Tag Archives: dairy

Chocolate Milk Gets the Boot from Schools with Surprising Results

Think back: Can you imagine school lunch with no chocolate milk? Many can, and some schools have made the thought a reality in an effort to make school lunches healthier for students.

chocolate milk

However, the efforts may have been misguided. Researchers from the Cornell Food and Brand Lab surveyed 11 elementary schools in Oregon where chocolate milk had been removed as an option, and found while the students did consume less sugar and calories, they also consumed less protein and calcium.

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Posted on April 18, 2024 by Elizabeth

7 Reasons Being Lactose Intolerant Doesn’t Mean You Should Swear Off Dairy

Have you noticed that every time you eat cheese, ice cream, or other forms of dairy you experience abdominal pain, gas, or bloating? If so, you may have lactose intolerance, or an inability to properly digest dairy products, says Karen Kafer, RDN, a representative with the National Dairy Council.

dairy

But being lactose intolerant doesn’t mean you must forgo dairy at every meal. According to Kafer, the body produces an enzyme called lactase to help digest the lactose in milk. As we age, the body sometimes produces less lactase than it did from childhood, making it hard to break down dairy. However, many people with lactose intolerance can still tolerate at least 12 grams of lactose (equivalent to 1 cup of low-fat and fat-free milk or yogurt) in one sitting, with little to no discomfort. So, being diagnosed with the condition simply means that you may need to moderate your intake.

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Posted on February 21, 2024 by Jessica Cassity

“People with Lactose Intolerance Should Still Eat Dairy,” Says the Dairy Council

Lactose intolerant consumers can still enjoy milk and limited dairy consumption, regardless of what they may have thought in the past. This is the takeaway from the live webinar this afternoon sponsored by the National Dairy Council, hosted by Jennifer Goodrich, senior analyst at the Hartman Group and Robin Plotkin, registered dietician and nutrition communications consultant. The one-hour session discussed lactose intolerance perceptions from the public and ways to bridge the communications gap between patients and health professionals.

The National Dairy Council contends that even with a diagnosis of lactose intolerance, up to 12 grams of lactose may still be comfortably consumed in a day without triggering gastrointestinal distress. Twelve grams doesn’t sound like much, but it’s actually the combined equivalent of one-half cup ice cream, half cup Greek yogurt, half cup cottage cheese, and an ounce of hard cheese.

The confusion surrounding lactose intolerance was the focal point of the discussion. According to a study conducted by the Hartman Group in 2024, consumers were not only self-diagnosing their condition, they were also stymied by milk substitution choices. “Dairy sensitive consumers don’t want to be full time detectives,” explained analyst Jennifer Goodrich. “They want it to work for their stomach, taste good, be relatively low in calories, low cost and have some nutritional benefit.” (more…)

Posted on August 8, 2023 by Dani Stone

5 Diet Tips to Gain Bikini Confidence by May 1

It happens this time every year. Just as sure as spring rain comes, so does the ambition to look good in a bikini. Is it just us or is the pressure a bit overwhelming?

Looking good in a swimsuit isn’t a bad goal. In fact, it can help us shed unwanted pounds and even shape up quicker than we would otherwise. But being healthy and fit should always trump what size your clothes are, or in this case, your swimsuit.

For most, the goal isn’t looking like Heidi Klum when we hit the pool. The goal is to feel good about ourselves in a swimsuit if we happen upon the beach or a pool this summer. The key to getting there? Setting realistic goals and mapping out a plan to get there.

We asked health and fitness expert Stephanie Mansour of Step It Up With Steph to share five diet tips on how to get bikini ready quickly and effectively while keeping a healthy perspective on body image. Here’s what she had to say. (more…)

Posted on April 9, 2024 by Dana

Lactose Intolerant? Discover Which Dairy Products You Can Still Enjoy

If you’re like us, you’ve started to think more seriously about your diet than ever. And not just for weight loss purposes, but for the sake of optimum health and pinpointing which foods may be doing more harm than good.

My primary cause for concern is dairy as I was lactose intolerant growing up. Despite seemingly “outgrowing” my intolerance as an adult, I still notice that dairy can make me feel poor from time to time.

Lucky for me the National Dairy Council (NDC) is perking its ears to the cries of people like me and thousands of others who face similar intolerances. The good news is, these diet discrepancies don’t necessarily mean you have to give up dairy. It just means you have to learn which products may work best for you.

To spread the word about National Lactose Intolerance (LI) Month, the NDC held a Twitter party in late February to equip the LI population with helpful tools and resources to better manage their dietary needs. The council sought to inform the public of the important nutrients dairy can provide in our diets, as well as the many dairy products that those with LI can still consume. (more…)

Posted on March 4, 2024 by Dana

Cindy Santa Ana Dropped 50 Pounds and 4 Medications With a Clean Diet

Cindy Santa Ana of Northern Virginia grew up like a lot of kids in the 70s, eating canned Campbell’s soups and Pop Tarts and school lunches that resembled fast food more than they did home-cooked meals. She also had an affinity for popsicles and candy, which all snowballed into a pattern of unhealthy eating. The only commitments that kept her slim through high school were going without soda, dancing and staying active with social engagements.

Despite any unhealthy habits she developed early on in life, Cindy always had an interest in health and fitness and even majored in physical education and health in college. As a result she followed the nutrition advice she learned in the process, following the USDA recommendation of 6-11 servings of carbohydrates per day.

Items like breads, pasta and cereal filled her daily diet, but  all along she thought that was a healthy choice.

“At one point in college I had 11 boxes of cereal in my dorm room,” Cindy recalled. “I was also eating everything fat free because the fat-free mantra was on.”

Believing the basic assumption that fat was bad, everything she ate was either low fat or fat free, which meant it usually had ample amounts of added sugar and high fructose corn syrup. This pattern of eating led to a slow and steady weight gain throughout college – at least 10 pounds every year. And Cindy’s health only continued to decline.

At the age of 25 she was diagnosed with hypothyroidism and the migraines she frequently experienced as a kid only grew worse. Then in 2005 and again in 2024 kids came along, which left Cindy heavier and more unhappy with her body than ever. (more…)

Posted on January 1, 2024 by Dana

Vegan Advocacy Group Fights to Remove Milk from Schools

In these tumultuous times while most of our country has its eyes on the upcoming election, some health advocates are turning their eyes in another direction: On school lunches.

The Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) – a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C. – advocates for vegan diets and is out to bring dairy down, and hard. And where are they aiming their message? At kids, naturally, because they want to abolish milk from the school lunch programs for good. And in place of diary, they want to see other calcium sources on kids’ plates like beans, sweet potatoes and figs.

This isn’t an entirely unreasonable request, however, not everyone’s buying what they’re trying to sell. And perhaps it’s because of the group’s tendency to use harsh, unconventional methods for advocating in the past.

An example of PCRM’s radical ways? Just earlier this year the group placed some controversial billboards in Albany, New York, with images of overweight people grabbing their fat, and blamed dairy as the reason for their weight.

The signs said things like “Your Thighs on Cheese,” and “Your Abs on Cheese,” in an attempt to send the message that dairy is the reason Americans are fat. This, they say, is because of the saturated fat milk contains. (more…)

Posted on August 8, 2023 by Dana

Chipotle Puts its Dairy Out to Pasture

Chipotle, how do I love thee? Let me keep counting the ways! This place keeps getting better and better. Chipotle just announced that effective this June, 100 percent of their stores’ sour cream and 65 percent of their restaurants’ cheese will be made from pasture-raised cows.

A pasture-raised cow is one that has daily access to outdoor pastures. Additionally, the animals are never fed hormones, only a vegetarian diet. The leading Mexican grill chain has made some bold and progressive moves in the last year, challenging the existing quality found in typical fast-food. Chipotle has already made a commitment to serve only naturally raised meats that contain no hormones or antibiotics. As a further commitment to health and sustainability, Chipotle buys its produce from farms located within 250 miles of each location. They also support family farms with The Chipotle Cultivate Foundation, which helps farms with sustainable practices and promotes healthy eating for kids. (more…)

Posted on June 20, 2023 by Lacy

4 Ways to Eat Your Yogurt

By Jennipher Walters for FitBottomedGirls.com

I have such an on-again, off-again relationship with yogurt. I’ll eat it daily or twice daily for a month and then, out of the blue, drop it like a hot potato. Which is dumb. Because that “hot potato” is full of good-for-your-tummy bacteria, calcium and deliciousness. Whether it’s a flavored yogurt or plain yogurt that you snazz up with some mix-ins, I have now realized that I should have never broken up with yogurt, even if it’s just for a weekend. Hopefully, yogurt will take me back. Check out our ideas below to keep your yogurt-relationship full of surprise and nutritious excitement!

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Posted on October 6, 2023 by GuestBlogger

Dairy May Cut Diabetes Risk

We all know how good dairy is for bone health and that it can play a positive role in fat-loss, but now scientists believe that dairy may play another positive role in our health: reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Researchers have identified a natural substance in dairy fat that may substantially reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. The compound, called trans-palmitoleic acid, is a fatty acid that is found in milk, cheese, yogurt and butter. It is not produced by the body and can only come from your diet.

Right now, you’re probably confused. After all, nutrition and health professionals have been telling us to choose low-fat dairy for years, right? Well according to the December issue of Annals of Internal Medicine, dairy fat is different in its make-up than other industrially produced trans fats found that are found in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, which have been linked to higher risk of heart disease. On the other hand, trans-palmitoleic acid is almost exclusively found in naturally-occurring dairy and meat trans fats, which in prior studies have not been linked to higher heart disease risk, according to the study.

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Posted on January 5, 2024 by Jennipher

The More Protein The Better is a Common Nutrition Myth

Protein is essential for normal body functioning and crucial to help build and repair muscle tissue after strenuous workout sessions. Protein is defined as organic compounds made of amino acids that are arranged in a linear chain, typically found in meat, fish, nuts, eggs, dairy products, legumes, and protein supplements. They are considered to be the building blocks for your muscles and immune system. Protein can also be used as a form of fuel to provide the body with energy if you are not getting enough fat or carbohydrates, which are the primary energy sources.

The recommended daily value (DV) of protein based on a 2,000 calorie diet is 50 grams. For those who exercise frequently, it is recommended to get .8 to 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. For instance, a 200 pound (90.9 kilogram) male is recommended to intake 72 to 108 grams of protein per day. If you don’t get enough protein in your diet, your immune system may become weakened, you can lose muscle mass, experience growth failure, and even weaken the heart and respiratory system. So, please make sure you are getting enough protein in your daily diet.

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Posted on December 28, 2023 by Matt