Yogurt

Discussion in 'Health and Fitness' started by Yohan, Apr 29, 2008.

  1. Yohan

    Yohan In the Spirit of Yohan Supporter

    So after 2 weeks of being on antibiotics I went to Talladega and drank beer and ate crap all weekend. At the end of the weekend I ended up throwing up - not because I got to drunk but I think because my stomach just got progressively used up with all the garbage I put in it, and was missing some probiotics and just evacuated. As such, as soon as I got back home I hit the local grocery and picked up 2 2 cup things of yogurt. I picked up what looked like the good stuff - it was labeled as organic Greek strained yogurt. I grab it and hit the counter to buy it and she rings it up - THIRTEEN frickin dollars for 2 2 cup tubs of yogurt.

    Needless to say I was flabbergasted but bought it anyway and went home - I felt like le doo doo and wanted to eat yogurt. So I cut up 2 cups of cantaloupe and mixed it in with 2 cups of yogurt and started eating it and was like DAYAMN!! It was good! So I picked up the package and started looking at the nutritional information and it was pretty similar to the stuff I bought today (yes I bought some more, different brand, 8 bucks for 4 cups of the stuff):

    c/P/F/C: 130/22/0/9 in one cup

    Hell this stuff is awesome! It's got plenty of protein, very little carbs and it's delicious with fruit.

    So I start reading and apparently, when you strain out yogurt, it strains off the whey, which contains lactose, which is where the carbs in yogurt comes from. Thus, I'm going to try to buy some cheaper yogurt and strain it out myself, and am even going to consider making my own yogurt.

    Anyway, the point is that strained yogurt is very very good and apparently an excellent source of lean protein. I'm going to incorporate it as my snack in place of a bar for the next couple weeks.
     
  2. Yohan

    Yohan In the Spirit of Yohan Supporter

    So my mom taught me how to make yogurt last night - she says the easiest way is to put a T or so of yogurt in a tub with nonfat milk and put it under your oven light overnight. I'm going to try that with that expensive yogurt and strain it out and see what I get. She says that you get whatever yogurt you start with so I'll get good yogurt, cheap.
     
  3. inthespirit

    inthespirit ignant

    You should check this stuff out, sends your viscera straight to gut heaven! :)

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kefir

    http://www.kefir.net/

    oh and...

     

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    Last edited: Apr 30, 2008
  4. Yohan

    Yohan In the Spirit of Yohan Supporter

    I'll have to see if I can find some Kefir grains and make that too!
     
  5. slipthejab

    slipthejab Hark, a vagrant! Supporter

    You'd have to be mad to be absolutely barking mad to pay for yogurt when you can make it.... as you've now discovered. ;)

    On top of that... right after you've completed a heavy prescription of antibiotics yogurt isn't often the best way to go... not only have the antibiotics killed off the bad bacteria (for example... my recent staph infection) but they've also killed off all the good bacteria that live naturally in your intestines. Because your gut is lacking in the right sorts of good bacteria to be able to process just about any food and derive nutrition from it and complete the chemical process' that happen in the gut... you obviously need to repopulate your gut with more good bacteria. On top of all of that... the milk content in yogurt can be a burden often leading to exactly what you don't need... more diarrhea.

    So the order of the day is acidopholus or probiotics in capsule form...
    (usually Lactobacillus acidophilus but there are many kinds they make)

    Pretty much the same flora numbering in the billions at the time of packing... yet none of the dairy which might further upset the stomach. All in an easy to swallow capsule.

    I get in a whole lot of yogurt anyhow... and it's great. The homemade kind is the best. The more tart the better. Or sometimes with a bit tablespoon full of raspberry jam mixed in. Yummy.

    Here's the good stuff you want:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lactobacillus_acidophilus

    If you really want to go for the gold... look up the various Persian recipes for mint yogurt that is drinkable... persian style...
    Here's some that ROCK!!!

    Here goes the Wiki on Dugh (or as they call it Doogh) - and yes it's best served with lots of ice!! The consistency becomes more liquid and less like the thicker Indian/Pakistani lassi.
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doogh

    Once you've made yogurt yourself... you'll find you really dislike the store bought kind with very little tartness and too much sugar added. They just don't have a yogurt flavor and often have all sorts of additives. On top of that... the prices for the miniscule containers are highway robbery.
     

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    Last edited: Apr 30, 2008
  6. Yohan

    Yohan In the Spirit of Yohan Supporter

    With the recent discovery that yogurt is damn delicious, and an almost perfect source of protein, I've decided to nix my protein bars for a few weeks and do some yogurt based recipes. Tatziki is one I would like to try:

    http://recipes.epicurean.com/recipe/2987/tatziki-(tot-zee-kee).html

    Plus I bought a HUGE block of feta cheese a few weeks ago and I can get rid of some of it in a tatziki. YUM this sounds delicious.
     
  7. SnorriSturluson

    SnorriSturluson Valued Member

    I eat plain yogurt every day for breakfast and often make smoothies (with rose syrup or peaches, best hangover food in the world.) However, don't make the mistake of assuming that the bacteria in yogurt will do you any good post-antibiotics (oh yeah, and I hope your little bout has taught you your lesson about those fast women.) It's unlikely the bacteria strains in yogurt are the same as the ones that should be living in your gut.

    Also, for seed stock for making your own yogurt you need to make sure you use some that has active cultures. Some brands repasteurize the stuff and kill off the bacteria, in which case it won't start up the culture in your homebrew. If it doesn't work after 24 hrs or so, try another brand.
     
  8. Hiroji

    Hiroji laugh often, love much

    Damn you Yohan! everytime i read one of your posts/threads i get hungry!!
     
  9. flaming

    flaming Valued Member

    I didnt know I could do this.:p
    So could I use whole fat milk to make it creamy.
    Whole fat milk + yogurt

    What temperature?
    How long should I leave it?
    What quantities, of milk to yogurt?
    Wont bad bacteria grow on the warm milky yogurt mixture?
    I like realy thick yogurt, can I get realy thick yogurt?
     
    Last edited: Apr 30, 2008
  10. Yohan

    Yohan In the Spirit of Yohan Supporter

    :google:

    My mom said to just fill a container with milk, mix in the yogurt, and leave it in the oven with the light on overnight. You can strain it to make it thicker. Take a cheesecloth and put it in a strainer and put the yogurt in there with something to collect the juice under it. That stuff contains most of the lactose in the yogurt, which reduces the carbs . . .

    Wait, did I already write all this?

    . . .

    Yes I did damn it!!

    Read the damn thread!! :p
     
  11. slipthejab

    slipthejab Hark, a vagrant! Supporter

    Here's a good little article for those of you who are getting into yogurt. Yogurt does indeed have a nice solid place in a balanced diet... based on it's protein profile and it's calcium profile alone. Not to mention the sheer tastyness factor. But there are a few misconceptions out there... this article covers that. Enjoy.

    Yogurt: bacteria to basics.
    (yogurt may help prevent or treat certain health problems)

    From: Nutrition Action Healthletter | Date: 9/1/1993 | Author: Schardt, David

    Cancer, high cholesterol, diarrhea, infections. You name it, somebody says that yogurt can prevent or cure it.

    Is there anything to yogurt's reputation? There sure is. But that's the easy part. Making sure that your yogurt can do what the yogurt used by researchers does is another story.

    Bulgaricus & Friends. It's the two bacteria that turn milk into yogurt that provide yogurt's clearest health benefit.

    Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus help digest lactose, the milk sugar that about a quarter of all American adults (especially Blacks, Asians, Native Americans, and people of Mediterranean heritage) have difficulty handling. The beneficial bacteria break down the lactose into glucose and galactose, two sugars that nearly everyone can absorb.

    So if you suffer cramps, bloating, or diarrhea when you drink milk, give yogurt a try. That way, you'll be replacing a calcium-rich food you can't handle with one you can.

    Some manufacturers, including Dannon and Yoplait--the two largest--are now adding another bacterium, Lactobacillus acidophilus, to their yogurts.

    Though it may offer other health benefits, acidophilus "doesn't help with lactose digestion enough to make much difference," says yogurt expert Dennis Saviano of the University of Minnesota.

    A Strain Wreck. Millions of people believe that yogurt can do a lot more than digest lactose. Here's the real scoop:

    * Cancer:
    Several studies in Europe have found that populations that eat large amounts of yogurt or other fermented milk products seem to have a lower risk of developing breast cancer.[1]

    While the evidence is preliminary, studies in animals and humans suggest why a link might make sense. In our large intestines, acidophilus can prevent certain bacteria from creating carcinogens from our food or from the bile that our bodies secrete to digest fat.

    When researchers from the New England Medical Center in Boston gave 21 people milk with L. acidophilus every day for four weeks, the harmful bacteria in their stools were two to four times less active than when they were given milk without acidophilus for four weeks.[2]

    And in Sweden, 11 volunteers who had been eating fried beef patties were given milk with acidophilus. After three days, they had half the number of potentially cancer-causing substances in their urine and stools than after three days on fried beef and milk with no acidophilus.[3]

    * Yeast and Other Infections:
    Yeast infections often are accompanied by a decline in levels of L. acidophilus, which is a normal inhabitant of the vagina. Since there is preliminary evidence that acidophilus can fight the growth of Candida albicans, which is responsible for most vaginal yeast infections, some doctors recommend that patients use acidophilus to clear up the condition.

    In a small study in 1992, researchers at the Long Island Jewish Medical Center found that women with Candida infections who consumed eight ounces of acidophilus-containing yogurt every day for six months had fewer recurrences than women with Candida infections who ate no yogurt.[4]

    And this year, researchers in Israel found that applying two to three teaspoons of acidophilus-containing yogurt directly into the vagina each day produced an immediate and lasting improvement in 28 of 32 pregnant women suffering from non-yeast bacterial vaginal infections.[5]

    * Cholesterol:
    Can yogurt lower cholesterol? "That's what we found--the first time we studied it," says Sherwood Gorbach of the Tufts University School of Medicine. "But we couldn't see it when we repeated the experiments."

    Here's a case where the strain may make all the difference. Stan Gilliland of Oklahoma State University has found that some strains of acidophilus act like a sponge and avidly soak up cholesterol in the intestines, which prevents it from being absorbed by the body. Other strains don't soak up as much.[6]

    Don't bother looking for Gilliland's organisms, though. They're not yet available commercially.

    * Diarrhea: There is no good evidence that any yogurt available in the U.S. can help treat diarrhea, says Tufts' Gorbach.

    But Gorbach has isolated a strain called Lactobacillus casei GG that has been used successfully to treat traveler's diarrhea[7] and diarrhea in infants[8] in Europe. Unfortunately, it's not available in the U.S. At least not yet.

    "We were so impressed by the data for this strain that we would be adding it to our yogurt today if the European company that licenses it had offered more reasonable terms," says Samuel Kaymen of Stonyfield Farm.

    * Antibiotic Antidote:
    Many people eat yogurt when they're taking antibiotics because they think it replenishes the good bacteria that are killed by the drugs. But the two major bacteria found in all yogurts can't even implant themselves in the large intestine.

    While they may help other bacteria gain a foothold, you might have a better chance of replenishing good bacteria with a yogurt that contains L. acidophilus or Bifidobacteria, since both are normally found in the large intestine. Check the label. They're almost always listed.

    Buying Bugs. Can you increase your odds of finding a yogurt that will do you some good? You bet.

    For a start, look for the words "live cultures" or "active cultures" on the label. And avoid "heat-treated" products. Their bacteria have been destroyed.

    The industry's National Yogurt Association recently introduced a new "live and active cultures" seal to help consumers recognize yogurts that deliver at least ten million bacteria per gram, even on the date of expiration.

    But the program is voluntary, and it costs manufacturers thousands of dollars. So, while the presence of a seal is good, its absence isn't necessarily bad.

    A Pain in the Acidophilus. If you're buying yogurt to which acidophilus has been added, there's no way to tell how much you're getting.

    Dannon says that it doesn't measure how much acidophilus consumers end up with. Yoplait, citing "competitive reasons," wouldn't tell us how much it puts in its yogurt, either. As for Kraft, whose Light N' Lively is the third leading brand, the presence--or absence--of acidophilus is a "trade secret."

    Making matters worse, says an executive of a large yogurt manufacturer who asked not to be identified, is that "some companies just dump some acidophilus into their products so they can tell consumers their yogurt has it, but they don't know what they are doing and they don't care."

    What's more, L. acidophilus competes with the L. bulgaricus that's in all yogurts. Unless the manufacturer is careful, the multiplying bulgaricus will squeeze out the acidophilus after a few days. If the bulgaricus doesn't get it, the acidophilus could still die before the yogurt reaches its expiration date. (So don't let your yogurt linger too long in the fridge.)

    And there's no standard for which of the 200-or-so acidophilus strains companies should use. Will it reach your large intestine alive? Will it absorb cholesterol? Not all strains do. (Just try getting a company to tell you which strain it uses. Some may not even know.)

    Hit-or-Miss-a-dophilus. Don't like yogurt? No sweat. Just pick up one of the dozens of supplements that promise to deliver the benefits of good bacteria. You've probably seen them--products with names like Allerdophilus, Sensidophilus, and Mega Potency Acidophilus.

    Unfortunately, you may not be getting what you pay for.

    In 1977, researchers Stan Gilliland and M.L. Speck found that only three of seven products claiming to contain acidophilus actually did. And in 1990, researchers at the University of Washington found that only two of the 11 acidophilus powders, capsules, and tablets they analyzed contained any.

    Here's a little supplement-buying guide, compliments of Robert Sellars of leading culture supplier Chr. Hansen's:

    1. Stick to powders that are packaged in dark brown glass bottles and that need to be refrigerated in the store and at home. "Capsules and tablets may be okay for a while," says Sellars, "but even under the best conditions they'll lose their potency after six months at room temperature--even faster if they pick up any moisture."

    2. Take your supplement during a meal, preferably near the end, when your stomach is less acidic.

    3. Drink one or two glasses of milk every day, if you can tolerate them. That will provide the good bacteria with one of their favorite foods, lactose (milk sugar).

    [1] Foods, Nutrition and Immunity 1: 77, 1992.

    [2] American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 39: 756, 1984.

    [3] Microbial Ecology in Health and Disease 5: 59, 1992.

    [4] Annals of Internal Medicine 116: 353, 1992.

    [5] Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica 72:17, 1993.

    [6] Journal of Dairy Science 73: 905, 1990.

    [7] Annals of Medicine 22: 53, 1990.

    [8] Pediatrics 88: 90, 1991.
     
  12. flaming

    flaming Valued Member

    I dont have a oven light, though. What temperature is that?
     
  13. slipthejab

    slipthejab Hark, a vagrant! Supporter

    Any light will do... near a desk lamp will do pretty much as well - it might take longer... but it'll work. Just remember it's a small amount of heat needed... not like the actual oven itself is on or anything during the process.

    Here's some variations that break it down for you:

    This is an excellent tutorial. Look at the finished consistency... perfect. Note towards the end where they discuss how some commercial yogurts have gelatin or fruit pectin in them to help with firmness or consistency... if you want to try and get it exactly like that... you can easily buy both of those items. Gelatin is readily available in most bakery sections of stores and the fruit pectin is available in the canning section... it's a common ingredient in jams and jellies. But to be honest... it's not really needed.

    She also points out that the need to let yogurt sit longer if you enjoy a more sour/tart yogurt. Also she preheats and oven... that will definitely speed up the process... just remember to turn the oven off before putting your yogurt in there!!

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qv9QECuCAIc&feature=related"]Homemade Yogurt or Dahi Recipe - YouTube[/ame]

    Here's a slight variation:
    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ylha6xLiUMY"]Make Your Own Organic Yogurt Luci Lock Cooking - YouTube[/ame]

    Here's a version for buffalo milk yogurt. Good luck finding buffalo milk in the west. It's not popular or known of or even available in most places. But it is tastier! :D
    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81RuhJ-iUTo&feature=related"]Curd Yogurt - By VahChef @ VahRehVah.com - YouTube[/ame]

    and for some good variation... go for Greek/Turk yogurt... mixing in half and half... more firm... cut it with a knife. :D
    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jzXUpnz5kc&feature=related"]How to make Greek Yogurt - YouTube[/ame]

    and finally let's watch the western world complicate things to a stupid level... as if you really need a machine to make yogurt. Give me a bleedin' break. :bang:
    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lM1-oMAcVao&feature=related"]Making Yogurt - YouTube[/ame]
     
    Last edited: May 1, 2008
  14. slipthejab

    slipthejab Hark, a vagrant! Supporter

    one last tip.. needless to say as it may be... cleanliness is of the utmost importance as you're basically fermenting something that a myriad of things can take hold and grow in... so don't use your fingers for anything... even washed there is a ton of stuff that can be introduced into the yogurt... and start growing and foul your yogurt... bad idea. Use clean utensils and containers and wash your hand before you start. Don't be lax about it.:)
     
  15. slipthejab

    slipthejab Hark, a vagrant! Supporter

    and really what better place to put this vid than in Yohans yogurt thread... here is Lebaneh... Lebanese yogurt cheese... fricken tasty-O-rama!!!

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0nSfVrQJ2o&feature=related"]Yogurt Cheese (Lebneh) - YouTube[/ame]
     
  16. axelb

    axelb Master of Office Chair Fu

    mmm yoghurt, definately have the taste for a large pot of tatziki now!
     
  17. flaming

    flaming Valued Member

    I would like to be able to grow quorn. Another thing I would like to grow would be a omega 3 rich bacteria. Could I grow some yeast?
     
  18. Yohan

    Yohan In the Spirit of Yohan Supporter

    Check out this recipe:

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mefPWLNF7IU"]Spinach Raita Recipe - YouTube[/ame]

    I'm going to be using their stuff. Has anyone checked out their other recipes?? They've got some really really good stuff.
     
  19. Yohan

    Yohan In the Spirit of Yohan Supporter

    Ok I made some last night and put it to strain before I went to work. It's absolutely critical that you whisk the yogurt into the milk because otherwise it won't work.

    I'll be making that awesome spinach dish and mixing up some yogurt and mango tonight. Maybe some tatziki is in the wings for next weeks menu.
     
  20. cloudz

    cloudz Valued Member

    aye, the Turks have virtually the same thing - ayran. Goes great with kebabs too http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayran
     

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