August 12, 2023: Do not add salt to food. Still water instead of sparkling water. Avoid ketchup. Anna from Seattle

August 12, 2023. A promising Saturday unfolded before me. On the fourth floor of the library, I took a seat, and across from me sat Anna, whose name I didn't yet know, but this was about to change. Her short shorts accentuated her well-shaped butt, and I persistently tried to make eye contact with her. Yet, she always looked straight ahead.

As I prepared to head to Dascha and Tobi's for brunch in Hildesheim, I saw her on the lawn in front of the library, likely taking a break. I cautiously approached her from the front, like a hunter not wanting to scare a timid deer. I knew that startling a woman while approaching could lead to anxiety and abruptly end the conversation.

"Hey, you were just my seat neighbor," I said in a calm, deep voice as I sat down in front of her. "I was trying to make eye contact with you the whole time, but you didn't look at me," I continued.

"Oh, sorry, that wasn't intentional. I was just lost in thought. What's your name?" she smiled.

"Alexander, and you?" I extended my hand.

"Anna. And what do you do?" she shook my hand, and we started talking.

I told her about my current life story and that I was now heading off to brunch with my family. Anna, a PhD student in linguistics from Seattle, was only visiting her family for a few months. When I suggested going on a date with her, she informed me that she had a boyfriend. However, she was open to being "Bib Buddies." I left her my phone number and headed to Hildesheim.

After a delicious, entirely vegan brunch at Dascha and Tobi's, I drove with my mother to Borsum and stayed there since it was Lauri's birthday the next day. In Borsum, I delved into the topic of "salt" over a spelt coffee. It amused me that Karl Lauterbach didn't salt his food. I researched the reasons and realized that our Western world consumed too much salt. Almost every supermarket product contained salt, especially bread, cheese, canned goods, ready meals, and frozen foods. I decided, like Karl Lauterbach, to stop salting my food and looked for ways to enjoy it without salt. My research revealed that the salt receptors on the tongue would adjust to lower salt intake, and over time, I would taste small amounts of salt more intensely.

From the topic of salt, I moved on to ketchup, mayo, and mustard. I researched the health effects of these products since I occasionally ate a vegan burger with American wedges in the cafeteria. In the fridge, I checked the sugar content in ketchup and found it too high. Not wanting to combine protein with sugar in the form of ketchup to avoid AGEs, I decided to avoid ketchup. I also checked the sugar in mustard, which was low. The horseradish in the jar also contained little sugar. When I checked the tube of tomato paste, I discovered it had as much sugar as ketchup. Therefore, I resolved to avoid tomato paste and ketchup and always prefer mustard or horseradish. There was no mayo in the fridge.

I also learned that carbonation in sparkling water is an acid that can cause heartburn and stomach discomfort. Since my stomach was my weak point, I decided to treat it kindly and always prefer still water over sparkling water.

The next day, I began reading the book "MODELS" by Mark Manson to improve my skills with women. In the first chapters, I gained numerous insights. One important lesson was not to write long text messages anymore but to call the person instead. This way, I would avoid misunderstandings that could arise from written communication without the tone of voice. Henceforth, text messages would only be used for making appointments.

During a walk through the Borsum fields, I decided to sign up for a climbing taster course at the university sports center to try a new sport and broaden my athletic horizons. In climbing, I hoped to overcome my fear of heights, and in swimming, I wanted to conquer my fear of deep water.

In the evening, I deleted the Trade Republic app from my smartphone to avoid the temptation of opening it. I could also access my securities account on my laptop in the browser. To ensure that I couldn't disable the downtime function on my phone, I asked my mother to set a password. Only those who knew this password could deactivate the downtime function. She obliged and, of course, didn't tell me the password.

Finally, I ventured into a washing experiment. My stinky karate T-shirt accompanied me to Borsum to be washed at forty degrees without detergent. Although the T-shirt no longer smelled unpleasant after washing, a close sniff in the armpit area revealed slight sweat odors. It was a pity that it didn't become completely odor-free, as I would have liked to avoid using detergent.

1. I no longer salt my food, as too much salt is unhealthy and can lead to high blood pressure. This also helps me avoid waste in the form of salt packaging.
2. I use mustard and horseradish with my meals and avoid ketchup and tomato paste.
3. I always prefer still water over sparkling water.
4. I no longer have a trading app on my smartphone. I manage my securities exclusively on my laptop.