Slowly but surely it’s time for the delicious winter treats again: Christmas cookies fresh from the oven, Christmas stollen, chocolate but also hearty dishes are particularly popular in the cold season. In the evening at the Christmas market maybe a cup or two of mulled wine and, with one or the other, a cigarette. All these things add to our enjoyment. And we often enjoy them more than obviously healthier things like fruit and especially vegetables. However, many of the typical stimulants are initially rather bad for the body as far as their ingredients are concerned.
Those who enjoy, however, concentrate more on the positive aspects of nutrition and their own body – we also enjoy it mentally. Pleasure can also contribute to health. So the question is how to build a bridge? Quite simply: Enjoyment is also absolutely healthy if you are looking for alternatives to “nutritional sins”. And if you are willing to change any habits.
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Luxury foods and the dangers and opportunities
Let’s reiterate, for good reasons: Without a doubt, fatty meat dishes, pies, mulled wine and sugar bombs such as cookies or candied apples are not exactly good for your health. All of these things mostly contain too many calories. In addition, there is a lack ofTolfioow substances in the stimulants. Vitamins, minerals and secondary plant substances are therefore hardly included.
But, at least in the food, many animal and saturated fats, which have a particularly negative effect on the organism. And sugar is also very dangerous in larger quantities – but more on that later.
A complete renunciation of various stimulants is also not a solution. Especially from a psychological point of view. People can eliminate some things from their diet and also learn to live perfectly happily without them. Meat and fish or animal products in general are mentioned here. According to their own statements , almost one percent of Germans live primarily vegan in 2019 . But animal products per se are not considered luxury foods.
According to the general definition, stimulants include:
- alcohol
- tobacco
- coffee
- Zucker
- chocolate
- Tee
- spices
What all of these stimulants have in common and what has already been touched on: When consuming them, the focus is not initially on their nutrients, but rather on their taste and often also the stimulating or relaxing effect. Both make us happy. And if we permanently do without both, this in turn can make us unhappy. A state of unhappiness or dissatisfaction is of course not the best starting point for a healthy and balanced psyche.
If you completely renounce pleasure, another psychological component comes into play: the bad conscience. Anyone who consistently avoids any stimulants will quickly be plagued with a bad conscience and blame themselves if they can’t resist. This damages self-confidence and quickly leads to ideological and unhealthy behavior.
But now it has to be clarified:
- If you don’t have to or shouldn’t do without them completely, which stimulants can you consume in moderation?
- Should some be dispensed with entirely?
- And if so, what alternatives are there for these things?
Coffee, tea and cocoa
The caffeine
Just the smell of coffee in the morning gets many of us going. Others prefer tea and – especially the younger ones – also like to drink a cup of cocoa. Everyone knows that the caffeine in coffee makes us more alert and alert. But tea and even cocoa also contain caffeine.
Due to the popularity of caffeine and caffeinated beverages, nutritionists have been investigating this exciting substance for a long time. The results are amazing:
- This is how caffeine can help against Alzheimer’s .
- Coffee in the right dose helps you lose weight and is good for diabetes .
- Green tea, on the other hand, can protect against cancer and has other positive health effects .
Caffeine also plays a decisive role in many of the effects mentioned. The exact biochemical processes are not uncomplicated and we want to save ourselves at this point. Instead we ask: Is it better to drink coffee, tea or cocoa? Or is it not possible to generalize here?
Is one healthier than the other?
A cup of freshly brewed coffee contains about 100 milligrams of caffeine. A cup of black tea has almost 50 milligrams. A large cup of cocoa can contain up to 25 milligrams, but it is usually significantly less.
While the effect in cocoa is often not noticed at all, it is clearly noticeable in coffee and tea. With coffee, on the other hand, it is strongest. Because not only do the tea leaves contain less caffeine than the coffee beans, the active ingredient in the tea is also bound to tannins. As a result, the organism cannot fully absorb the caffeine from the tea.
The effect of caffeine in tea also occurs more slowly and weakly than in coffee, but lasts longer. Some types of tea can also have a calming effect instead of an invigorating effect. That this has to do with the brewing time and the caffeine in the tea is one of the most common myths about tea. Although so-called polyphenols, which can defuse the caffeine somewhat, are released with a longer brewing time, an invigorating effect is usually present.
In addition, tea is good for your teeth: Scientists from the “University of Illinois College of Dentistry” have discovered that regular consumption of black tea reduces plaque and prevents tooth decay – this is due to the polyphenols and flavonoids. Fluoride, which is included in many toothpastes, also protects against tooth decay.
It really cannot be said that one of the drinks is healthier than the other. It is crucial that both coffee and tea are not consumed in large quantities. Anyone who quenches their thirst with caffeinated drinks damages their water balance and must expect to get stomach problems, headaches or even slight hallucinations in the event of an overdose.
Incidentally, when it comes to cocoa, it should be borne in mind that it is often heavily sugared. The sugar content is probably the far bigger problem here than the small amount of caffeine.
The ritual is decisive The ritual is
much more decisive for a healthy enjoyment of the drinks. That is: how, when and why a caffeinated beverage is consumed.
More than 400 milligrams of caffeine per day, at least that can be said, should not be. Otherwise, the attitude is important: If you drink a cup of coffee or tea in the morning for pleasure and if it just tastes good, you won’t do anything wrong. On the contrary – then the drink, such as scrambled eggs, muesli, milk or orange juice, can contribute to a healthy start to the day.
But if you feel that you constantly need caffeine to get through the day and stay fit, you should change your consumption behavior and reduce the amount of caffeine. Chronic headaches, for example, which can only be brought under control by consuming caffeine, also speak of excessive long-term consumption.
Incidentally, when it comes to tea in particular, the “right” ritual also includes handling the hot drink correctly. It is not without reason that there are real cultures around tea in Asia that hold ceremonies and regard the plant as sacred. Each type of tea requires a different preparation and the tea must also be stored correctly. In this way, the best possible enjoyment can be achieved.
Alcohol and Tobacco – And Healthier Alternatives
It tastes non-alcoholic
In addition to foods containing sugar and fat and caffeine, alcohol is one of the most popular luxury foods among Germans. However, it is not only a stimulant, but also an addictive substance and is therefore particularly dangerous. A total of 3.4 percent of Germans between the ages of 18 and 64 are dependent on alcohol, according to the “Fachverband Sucht eV”. Men are affected more frequently than women.
However, it is not only alcohol dependents who seriously endanger their health with their consumption. Occasional drinkers also take health risks, especially when the body is confronted with large amounts of alcohol in a short period of time. The typical dangers of excessive alcohol consumption include a wide range of points:
- Acute alcohol poisoning
- alcohol addiction
- fatty liver and liver cirrhosis
- Fetal Alkoholsyndrom
- increased risk of high blood pressure
- stroke
- cardiac arrhythmias
- myocardial diseases
- (Traffic) accidents, sometimes with a fatal outcome
It is therefore important when drinking alcohol to pay particular attention to the dose and to be disciplined. From time to time, as an alternative, you can simply use non-alcoholic versions of beer, but also wine. The latter in particular is only known to a few for its alcohol-free alternatives. In a special process, the alcohol can be removed from the drink. The result still has complex aromas that are typical of wine – even if something completely new is created in the process .
Vaping instead of smoking
Significantly more Germans are dependent on nicotine, the addictive substance in tobacco, than on alcohol. Exactly 10.8 percent of Germans aged 18 to 64 are affected. Again, there are more men among the addicts.
And just as with the consumption of alcohol, smokers of conventional nicotine-containing cigarettes or cigars and pipes (including shisha) endanger their health immensely. Anyone who would like to find out more about the damage that tobacco consumption causes in the body can do so at the German Cancer Research Center (dkfz.).
Suffice it to say here: almost all cases of lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are attributable to smoking. Smoking can also cause many other types of cancer, affecting the eyes, periodontium, digestive tract, skeleton, genitals and fertility.
The enjoyment of nicotine is therefore basically completely discouraged. If so, then this should only be done in a very controlled manner and in small quantities. However, since nicotine is such a powerful addictive substance, very few people can keep their consumption under control.
It is better not to start at all or to switch to a nicotine-free and healthier alternative. More and more ex-smokers are now “vaping”. Doctors support this trend because the health risks associated with vaping, i.e. smoking e-cigarettes, are significantly lower. Especially if there is no nicotine in the liquids. So if you want to smoke from time to time for reasons of pleasure, it is best to try an e-cigarette – a permanently cheaper and, above all, healthier pleasure.
The addictive substance sugar
It is no longer a secret that sugar can definitely be described as an addictive substance. Similar to various drugs, sugar also creates a feeling of euphoria in the human body. This is produced by dopamine, a neurotransmitter in the brain. Anyone who eats a lot of industrial sugar and especially short-chain sugar, which is found in the usual sweets, but also in white bread, ensures that the dopamine level shoots up. This puts you in a good mood and maybe also gives you a boost of energy. However, the dopamine level then drops again quickly and then a kind of withdrawal symptom begins: you want to add more and more sugar to “feel good” again.
The more sugar we eat, the more we get used to it. And as soon as he stays away, the mood drops again. The chance of becoming not only overweight but even depressed is therefore not at all unreasonable if you consume too much sugar. When it comes to enjoying sweets, it is best to switch to healthier and just as tasty alternatives.
These alternatives can be:
- dried fruit
- bananas
- Sugar free oatmeal cookies
- Baked apples with cinnamon
- Wholemeal pancakes with unsweetened applesauce
- Unsweetened fruit gums
- Muesli bars with no added sugar.
Dark Chocolate: A Miracle Food?
Dark chocolate can also be a real miracle substitute for conventional sweets. But we would like to devote a separate section to it, because it actually packs a punch and shouldn’t go unmentioned.
- First of all, dark chocolate contains significantly less sugar than milk chocolate, especially if it has a cocoa content of at least 85 percent. Artificial flavors or skimmed milk powder can also be found in dark chocolate like never before. It is “by nature” healthier than conventional whole milk chocolate.
- In addition to the caffeine mentioned, cocoa contains a number of other interesting nutrients. For example, many polyphenols, which belong to the antioxidants. They can help with a number of chronic ailments and counteract oxidative stress and inflammation in the body, for example.
- The flavonoids in dark chocolate reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
- By eating dark chocolate, fewer levels of harmful LDL cholesterol and fewer triglycerides are produced in the liver. On the one hand, this happens through the reduction of inflammation in the body, on the other hand, through a favorable rearrangement of the liver metabolism.
Increase the pleasure with spices
Spices are one of the most natural and healthiest ways to increase daily enjoyment, at least when eating food. We’ve written about our favorite spices before , today we want to conclude with a few tips on seasoning in general.
- With every dish you should choose a single main spice that gives the food its decisive character. All other spices only round off this taste and are “supplemented”.
- After a dish has been seasoned during cooking, the spices should first soak into the food a little. Only then is it tasted and seasoned if necessary. Because some spices even need several minutes until they have fully developed their taste when cooking.
- The food should still have its own taste even after seasoning. The spices (including the main spice) support and promote the taste, but do not impart the taste. They are, so to speak, natural flavor enhancers – which is why the artificial ones are actually not needed with the right seasoning technique.
- For the reasons mentioned, less seasoning is often more. Salt in particular should only be used sparingly because it is not exactly healthy in large quantities.
- Strong spices such as thyme, rosemary, tarragon or savory should never be used together. They are all too intense, which could lead to flavor overload.
- Some spices need to cook longer, others less. Dried spices usually take longer to develop their flavor. What takes longer is often not compatible with what takes less time. Fresh herbs, for example, do not have to be cooked at all, but should only be added shortly before the end of the cooking time.
