Homemade yogurt in single serving Weck jars.

“Eat your yogurt” is now mainstream medical advice. So our our new video about how to make yogurt can not only save you money, but boost your health.

According to the University of Michigan Integrative Medicine department, yogurt “can help re-establish a healthy bacterial balance in the digestive tract that may have been disrupted by poor diet, illness, or medications.”

The reliable site WebMD agrees that the active cultures in yogurt can improve a range of gastrointestinal conditions like lactose intolerance, constipation, diarrhea, colon cancer, and inflammatory bowel disease.

These benefits are thought to arise from the active cultures making changes in the microflora in the intestines, the speed of food passing through the bowels, and a stronger immune system.

Active cultures are the key. The active bacteria in yogurt are destroyed by high heat and home preparation allows you to choose whether or not you want to use commercial milk that has been pasteurized at high temperatures.

The October 2011 issue of Today’s Dietician says that yogurt is by far the best vehicle for getting the “good” bacteria, or what they call probiotics, into our systems.

What goes with yogurt? How about blueberries, another nutrient-packed food?

By the way, those cute yogurt containers in the photo are actually Weck canning jars. Reusable and they’re just right for one serving—no plastic involved!