Always north, and then left - almost to the Arctic Circle. There lies Iceland….
The island of giants - Iceland has the highest density of successful strongman and crossfit gyms in the world.
One of Iceland's traditional foods is Skyr – Icelandic pronunciation [ˈscɪːr̥]
What is Skyr? Where is he from? What makes him special?
1. Skyr is an Icelandic yoghurt, high in protein – 11.8g per 100g
2. Although it's called yogurt, it's more similar to curd in how it's made.
3. Legend has it that the Vikings introduced Skyr to Iceland when they settled there over a thousand years ago.
4. The traditional manufacturing process not only ensures a high protein content of 11.8 percent, but also good creaminess.
5. Skyr is becoming increasingly popular outside of Iceland. Skyr has also been available in Germany for a year.
6. Skyr has a high anabolic effect (anabolic = building) due to its high protein content and high insulin index.
You can ignore the low fat content of skyr, which is less than 1g per 100g. At 4g per 100g, the carbohydrate content is also in a range that does not have any significant effect even with a larger portion size of 250g, for example. This means that blood sugar is not particularly affected by carbohydrates. However, due to the nature of the dairy product, skyr has a major effect on insulin levels, which skyr increases significantly.
Excursus: Insulin Index - The insulin index describes the typical effect of different foods on the insulin level. The insulin index is similar to the glycemic index , but it does not refer to the blood sugar level , but to the associated increase in insulin levels. The benefit of this scale is that certain foods, such as meat or cheese, cause insulin to spike even though they don't contain carbohydrates. Some foods also produce insulin responses that are not proportional to carbohydrate content or the glycemic index (GI).
7. For lactose intolerant people, caution is advised with both skyr and quark. Depending on tolerability, larger portions can be tolerated too well.
8. The popular skyr can even be found in Icelandic myths. The eighth of the thirteen Icelandic Christmas trolls "Skyrgámur" (Eng. Skyr-greedy gorge) moves out of the troll cave into the villages and towns of Iceland on December 19 and gives presents to the good children there.
Skyr, for example in combination with raspberries and blueberries, is an excellent post-workout snack and the last meal of the day….