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Blueberry Compote

*Note for SIBO low histamine diet followers: Dr. Jacobi lists homemade yogurt as allowed in phase 2 of the SIBO/histamine bi-phasic diet. If you are unsure of your tolerance level, start by trying a small amount, such as 1 teaspoon.

When I was first on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD), 24-hour yogurt was a staple for me and I took it everywhere. The last thing someone on a strict therapeutic diet wants is to be in a strange city or an airport laden with fast food and not have a snack or breakfast for the next day. I had a doctor’s note for taking yogurt with me on airplanes because yogurt is considered a liquid. I remember the first time I went through security with it at the Oakland airport. The gentleman took a perfunctory look at my note and said, “Oh yeah, my uncle does that too” and sent me through without taking a second look at the yogurt. This was in stark contrast to the Portland airport where both my yogurt and I got wanded, patted down and chemically tested. It wasn’t taken away though, and being able to travel with yogurt was my saving grace for a while. I hope yogurt serves you as well, no matter your state of health.

The first accounts of yogurt were from around 6000 b.c. from the Neolithic people of Central Asia. Herdsman milked their animals and carried the milk in containers that were made of the stomachs of animals. The enzymes from these containers naturally curdled the milk, prolonging the edibility and creating a taste that people enjoyed. This process evolved over the centuries into the yogurt process we’re familiar with today in which yogurt is made by the bacterial fermentation of milk. The first yogurt company was created by Isaac Carasso in 1919 in Barcelona and evolved into the American company Dannon.

Yogurt has numerous health benefits and has recently been shown to lower the risk of type 2 diabetes in several large studies. Yogurt has also been shown to decrease total blood cholesterol while increasing HDL. Yogurt is a very good source of iodine, vitamin B12, calcium and phosphorus. It is also a good source of protein, zinc, Vitamin B2, molybdenum, pantothenic acid and biotin.

24-hour yogurt is yogurt that is fermented for 24 hours, much longer than the normal four to seven hours. The additional fermentation time leads to the breakdown of lactose to more absorbable forms so it isn’t fermented in the gut and feeding a bacteria overgrowth. Many people who are lactose intolerant are able to eat 24-hour yogurt since the process since the fermentation process removes the lactose. Additionally, 24-hour yogurt has more Probiotics because of the extended fermentation. In a cup of 24-hour yogurt there are 708 billion beneficial bacteria, 50 times as much Probiotics as one gets from pill form.

If you test yogurt and don’t react well to it, it should be removed and then reintroduced in another month or so. There are many recipes that call for yogurt and it is a very versatile and forgiving ingredient. For those craving simplicity, I recommend adding honey to taste and fruit and nuts if you tolerate them. Here’s a basic yogurt recipe:

24-Hour Yogurt

This yogurt is cooked for 24 hours in order to reduce/remove the lactose. Any kind of milk can be used but half and half makes a thicker Greek style yogurt and can support weight retention.

Ingredients:

  • 2 quarts whole milk or half & half (check the amount specified on your yogurt maker)
  • 1 packet yogourmet yogurt starter

Instructions:

  1. Heat milk or half and half in a sauce pan over medium high heat to 180 degrees.
  2. Take heated milk and put in ice water bath till it cools to 110 degrees.
  3. Take ½ cup of milk and whisk it well with yogurt starter (such as Yogourmet, available at Whole Foods, New Seasons or Amazon.com).
  4. Mix in the rest of the milk with a whisk.
  5. Heat at 110 degrees for 24 hours in a yogurt maker.
  6. Refrigerate until firm.

** Note-If you leave yogurt for longer than 24hrs the bacterial count will start to decline.