Scoop of goodness

healthEating yogurt on a regular basis keeps you fit and healthy. You! takes a look...Yogurt makes a filling, portable meal, with ample protein to help you power through your day. Yogurt is a calcium powerhouse and an excellent source of vitamins and minerals. The nutritional and caloric contents of yogurt are similar to those of the fluid milk from which it is made. In fact, one serving of yogurt contains about as much potassium as a banana. You can also use it as a versatile addition to dressings, dips, marinades, smoothies, and soups.For those who think that yogurts are popular because they taste rich and creamy, the reality is that their benefits go beyond just their taste. And that is exactly the reason that you will find an array of yogurt varieties at every grocery store. Eating yogurt on a regular basis has the added benefit of supporting different aspects of health. So, before you indulge in the next scoop of goodness, we tell you about its health benefits.Good for bones: A bowl of yogurt is said to have 300 grams of calcium. So if you are worried about your debilitating bone health, it’s always good to add yogurt to your diet. It will not only maintain your bone density but also strengthen them. For the elderly who are at risk of osteoporosis, a cup of yogurt daily after lunch is a healthy option.Yogurt can give you flat abs: Eat 18 ounces a day and you can drop a jeans size. People who ate that much - in conjunction with cutting their total calories - lost 22 per cent more weight and 81 per cent more belly fat than dieters who skipped the snack, according to research from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Faster workout recovery: With the right ratio of protein to carbohydrates, yogurt makes an excellent post-sweat-session snack. If you have a bowl of yogurt within 60 minutes of your workout, it releases amino acids that help repair muscles. It’s a bonus if you drink a bottle of water along with it: The protein in yogurt may also help increase the amount of water absorbed by the intestines, improving hydration.Controls blood pressure: The potassium present in yogurt helps eradicate excess of sodium from our bodies. In fact, a recent study suggested that low fat dairy helped them keep BP issues at bay.Boost immunity: Yogurt is a unique food because it is a cultured milk product, made by adding certain ‘friendly’ or ‘good’ bacteria called probiotics to milk, skim milk, and/or cream to produce a thicker and more textured product. These ‘good’ bacteria are live active cultures that are similar to the ones that already exist in the human digestive tract. They help maintain and restore the delicate balance of both ‘good’ and ‘bad’ bacteria necessary for a healthy digestive system. The healthy bacteria in yogurt help send signals to the immune-boosting cells in your body to power up and fight off harmful bugs.Keeps colds away: Dig into four ounces each day and you may find yourself sniffle-free in the months ahead, according to a study at the University of Vienna. Women eating this amount had much stronger and more active T cells, which battle illness and infection, than they did before they started consuming it. Yogurt as an antidote while using antibiotics: You must keep in mind that whenever you are using antibiotics; yogurt becomes one of the most important foods in your diet. Although antibiotics destroy disease-causing bacteria while you are sick, they also cause benign bacteria to die. If you want to avoid the side effects of antibiotics, you should not forget to consume yogurt. Different types of yogurtWith yogurt becoming such a popular movement in the health food world, the yogurt section of the market has grown and the options have become overwhelming. Whichever kind of yogurt you choose, try to incorporate at least three to four servings of yogurt per week in your diet...Traditional/plain yogurt: Plain, unflavoured yogurt is the original and most versatile of yogurts. It contains from 100 to 160 calories per cup, depending on the fat content. Traditional yogurt is unstrained and usually very smooth and creamy. It’s a perfect way to get the calcium to build strong bones and help digestion. You can find traditional yogurt in all stores made by some of the most common brands. Fruit yogurt: Generally fresh and pureed fruits are added to make such yogurt and it is quite popular among consumers. But the downside of such fruit flavored yogurt is that it contains high amounts of sugar and calories as compared to regular yogurt, and as such is not an ideal choice for people who are watching their weight.Frozen yogurt: Frozen yogurt is a kind of soft ice cream that is consumed as an alternative to regular ice cream. However, in most cases, frozen yogurt contains as much sugar and milk fat as regular ice cream.Low-fat yogurt: Low-fat yogurt, which is a favourite among the calorie and health conscious people, is made from skimmed milk or reduced fat milk. Low fat yogurt can be both plain or flavoured. It contains around 0.5-2 per cent milk fat compared to 3-5 per cent milk fat contained in regular yogurt.Greek: Greek yogurt has become increasingly popular. This thick, tangy yogurt is made by straining out most of the liquid whey. It’s higher in protein and lower in sugar than conventional varieties. It is a very smooth yogurt that has a thicker consistency than plain yogurt and is used in cooking many Mediterranean dishes. Goat yogurt: Trouble digesting cow’s milk? Give goat’s milk yogurt a shot; research suggests that 40 per cent of people with dairy allergies tolerate goat’s milk well. Like traditional yogurt, it’s an unstrained yogurt and has a delicious velvety texture. Plus, it’s higher in short and medium-chain fatty acids, as well as some minerals, and has a milder flavour than you might expect. Soya yogurt: Soya yogurt is a non-dairy yogurt that is made by fermenting soya milk which is obtained from soya beans. For vegans who do not have any dairy products, soya yogurt is an excellent alternative. Although soya milk does not contain lactose sugar, it contains other sugars such as stachyose and raffinose which breaks down during the fermentation process, producing yogurt.Whipped yogurt: Whipped yogurts have more air, which gives them a lighter consistency. They have fewer calories, because there’s less actual yogurt in the container. But you also get less calcium, protein, and other beneficial nutrients.

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