What’s So Great About This Greek Yogurt Anyway?
My first exposure to eating Greek yogurt for breakfast came from my friend and coworker who swears by the stuff. As a person with a laundry list of gastrointestinal issues I’m no stranger to yogurt due to the probiotic content. I’ve used plain fat-free yogurt in sauces for some time, but I’ve never really learned to love the taste of yogurt. Yogurt became just one of those healthy foods that I knew I had to eat from time to time like celery or seitan. I mean, it’s ok, but I wasn’t going to my list of favorite foods or anyting. So finally, I started poking around and asked, “So what’s so great about this Greek yogurt anyway”? Is it made from goats? Does it taste different? What’s going on here? Rebecca answered that it was higher in protein. Now my interest was really piqued and I began to do a little online research. She was absolutely right, it is higher in protein. According to Healthy Cooking, Greek yogurt is made by straining out the whey (liquid) which makes a thicker, creamier yogurt. Even more fantastic is that unlike regular yogurt, you can actually cook with it and it won’t curdle or separate. This means that you can make healthier, lower-fat versions of some of your favorite creamy dishes!
“Plain yogurt can also easily be substituted for buttermilk or cream when stirring the wet-dry ingredients together, giving the recipe the needed tartness that buttermilk brings and richness that whole cream brings.Plain yogurt can also easily be substituted for buttermilk or cream when stirring the wet-dry ingredients together, giving the recipe the needed tartness that buttermilk brings and richness that whole cream brings.” Read more at Suite101: The Differences Between Regular and Greek Yogurt: How to Best Use Both in Recipes and as Ingredient Substitutions http://healthycooking.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_differences_between_regular_and_greek_yogurt#ixzz0lepaIBMn
I decided to pick some up on a recent trip to Safeway and I purchased the fat-free, peach flavored version made by Chobani. Where has this yogurt been all of my life? This yogurt was so creamy and sweet and wonderful that it tasted like dessert, yet it had no fat and few calories (140), but lots of protein (14 grams). This is an excellent distribution of protein to carbs 41% to 59%; Amazing! All of that protein means that you feel full longer and it is an excellent recovery breakfast on strength training days. So, Thanks Rebecca! As for the rest of you, check it out. It tastes good and it’s good for you, and that really is a rare treat.
Want to lose weight? Plant an herb garden
Now that the winter solstice has passed I’m holding on to the fact that each day is now a little bit brighter than it was the day before. Spring and summer are not far off now and I’m looking forward to the warm weather and reworking my garden. Gardening is some of the best exercise that I get every year because I am forced to go outside and haul, dig, drag and pull at least once a week once the weather is nice. Not only does it help me stay in shape, but I save money growing my own herbs and I get to force everyone to admire my handy work when I’m finished. I love cooking with fresh herbs. So, I’ve always known that herbs were great for health and wellness if you grow them yourself, but the author of “Eat This, Not That” gave me a new way to appreciate my hard work. According to their article on herbs, just eating them can help you lose weight:
Fight Fat with Flavor
Use these special spices to boost both flavor and health benefits
Want to amp up your nutrition and the flavor of your meals? Fresh herbs are the perfect prescription. They’re packed with nutrients that have been shown to boost brainpower and protect your health. But the best part? They make any meal taste better. And surprisingly, that can actually benefit your waistline. That’s because much of a person’s eating satisfaction is derived from flavor intensity and the visual impact of a meal, not necessarily the amount served, explains Brian Wansink, Ph.D., director of the Cornell University Food and Brand Lab. So forget mounds of mediocre food. Instead, downsize your dinner—and your gut—by infusing them with the fresh flavor of the World’s 9 Best Spices.
Here’s a list of the spices and their significance, click on the title for a link to the original article with suggestions on how to cook with these herbs:
- Basil: Rich in antioxidants that mop up cell-damaging free radicals inside the body. This can help prevent a host of unwanted conditions, such as osteoporosis, arthritis, and high cholesterol. Basil also contains oils that prevent bacteria growth and inflammation.
- Peppermint: The menthol in peppermint clears phlegm and mucus from the bronchial tract to facilitate easy breathing. And also for soothing indigestion, gas, menstrual cramps, and irritable bowel syndrome.
- Sage: Known to strengthen memory. The rosemerinic acid in these plants also works to preserve your body by protecting your cells from oxidative damage and alleviating the effects of asthma and arthritis.
- Rosemary: Call it the smart spice. Many people swear by rosemary’s ability to increase cognitive functioning, and researchers in California have identified carnosic acid as an active ingredient in rosemary that can offset cognitive degeneration, protect against Alzheimer’s, and prevent stroke.
- Thyme: Extremely rich in iron, which is crucial to your body’s ability to transport oxygen. Just 2 teaspoons contain 20 percent of your daily intake. Plus, seasoning with thyme helps protect food from bacterial contamination.
- Cilantro: My favorite herb helps burn fat!?! I can’t even tell you how excited I was to read this; In mice studies, coriander seeds, from the cilantro plant, encouraged the pancreas to produce more insulin-the hormone that helps shuttle glucose into the cells to be burned as energy. This prevents excess blood sugars from being stored as fat. Cilantro leaves have the same benefits.
- Tarragon: By increasing the secretion of bile and acids into the stomach, tarragon improves gastric efficiency and whets the appetite. Because of this, it’s best used early in the meal as an appetizer.
- Oregano: A USDA study found that when adjusted for weight, it had four times the antioxidant activity of blueberries. That means big cancer-fighting potential for your next pizza or pasta sauce.
- Parsley: Highly concentrated with luteolin, a powerful flavonoid with anti-inflammatory properties. Researchers at the University of Illinios found that luteolin decreased inflammation in the brain, which helps prevent decline in cognitive functions.
Probiotics are freakin’ awesome!
I had been sick for two months with some kind of terrible combination of upper respiratory/sinus infection and possibly allergies and/or asthma. My doctor tried combinations of medication (up to 5 at a time) which required a map to sort out what I had taken, what I was currently on, and what was left to try. After the first antibiotic didn’t clear things up, she opted for another, stronger antibiotic. Unfortunately, one of the side effects included colitis!?! I, of course, developed colitis within 2 days of taking the antibiotic and have a history of many and varied gastrointestinal disorders. I can safely say, that there are some places from which one never wants to bleed..ever. Not only was this condition painful, but it was also very embarassing and terribly inconvenient to experience in the workplace, but you still have to get your work done. On the advice of my best friend and then a similar conversation with my mother I decided to up my probiotic intake from just Activia yogurt but some additional sources. I was on a limited diet so I needed something non-dairy and easy to digest. I purchased probiotic capsules that contained two kinds of bacteria to support both large intestine and small intestine functions as well as GoodBelly, a vegan fruit juice with probiotics and vitamins. Fortunately, discontinuing the antibiotics and beginning the probiotics found me feeling better within days. Luckily I am now free of whatever mess I had happening in my lungs/sinuses and my intestinal issues have been cleared as well. In fact, I haven’t experienced any gastrointestinal distress in the last week (even after mixing various types of alcohol and even eating a hot dog at my best friend’s birthday…which normally spells disaster). My doctor did indicate at my follow-up that studies show that probiotics can be very helpful for clearing up these types of issues, but didn’t provide elaboration on which type would be best. Amazon has a highly rated book from last year that covers this information however and I think it is a valuable resource in determining if probiotics can help you and which to try. You can get the book here: The Probiotics Revolution: The Definitive Guide to Safe, Natural Health Solutions Using Probiotic and Prebiotic Foods and Supplements
