I was always eating the low fat version of greek yoghurt and then read the full fat might help with curbing some of my hunger pains and cravings. I do feel more satisfied with the whole fat or full flat. Does anyone have any info? With the low carb diet I'm trying to adhere to does this sabotage my efforts?
Low fat vs. Full fat Yoghurt: I was always eating... - PMRGCAuk
Low fat vs. Full fat Yoghurt
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pomeranion
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Personally I have the full fat which I find much nicer and imagine maybe more beneficial. On our diet, isn’t it low carb good and moderate fat good? Life is challenging enough.
I agree life is challenging. Eating and diet are a real challenge nowadays. I think a little fat is good for our brains and it does taste so much better. If I could only master the low/carb phenomenon. The steroid weight gain and belly fat is so depressing. I value your advice.
I use full fat Greek yoghurt, butter etc., if you read what’s in low fat versions it’s usually packed with sugar. Doesn’t do us any harm, in moderation 😊
Certainly don't need anymore added sugar. So much is hidden is foods today. So many diets restrict sugar but adventure to find products. I will probably post another question about diet drinks. I know the artificial sweeteners aren't good but what about diet teas that are out there now. I had one at my family's barbecue last weekend and I really enjoyed it. Have you heard anything about them?
On the Fast 800 low carb diet Greek full fat yoghurt is used a lot & I have it every day with muesli. In fact we got through about 2kg a week!
What is the Fast 800 low carb diet? Where can I find it and I wonder if it is available in the U.S.? Keep me posted. Please!
Hi i believe it’s available online in USA. It certainly is in Australia. It’s the idea of Dr Michael Moseley who became diabetic & wanted to reverse it by diet & exercise. There are different levels of calories depending on how much you need or want to loose. But it is loosely based on the Mediterranean diet, lots of veg, good fats & very low in carbs. The 800 represents the lowest level of carbs per day & is hard to begin with but with help from others who have signed up for a 12 week stint I made it! You can research his recipe books etc & many people do that, I found the 12 week commitment helped me to focus & we were in lockdown so not much else to distract me. You are advised which programme to start with depending on weight, height, bmi fitness etc. X
I will research. I've heard of Dr. Michael Moseley. Thank you.
Google it
You don't need to join anything as long as you have a way of counting the calories
Full fat tastes much nicer, keeps you fuller for longer and is actively encouraged if you are trying to eat in a low carb manner. It also contains many more of the good bugs which are essential for developing the multibiome in your gut. The NHS is still advising low fat yogurt though, despite studies which seem to support use of full fat yogurts and good cheeses.
I am in the U.S. That is one of the reasons I find this site so invaluable. Very diverse information supplied. One thing they recommend highly are the good bugs for the multibiome in the U.S. also. Another thing of big interest is leaky gut syndrome. Starting to do research on this topic too. So many diet studies being conducted. I only wish they invested as much in PMR and RA.
PMRproAmbassador
If you are eating low carb it is natural yoghurt you want - if you want low fat with that it is OK. But all flavoured low fat yoghurts contain quite large amounts of carbohydrate to thicken then and (according to most people's perceptions) make them taste better. If you are eating low carb, then you NEED fat to be satisfied for longer, not to send the blood sugar up and then it plunges again, making you hungry soon after eating.
Even full fat yog is only 5% fat - hardly high fat by anyone's measure! I use it in cooking to reduce using flour and the carb in it. An egg beaten into a tub of Total yoghurt makes a good cauliflower cheese, quiche substitute, topping for moussaka and other savoury recipes.
The 40-50 years of the "low fat diet" still hangs on - low fat was a wonderful way for food manufacturers to use cheap high fructose sugar syrup in baked goods to make them "low fat" and increase their expiry dates by months - sometimes years - while keeping them palatable and not mouldy. It created a lobby that hid the truth about the risks associated with such high levels of sugar and carbs in general. But old habits die hard.
As always invaluable information and great recipe tips. (cauliflower cheese) I can't believe the number of responses to my yoghurt question. Unanimous, full fat it is. I am placing my grocery delivery order this morning so I appreciate everyone's input.
Thank you! That last paragraph points wonderfully to the origin of the low-fat nonsense. That 1980's food pyramid, emphasizing low fat at the top and LOTS of grains, corn , refined carbs---including "whole wheat bread", pasta and oatmeal at the bottom- - lead the population of the USA into an epidemic of Type2 diabetes and obesity. Michael Pollen's delightful book book "The Omnivore's Dilemma- A Natural History of Four Meals" shines a light on the role of large-scale agribusiness on "health" policies. The businesses packaging "low-fat foods" got wealthy, the weight-loss business flourished and left consumers hungry and craving more carbs. Dr, Mark Hyman has been writing on functional medicine for decades and is often on public television here in the US where he talks about nutrition, the roles of refined carbs in leaky gut syndrome and the need for healthy fats for brain health. One of his lectures is called: "Eat Fat, Grow Thin". A good article in the Journal of Internal Medicine debunked the whole low-fat myth. Much of our cholesterol is made by our liver and it's sad that people refuse to eat a perfect snack- a hard-boiled egg- because "eggs contain cholesterol. " I can remember Julia Child's voice saying "You can't cook without BUTTER"
For my body, if I eat sandwiches or cereals, I get sleepy, foggy-headed, and depressed. If don't get enough fats I get hungry, no matter how many carbs I eat. (NO hydrogenated or trans fats ) I like snacking on cashews and fruits: maybe I'm part squirrel. No low-fat anything, including milk, yogurt or chees. It also means reading labels, paying attention to the sugar and other carbohydrates levels, and avoiding anything even hinting at high fructose corn syrup. I have never had high cholesterol and my triglycerides and HDL/LDL have all been normal for 45+ years, even during times when I weighed 20 lb more than I do now.. Maybe it's genetic. My Dad was lean and fit and had to eat fats. My daughter has the same reaction to carbs as I do and struggles with her weight when she ignores what she knows.
In the early months of my GCA (winter of 2020), I was on higher doses of prednisone and craved Rasin Bran Cereal - eating up t 3 boxes a week. Like so many here on this forum have experienced, I got the extra padding around my middle, widened hips, the "buffalo hump and moon face. Sometimes I would see myself in the bathroom mirror and wondered who that person was because she didn't look like me. There were some aspects of being on covid lockdown that were a blessing. With lower doses of prednisone and going back to my healthy fats, minimal refined carbs, and more vegetables and fruits, I have lost the extra weight.
I do buy semi-skimmed milk - full fat is disgusting in tea!!! And I do like Skyr, zero fat, high protein Icelandic dairy product. But because it tastes good - not the zero fat ...
Spar in Italy has a cashew/cranberry snack mix - far far far too moreish ...
Much really good information. Dr. Mark Hyman has a great program on PBS (the localPublic broadcasting station) here in Milwaukee, WI. USA. I have recorded and refer back for his suggestions many times. The refined carbs and leaky gut has really come to the forefront of diet information recently. The healthy fat for brain health is really important for me as I am bipolar and suffer with periodic mood swings (depression and mania) I can supplement naturally is a real plus. The overwhelming response to my high/ fat vs. low/fat yoghurt question is phenomenal. I have become very dependent on all the information I've gleaned from this site. Look forward to logging in every morning. Thanks to one and all.
I don't know how to message other than this. I look forward to a continued conversation with you from the U.S. Beautiful state you live in. I love San Francisco and San Mateo.
Full fat every time.
That is the general consensus. Will take all the recommendations to heart. Thank you for your input.
I mix it up, I have some low fat natural greek yoghurt mixed with full fat natural Kefir yoghurt. Add some berries, seeds and flaked almonds - Yum!
Sounds like an interesting recipe. What kind of seeds? Would probably make it more filling.
pumpkin and sunflower seeds with the flaked almonds plus blueberries or raspberries. I don't really like dairy, milk, cheese, cream yoghurt, so have to do something! I also have a pear (hard preferably) with cheese at some point in the day if I can. I am quite strict and weigh everything otherwise I can go completely over the top.I have noticed by nails are a lot stronger, so clearly making a difference.
I Lost 15 kgs following a low carb diet (no bread, pasta, rice, cake etc.) ate full fat Greek yogurt every day for breakfast so it worked for me. Took me a year but did allow myself one plain biscuit with my black coffee in the morning! Hope this helps. Good luck.
Great job on the weight loss. I can only hope to be that successful. Bread and pastas are my weaknesses. I have the yoghurt at least once a day. Will only order full fat now.
Full fat for me. I usually make it myself using Hansells yoghurt mix which is delicious, organic and they do unsweetened Greek and natural yoghurt.
I do order organic greek unsweetened when I can get it. Will now make sure it is full fat. I don't know about the Hansells yoghurt mix. I wonder if it is available in the U.S. It sounds interesting.
It comes from New Zealand, I buy on Amazon x
Full fat for me and has been for several years. When you start reading the labels the amount of rubbish in low fat stuff is amazing. What’s more amazing is when I explain that to friends they look at me as if I have horns coming out my head! Mind you we are all late 50s/60 year old ‘girls’ and we all grew up with the Rosemary Conley Hip and Thigh Diet which I think created a lot of the obsession with fat in foods.
"If you don't want to get fat, don't eat it" used to be the mantra. Definitely contradicted now, to our benefit. I have full fat Greek Style with a mashed banana at some point most days, when I can get the bananas.
Full fat with mashed banana sounds delicious. I try not to eat too many bananas because of low carb diet. I usually add fresh blueberries and it is extremely satisfying. Thank you for your input.
I have been making my own yoghurt for ages using my slow cooker, so much cheaper. I use it instead of cream for desserts, and with muesli or bananas for breakfast, it's delicious.
Slow cooker (Crockpot)yoghurt
2000 Mls whole milk
Warm on low 2 hrs 45 minutes
TURN COOKER OFF
Add 1/2 cup dried low-fat milk powder, mix thoroughly
Leave for 3 hours then add
1/2 cup live yoghurt (Must be live yoghurt), mix thoroughly
Wrap in bath towel leave overnight
Strain if required to thicken or use “The YoghurtTube”
Keeps for 2 weeks when refrigerated
Interesting about the label information. I don't read them often enough. Thank goodness for all the valuable information I get on this forum. Unbelievable response to this question and so quickly. Very appreciated. Will only order full fat in the future.
Full fat for me too! I crave desperately for bread but a few slices of cucumber with peanut butter on top really helps. Not sure how healthy that is though!
pomeranion in reply to
The bread cravings reek havoc with my diet. Cucumbers speak back to me. So I'll pass the suggestion on the snack. Can you really eat the peanut butter without it spiking your blood sugar? I have trouble with it but love it. Thanks for the input.
Do you peel your cucumber? It is claimed leaving the skin on helps the burps ...
medicalnewstoday.com/articl....
"Natural peanut butter and peanuts are low glycemic index (GI) foods. This means that when a person eats it, their blood sugar levels should not rise suddenly or too high."
Providing it is "real" and not with added sugar ...
I have been and am on the keto diet and have found it amazing ..I look good and feel better than I have for many years ..The keto diet tells you to have high fat dairy especially Greek yoghurt ..butter and cream ..So Its keto for me ..I am now on a maintenance Keto diet as I've lost all my weight which is fab for my PMR and my pre diabetes..so I'd say yes full fat every time...
I need to research the keto diet. I have RA so the mediterranean diet is recommended. I will see which would be more helpful with losing my steroid weight gain. I am also pre-diabetes so very helpful tip.
I've lost all my steroid weight + more and I'm still on them xx
Low carb Mediterranean is the best of all worlds, Full Keto is next to impossible to achieve when n pred because the pred triggers the liver to release random spikes of glucose from the body stores ...
I just took a look at the med. diet plan. It looks like all the recommendations I have read on this site. Good web site from Mayo Clinic here in the states with recipes.I am looking forward to experimenting with my new found knowledge. Something to concentrate on besides PMR pain and fatigue. Do you have any suggestions on diet drinks (bottled diet teas)? I had a Lipton flavored bottled diet tea at my brothers party last weekend and really enjoyed the change of pace from bottled water. Lipton is a manufacturer here in the U.S. I know the artificial sweeteners are a concern. What's your opinion?
I hate anything sweet so almost never drink soda, I drink British tea (hot black tea with milk) and water. And wine ... 
But it is much better to avoid artificial sweetners since the body perceives them as being a sugar rush because it is sweet and secretes insulin which has its own problems. If you are interested, I'll explain but it's my bedtime just now
Good night, sleep tight and don't let the bed bugs bite!!!🤡
in reply to PMRpro
I’m with you on the tea and wine being British myself. I heard tannin which is in both is bad for RA? 🫖 🍷
Haven't got RA so never looked. But life without tea doesn't bear thinking about. I mainly drink rose and white wine - not so much tannin anyway ...
pomeranion in reply to
Never heard about the tannin and RA. I would appreciate more information. Would this be true with green teas?
in reply to pomeranion
Pretty sure it’s black tea only and more than 4 cups a day being detrimental, this is not medically proven as far as I know. I will say if I have too much my joints sting and get stiff. 🍵
Maybe the British habit of milk in tea makes a difference - it binds the tannins.
in reply to PMRpro
That’s interesting, I’ll try it without for a week and feed back. Thanks
pomeranion in reply to
I'm not a fan of black tea. Matter of taste. Doesn't it also have caffeine? My joints sting and get stiff without any help from food additions. Oh, the pain of PMR and RA.
I too have been hearing for years that artificial sweeteners are bad for us. I've always avoided chemicals to the best of my ability (makes no difference, I have PMR anyway). They trigger the same insulin spike as sugar, which I gather was something not known, at least to the public, until relatively recently. (Hmm, I sense another coverup here, akin to the tobacco and petroleum industries hiding facts which are bad for their bottom line.)
Don't put anything in your body which requires an artifical chemical additive to be palatable.
I've had chilled tap water which has been subtly flavoured with either cucumber or lemon. Both very pleasant and refreshing, although not something I bother with at home. I suppose one could use other aromatic things as well, like fresh mint or spearmint? I know those don't provide the stimulant effect of the caffeine in tea. I'm not a fan of iced tea, but being who I am I have never had it sweetened, just plain, well-diluted tea with a slice of lemon. Black tea makes my stomach hurt so I tend to avoid it either hot or cold.
healthline.com/nutrition/ar...
Even with milk a la UK? It binds the tannins - which I have no doubt makes some differences.
When I say "black tea" without other modifier I mean tea without milk, as you get with iced tea. I tried giving up milk in my tea one Lent, and ended up nearly giving up tea, gave up the effort instead - only time I've failed in a Lenten discipline!
Just watching Olympic opening ceremonies and feeling very cross that everyone except the Beeb is showing intrusive commercials. If I'd known in time I'd have tried to get live stream from the BBC. Oh well. It is very moving watching all these countries, big, small, rich, poor, peaceful and at war, coming into the stadium. It might be questionable, it might not end well covidwise, but an important reminder that underneath the skin, both physical and metaphorical, we are all one.
When I talk about black tea I mean black tea as opposed to green tea - that is the normal terminology in Europe.
Is it me -or does anyone else think the podium thing looked like chopped down toilet base?
The medal podium? Can't see it myself.
Both correct: dictionary.cambridge.org/di...
The Olympic Flame is spectacular. Mind you I was very nervous watching that young woman who lit the flame carrying the torch, with all those long, loose braids of hair hanging around her face.
Naomi Osaka - the tennis player who didn't go to the French Open
Most if not all of the Canadian tenns stars pulled out of the Olympics. I think the pros were more likely to decline the opportunity, but for truly amateur athletes this really is a once in a lifetime chance and I wish them well. They can't even enjoy the full experience of being Olympic athletes, so I hope at least things go smoothly. The protestors should go home now. Point made.
Tea with lemon is fine - but just tea with nothing, even weak, yuk. And the iced tea stuff is just plain wrong!!!!
You have to be careful in the US because they speak a different language there. You have to specify you want hot tea, preferably with the bag already in boiling hot water, not balanced on a saucer next to a cup of hot water. Another thing that caught us once was when I took my daughter with me to visit my ailing father in Indianapolis and in a restaurant with my stepmother we were trying to find something a two-year-old would enjoy eating and asked for chips. As Canadians chips are - chips. In the States you have to ask for french fries, or you get a plate of - crisps. Also called chips in Canada, but we don't confuse the two versions!
I know - but they aren't capable of making a decent cup of tea anyway I make it in the hotel room although a good breakfast session from the buffet keeps me going for the rest of the day. I take my own electric travel kettle so I don't have to risk coffee-flavoured water ...
Have you ever tried to get either decent tea or decent coffee on a US flight? Canada used to be pretty good but standards have really slipped in the past few years. I've never forgotten a returning flight from UK where we were given a genuine cream tea on board an Air Canada flight. Must have been in the 70s.
I don't drink tea or coffee on ANY flight - you have no idea where that water has been!! The best food I've had was the time they had lost my gluten-free order on a Lufthansa flight - I got left-overs from business class! Veal steak and asparagus 
And they have decent wine too - although recently I've had to ask for German wine, Sekt comes as standard pre-dinner but they started using Spanish wine. On a GERMAN carrier. Not having that! Some years ago the gluten-free meal on Finn Air was amazing. Had superb Indian food as gluten-free once too.
Wonderful sentiment.👍
I've been doing research on Aspartame (artificial sweetener). Really bad for you. Soo many people only drink diet including my family and friends. I hate to preach but they should see the warnings.
My German in-laws introduced me to peppermint tea. It has a soothing effect on your digestive system. I can still here my father in-law. Margot, Margot (mother in-law) please make me some peppermint tea. A very good memory. I miss them both. I buy the organic version of all my teas, especially enjoy chai varieties. I agree with the British. A good cup of tea is food for the soul.
Nothing is quite as good as Camellia sinensis which gives us our various types of tea, but I have a little stash of herbal tisanes I quite like and often have in the evening. Rooibos (bush tea), tulsi and lavender, chamomile, peppermint, and I also make ginger tea by steeping grated fresh ginger. Rooibos can be quite satisfying because it is one herbal tea which tastes good with a little milk. I find it a good substitute for regular tea but I know some find it disappointing.
Is Camellia sinensis available in the U.S.? Herbal teas are great. I think I have had all of the ones you listed. Thank you for the suggestion about the ginger tea. I'm kinda lazy so I will probably stick to the tea bags.
That is the plant tea as we know it comes from. I had typed orange pekoe, then thought better of it and looked it up, and apparently orange pekoe is a grade of tea, and all the things we think of as "tea" - black, green, white, oolong, etc, come from Camellia sinensis, and then I went from there. You can perhaps tell I used to be a librarian? 😂
I love librarians. Although not officially licensed to be one I had so much pleasure running the library at my sons parochial elementary school. My nephew is the head of the Presidential Library in Michigan, USA. My niece is also an Archivist. I guess it runs in the family. What a wonderful profession. Great info on the different teas.
Hi. I have been given lots of diet sheets because my steroids have tipped me into the diabetic type 2 range. I won't go into it in detail but suffice to say that it says to avoid all man made fats (my words) and go for full fat everything (my words again). Flies in the face of lots of conflicting advice we have had in the last few decades (eggs, no eggs, butter, no butter, semi skimmed milk, full fat milk etc etc etc). Before my PMR I had decided that I would ignore most of it and eat and drink what I wanted provided it was balanced and none of it was done to excess. PMR put paid to that!! 😩LBM1953
I am trying to avoid diabetic type 2 range as I am prediabetic. Diabetes mellitus contributed to my late husbands death. It is truly a terrible disease. I have struggled with my weight all my life. So PMR and the steroids is a real struggle. A balanced diet is the goal.
I’m type 1 diabetic and eat low carb, which is a much healthier way to eat than low fat. If you want to get some good background info, recipes & support, check out the ‘Ditch the Carbs’ website,
I will explore that website. Always looking for recipes and support. Many thanks.
The woman who runs it (a NZ lady) is fantastic. She has a few young kids so has simple but scrummy recipes. She’s a qualified pharmacist but has now given that up because she found she was able to help more people get healthy through her website, than by prescribing medications.
Simple but scrummy recipes sounds right up my alley. So many people are discovering new life avenues with this pandemic curse. Good for her. We need all the help we can get.
How does the above advice go along with having very high cholesterol? I have heard that taking steroids can increase cholesterol.
I ignore that - I never did believe the cholesterol "thing" and it fitted with food manufacturers' desires. Re-analysis of the data found there is no protective effect of statins for women with no previous history of cardiovascular problems - and my cardiologist agrees. Part of my high cholesterol is because my HDL level is very high too.
Have never had a problem with cholesterol but I will watch for the future. Thanks for the heads up. I think I am do for a full work up of labs soon. Seeing a new endocrinologist next week.
I think it's been found it's your body which produces the cholesterol and healthy fats will not increase your risk - but sugar and other carbs can upset your metabolism and contribute to cholesterol imbalance. Don't take my word for it - just remembering seeing this on a tv show - but I think it's a reasonably correct, if incomplete, summation.
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