Foods for love: 1001 Info about YOGURTS

I've become one of the yogurt fans lately..
Since I've discovered my weight increased this few months..
*banyak tau!!
so I'm trying hard (^-^) to cut my dinner by replacing it with various flavor of yogurts..
*huhuhu..tapi kdg2 tak larat sgt..makan jgak..:)
Sebelum ni pun, takde lah suka sangat makan yogurt..sb taste dia..;(
But lately ni selalu suapkan utk Adam..ngan mommy sekali belasah...
Best plak kan..;)
Still remember my previous post about the yogurt drink I made for Adam..
* u can get it here : http://mommynadia.blogspot.com/2010/05/foods-for-love-strawberry-banana-yogurt.html
Actually I hv been wondering about the goodness of the yogurts specially for the babies/toddler...
and when is the right time to serve my liltle Adam with yogurts..
I used to mix the natural yogurt with fruits such strawberry and mango..

So wonder is it suitable to feed him with the flavored yogurt...?

So I get the answer..just to share with those who interested..

Natural or Flavored Yogurt?

Flavored yogurts are seldom made with whole milk and baby should have whole milk yogurt and not low fat or no fat (skim) yogurt.

Flavored yogurts often have an abundance of sugar, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup and gelatins, starches and other icky things!

The sugar content (naturally occurring sugar) is far lower in whole milk yogurt than it is is a flavored yogurt. Even YoBaby has some added sugar to it.

Starting baby with a plain whole milk yogurt, with added natural fruits, will have him/her become accustomed to the natural sweetness and flavor of yogurt. Building a taste for natural sweetness will be a great thing for the future health of your child.

One day, when your baby is 7 and your neighbor offers them some “go-gurt” or “trix” yogurt, your little one might just say “Ick, this is way to sweet!”

So the answer is NO NO NO..

"Adam tak boleh makan mommy nye k..I make u the flavored one!!

p/s : Adam currently gemar sangat makan strawberries..
Siap tahu suruh buka fridge..and tepok tangan tengok strawberry dalam fridge..commey sungguh ;)
Ok lah..kalau tak suka pun lagi susah kan..

When Can My Baby Start to Eat Yogurt?

Most pediatricians recommend starting your infant on Yogurt around 7-8 months of age. Some pediatricians also recommend yogurt as a great first food (from 6 months+). Selecting a Whole Milk Yogurt is the most beneficial to your infant as babies need fats in their diets for proper growth.

You can buy Plain Whole Milk Yogurt made by such companies as Stonyfield Farm, Cascade Fresh and Brown Cow.(* kat kita yg Dutch Lady or Nestle la kan..;)You can also Make Your Own Homemade Yogurt. However, using a large container of Plain Whole Milk yogurt will save you money (and save on added sugar) and give you the flexibility of adding your own flavorings to baby's yogurt.

As regards yogurts marketed for for infants (between the ages of 8 months and 12 months old), the YoBaby brand does contain natural organic sugars. The sugar content is less than in a brand such as Dannimals and it is natural and not refined or chemically processed sugar. There are no additives such as starches, fructose syrup, gelatin etc in the Stonyfield YoBaby brand either. You may be surprised to learn that all yogurts, even the Plain yogurts, will contain sugar. Sugar (lactose) occurs naturally in dairy products. This "dairy" sugar is not an additive and we feel that is an important distinction to make.

So lets find yogurt less sugar and hi fat one for our babies/toddlers...

10 REASONS YOGURT IS A TOP HEALTH FOOD

1. Yogurt is easier to digest than milk. Many people who cannot tolerate milk, either because of a protein allergy or lactose intolerance, can enjoy yogurt. The culturing process makes yogurt more digestible than milk. The live active cultures create lactase, the enzyme lactose-intolerant people lack, and another enzyme contained in some yogurts (beta-galactosidase) also helps improve lactose absorption in lactase-deficient persons. Bacterial enzymes created by the culturing process, partially digest the milk protein casein, making it easier to absorb and less allergenic. In our pediatric practice, we have observed that children who cannot tolerate milk can often eat yogurt without any intestinal upset. While the amount varies among brands of yogurt, in general, yogurt has less lactose than milk. The culturing process has already broken down the milk sugar lactose into glucose and galactose, two sugars that are easily absorbed by lactose-intolerant persons.

2. Yogurt contributes to colon health. There's a medical truism that states: "You're only as healthy as your colon." When eating yogurt, you care for your colon in two ways. First, yogurt contains lactobacteria, intestines-friendly bacterial cultures that foster a healthy colon, and even lower the risk of colon cancer. Lactobacteria, especially acidophilus, promotes the growth of healthy bacteria in the colon and reduces the conversion of bile into carcinogenic bile acids. The more of these intestines-friendly bacteria that are present in your colon, the lower the chance of colon diseases. Basically, the friendly bacteria in yogurt seems to deactivate harmful substances (such as nitrates and nitrites before they are converted to nitrosamines) before they can become carcinogenic.
Secondly, yogurt is a rich source of calcium - a mineral that contributes to colon health and decreases the risk of colon cancer. Calcium discourages excess growth of the cells lining the colon, which can place a person at high risk for colon cancer. Calcium also binds cancer-producing bile acids and keeps them from irritating the colon wall. People that have diets high in calcium (e.g. Scandinavian countries) have lower rates of colorectal cancer. One study showed that an average intake of 1,200 milligrams of calcium a day is associated with a 75 percent reduction of colorectal cancer. As a survivor of colon cancer, I have a critical interest in the care of my colon. My life depends on it.

3. Yogurt improves the bioavailability of other nutrients. Culturing of yogurt increases the absorption of calcium and B-vitamins. The lactic acid in the yogurt aids in the digestion of the milk calcium, making it easier to absorb.

4. Yogurt can boost immunity. Researchers who studied 68 people who ate two cups of live-culture yogurt daily for three months found that these persons produced higher levels of immunity boosting interferon. The bacterial cultures in yogurt have also been shown to stimulate infection-fighting white cells in the bloodstream. Some studies have shown yogurt cultures to contain a factor that has anti-tumor effects in experimental animals.

NUTRITIP: Yogurt - Good for Young and Old
Yogurt is a valuable health food for both infants and elderly persons. For children, it is a balanced source of protein, fats, carbohydrates, and minerals in a texture that kids love. For senior citizens, who usually have more sensitive colons or whose intestines have run out of lactase, yogurt is also a valuable food. Elderly intestines showed declining levels of bifidus bacteria, which allow the growth of toxin-producing and, perhaps, cancer-causing bacteria.

5. Yogurt aids healing after intestinal infections. Some viral and allergic gastrointestinal disorders injure the lining of the intestines, especially the cells that produce lactase. This results in temporary lactose malabsorption problems. This is why children often cannot tolerate milk for a month or two after an intestinal infection. Yogurt, however, because it contains less lactose and more lactase, is usually well-tolerated by healing intestines and is a popular "healing food" for diarrhea. Many pediatricians recommend yogurt for children suffering from various forms of indigestion. Research shows that children recover faster from diarrhea when eating yogurt. It's good to eat yogurt while taking antibiotics. The yogurt will minimize the effects of the antibiotic on the friendly bacteria in the intestines.

NUTRITIP: A Chaser for Antibiotics
Antibiotics kill not only harmful bacteria; they also kill the healthy ones in the intestines. The live bacterial cultures in yogurt can help replenish the intestines with helpful bacteria before the harmful ones take over. I usually "prescribe" a daily dose of yogurt while a person is taking antibiotics and for two weeks thereafter. A 1999 study reported in Pediatrics showed that lactobacillus organisms can reduce antibiotic-associated diarrhea.

6. Yogurt can decrease yeast infections. Research has shown that eating eight ounces of yogurt that contains live and active cultures daily reduces the amount of yeast colonies in the vagina and decreases the incidence of vaginal yeast infections.

7. Yogurt is a rich source of calcium. An 8-ounce serving of most yogurts provides 450 mg. of calcium, one-half of a child's RDA and 30 to 40 percent of the adult RDA for calcium. Because the live-active cultures in yogurt increase the absorption of calcium, an 8-ounce serving of yogurt gets more calcium into the body than the same volume of milk can.

8. Yogurt is an excellent source of protein. Plain yogurt contains around ten to fourteen grams of protein per eight ounces, which amounts to twenty percent of the daily protein requirement for most persons. In fact, eight ounces of yogurt that contains live and active cultures, contains 20 percent more protein than the same volume of milk (10 grams versus 8 grams). Besides being a rich source of proteins, the culturing of the milk proteins during fermentation makes these proteins easier to digest. For this reason, the proteins in yogurt are often called "predigested."

9. Yogurt can lower cholesterol. There are a few studies that have shown that yogurt can reduce the blood cholesterol. This may be because the live cultures in yogurt can assimilate the cholesterol or because yogurt binds bile acids, (which has also been shown to lower cholesterol), or both.

10. Yogurt is a "grow food." Two nutritional properties of yogurt may help children with intestinal absorption problems grow: the easier digestibility of the proteins and the fact that the lactic acid in yogurt increases the absorption of minerals. And even most picky-eaters will eat yogurt in dips and smoothies and as a topping.
Perhaps we can take a health tip about yogurt cultures from cultures who consume a lot of yogurt, such as the Bulgarians who are noted for their longer lifespan and remain in good health well into old age.

NUTRMYTH: All foods made with yogurt are created equal
Not so. In fact, the yogurt used to coat nibble foods such as raisins, nuts, and fruit bits is often so highly sugared that you're really eating more sugar than yogurt.

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/4/t045700.asp

till then...enjoy the goodness of yogurts in ur daily meals...
Happy Weekends!!