A few years ago I came down with a severe case of food poisoning. It took quite a few rounds of antibiotics and months of testing to get my intestines back to a safe zone. But it also took a couple of years to get my system back on track. Along side with my doctor’s advice I also visited a nutritionist. She was great in giving me advice on what I should eat to keep me on track especially after the antibiotics knocked out the bad stuff. The re-occuring advice was to get a healthy dose of probiotics each and every day.
What is a “probiotic”? Essentially it means “for life” and it contributes to maintaining a healthy gut. You also may have heard the word “flora” which is essential the good bacteria that lives in our digestive systems. So, it makes sense that we need to replenish and maintain them every day.
Now, I’m not the perfect image of someone who picks healthy all the time…you know, that’s impossible since I love food so much! Plus, have you seen some of the fun events I get to attend on a weekly basis? Those little slider and chocolate dipped everythings are too hard to resist! I’m cool with that. It’s all about balance. The easiest way for us to get more probiotics (and enjoy it) is by eating yogurt! Did you know that one serving of DANONE’S ACTIVIA contains 1 billion probiotics (Bifidobacterium lactis or B.L. Regularis DN-173 010)?
But I had an “A-HA” moment a couple weeks ago after DANONE, the makers of yogurt lines Silhouette, Activia, Oikos Greek Style Yogurt, Danino, and DanActive, contacted me as asked if my family was interested in sampling out their product lines during the month of March, which happened to be Nutrition Month.
“Mais Oui! I responded (I’m on a french kick)…and admitted that we are already heavy yogurt consumers at home and already purchase their products. So, trying out new flavours? YES! Sign me up!
Yogurt products have been a staple in our fridge for a few years now. We don’t even think twice about having it for breakfast (I like to mix in my granola) or a quick snack during the day. The fact that it’s really good for your gut is a bonus! My “A-HA” revelation was that we have been easily reaching for yogurt just as easily as it has been with popcorn. Seriously! It’s pretty cool to hear my teenage son ask “hey, can I have that yogurt drink that’s in the fridge.” It’s just there…and the kids are welcome to grab and go.
But I wanted to take yogurt to the next level of flora bliss! I want recipes! DANONE offered a few including this one!! YUM!!
RAISIN FRENCH TOAST
Ingredients:
1 egg
1 pinch of ground cinnamon
1 tsp (5 ml) brown sugar
2 pinches salt
1/4 cup (60 ml) whole milk
2 slices of raisin bread
1 tsp (5 ml) salted butter
2 tbsp (30 ml) ACTIVIA plain sweetened yogurt
To taste, Maple Syrup
To taste, Unsalted sunflower seeds
To Prepare:
1. In a bowl, lightly whisk the egg with the cinnamon, brown sugar and salt.
2. Add the milk and mix.
3. Melt the butter in a non-stick pan over medium heat.
4. Drop the raisin bread slices in the egg preparation and coat well.
5. Cook in the pan on both sides until golden.
6. Put the French toast on a palate and garnish with yogurt, maple syrup and sunflower seeds.
7. Enjoy right away!
If you’re interested in more recipes from DANONE CANADA visit their website at www.danone.ca and also check out their Facebook page!
But I gotta tell you this…I am seriously addicted to this one and it’s only 60 calories that tastes like a banana pudding dessert!
This post was not sponsored nor was I compensated. I was sent samples of Danone for review purposes.
i get mine at the health food store and they’re in the refrigerated section. i suppose since they’re live bacteria they need to stay cool.
yes supplements are available at both drug stores (over the counter) as well as health food stores!
Yes, it’s a dislike of dairy but also an intolerance (not sure what came first). Guess I’ll have to settle for supplements. Can these supplements be found at a regular drug store or a health food store?
When I had the food poisoning I couldn’t eat any dairy whatsoever. So I did take probiotic supplements (I was on one that was lactose free and gluten free). I’m lactose intolerant (cheese, ice cream, milk just kills me) but for some reason I can tolerate low fat yogurt. But for you, is it a dislike of dairy rather than an intolerance? The supplements maybe a option.
Sonya, what would you/your nutrionist recommend for those that don’t eat dairy? How do we get our probiotics?
I hear ya Julie! I was taking some powerful supplements to boost the flora back but after a while I was tired of popping so many pills (plus they were so expensive!) Once everything was back under control for me, the yogurt had enough probiotics for daily intake and tasted good. But everything in moderation, right? I generally have an individual serving with my granola (ginger zing this morning!) and sometimes a home-made smoothie (made with fruit & plain yogurt) or a DanActive smoothie shot in the afternoon. The trouble is keeping it in stock in the fridge with a teenager! lol
i always have the supplements here to put in my daughters’ yogurt. i’d recommend getting a supplement over eating wads of yogurt (in my case anyway) because sometimes excess sugar can really play crazy with your yeast balance and a whole other slew of problems! but prune activia? i could eat that with a ladle and never be sick of it. i love that stuff!