FitSugar

Tips For the Lactose Intolerant

FitSugar — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 14:27:31 PDT

How can a hot slice of ooey-gooey cheese pizza taste so good but make you feel so bad? If you're lactose intolerant, even one bite could have you racing to the bathroom. Here are some tips to help you deal with your dairy-filled world.

If your body can't tolerate any dairy products whatsoever, keep Lactaid pills with you at all times. Lactose intolerance is caused by a lactase deficiency, the enzyme needed to break down the lactose (milk sugar) in your food. If the lactose doesn't get broken down, it causes major bloating, gas, or diarrhea. Just pop a pill with your first bite of food containing dairy, and you're all set. If one pill doesn't offer the magic, take another.
A package of 60 Lactaid brand caplets costs around $15, so if you're going through three or more pills a day, this can be a big expense. Buy them in bulk and save some dough - Kirkland brand costs $16.50 for 180.
If you're not into popping Lactaid pills, avoiding dairy is your best bet, which means being a keen label reader. Look for words such as milk, milk powder, butter, buttermilk, cream, cheese, whey, curds, or milk solids. Hidden lactose can be found in baked goods, dressings, chips, instant soups, candies, pancake mixes, margarine, and even certain medications. If you think a food might have dairy in it, but you're not sure, don't take the chance.

Keep reading for more lactose intolerance tips.

Does Dairy Make You Break Out?

Miriam Lacey — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 05:15:26 PDT

Acne is caused by hormonal fluctuations, stress, and genetics, but there's also been a longstanding association between dairy consumption and acne. Recent studies suggest that instead of causing acne, dairy consumption may exacerbate acne issues. For some people, dairy increases hormonal fluctuation, which in turn increases inflammation, which then leads to more severe acne.

Basically, dairy doesn't cause acne, but it can make whatever skin issues you may have worse. It's not true for everyone, though. Only about eight percent of the women in one study developed severe acne related to their milk intake. My skin actually has been much better since I stopped eating dairy, but what about you? Are you with me in the camp that has inflammation issues when it comes to milk, yogurt, and cheese?

Ways to Include Less Dairy in Your Diet

Jenny Sugar — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 04:26:11 PDT

Eating too much dairy can cause a number of issues for people such as tummy troubles, congestion, and acne, so if you're trying to cut back on the amount of dairy in your diet, here are some ways to do it.

Skip the cheese on your burger. Eating a hamburger not only avoids dairy, but it also saves you about 100 calories.
Pour almond milk in your cereal. It's deliciously creamy, lactose-free, and contains the same amount of calories per serving as skim milk.
If you love yogurt with fruit and granola for breakfast, opt for soy yogurt. O'Soy and WholeSoy are slightly higher in calories than regular yogurt, but offer six or seven grams of protein, just like Stonyfield Farms' Nonfat Vanilla.

Continue reading for more ways to ditch the dairy from you diet.

5 Ways to Sneak Milk Into Kids’ Diets

Rebecca M Gruber — Sat, 26 Feb 2011 03:05:47 PST

Ice cold milk and an Oreo cookie many be a picture-perfect scene, but many kids just aren't keen on sitting down to a glass of the cold, white beverage. Some tots start turning their noses up to the drink when they transition off the breast or bottle, while others gradually shift their preferences as they experience new tastes. The calcium- and vitamin D-rich dairy product is an essential part of a child's nutrition. If your tyke just can't bear to drink the stuff, consider these five sneaky ways to get it into their systems.

Burning Question: Are Heavy and Whipped Cream the Same?

Susannah Chen — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 03:13:53 PST

I've always been baffled when forced to choose between heavy and whipped cream at the grocery store. Isn't all cream more or less the same thing?

Not exactly, I discovered when I finally searched for the answer. There are differences in milk fat content. All cream contains at least 18 percent milk fat: "whipping cream" is made up of 30 percent, while cartons labeled "heavy cream" or "heavy whipping cream" must contain 36 percent or more.

Whipping cream, heavy cream, or heavy whipping cream all work for recipes that incorporate whisked air, but don't reach for that half and half. At 10.5 to 18 percent milk fat, it simply won't cut it. The more fat content a cream contains, the more stable it's likely to be in a whipped state.

Check out our basic whipped topping recipe for guaranteed success.

Got a burning question? Join the Burning Question group in the YumSugar Community! It's your place to post the most pressing questions about the culinary world.

Whole vs. Reduced vs. Low-Fat vs. Nonfat Milk

Michele Bell — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 13:15:29 PST

When you are doctoring up your coffee or tea at the sugar and milk stand, do you know how much of a difference those tall silver canisters can make in your hot drink? Some reach for the skim while others feel free to douse the cup with the heavier cream. And when it comes to choosing milk for cereals or as a beverage, it can make even more of a difference. If you're curious to see how the various types of milk compare, just

Do You Eat Full-Fat Dairy Products?

partysugar — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 08:00:41 PDT

Yesterday after tasting a luxuriously creamy yogurt, I wondered aloud what made it so good. Yum replied, "It's whole milk yogurt. The whole milk is what makes it amazing." I realized that I never have whole milk yogurt anymore!

It got me wondering about milk products: What are your preferences when it comes to them? I'm not talking about cheese and chocolate, which should always be full fat (duh!), but rather, dairy items like yogurt, sour cream, and milk. Do you avoid full-fat?

Source: Flickr User sfllaw

Know Your Ingredients: Buttermilk

YumSugar — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 05:50:44 PDT

At his sous vide seminar in Aspen, Momofuku chef David Chang urged us not to fear the buttermilk. "Buttermilk is just cultured milk!" he exclaimed - at which point I realized that I knew very little about the stuff.

Although they are both rich, creamy dairy items, the term buttermilk refers to two different products. There's old-fashioned buttermilk, which is the thin liquid left over after the natural process of butter being churned. It's acidic and often has flakes of butter still floating in it. Then there's cultured buttermilk, the thick and creamy fermented milk product that Chang was referring to, and what's typically seen sold in cartons at the supermarket. Sometimes called artificial buttermilk, it contains no butter. It is created by adding a lactic acid bacterial culture to dairy to ferment it, resulting in a tangy flavor and a thicker consistency.

Buttermilk is a popular ingredient in biscuits, scones, and fried chicken batter. (Chang likes to make a buttermilk dressing.) Since it typically has a longer shelf life than regular milk, buttermilk can be a good investment. However, in a pinch, one can make acidified buttermilk, a product made by adding acid such as lemon juice to regular milk. Do you use buttermilk?

Source: Flickr User jeffreyw

Got Milk? Reasons to Go Out and Get Some

FitSugar — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 12:00:56 PDT

When I was younger, I had to to drink a glass of milk with every meal. As I got older my dad loosened up a bit with his rule, and I found that I drank less and less of the stuff. In my father's generation they drank milk in the same way many of us grew up drinking soda or juice. Nowadays, it's more unusual to drink milk than not - something I've learned only because I get funny stares whenever I order a glass while out. The Got Milk? ad campaign was born years ago as a way to give milk cool status again. Well, you can't get cooler than this: its latest model is Lauren Conrad, and the company created interest by campaigning with LC's fans over Twitter. Besides having the backing of LC, here are five reasons you should enjoy a glass of milk today:

According to a study, women who drank two glasses of fat-free milk after strength training gained more muscle and lost more fat as compared to women who consumed energy drinks.
Dairy fat is good for the heart. It may lower blood pressure, reduce cholesterol levels, or decrease the chances of a heart attack.

See the other healthy reasons to get milk when you

Study Claims Dairy Fat Is Good For Heart

FitSugar — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 14:15:59 PDT

I can't remember the last time I had whole milk, or even yogurt that wasn't skim. Since dairy products are a huge source of saturated fat, I usually save my full-fat dairy indulgences for cheese and ice cream. But a new study is challenging my presumptions and suggesting that dairy fat might actually be a good thing. The study's results show that having higher levels of milk fat in the body may lower blood pressure, reduce cholesterol levels, or decrease the chances of a heart attack.

A team of doctors in Sweden looked at the levels of dairy fat in just under 1,000 individuals that researchers divided into two groups - heart attack patients and otherwise healthy people. What they found was that participants who had the highest levels of milk fat were actually at a lower risk of developing heart disease - for women the risk decreased by 26 percent. The study also suggests that eating more full-fat dairy may actually help us live longer lives.

Before you go crazy in the cheese section of your market, keep in mind this is an early study. From here, doctors are going to determine how much credit can be given to the attributes of dairy fat vs. lifestyle factors. For now, continue to get about 30 percent of your daily calories from fat, and limit your intake of saturated fats.

	One cup Whole Milk	One cup Reduced Fat (2%) Milk	One cup Low-Fat (1%) Milk	One cup Nonfat (Skim) Milk
Calories	150	130	110	90
Total Fat (g)	8	5	2.5	0
Carbs (g)	12	12	12	12
Fiber (g)	0	0	0	0
Sugar (g)	11	11	12	12
Protein (g)	8	8	8	8