 calories. What are they doing? Replacing the numbers so that they appear more acceptable to you. The calorie content of a product containing 200 calories is replaced by 20, only 12 grams. And now, note that you have the calorie content of 1 cookie on a package consisting of 40.

The problem of food in the restaurant is that in these places we always try to finish everything that’s on our plate, or that we’ve ordered.

For example, you ordered pasta for lunch, which is served with two accompanying dishes and a drink. You are not informed about the caloric content of each product included in your order, only the total average number of calories of the main course is given.

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How does food affect our skin and appearance in the morning?

How does food affect our skin and appearance in the morning?

An experienced doctor, looking at the patient’s face, can tell (with a high degree of probability) what and how a patient eats. This is my post today.

If there is a rash on their forehead then it may mean that the intestines are heavily clogged with food and the alarms begin to ring. They simply cannot cope with digesting so much food. And for girls who are sitting on a non-cholesterol diet, who have excluded fats and oil from the diet, rashes appear on the temples.

The cause? The gallbladder requires oil and fat, it wants to move. The area around the eyes is the area of the kidneys. If less than 2 liters of water enter the body per day, or too much, then the kidneys start to suffer and then swelling will appear under the eyes the next morning. The space between the eyebrows is the projection zone of the liver. Problems with this organ occur when a person eats heavy food, as evidenced by inflammatory processes (acne) on the skin between the eyebrows.

Cheeks show what’s happening in the stomach. It cannot be overloaded. The stomach loves it when a person eats a little, often and only fresh food. But the bright red nose in the morning says that it was not necessary in the evening to drink so much alcohol.

Each of us can look in the mirror at our face and read the signals that the body sends us. From these signs, we can draw some conclusions and make the necessary changes to our diet.

What makes up a healthy menu? What products ruin our skin, and which help us to look beautiful? First about the bad.

– Sweets and chocolate. They provoke rashes on the face and can give us skin problems.
– Fast food. Teenagers’ favourite food. Yes, it is really tasty. But the fat from such foods will gradually lead to skin problems. For example, girls who love french fries often have very oily skin with various kinds of rashes.
– Spices. In small quantities these help to improve digestion. But their excessive use is not the best way to improve the condition of the skin.
– Alcohol. Another enemy of female beauty. A glass of wine is the norm for one day, not every hour.

And what products can be considered to be our assistants? There are a lot of them, but three are the most useful.

1. Tomatoes. These juicy fruits are able to protect our skin from sun exposure, they prevent the so-called photo-aging – permanent damage to the skin by ultraviolet light. Their structure contains a substance lycopene, which is also a powerful antioxidant.

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How to save money on food?

How to save money on food: four main tips

Most often, people who want to save money tend to reduce their spending on entertainment, on furniture or on appliances. But what if the solution actually lies somewhere else? Most of the money we spend is on the essentials, for example, food. This is my post today.

Every person who has ever calculated how much money they spend in different areas of their life, noticed one strange pattern, which is that they spend the most money on food.

An average European (according to the World Bank) spends at least 400 euros per month on food from the supermarket. If this person also visits cafes and restaurants, this amount tends to increase by another several hundred euros, leading to huge amounts being spent on food per month. So how can you reduce this expenditure without harming your health?

First you need to evaluate your spending. Write down one week’s worth of shopping – what you buy and how much it costs. And then re-read your list at the end of the week and notice that maybe you buy something very often. For example, a lot of ice cream or crisps or chocolate. Think about which products from this list can be replaced with cheaper ones (keeping the quality), and also consider which products you would like to keep, for example, your favorite coffee or chocolate brand.

The first tip concerns cafes and restaurants – stop going there. According to statistics, only in the third or fourth restaurant a person really likes what’s being cooked. So, you are essentially overpaying for something that you still don’t even like. Unless, of course, you have been a customer of one particular restaurant for many years … But this factor can work positively. Learning the recipes of your favorite dishes from your favorite chef by heart, and trying to cook them yourself, following the recipe can save you a lot of money.

In addition, stop buying ready-made, fast food (convenience foods) in supermarkets. These types of foods contain many types of preservatives inside one package meaning you are paying just for the packaging and all the unhealthy substances inside this packaging, (only added to make the dish more convenient and faster to prepare), depriving the food of the most important thing – it’s nutrients and vitamins.

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Eating insects: absurd or the future?

Eating caterpillars or insects in front of a camera is a demonstration of how nutritious these things can be, but the modern, ordinary person is disgusted even to watch. In some eastern countries, such foods are a common thing; grasshoppers fried in sugar, different types of worms and other “goodies” found in Europe are still surprising to most. This is my post about.

But, here in the Netherlands, there are already companies that have specialized in farming insects for food for 8 years. However, they do not feed people with these crickets or worms, but extract protein from them and use them as bio-additives in other dishes. The benefit of this kind of food is a decrease in the number of farm animals, like cows, in the country, polluting the soil and atmosphere with methane.

Modern biology has had a lot of success in squeezing out insect oil. This fat is yellow and rich in omega-3 acids. With animal meat, man does not get them. Insect oil is added to ice cream or cream that is on cakes and pastries. It is not necessary to even add flavors to the fat from the lionfish, as it smells like fruit. These insects do not feast on corpses but on different types of flowers.

Cockroaches are really disgusting not only in appearance but also in their smell, like the oil they produce. This oil is only suitable for car lubricants. But the fat from the flour worm is lighter than all other oils from insects. It is odorless and is suitable for bio-additives that have been actively used in the bio-industry for a long time.

In Africa and Oceania, large white worms that live under the bark of trees are commonly eaten as a source of protein.

In Thailand, people love eating locusts; in China, earthworms are cooked in soups. Scientists argue that we should all soon begin to eat more insects. Squeamish people will have to overcome this feeling. It is proven that the protein from insects is much better and absorbed faster than that from animal meat. If it is good to cook dishes from these crawling and flying creatures, they will be tasty and nutritious. Farming insects compared to animals is easier if the climate allows it. It is easier to make a dish that can be eaten from a pile of bees or beetles than slaughtering a pig or a cow, butchering them and then boiling, smoking or frying the meat.

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Beware of nitrates in food!

Beware of nitrates in food!

Imagine a summer morning in a picturesque village. You wake up from the gentle touch of the sun’s rays, the ceremonial crowing of the neighbor’s rooster welcomes you, and your legs are already rushing out of the house towards a new day …

How great it all is! The garden in the backyard is full of bright red cherries, and the leaves of the lettuces and parsley are green … This is a vitamin paradise!

This is what we have in our minds, but, unfortunately, we are led to disappointment. The culprit? Tiny molecules of nitrates … This is my post today.

What are nitrates?

Nitrates are compounds (salts) of metals which contain a residue of nitric acid (HNO3). In solutions, nitrates are, as a rule, represented by negatively charged particles — nitrate anions (NO3–), which contain three oxygen atoms and one nitrogen atom.

It is nitrates that are the main form in which mineral nitrogen is absorbed by plants from the soil. After absorption, nitrates are included in reduction reactions, the purpose of which is to obtain ammonium ions (NH4 +). A simplified diagram of this process is as follows:

NO3- → NO2- → NH4 +

Why precisely ammonium? It’s simple. Recall that proteins, one of the most important classes of organic compounds, are composed of amino acids. Amino acids, in turn, are nitrogen-containing molecules. To build an amino acid and, accordingly, protein, the body needs nitrogen. It so happens that nitrates containing nitrogen cannot be involved in the synthesis of amino acids, but ammonium can. So the plant has to first absorb the nitrates and then turn them into ammonium. Alas, this transformation is not an instantaneous matter; therefore, nitrates can accumulate in the plant’s body, and we, in turn, eat them.

Which are the dangerous nitrates?

Approximately 70% of all nitrates enter the human body from food composed of plants (fresh or canned vegetables) and about 20% with water (especially water rich in nitrates from wells; deep-well drilled water contains much fewer nitrates). The remaining 10% of nitrates a person receives is from animal products and pharmacological preparations. The permissible daily intake of nitrates for a person is set at 5 mg per 1 kg of body weight.

Once in the human body, nitrates are converted into nitrites – particularly dangerous anions that oxidize hemoglobin iron. Oxidized hemoglobin (methemoglobin) is unable to transport oxygen. As a result, oxygen deficiency of tissues and organs (hypoxia) develops and in particular, pernicious hypoxic state for cells of the nervous tissue and heart muscle. The accumulation of 20% methemoglobin in the blood is dangerous to our life. A prolonged continuous flow of nitrates into the human body can cause destructive changes in the heart, kidney damage, and an increase in the thyroid gland can be observed (nitrates reduce iodine). Nitrates contribute to the development of pathogenic intestinal microflora, as a result of which intoxication states develop. Particularly dangerous is the conversion of nitrates and nitrites to nitroso compounds, which are characterized by a strong hepatotoxic and carcinogenic effect and can provoke the development of cancer of the liver, mammary glands, stomach and even leukemia.

How to live with them?

After the information above, it is somehow even scary to eat any products that are plant-based. But still, plants remain the most important suppliers of vitamins, minerals and bioflavonoids, so excluding them from our daily diet is very unwise. What then should we do?

It should be noted that plants, according to the localization of the nitrate reduction reaction, are divided into three main groups. Representatives of the first group of the process of nitrate recovery almost completely takes place in the root system, and ammonium or ready-made amino acids are transported to the part above the ground. These plants are the safest to eat. These include peas, blueberries and some other species. The second group is the complete opposite of the first: they accumulate and restore nitrates in the aboveground part, and ammonium and amino acids (sugar beet) are transported to the roots. Finally, the third group is plants in which the reduction of nitrates occurs equally in both the roots and the leaves. These include cereals and vegetables.

It is also important to note that plants, depending on the species, accumulate nitrates in different quantities. In this case, there is also a three-level classification. Representatives of the first group are species with a high content of nitrates (up to 5 g per kg of plant mass). These include lettuce, cabbage, beets, dill, onion leaves, cantaloupe and watermelon. The second group accumulates nitrates in medium quantities – up to 300-500 mg / kg. This group includes horseradish, cucumbers, carrots, cauliflower, and zucchini. The third group is our favorite because these vegetables accumulate nitrates in minimal quantities (up to 100 mg / kg). They include peas, sorrel, potatoes, tomatoes, and fruit.

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Why does the body need food with a balanced vitamin D content?

Why does the body need food with a balanced vitamin D content?

A person needs a whole range of complex vitamins and microelements for the normal functioning of the body, but some of them play a special role in our body’s vital activity.

Calcium is needed for bones and teeth, without it, the body will not get stronger. In addition, it takes part in the muscles, immune and nervous systems, by contributing to blood clotting. Phosphorus is also necessary for bones and teeth, and for muscles, it participates in the reproduction and division of cells, reduces the likelihood of sand and kidney stones, and is involved in all bodily processes. But the human body is not able to absorb calcium and phosphorus without vitamin D. This is what my post is about today.

Due to a lack of vitamin D, bones become weak, immunity goes down, and a variety of diseases can develop, including cardiovascular and cancerous ones. Its deficiency leads to health problems ending in death.

In many countries, the shortage is compensated by special treatment with ultraviolet rays of some products: milk, mushrooms, cottage cheese, kefir. This allows you to exclude some health problems among the population. Countries are particularly at risk where, due to climatic conditions, there is a clear lack of sun.

It is very important at an early age to give children enough Vitamin D, otherwise, in the first months of life, rickets can begin to develop, leading to serious complications. In adulthood, a person needs 600 IU per day of vitamin D, children need 400 IU, and older people up to 800 IU.

It is possible to provide the body with this substance in several ways: by means of direct exposure of the skin to ultraviolet rays, by taking multivitamin complexes, and also by adjusting the diet.

To saturate the body with vitamin D, you need to be in the open sun for about an hour a week, without using protective agents. Ultraviolet rays, reaching the open skin, help a person to synthesize this substance.

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Useful properties of ostrich eggs

Useful properties of ostrich eggs

Over the past few years, ostrich eggs have become in demand among the population of Eurasia and America. Some people eat them to be fashionable, and others eat them because of their useful properties. You can buy such a delicacy on special ostrich farms, the number of which grows over the years in almost every city in Europe and Asia. This is what my blog is about today.

Only unfertilized eggs are used for food. Ostriches, as a rule, lay eggs in the warm season, so in winter this delicacy is almost impossible to purchase.

Ostrich eggs have an average weight of 1 to 1.5 kg, which is 30-35 times more than the usual chicken egg. The color of the shell depends on the breed of the bird and varies from pinkish-yellow (in Nanda ostriches) to black-green (in Emus ostriches). The protein has a transparent color, similar to that of other birds, and the yolk is a much richer, brighter yellow.

Like any other eggs, ostrich eggs are rich in protein and fats, which are primarily involved in the building of cells in any organ of the human body. Unlike normal chicken eggs, ostrich eggs are completely devoid of harmful substances, because ostriches are fed with high-quality food and they will not consume contaminated food. A 1600 g egg contains 1 kg of protein and 330 g of fat. One adult person for consumption of the daily rate of the main food components needs 100 g of such eggs.

In addition to the main organic substances, ostrich eggs contain vitamins and minerals. Thus, the average vitamin A content in 1g of an egg is 19 μg, vitamin E – 115-117 μg, vitamin B2 – 2 μg. This is almost 2 times higher than in chicken eggs. Also, ostrich embryos contain potassium (0.5–1 mg per 100 g), phosphorus (1 mg per 100 g), sodium (3 mg per 100 g) and calcium (1.5 mg per 100 g). The calorie content of these eggs is 120-160 kcal per 100g of product, which allows them to be used in various weight-loss programs too.

Ostrich eggs, in addition to their nutritional values, are used as a form of treatment and prevention of certain pathological conditions. Thus, in the cardiovascular system, the positive effect of ostrich eggs is found in the prevention of heart attacks, heart failure, angina pectoris and arrhythmia, atherosclerosis and varicose veins. Ostrich eggs help also to go through the rehabilitation period after the heart attack.

Ostrich eggs are recommended for people with excess weight. Products made from the protein and yolk of this bird allow you to lose weight and keep it off even when the diet is over.

Also, ostrich eggs cleanse the intestines and human blood from toxins and free radicals.

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