It's All Greek to Me!

Yogurt! You can't walk into the dairy section at the grocer store without being inundated with yogurt - fat-free, lowfat, organic, Greek, probiotic, kid's yogurt and more. There are entire cold cases dedicated to the stuff. And on TV, Jamie Lee Curtis telling us all about her, eh, "regularity." And we, the American dairy eating public are eating it up with a spoon. Literally. Who knew that so many people had, eh, "tummy issues?" Anyway.

Yogurt is one of those amazing super-foods with a long-list of benefits, aside from the gut regulating kind. According to webmd, here are the top 5 benefits:

Benefit No. 1: Yogurt May Help Prevent Osteoporosis
''Adequate nutrition plays a major role in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis, and the micronutrients of greatest importance are calcium and vitamin D,'' says Jeri Nieves, PhD, MS, director of bone density testing at New York’s Helen Hayes Hospital.

Calcium has been shown to have beneficial effects on bone mass in people of all ages, although the results are not always consistent, says Nieves, also an assistant professor of clinical epidemiology at Columbia University.

''The combination of calcium and vitamin D has a clear skeletal benefit, provided the dose of vitamin D is sufficiently high,'' she adds.

2. Benefit No. 2: Yogurt May Reduce the Risk of High Blood Pressure
A recent study, which followed more than 5,000 Spanish university graduates for about two years, found a link between dairy intake and risk of high blood pressure.

''We observed a 50% reduction in the risk of developing high blood pressure among people eating 2-3 servings of low-fat dairy a day (or more), compared with those without any intake,'' Alvaro Alonso, MD, PhD, a researcher in the department of epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, said in an email interview.

3. Benefit No. 3: Yogurt With Active Cultures Helps the Gut
Yogurt with active cultures may help certain gastrointestinal conditions, including:

* Lactose intolerance
* Constipation
* Diarrhea
* Colon cancer
* Inflammatory bowel disease
* H. pylori infection

That's what researchers from the Jean Mayer U.S. Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University concluded in a recent review article.

The benefits are thought to be due to:

* Changes in the microflora of the gut
* The time food takes to go through the bowel
* Enhancement of the body's immune system

Benefit No. 4: Yogurt With Active Cultures May Discourage Vaginal Infections
Candida or "yeast" vaginal infections are a common problem for women with diabetes. In a small study, seven diabetic women with chronic Candidal vaginitis consumed 6 ounces of frozen aspartame-sweetened yogurt per day (with or without active cultures).

Even though most of the women had poor blood sugar control throughout the study, the vaginal pH (measure of acidity or basicity) of the group eating yogurt with active cultures dropped from 6.0 to 4.0 (normal pH is 4.0-4.5). These women also reported a decrease in Candida infections. The women eating the yogurt without active cultures remained at pH 6.0.

Benefit No. 5: Yogurt May Help You Feel Fuller
A study from the University of Washington in Seattle tested hunger, fullness, and calories eaten at the next meal on 16 men and 16 women who had a 200-calorie snack. The snack was either:

* Semisolid yogurt containing pieces of peach and eaten with a spoon
* The same yogurt in drinkable form
* A peach-flavored dairy beverage
* Peach juice

Although those who had the yogurt snacks did not eat fewer calories at the next meal, both types of yogurt resulted in lower hunger ratings and higher fullness ratings than either of the other snacks.


Now let's focus on that last part. The staying full part. This is the most critical part of dieting - eating the right things to keep you full. Starvation is the quickest way to send you back to the bag of cookies.

I recently bought some Greek yogurt because I've heard so much "good stuff" about it in the media. I figured I'd give it a shot. So it does have more calories than my normal Yoplait fat-free yogurt BUT it has NO aspartame in it. It is still fat-free (yay), and is just plain better! And FULLNESS. Did I mention how full I was after eating my little 130 calorie tub? Seriously.

Here are the main benefits of Greek vs. regular yogurt, according to healthmad.com:

It’s higher in protein.
If you’re looking for a good source of protein, Greek yogurt wins out over regular yogurt. Most commercial Greek yogurts at supermarkets have almost double the protein content of standard brands such as Dannon and Yoplait. One cup of plain, low-fat convention yogurt has between ten and twelve protein grams, whereas most Greek yogurts average around twenty.

It’s lower in carbohydrates.
For the carb watcher, Greek yogurt is the better choice. Whereas standard yogurts have fifteen to seventeen grams of carbs, Greek yogurt averages around nine with some brands having even less. Greek yogurt is also a better choice for those with diabetes for obvious reasons.

It’s thicker and creamier.
Greek yogurt has a thicker, creamier texture which many people find appealing. [A little more like cheesecake, yum!] Standard yogurt is generally strained two times, whereas Greek yogurt is triply strain to remove more of the whey. When whey is removed, so is water which creates a thicker, more substantial yogurt product. For this reason, thickeners aren’t added to Greek yogurt, yet it still has an appealing texture. Because it’s thicker and creamier, it’s often better than standard yogurt for making dips and sauces.

It’s lower in sodium.
If you’re watching your salt intake, Greek yogurt is the better choice. It often contains as much as fifty percent less sodium than standard yogurts.

Read more: http://healthmad.com/nutrition/what-are-the-health-benefits-of-greek-yogurt-vs-regular-yogurt/#ixzz0qSuAbLdZ

I also consulted my bestie and she agrees - Greek yogurt = FULL! A tasty flavor is vanilla and honey from Yoplait. L-O-V-E it!