Every morning at work, I sit down with my plain yogurt and Whole Foods organic bulk granola to enjoy a delicious, almost cereal-like breakfast. I love the stuff and the amazing health benefits I feel from eating yogurt.
The Mayo Clinic Women’s Health Source tells me that an 8-oz cup of yogurt has more calcium than an 8-oz glass of milk, and if you’re a chick, I’m sure your lady-doctor has told you to beef up on your calcium intake (source). Plain yogurt also has a lot of good protein in it, and for those dieters or compulsive snackers out there, a high-protein breakfast will keep you feeling full and sustained throughout the day (source).
Yogurt is well known for combatting candida (fungi! yuck!) and other types of bodily bacterias making it essential in female health. The probiotics, including lactobacillus and L. acidophilus also are touted to help maintain glowing and lovely skin. You may have heard dermatologists and beauticians warn ladies away from dairy in cases of adult acne. You also may have seen instances of skin products containing yogurt. What gives?!
Apparently the lactic sugars and fats in some dairy products have been thought to increase sebum production in skin, leading to large cystic acne. In yogurt, however, the byproducts generated when L. acidophilous breaks down lactose “discourage colonization by other bacteria” (source). The zinc present in yogurt is an anti-inflammatory (source). The yogurt you eat creates a healthy balance in your body – both on the inside and your exterior, resulting (often) in skin with better tone and clarity (source).
No wonder the girls at Makeup Alley are totally sold on yogurt – though they are putting it ON their face, whereas I prefer to EAT mine! I’ve been “on” yogurt for about 2 weeks now and my beautician/stylist/lady-lover says that my skin tone is improving (the only curse of having freckles is uneven tone).
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On a side note, the products I use are: Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser ($11), Zia Natural Toners ($11), Aveeno Clear Complexion Daily Moisturizer ($16) and a Neutrogena On-The-Spot Vanishing Treatment ($5) for actual blemishes. Sometimes I switch my moisturizer with the Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel ($24) depending on how dry I feel – and that, for the most part, is my skin regimen. I like the idea of using Clinique, but feel guilty spending so much on something that seems to work only half the time. I’m not COMPLETELY sold on my skincare regimen, but it seems to be working at the moment. Any suggestions?
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Of course, just downing buckets of the “good stuff” won’t be nearly as effective if the rest of your diet is pizza-based, or something… but you could give yogurt a try. I’d opt for a low-fat plain yogurt, which contains less sugars and more protein and calcium – and for a yummy treat, mix in fruit, or granolas with low sugar contents (is sugar anywhere in the top 5 ingredients??). The worst that could happen? You’ll get hooked on the yummy coolness of yogurt.
I NEED fruit yoghurt, or if I eat plain yoghurt I have to throw in some sugar
I always thought milk was the cause of my cystic acne and it seems to be true only because I stopped drinking 2L of milk over a week and a half, and my skin improved ?
@FB – you could try mixing a little honey in your yogurt instead of refined sugars, and maybe pieces of fruit? That actually sounds DELICIOUS. *will try*
@FB – you could try mixing a little honey in your yogurt instead of refined sugars, and maybe pieces of fruit? That actually sounds DELICIOUS. *will try*