Benefits of Yogurt

Yogurt The Super-food

It has been found that Yogurt is a huge help in weight loss and rapidly shedding fat, along with many other benefits.

Eating around 18 ounces or two cups of yogurt a day, while maintaining a well-balanced diet that is low in calories, can help you to decrease the amount of fat in your body. People who followed this plan, lost 22 % more weight and 81 % more belly fat than dieters who didn’t eat yogurt, according to research from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. They also retained one-third more lean muscle mass, which can help you maintain weight loss.

According to Dr. Perricone, a physician who is considered to be an expert on healthy foods, Yogurt is considered a “Super-food” because it has the ability of fat reduction (due to it’s high calcium content). It also improves digestion because it is loaded with good bacteria known as Probiotics, whicht aids in a healthy digestive system, decreasing the risks of Colon Cancer.

The bacterial cultures in yogurt have also been shown to stimulate infection-fighting white cells in the bloodstream and can boost immunity to illnesses. Yogurt can decrease yeast infections if eaten daily by reducing the amount of yeast colonies in the vagina.

The bacteria in the digestive system plays a very important role in our health and can easily be thrown out of balance by everyday lifestyle stressors. Other factors that can offset this precious balance include:

• Antibiotics (which can kill off both “good” and “bad” bacteria)
• Infections (bacterial, viral and fungal),
• Alcohol Consumption
• Chronic diarrhea
• Travel
• A highly processed Low Fiber Diet
• Stress

Probiotics are the easiest way to help combat these factors, and keep harmful bacteria in check.

It is an excellent source of Calcium & Protein, and it is loaded with vitamins! Just one serving is a significant source of potassium, phosphorous, riboflavin, iodine, zinc, and vitamin B5 . Yogurt also contains B12, which maintains red blood cells and helps keep your nervous system functioning properly.

Yogurt lowers LDL Cholesterol & Raises HDL Cholesterol. Daily consumption of yogurt significantly improved the cholesterol profile, lowering LDL (BAD) cholesterol while raising HDL (GOOD) cholesterol.

Also Yogurt is easier to digest than milk so many people who cannot tolerate milk, either because of a protein allergy or lactose intolerance, can enjoy yogurt because the culturing process makes yogurt more digestible than milk.

The healthiest yogurts to eat are low in saturated fat and sugars, high in their amount of protein, and mention “Live and Active Cultures” on the label.

Greek Yogurt

When it comes to yogurt, there are plenty of reasons to go with the Greek type. It’s rich in calcium and good for our bones, in fact, one serving supplies nearly one-fourth of a woman’s daily calcium needs, and the fat-free variety is packed with twice as much protein as regular yogurt. Fat-free Greek Yogurt is also high in probiotics, helping ease irritable bowel syndrome and boosting immunity (a plus during flu season). The Plain variety has a thick, creamy texture and tangy taste much like sour cream, making it a perfect fat-free ingredient for many recipes.

Recommended Yogurt Products:

Lifeway Kefir Low Fat Probiotic Smoothies

Lifeway Kefir has twelve different live and active cultures that help promote myriad health benefits. All of Lifeway’s products are Gluten Free. Learn more about Lifeway Kefir Probiotic Smoothies.

Dannon Oikos Greek Yogurt

Dannon Greek yogurt packs in almost double the protein, half the sugar and less than half the sodium of traditional nonfat yogurt. Overall, Dannon Greek is comparable to more well-known brands of Greek, but its lower price makes it an excellent option. Learn more about Dannon Non Fat Greek Yogurt.

Bolthouse Farms Yogurt Dressings

Weighing in at only 45 calories or less, plus you just cannot beat these dressings in taste. They are not only excellent as a dressing, they are wonderful as dips or to add some low calorie zing to your recipes. Learn more about Bolthouse Farms Yogurt Dressings.

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