Everyone Does It.

I have mentioned that I’ve been having some health issues lately; one of them is some weird nausea thing (and for the millionth time, NO. I’m not pregnant.). Though I think I’m done with this symptom, I spent about two weeks being totally nauseated, yet hungry. I would eat (being careful about *what* I ate), and then I would have a different sort of nausea. Hard to explain, and not really important at the moment.

Anyway, I saw my doctor on Monday and was trying to explain this feeling to her (and had to tell her NO. I’m not pregnant.), and I had her a little baffled. She suggested that it’s quite possible that my natural stomach bacteria (is that the technical term for it?) is out of balance, and asked me how often I eat yogurt.

I told her that I don’t eat it very often. We go through spurts of buying it (our favorite is Yoplait Cherry Orchard), but it’s become so gosh-darn expensive for something that little that really doesn’t fill you up in the first place, in my opinion.

She gave me that now-that-you’re-getting-older-you-really-need-to-pay-more-attention look, the one that I hate, and then stated, “I think you need to start eating yogurt, for your digestive system.”

I replied, scrunching up my nose, “Does it have to be, like, Activia?”

She said that it did not; it just needs to be from that category of having live cultures, low-fat and low-sugar. Which rules out our old Cherry Orchard standby. Shoot.

Poor Activia. I shouldn’t give it a bad rap because I totally know that it’s got to be (probably) an excellent product. (Right?)

My only problem with it? Has nothing to do with anything real about the product itself. Everytime I hear “Activia” I don’t think of the health benefits. I think of this, Kristin Wiig’s caricature-ish impersonation of Activia spokeswoman Jamie Lee Curtis*: (Fast forward to 2:20 if you’re feeling lazy or impatient)

I don’t have a problem with, ahem, the effects of fiber. Everyone poops. Why is it that I have such a mental block against this particular product, then? Because of comedy. Strange, I know.

Anyway, I went to the store today to pick up a couple of things, and yogurt was on the list. I couldn’t believe how big the yogurt section has become. Did you realize there is now an area for regular/traditional yogurt, a section for organic yogurt, and a section for pro-biotic yogurt? Crazy! I’m thinking that the yogurt industry is doing pretty well. I ended up sticking with the Yoplait name; they have a new line that fits my needs. And this is not a commercial for it; I’m just telling you what I bought.

Do any of you out there eat yogurt regularly? What kind do you eat? Anyone out there a fan of Activia? Discuss.

*A note for Jamie Lee Curtis, should she (or her people) have a Google Alert set for herself: I love you. I think you are totally awesome and I don’t even hold it against you for representing this wonderful product. The issue is my own. Whenever I think about Kristin Wiig’s impersonation of you (I love her, too!), I keep reminding myself of all the things you’ve done that I admire very much: your movies, your children’s books, your husband (I love him and his work, too!), your seemingly fantastic mothering skillz, and your embracing getting older. You are only to be admired. That is all.

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18 Comments

  • Melissa

    We eat Yoplait Whips…totally different consistancy. I’m ruined for regular yogurt, it just doesn’t taste right anymore.

    You do know you can buy probiotics in pill form and not have to eat yogurt all the time, right?

  • Mom24

    Hope you’re feeling better soon. That sounds very not fun. 🙂

    Yogurt is not my favorite, for the exact reason you mentioned. It just doesn’t fill you up. Still, if I’m going to eat it, I do like Yoplait.

  • Lilacspecs

    I used to eat a lot more yogurt actually. I’ve been on a total crap food kick lately and haven’t touched it in a while. Although I have had a funny nausea feeling for the past month or two and that might explain it.
    As for Activia…I live in Belgium and we’re on a single income right now so it’s too expensive. Plus I it in a smoothie with fresh fruit.

    Seeing as it’s winter obviously the smoothie option hasn’t been used in a while.

  • seashore subjects

    I personally hate yogurt, but all of my kids love it. We buy bulk granola and they add it to their yogurt. Maybe this makes it taste better, I haven’t tried it.

  • Melisa with one S

    Mr. Lady: Alright, well, if I can get over my comedy aversion to Activia, I will definitely try the vanilla. Vanilla is one of the flavors I bought in the Yoplait pro-life.

    Melissa: I tried Whips a couple of years ago and it almost tastes ice-creamy. But talk about not being filling! (for me) I can definitely see where you would have a problem with the consistency of regular yogurt after eating that for a while! And I did not know that about probiotic pills, but I'll keep that info in my back pocket. Thanks!

    Mom24: You have good taste! 🙂

    Lilacspecs: Yummy! Smoothies! Don't you hate when you get on a crap food kick? It's so hard to get back on the wagon!!

    Seashore: I adore the McDonalds fruit & yogurt parfaits with the granola, but that (at McDs) is full of sugar, I'm pretty sure. So no wonder I like it.

  • Anonymous

    I eat yogurt about 5 times a week because i LOVE FRUIT ON THE BOTTOM stuff. It is the sugary kind, but I don’t care. I like that I don’t mix it up completely, so sometimes I get a big hunk of fruit… almost too much fruit, but I like it that way!

    There you go.

  • Andie

    I eat yogurt almost EVERY day as the dessert to lunch.

    You can buy non-fat, low sugar yogurt like Yoplait Thick & Creamy and get the benefits while it tastes yummy, like ice cream.

    My favorite flavor is key lime pie.

    it isn't really meant to be an actual meal, but rather, just a snack. You could eat a yogurt cup for a quick snack… it's only 100 calories! think about it- if you had to choose between a 100 calorie pack of oreo thin crisps or a thing of yogurt, which one would stick with you longer?

    But I love yogurt! it's a great source of protein!

    try some nonfat versions. I promise they taste good.

  • ThisFullHouse

    Yep, I’ve gotten the “you’re at that stage in life, etc…” talk, too. Haven’t given in to Activia, but love Jamie Lee Curtis, too. One of a few people I think looks great with grey hair 🙂

  • Mags

    I love, love, love yogurt. My favorite is Yoplait because they have so many flavor choices. I love the banana yogurt and also the apple turnover flavor.

    I’ve tried activia and in fact I have some now. It’s not fantastic but it’s not horrible. I think that yogurt in general is good for you, so from now on I’ll just stick to my favs.

  • Mags

    Also-look for Kefir near your yogurt section. The strawberry is yummy and it is great for you. It’s more like a drink though.

  • k a t i e

    I’ve spent the past few weeks in an AGONY of nausea – telling people that No. I am NOT pregnant – and then getting slightly panicked as to what, if by some miraculous conception (not dissimilar to the Lord Baby Jesus) I was. I have the whole “I want to eat, but feel sick when I look at food/feel uncomfortable afterwards” thing going on. Sound about right?

    I’m clearly going to have to try this yogurt thing and see if that’s of any help, although I tend to think of ‘yogurt’ as ‘chocolate flavored yummyness as given to small school children’ and not so much as ‘happy bacteria type natural yogurt’. Hmmm.

    Let me know if it works!

  • Mayberry

    I eat yogurt practically every day and I am one of those big nerds who eats the plain kind. I buy a bag of frozen blueberries, dump a bunch in the bottom of a bowl, nuke for 60 seconds, then top with plain yogurt — and it has to be Dannon Nonfat. The Yoplait plain nonfat tastes completely different. In a bad way.

    That said: whenever my kids have …issues (or are on antibiotics), I give them the acidophilus capsules. Works like a charm.

  • Michelle

    Ok, many things here.

    Go to Dominick’s and get their Stonyfield (ummm red lid, white and red can with flower label) vanilla yogurt. The big container. It’s WAY cheaper than getting the little ones. Eat it on MY granola (I’ll bring you some next time, and the recipe is up). Is good. Is very good. Or add raisins to it. Or fresh fruit. Or use it for a smoothie.

    Or get the probiotic capsules. Those work well, too, if you aren’t up for yogurt. Much more portable, too.

    And since I’m like six days behind here — is it working? Do you have any test results?

    My mom feeds the wee ones Activia all the time. Usually two flavors mixed together. You can imagine the results when they have (like tonight) spent the night at Grandma and Grandpa’s. Gotta love it.

    And my mom leaves her Benefiber at my house. Some things I just SO don’t need to know.

  • Melisa with one S

    Andie: I know, I know, a yogurt isn’t meant for a meal. But if I have a snack, I want it to be something filling. You’re right though; I’d choose the yogurt over one of those Oreo 100-cal packs. I guess I have to look at it differently! 😉

    Katie: My doctor also told me to eat a little blander for a while. try that, too…

    Mayberry: That sounds delicious, to me. I’ll have to try that too!

    Michelle: You’re bringing me granola? Awesome! I can’t wait!
    My stomach is better now, but I haven’t eaten the yogurt each day; my dr also gave me a prescription-strength antacid, and I think that’s more the cause for getting better…but I’m sticking with the yogurt too!

  • Anonymous

    From Dawn:

    Yuk on the tummy issues. I had a tummy bug that lasted a week and it was no fun, so I can ALMOST relate. I hope you’re feeling better, Melisa!

    We eat Yoplait light here. We love the different, yummy flavors. I try to put one in my lunch every day. However, I do need to eat more fresh fruits and veggies. I am also getting older, 😉 and need to eat healthier. And if I stop bringing garbage food into the house, then I can possibly get Scott healthier too.

  • The Microblogologist

    First of all probiotics are more regulators for GI issues, they can help prevent or treat diarrhea as well as prevent/treat constipation. How well a particular bug does and what benefits it gives depends on the kind and how much you ingest. Normal yogurt contains Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus, I don’t think either is really considered a probiotic organism but they can help with some issues, lactose intolerance is one of them. If you are having intestinal issues you want the L. acidophilus and/or Bifidobacteria species (my research organisms are bifids).

    If the issues are specifically your stomach, as opposed to your intestines, then I am not sure why she was suggesting yogurt/probiotics as they are generally more for the intestines in my knowledge (I may not be right here though, I loathe lit review and there are so many health claims made about probiotics!). Perhaps she was thinking about your GI tract as a whole. If that is the case then it is good to have a yogurt product that contains the bifids, like activia but they are not necessarily the ultimate nor the only one. What I can say for sure about activia is that they have a decent number of bugs in them, I have plated the product myself. Another good thing about them is they contain inulin, which is a prebiotic. Prebiotics boost the healthy bugs you already have.

    Perhaps instead of thinking of it as a snack you might think of it as a supplement as it is more about getting in the good bugs and such than satisfying your hunger. Personally I do not like yogurt and find kefir (which contains a ton of good bugs and usually multiple strains) truly disgusting. I am a very picky eater, especially with my GI issues since on a bad day can be stuck refluxing something for 6-12 hours, thankfully the meds I am on now help make that not as common! The activia should NOT cause one to poop themself or even be at risk for doing so, when I have forced myself to eat it on a regular basis I have never had problems in that area (I refuxed it, but that was because I refluxed everything and not their fault). I am actually a little surprised that Dannon didn’t go ape shit over that not so good spoof of their product, it is quite misleading (maybe they did?).

    Capsules could work, hard to say though since in order to really give GI benefits they have to be alive but those products (yogurt too) are not regulated and therefore might not contain live bacteria in adequate amounts to help. All they have to do is add them at some point and they can claim their product contains them under current laws. Not sure about US products but studies in the EU have found these products with little to none living probiotic organisms. All the food products I have tested have been good though (I have only tested a few).

    I hope this novel worth of information isn’t too boring and is potentially helpful/unerstandable and mostly that you are still better! Feeling sickly whenever you eat sucks big time. And oh yeah, hope my calling bacteria “bugs” doesn’t weird you out, it is pretty common for my kind to affectionately refer to bacteria as that. Feel free to bug me about the bugs if you have any questions or I was incoherent (it is after 5am and all).