This is surprising, but the most common yogurt is no less useful than fashionable yogurt enriched with bio-additives. And to cook it yourself is very simple. So it is very valuable to know the details about the properties and qualities of yogurt.
What can be said about yogurt and its benefits in general
Yogurt is the simplest fermented milk product known to man since ancient times. It must have been that one day the milk simply didn’t have time to drink and it stood warm ...
So there is yogurt - as a result of fermentation of milk (cow or goat).
Yogurt more often than other sour-milk products (but on par with cheese) is suitable for those who are forced to adjust their menu taking into account the individual intolerance of lactose.
It has vitamins - B1, B2, B12, A, C and D, as well as minerals - potassium, iron, silicon, phosphorus, molybdenum, selenium and sodium.
Like any fermented milk product, yogurt is a valuable source of calcium, which is necessary for the adult's strong bone system and the proper formation of the musculoskeletal system of children, so it is very important to include it in the diet for pregnant women - for the health of mother and baby. Plus, she will help a woman get rid of unpleasant symptoms of toxicosis, in particular, from nausea and heartburn.
And let the yogurt is very simple - in terms of the quality of nutritious proteins, without which the body is threatened with exhaustion and a host of other serious consequences, it is almost as good as expensive high-quality cheeses.
Yogurt is recommended for colds, flu and acute respiratory infections, but slightly warmed up.
Often, due to diseases of this kind, appetite disappears - and yogurt saturates well and with it the body receives all the nutrients, nutrients that it urgently needs. It also helps a little to relieve fever with chills, makes breathing easier and reduces cough.
Also, regular consumption of yogurt contributes to:
strengthening immunity;
improving heart function (including the prevention of coronary heart disease);
Improving the oral cavity - yogurt helps to cure periodontal disease and neutralizes microorganisms that cause an unpleasant odor.
With excessive alcohol consumption (in single cases) - cold yogurt in the morning (especially if you add fresh herbs and grated pickled cucumber) will ease the hangover syndrome and accelerate the removal of alcohol decay products from the body.
Ilya Mechnikov, an outstanding Russian scientist and Nobel laureate of 1908 in the field of physiology and medicine, spoke about the general strengthening and life-prolonging properties of yogurt.
And in stores you can sometimes find the so-called Mechnikovsky yogurt (created with a unique complex of starter microorganisms) - unlike a regular product, it has a homogeneous creamy consistency, mild taste and more pronounced antibacterial properties (it perfectly heals intestinal microflora and even treats dysbacteriosis) .
However, any yogurt can be recommended for restoration of strength during exhaustion (anorexia), after poisoning, serious illnesses and surgical operations.
What is the use of yogurt for weight loss
Yogurt is one of the most useful and safe products for weight loss, it is not forbidden to spend fasting days on it and it is possible to include it in almost any diet.
And satiety in it is combined with low-calorie - 53 kcal per 100 g at 2.5% fat content.
The rate of use of yogurt for weight loss is determined individually and depends on the other positions of the diet, but usually, at least 500 ml should be drunk every day.
And at least half of the daily norm is recommended to be consumed in the first half of the day, you can even have breakfast, which will allow you to start the day with taking care of the gastrointestinal tract, for which yogurt:
normalizes the production of gastric juice;
improves the digestibility of nutrients from other products;
normalizes appetite (and reduces stressful desire to eat sweets).
In addition, yogurt in the morning best removes toxins and toxins from the body.
Fit trainers and nutritionists do not get tired of repeating that it is healthy digestion and body cleansing that are necessary for a slim figure.
It is also worth considering the property of yogurt to activate, accelerate metabolic processes, which means faster fat burning and the consumption of carbohydrates.
And it is very important not to lower the effectiveness of yogurt, eating baked goods, chocolate, heavy dishes of meat and pasta with it. A useful exception is fresh fruits and nuts, light vegetable and cereal dishes.
Plus, in pursuit of beauty it is not forbidden to use yogurt externally - for example, for anti-cellulite wraps.
How to choose in a store, cook at home and consume yogurt
Yogurt is very different, it all depends on the fat content of milk, sourdough, the subtleties of preparation - its heterogeneous consistency with tender clots can be liquid and drinking or so thick that they eat a yogurt with a spoon. Yogurt can be white or cream in color; it tastes fresh, creamy, with a harsh flavor.
Yogurt can be drunk just like that, add sugar, jam, honey, fruit and berries to it, pour in it breakfast cereals. It is also used for salads and sauces, pickling meat, desserts and pancake dough, pies and other pastries.
Yogurt is very good to treat in the summer - it refreshes and quenches thirst.
In the store you should not only carefully study the composition of yogurt (in fact, only a product without dyes, flavors and the like can really be useful), but also pay attention to the expiration date - the shorter it is, the better the yogurt.
And it’s very simple to make yogurt at home, especially following the simple rules:
the most delicious product is obtained from fatter milk - not less than 3.2%;
you should not take ultra-pasteurized milk (with a shelf life of 7 days or more) and it is better to take what is stored on day 3. The real village one is also suitable;
first you need to warm the milk - store to 40 ° C, just from under the cow - to 70-80 ° C, this should be enough to destroy most harmful bacteria. But if you want big guarantees - you can bring it almost to a boil and cool to the same 70 ° С;
in the simplest versions, you can do without leaven, but this is only true for fatty and natural (farm, village) milk. More often, a spoonful of sour cream or yogurt is bred in milk. You can still buy a special sourdough;
on "ripening" yogurt requires 6-12 hours, which it should spend in the heat. You can fill it in a glass, ceramic container or in a thermos (in the latter case, the dishes do not even need to be wrapped to save heat). There is no need to do anything with yogurt - it just happens to be ready in a few hours.
And later it is stored in the refrigerator for three to four days.
What could be the harm from yogurt
Of great danger (minimum for the gastrointestinal tract) is yogurt, stored under inappropriate conditions, improperly prepared (for example, fermented in dirty dishes), expired. And even simply standing up (for a home’s fourth or fifth day of storage) will not bring any benefits - it contains an increase in the content of lactic acid (in a lower concentration that is only beneficial) and other substances, because of which there is a risk of provoking a worsening of the condition with diseases of the stomach and liver .
If they are fresh and of high quality, then virtually all dairy products, including yogurt, have no harm, and the list of restrictions on their use is not so great, but you need to know about it:
diseases of the stomach, accompanied by its increased acidity;
pancreatic inflammation (pancreatitis);
individual intolerance to fermented milk products.
With hepatitis, you can eat yogurt without harm, only if it is completely non-greasy.
