Yummy Yogurt and Zucchini

Yogurt

Who doesn’t know that yogurt is an extremely healthy, fermented food that helps repopulate your digestive system with beneficial bacteria? Pretty much anyone you speak to knows yogurt is a healthy food.

Besides the probiotics (good bacteria) yogurt is also a very good source of protein and calcium. Some studies also showed that people who consume low fat dairy products have a reduced risk for high blood pressure. But many people, particularly older people, find it very difficult to digest dairy products. Yogurt and other fermented dairy foods like kefir eliminate that problem for almost all people.

Yogurt is easy to digest and is an excellent choice for anyone with digestive problems, and especially ulcers. A recent study looked at the effects of yogurt containing lactobacillus and bifidobacterium on people with persistent H. pylori infections. H. pylori is a bacteria that causes infections in the stomach and small intestine and greatly increase risk of developing an ulcer. The researchers found yogurt made the drug treatment usually recommended to clear this up to be more effective when the patients also consumed yogurt.

A few cautions: be sure the yogurt you choose contains active cultures. That’s where all the health benefits are. Also, avoid the fruit on the bottom and artificially sweetened varieties – in both cases the added sugar or chemical-laden artificial sweetener pretty much nullify the health benefits.

Zucchini

Zucchini is a green, summer squash that is very low calorie, contains fiber, protein, vitamins A and C, folate, magnesium, manganese, potassium and more. It’s available all year round and lends itself to many preparation methods.

It’s a wonderful weight loss vegetable – low calorie – one cup has about 36 calories, depending on how it’s prepared - high fiber and high water content – over 95% water! The folate is believed to help lower homocysteine levels, important in preventing cardiovascular disease.

Take a Step:

I learned something interesting about Greek yogurt. The reason it is so much thicker and creamier than most regular yogurts is because the excess milk is strained out leaving the whey protein solids behind. That means not only is it creamier, thicker and richer, it has nearly two times the protein content of regular yogurt. One cup of Greek yogurt has 23 grams of protein compared to 12 grams in regular yogurt. It also has fewer carbs (9 grams versus 17 in other yogurts). Just be sure to pick an unsweetened one and a wonderful, classic Greek dessert is plain Greek yogurt with a couple of sliced figs, some walnuts and a drizzle of raw honey – delicious!

Another delicious cultured dairy drink is Amasai which you can only get from Beyond Organic. This is an amazing and unique product. It's delicious and loaded with beneficial probiotics. You can even use it to make an incredibly healthy ice cream!

I use zucchini a lot and one thing I always do is grate one and include it in any ground meat recipe like burgers or meatloaf. It bumps up nutrition, adding vitamins and fiber and extends the meat. You can also add some grated zucchini to pasta sauce – it will basically melt right into it and you’ll never know it’s there.

As a side dish you can steam it or roast it which is my preferred method. If you want to learn more tricks of being a stealth cook, check out my Nutrition-Boosting Strategies e-book. In keeping with the Greek theme (since I’m Greek) you can make Greek-style zucchini. Just slice and chop them into rounds. In a pot heat a little bit of olive oil and sauté a chopped onion until it’s softened and translucent. Add your zucchini and a can of sodium free stewed or chopped tomatoes; season with a little sea salt, black pepper and granulated garlic. Cover and let this cook until the zucchini is tender. It’s delicious!

I hope you’ve been enjoying this series of articles – please take a minute and let me know. I wish you all a most blessed and joyous Christmas and a healthy new year!

Until next time I wish you vibrant health!

Ann