Nutri-Jyoti News article archive
August 2007 - Lactose Intolerance: Wheat and Dairy-free? (II)
The issue of milk and other dairy products is one which has and will be hotly debated for a long time. In this article I'll give you a a brief overview of the issue of lactose intolerance and also share some of my personal tips on how to reduce/eliminate dairy from your diet. So what exactly is "lactose intolerance"? It is the inability to digest milk sugar, lactose, effectively due to an insufficient amount or lack of lactase, the enzyme required for this process, in the body. This condition is associated with aging and you're more likely to have it if you're of Afro-Caribbean origin. The effects can include abdominal cramps, diarrhea, bloating and undue fatigue to name a few. If you're lactose intolerant you'll normally show symptoms within 30 minutes to 2 hours of eating milk-based products. However, as with all conditions, some people's reactions are worse than others. Even if you don't feel you're lactose-intolerant, there are other reasons you may choose to eliminate milk from your diet, even for a short period. In Chinese medicine, because of their dampening nature, dairy products are known to weaken the spleen, which is responsible for energy. And even in Ayurvedic nutrition, where milk is considered to be a complete food, it is recognised that many modern-day commercial dairy products contain hormones and antibiotics given to animals in their food and injections, which are in turn ingested by humans. What's more, pasteurisation and homogenisation creates changes to milk proteins, which are then harder to digest, i.e. use up more energy. So what are the alternatives? Well, how about including some of the following in your diet?
- vegetable milks made from soya, oats, rice, almonds
- associated "dairy" products made from the above
- dark green leafy vegetables, broccoli, sesame and sunflower seeds (all excellent sources of calcium and magnesium)
Finally, if you decide that you don't want to take a complete break from your friend dairy then you might consider the following options:
- goat's or sheep's milk and associated products
- (home-made) natural yogurt
- ghee (clarified butter)
- raw milk
Having a break from dairy, even for a shortish period of time, can help to improve your digestion and the efficiency of other body functions. If you have to/decide to cut out dairy for a while and have further questions, feel free to contact me ( janet@nutrijyoti.com ).
Copyright © 2007 Janet Gomez All rights reserved
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