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On top of being delicious, refreshing and versatile, yogurt is one of the healthiest foods around. You can eat it plain, freeze it, add in your favourite fruits, use it as a dip or in recipes as a low-fat substitute.
If you’re looking for a daily treat that’s healthy and supports your weight loss goals – look no further than your grocery store’s dairy section – yogurt truly does have it all. Find out more about this power food below, and give our Yogurt Recipes a try - you won't be sorry!
Yogurt is an excellent source of protein, calcium, riboflavin and vitamin B12 – all of which are essential to an active and healthy lifestyle. But yogurt offers so much more. All yogurts should contain live bacterial culture (it shouldn’t be called ‘yogurt’ unless it does) and this friendly bacterial culture offers a host of benefits such as boosting your immune system, and even supporting fat loss!
Immune Booster - There have been numerous studies on yogurt’s beneficial effects to the immune system. In one such study (by Simin Nikbin Meydani, Ph.D., published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition – see full study), it was shown that yogurt may help make the immune system more resilient. Dr. Meydani suggests that yogurt has great potential as a protective anti-infection agent. Increased yogurt consumption may help increase one's resistance to immune-related diseases such as cancer and infection, particularly gastrointestinal infection. This increase in resistance is in part because of the live and active cultures found in yogurt.
Lactose-Intolerant Friendly - Lactase is an enzyme that is found in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, which breaks down lactose (milk sugar). All dairy products contain lactose, but in those who are lactose-intolerant, there is not enough lactase to break it down, resulting in bloating and cramps. As a dairy product, yogurt does contain lactose, but the live bacteria in yogurt also contains the enzyme lactase, which breaks down the lactose making it easier for everyone (including those with lactose intolerance) to digest.
Supports Healthy Digestive System and Colon -Another benefit of live and active cultures in the yogurt is that they encourage the right kind of bacteria to multiply in the colon. These friendly bacteria help to digest food and improve absorption of key nutrients.
Rich in Calcium - Calcium in a very important mineral and one that many of us don’t get enough of. Calcium is essential for strong bones and teeth, but it is also necessary to ensure proper functioning of muscles and nerves. When we don’t get enough calcium to supply the body with what it needs, your body will ‘borrow’ this mineral from bones, leading to a variety of problems, such as Osteoporosis or other bone disease. Just 1 cup of yogurt a day provides almost 45% of your daily recommended calcium .
Increases Fat Loss - As well as being good for bone health, there have been recent studies showing evidence that the calcium and protein derived from eating low-fat dairy products may help burn fat and promote weight loss.
In one such study*, there were 3 groups on a calorie-restricted diet. One group ate a low-calcium diet and lost an average of 15 pounds. The second group ate a high-calcium supplement/low-dairy diet and lost an average of 19 pounds, while the last group ate a high-dairy diet and lost an average of 24 pounds! In this study, the participants in the high-dairy group were free to choose any dairy product they’d like. In another study** with only 2 groups, the high-calcium diet consisted of 3 daily servings of yogurt and no other dairy – the yogurt group lost 61% more fat and 81% more abdominal fat than the low-calcium group.
* Zemel, M.Obesity Research, April 2004; vol 12: pp 582-590. (http://healthfully.org/health/id21.html)
** International Journal of Obesity (2005) 29, 391−397. doi: 10.1038/sj.ijo.0802880
Easy Dill Chicken Salad with Celery
Recipe found on Dannon® (www.dannon.com)
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup Dannon plain yogurt (or any brand of plain yogurt)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- 1 cup cooked cubed chicken meat
- 1 cup sliced celery
- 1/4 cup golden raisins (optional)
- salt and pepper (to taste)
Directions:
- In a large bowl, combine yogurt and dill. Mix well. Add chicken, celery and raisins. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Berry Good Yogurt 'Mousse'
A great low-fat treat to satisfy your sweet tooth. This recipe is very versatile, so you can replace half (or all) the berries with other fruits of your choice.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 2 cups low fat cottage cheese
- 2 cups low fat vanilla yogurt
- 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar (for a natural sweetener, try using honey instead)
- 1 cup frozen strawberriese
- 1 cup frozen blueberries
Directions:
- Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Serve immediately and enjoy.
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