Why Yoghurt Is So Good

If you were to have one snack food on hand when you are on a weight loss journey and healthy eating lifestyle combat, yoghurt would be very high on the least.

There is a multitude of reasons why yoghurt is such a brilliant and healthy food plus there are endless possibilities in how you can eat it!

Tonight  I wanted to share why this real super food can enter your life in a delicious way.

So why is yoghurt so good for us?

• It is high in calcium which is incredibly important for bone health and strength. In women we need the calcium to assist in the prevention of osteoporosis. This is essential in the teenage development years.

Per 200 gram serving there is around 400mg of calcium which is over a third of our dietary needs for women 19-50 years.

• It is an excellent source of protein. Protein is great in assisting in the feeling of fullness. This is helpful when we are aiming to lose weight.

• It is high vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A, some B vitamins (include folate), potassium and zinc.

• Can often be eaten even if you are intolerant to lactose. This is because the bacteria cultures that are added to turn the milk into yoghurt ferment the sugar lactose into lactic acid so as to ‘curdle’ the milk into yoghurt. This means that there is far less lactose in yoghurt then there is in milk.

• Is good for our tummies. This is again because of the active bacteria cultures such as Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Steptococcus thermophilius which are added to the pasteurised milk to ferment it and create yoghurt. It is these bacteria cultures which help suppress the growth of harmful microorganisms in the body. This helps balance the intestinal flora in our guts and digestive system which is highly important contributor to our overall health.

Some scientists question how much of the bacteria survives human digestion through the stomach acid, yet other research supports is conclusively.

Either way, yoghurt is a great way to aim to restore your gut flora, especially after sickness or the  use of antibiotics which strips the gut flora of our intestines.

• Low in fat. If you choose a lower fat variety and one which does not have added sugar or too much added sugar then you have a low fat snack on your hand.

• Great substitute for cream which holds up the low fat argument. You can use natural or plain yoghurt in many recipes to be able to give the creaminess or even tartness of something like sour cream with a reduced fat content. This is great if you are on a weight loss diet.

• Choose unsweetened yoghurts. Low fat but sweetened yoghurts can be incredibly high in sugar which defeats the purpose of the yoghurt being low in fat. Other low fat options often have a myriad of other ingredients, flavours and artificial ingredients added to make up for the flavour lost with the fat. It is best to choose a plain, low fat, natural or greek yoghurt. Aim to choose a yoghurt which has less then 10grams of sugar per 100g.