Yogurt is a powerful SuperFood. Many of the great benefits of yogurt come from prebiotics and probiotics. These encourage the growth of necessary "good" bacteria in our digestive systems and limit the proliferation of "bad" bacteria. We need healthy digestive systems to absorb the necessary nutrients in our diet while helping fight off diseases. (Checkout a comprehensive list of the benefits of yogurt on pages 199 through 202 of one of our best books, SuperFoodsRx, Fourteen Foods That Will Change Your Life.)

Not all yogurt is created equal. Many yogurt products contain way too much sugar and not enough live active cultures. In fact, some yogurt products have 7 teaspoons of sugar in a serving!

When you go to the store, look for yogurt that has the most variety of live active cultures because each live active culture makes different but important contributions to your health. Make sure the yogurt label does not say something like "heat treated after culturing" because this process destroys all the health benefits provided by the live active cultures.

Also, look for nonfat and low-fat brands with the least amount of sugar, calories and artificial colors. Try the ones with the fruit on the bottom and just eat the yogurt. Enough of the fruit flavor gets into the yogurt so you don't need all the extra sugar and calories from the syrupy fruit bottom. Also, look for the freshest yogurt by checking the expiration date on the carton. This will help ensure truly live active cultures.

Yogurt can be a healthy ingredient in many recipes you prepare at home. Our family favorite is smoothies - the kids love to make them. Just put frozen or fresh fruit (bananas, strawberries, blueberries, etc.), a cup of nonfat yogurt and a splash of orange juice in the blender and run until you get a consistency you like. It makes a great snack, dessert or part of a good breakfast. Kids love coming up with new flavor concoctions.

You can also make salad dressing and marinades with yogurt. There are other great yogurt ideas on pages 204 and 205 of SuperFoods HealthStyle. The Cucumber Yogurt Sauce on page 310 of The SuperfoodsRX Diet goes great with turkey meatballs or roast lamb in pita sandwiches.

Now that you know what to look for in yogurt, make it a regular part of your diet and you'll rest easy knowing those live active cultures are helping to keep you healthy.