Yogurt, Yoghurt, Yougurt....yo, Gert !

Yummy, yummy, yogurt, is it even fair that it's good for you too ?!
Well, thank goodness it is because I eat it nearly every day ! Whether it's eaten at breakfast, in a smoothie, with your dinner or dessert, it's good for you ! Yipee ! Okay, that's the good news....the bad news is I'm not really talking about the fruit filled, sugar laden ( and sometimes aspartame & splenda filled) pink confection most people think of when yogurt is mentioned, no, no, no, I'm talking about, plain, white, unflavored, no sugar yogurt. But fear not, there is hope...it can be delicious. So, what's so good about it ? Well I'm glad you asked...
Yogurt is a fermented milk product, made from any milk, be it cow, goat , camel or what have you and has been a staple food in the middle east, and parts of Asia & southeastern Europe since ancient times. It is regualrly used in Greek, Syrian & Indian cooking and is often diluted with water & honey, as a beverage. (an aquired taste ) It's close realtive, Kefir is also gaining ground here in the west, and also good for you, although it contains femented yeast so anyone with sensitivities should be aware of this. Yogurt contains beneficial bacterias ( Lactobacillus Bulgaricus, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and streptococuss Thermophilus - and no, yogurt cannot cause strep throat )
These ferment, thicken & cause the milk sugar ( Lactose) to turn to lactic acid, making it easier for your body to digest. This is great way for those of us who are lactose intolerant to get some dairy product, and 1/2 cup of plain yogurt has about 15 % of your daily recommended calcium intake ! It's also great to replenish your normal intestinal flora after you've had a round of antibiotics ( which of course kill both the good & the bad bacteria ) Research shows that yogurt helps guard the intestines against carcinogens, and helps stave off yeast infections too ( the sugar laden yogurt won't help much, as yeast lives off sugar )
So, how do you get used to eating plain yogurt & incorporate it into your food menu ? You can slowly get used to it by eating it with fresh fruit & a tiny bit of honey & cinnamon, then slowly reduce the honey. I eat this for breakie with hemp seeds & such on it . Yum.
You can also use it in place of sour cream, buttermilk, mayo,cream, & milk in recipes. When baking with yogurt, add 1/2 tsp. baking soda/ cup of yogurt. Here's even more incentive....
1 cup plain yogurt = aprox 150 calories
1 cup mayonaise = aprox 1500 calories
Be sure to check out the yogurt recipes in my recipe link. Bon Apetite !