What used to be one of the unhealthiest breakfast dishes to start your day with has now become one of the healthiest. It’s not because of a changed point of view – it’s because food manufacturers gave this breakfast staple a healthy facelift. If you have not guessed now, we’re talking about yogurt.
Decades ago, it was hard to come across a small carton that had less than 20 grams of sugar. Now there are dozens of low-sugar yogurts to choose from.
But yogurt is not only healthy because it has low added sugar. It is also good for you because it is high in protein, saturating fats and beneficial micronutrients. Combined, these health benefits affect all factors, which is why yogurt is the perfect food for weight loss. Here are seven reasons to push the waist, muscle tones, to grab a spoon and go-belt regularly. Read on, and for more on how to eat healthy, you will not want to miss these 21 best healthy cooking hacks all the time.
Protein is the secret ingredient in a satisfying snack, researchers say. And yogurt can be the ultimate munchie between meals. Women who indulged in a protein-rich snack with yogurt in the afternoon reported greater satiety and ate 100 fewer calories at dinner than snackers served biscuits or chocolate, according to a study in the journal Nutrition. And the higher the protein content of yogurt, the greater its impact on appetite control, research suggests. So reach out to strained Greek or Icelandic Skyr varieties that provide two to three times the protein punch of regular ones, like these 15 best Greek yogurts, according to nutritionists.
You have lost weight. Now the real challenge: keep it away. Yogurt can help, researchers say. In fact, former dieters who ate at least three daily servings of dairy maintained their weight loss while consuming 11 percent more calories than people who consumed less than one serving a day, according to a Nutrition and metabolism examination. The researchers attribute the ability of dieters to eat more calories without weight gain to the dairy’s ability to burn fat through enzyme inhibitors and amino acids that are unique to dairy protein that acts synergistically with calcium.
If Vitamin D was your diet trainer, he would say something like: I want to see your weight loss goal of 5 pounds and raise you another 5 pounds. This is because supplementation with the nutrient, especially when you are low in the sunshine vitamin, can enhance the effects of a reduced calorie diet, a recent examination suggests. Dieters who supplemented with vitamin D lost almost three times as much as a group on the same diet that did not get boosted. And fortified low-fat yogurt is one of the best dietary sources of vitamin D.
Think of the healthiest person you know. There is a good chance that you will find yogurt in their fridge. Compared to non-consumers, people who eat at least one serving of low-fat yogurt daily tend to weigh less, have smaller waists and follow healthier diets in general, according to a recent study. They also have lower levels of bad cholesterol, blood sugar and insulin resistance. Study authors say that micronutrients in yogurt, including calcium, potassium, magnesium and B vitamins, help improve diet quality and keep your metabolism strong.
Your bodybuilder friends will tell you that it can not be done: Build lean muscle and release fat at the same time. Yogurt fans know something else. In fact, women who ate 6-7 servings of dairy as part of a 16-week diet and exercise program lost twice as much belly fat as a group that ate less than a single serving. And while the Greek yogurt goddesses gained one and a half pounds of lean, sexy muscle, their sisters with low-fat milk lost so much muscle on the same program. Study authors says it is a combination of calcium, vitamin D and potent amino acids found in dairy products that accelerate fat burning and help maintain lean muscle mass, making yogurt the ultimate body recomposition food.
It’s every sloth’s dream come true: A late snack that has been shown to boost metabolism and tone your muscles while you sleep. Oh, and you wake up less hungry too. It’s the whey and casein protein in yoghurt that makes it the ultimate midnight munchie, say researchers. A pre-bed snack that contained 40 grams of casein protein (about what you find in two servings of Greek yogurt) increased protein synthesis (aka muscle building) at rates 22 percent higher than placebo, according to a study. To reach the 40 grams, consider pairing your yogurt with a protein shake. (Related: 25 Late Night Habits That Destroy Your Weight Loss Effort.)
There are just certain foods that will cause long term weight gain more than others. But for every food that expands your waistline, there is one food that can shrink it – and yogurt is one of them. A study published in International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity magazine found that eating low-fat yogurt over the years was actually associated with a decrease in weight over time. The same was true of plant-based foods.
