While yogurt can be a healthy snack or breakfast, not all brands are created equal.  Homemade Greek yogurt is a nutritious option, but today’s supermarket shelves are crowded with various flavors and types of yogurt that are full of sugar and artificial flavoring.

The latest yogurt to hit the grocery store are three new lines from Dannon Activia: Dannon Activia Selects French, in Mango, Pineapple, Blackberry and Cherry; Activia Selects Greek in Vanilla, Strawberry, Blueberry and Pomegranate Berry French and Activia Selects French – Fruit Bites on the Bottom in Strawberry and Mixed Berry.

French yogurt is known for its silky texture, different from Greek yogurt’s creamy consistency and tart flavor.

While Dannon Activia yogurt contains an exclusive probiotic culture Bifidus Regularis, which is said to help regulate your digestive system, the company has been under scrutiny in the past for dropping misleading health claims.

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National Ice Cream Day is July 17 and though one of summer’s favorite snacks can be heavy on the sugar, fat and calories it can also be a nutritious way to consume healthy vitamins and minerals.

If you look in the freezer section in your local grocery store you might be overwhelmed by the plethora of ice cream varieties that tout various health benefits for all dietary needs.

If you’re Gluten-Free…
Try Good Karma Organic Rice Divine Chocolate Chip. Made with organic ingredients and rice milk, Good Karma offers nearly a dozen flavors of non-dairy dessert based on rice. Keep it simple with Chocolate Chip but if you like more creative flavors, opt for Key Lime Pie, Coconut Mango or Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge.

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By Michelle Schoffro Cook for Care2.com

I am regularly asked which supplements are safe and helpful for weight loss. While I maintain that healthy eating and exercise are essential for weight loss, there are some supplements that can help.

Here are my Top 8 Safe Weight Loss Supplements:

1.  A high-quality full-spectrum digestive enzyme formula that includes amylase, lipase, and protease, among other enzymes, is also beneficial. Take 1 to 3 enzyme capsules or tablets with every meal to help your body break down the carbohydrates, fats, and proteins in your food into the natural sugars, essential fatty acids, and amino acids needed for optimal digestion and healing.

2. Other enzymes that aid weight loss include: lipase, nattokinase, and superoxide dismutase (SOD), or a single product that includes some or all of these enzymes. Start with 1 capsule or tablet of your chosen enzyme(s) on an empty stomach 20 minutes before or at least 1 hour after meals, three times daily. You can gradually increase that amount to 3 capsules or tablets at a time, three times daily, or more with the guidance of a nutritional medicine practitioner who is experienced in systemic enzyme therapy.
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There’s been a lot of buzz about probiotics lately, and they seem to be showing up everywhere whether it’s in supplements, yogurt, smoothies or even ice cream! So what’s the big benefit and what do you need to know about them? We put together a question-and-answer guide to give you the 411 on probiotics!

What Are Probiotics?

Probiotics are live organisms, such as bacteria and yeast, most of which are similar to the healthy flora that we naturally have in our guts. Probiotics are naturally found in some foods like yogurt and kefir, along with other foods that are fermented such as miso, tempeh and sauerkraut. You can also buy probiotic supplements.

Why Are Probiotics Helpful?

Although there isn’t a lot of concrete research on this, doctors believe that having the right — or wrong — balance of bacteria in your stomach may play a role in digestive issues, obesity, immunity, eczema, and possibly even help with common childhood ailments such as strep throat, ear infections, colds and diarrhea, along with helping with food allergies.

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Trying to lose weight often means dropping beloved high calorie foods from your diet. Sometimes a swap is barely noticeable – skim milk for whole, low fat cheese for full fat – but when trying to drop ice cream, you may not be pleased with your choices. Low fat or no fat ice creams are indeed lower in calories and fat, but many times have a different mouth feel or slightly bitter aftertaste. One of the most popular lower fat frozen desserts is frozen yogurt.

Drive through your city, and you’ll see an overwhelming number of businesses offering frozen desserts. Ice creams, custards, Italian ices, and the newest fad – frozen yogurt. From scoop shops to dispense your own, and many with massive topping choices, these dessert bars are popular for the ability to create a dessert that is exactly what you want – be it loaded with sugar and fats, or a more restrained, less calorically dense choice. Fro Yo (Frozen yogurt) is most often thought to be a healthier choice, with less fat and lower in calories, but is it really?

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