A bowlful of cooling yogurt or curd is always a treat to come back home to after a long day, wouldn't you agree? There is just something about the delicious and refreshing curd that instantly revs up your energy levels. Curd is packed with tryptophan also called the happiness hormone. Which means a bowl of curd can elevate your mood too! In addition, curd is a treasure trove of a bevy of minerals which makes it one of the healthiest foods you can add to your diet. Yogurt comes from milk and therefore, it is loaded with several essential nutrients like calcium, vitamin B-2, vitamin B-12, potassium, and magnesium. Yogurt is light on the stomach and easier to digest than milk. The Indian love affair with curd traverses all geographical boundaries, It is loved as much in North as it is adored in the south. From our curries to raitas, curd is just everywhere. But did you know bowlful of yogurt can help shed you a pound or two too.
Here's how yogurt may help promote weight loss:
1. Protein-rich and filling: According to USDA, 1 ounce of Greek yogurt has about 12 grams of protein. Greek yogurt or hung curd is basically just the strained curd you procure after you have removed the whey. Protein helps you keep satiated for long, thus preventing you to binge on other fattening foods. Curd, as such, is a very filling food. About 70-80 percent of curd is just water.
2. Helps in digestion: Yogurt has good concentration of pro-biotic elements, a healthy gut flora helps facilitate digestion and can reduce the symptoms of an upset tummy. Bad digestion is quite intimately tied to weight gain. When we are not able to absorb and assimilate our nutrients properly, then the process of elimination is hampered, which could result in weight gain.
3. Loaded with Calcium: The abundance of calcium in curd not only helps strengthen your bones and teeth but also aids weight loss. Studies have claimed that calcium may help boost the process of thermogenesis, which in turn helps boost metabolism.
So go ahead, include a bowlful in your daily diet and see the results for yourself.