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08 18 09 | To Yogurt, Or Not To Yogurt? That Is The Question.
Yogurt Stop, Pinkberry, Yogurt Land, et. al. They all sound light and fluffy and trip you up with a feel-good sense that you are eating right. But did you know that frozen yogurt at some of these places – while non- or low-fat – is filled with sugar?
If you’re wondering why you’re gaining weight despite your efforts in the gym, it is due to the fact your body is holding onto the sugar found in both the yogurt and its sidekick of delectable sugary toppings. The more sugar you feed your body the more it wants, which is why you see the same group of people hanging out at yogurt shops. It’s like crack!
And what’s up with the toppings at some of these places? Red Velvet cake, cheesecake crumbles, fruit drowned in fructose syrup – Now that’s an oxymoron if I ever heard one. The concept behind frozen yogurt when it first originated in the 1970s was a healthy frozen dessert. Today, an 8-oz. serving of frozen yogurt alone from an inferior store could cost you up to 1,000 calories of your daily caloric intake, depending on where you go for your fix. If your objective is to consume a healthy snack, opt for a less-sugary product and select fresh fruit toppings like blueberries, strawberries, kiwi, nuts, granola, or coconut. On the other hand, if your goal is to enjoy a sugar-filled snack loaded with calories go with the product that is counter-productive to your health.
Some of these stores’ websites boast that they meet certain state and national standards, a topic for an entirely different article. The is issue here is who is regulating the state of California?
The latest trend: You can pump it and serve yourself. The problem with that is you can’t weigh it until to get to the scale at the cashier, so how do you know if you’ve pumped yourself more than a serving? You don’t.
Some may argue, well it’s better than ice cream. Not necessarily. There are plenty of low-fat ice creams without (added) sugar and heavy cream that are tasty and won’t leave you feeling lethargic because of the sugar crash you will experience later. The worst thing that you can do is eat carbohydrate-filled frozen yogurt immediately following your workout because the storage of sugar can be converted to fat. Always wait at least two to three hours after your workout before consuming simple carbohydrates derived from refined sugar.
Also, consider the additives that preserve yogurt in those giant vats. And that pretty, smooth consistency? That typically is a result of animal and vegetable gelatins which stabilize the frozen treat. Those same additives infiltrate your body, leaving you bloated and gassy. That is because your body is trying to break down the enzymes from milky dairy products.
Less expensive frozen yogurt shops are likely less expensive because they haven’t bothered to process their product without additives or preservatives or less sugar. The most trustworthy stores will boldly have their brand’s nutritional facts posted. Yogurts that are tart are usually closer to staying true to the original concept of healthy eating. Pinkberry is a stand-out frozen dessert because it has developed a superior product without the added junk, and they don’t mind sharing with the consumer what the ingredients are. You get what you pay for. View the entire article hereSource
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