Please find below a list of the most frequently asked questions on nutrition. If you have an interesting query on the subject, please feel free to write us. We look forward to hearing from you!
Why do pregnant women often crave for pickled gherkin?
Why do you sweat when eating spicy food?
"Light" food products: harmful or harmless?
The well-known craving pregnant women experience for certain foods is due to primal instinct - which adapts itself to the environment we live in. In other words, these impulses were once a form of “warning system” for the body. During pregnancy the female body requires a certain amount vitamins and minerals. These instincts often result in a craving for sour (e.g. sauerkraut) or sweet (e.g. fruit), ensuring mother and child receive adequate nutrients. In spite of a change in our eating habits over the centuries, the primal instinct remains the same, however the actual food consumed to satiate the craving differs. Instead of natural fruits and vegetables, today’s pregnant women have an increased appetite for chocolate or manufactured products with a surprisingly excessive amount of additives (many of which are unhealthy).
There are several spices, which induce sweat to flow from our pores. Many people find this outbreak of sweat embarrassing, even though it is a completely natural phenomenon. A well-known example of hot spice is Jalapeño peppers (more commonly known as chilli), which contains a variety of spicy substances, one of which is called Capsaicin. Capsaicin is so hot that if one gram of the substance is placed in 10,000 litres of water, you will still be able to taste it. (Therefore, when your mouth is on fire, it’s always better to have a slice of bread. Water is of little help by hot spices!).
Hot spices burn the mouth. When they rise up through the nasal cavity they trigger reactions from certain nerves, which, in turn, transmit signals to the mucous membrane in the nose. The result is: Your nose will begin to run, your eyes begin to water and your sweat glands will become activated, causing you to break out into a sweat.
There is absolutely no truth to this statement, even though it is often heard. The reason for this delusion probably lies in a mix-up of names. The name mustard is sometimes confused with mustard oil, a cyanogenic, which can cause brain damage when used in excess. And unfortunately some people still assume that there is mustard oil in the mustard you buy in stores. However the mustard on your table is completely different and contains no harmful elements.
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Well, pickled gherkins do have a tendency to take the lift. No, on a more serious note, a gherkin lift is a practical kitchen utensil, which facilitates lifting the green vegetables from the jar. (You will no longer have to fish in the jar!) Available from Tupperware, and other suppliers.
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The term “light” applies to food products, which have a third less fat or carbohydrates than their comparative products. That means that light food products contain less fat, starch or sugar. Light products can therefore help to reduce the fattening elements of a diet. In addition they cause less tooth decay and weight problems. However experience shows that in the case of butter or margarine consumers tend to eat more of the “light” products than they would for those containing more calories.
In fact, in many cases, sweet light products tend to boost the appetite. They are also an expensive alternative. Nonetheless, they are certainly not harmful. Light products can assist in reducing the fat and sugar content of meals, however from a nutritional psychologist’s viewpoint it would be wiser to maintain a healthy diet of fruit, vegetables, noodles, lean fish, yoghurt and granary bread. There are also light (=low in calories) products from nature.
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The plant contains the toxin solanine mainly its section protruding above ground. The maximum concentration of the toxin is found in immature seeds. Potato tubers only contain a negligible amount of solanine, which, in any case, is destroyed when cooked.
The danger for children lies in the immature berries. Poisoning symptoms include severe irritation of the mucosa, which leads to scratching in the mouth, vomiting and diarrhoea. Other symptoms such as inflammation of the stomach and intestine may last up to 24 hours.
Solanine can also lower your red blood cell count. In cases of acute poisoning, the patient may suffer seizures, paralysis, and a drop in body temperature. It can also cause death by respiratory paralysis. Solanine can also produce skin rashes. Fortunately acute poisoning is rare as the toxins are usually regurgitated, spontaneously
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“It lies in the family", is a common phrase to sum up an individual’s overweight problems. However, this is usually often more than just a poor excuse. The children of heavily overweight parents are rarely thin.
Naturally, the family’s bad eating are partly to blame, but hereditary genes also play huge role. Genes determine whether an individual will have a tendency to be thin or plump in stature. The distribution of body fat is also genetically disposed. As a result, some people have more fat on their stomach, whereas others have fat cushions on their thighs or bottom.
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