Milk is rich in protein, calcium and Vitamins A and B and it is important to insure an adequate intake of these elements when on a dairy-free diet.

Soya is rich in protein, and other foods of importance in a dairy-free diet are potatoes, vegetable oil and fish.

Fish oils are rich in vitamin A.

Calcium is found in sardines, watercress, figs, rhubarb, almonds and other nuts.

Fresh fruit and vegetables are a good source and vitamins and minerals (especially important for children for the formation of strong, healthy teeth and bones).

There are a number of other milks that are available that may be substituted for cow’s milk when baking or cooking.

The type of substitute used will depend on the type of food it is used for.

Rice milk is good for drinking and putting on cereal. It can also be used when baking or as a thickening agent.

In some recipes water, broth, or juice can be substituted for the cow’s milk.

Sometimes, a milk allergic person can use goat’s milk or soy milk. Both of these milks, however, are also very allergenic.

In fact, most people allergic to cow’s milk are also allergic to goat’s milk.

Persons with lactose intolerance should never use goat’s milk. Lactose is present in all animal’s milk.

Milk
Soya, Rice, Oat, Nut, Coconut, Sheep’s Milk*, Goats Milk*, Ewes Milk*,

Butter/Margarine

Soya Spread (some pure oil margarines)

Yoghurt

Soya Yoghurt, Oat Yoghurt

Cheese
Rice Cheese, Soya Cheese (Hard/flavoured/slices/spreads)

Cream

Soya Cream, Whip Topping, Coconut Cream

Ice-cream
Soya Ice-cream, Rice Ice-cream

Chocolate

Carob and Vegan Chocolates

Whole Egg

Whole Egg Replacer

Egg White

Egg White Replacer

Egg in Recipes – To Replace One Egg
As Recommended By The Vegan Society: 1 Tablespoon Gram Flour Plus 1 Tablespoon of Water or 50ml White Sauce or 1/2 Banana Mashed

* PLEASE NOTE:
Sheep’s, Goats and Ewes Milk are technically not dairy products, however they have a similar composition to cow’s milk and may cause similar reactions/intolerances.

Calcium

Milk is neither the only nor the best source of calcium and has little effect on bone strength.

Good sources include: green leafy veg (broccoli, cabbage, bok choy, watercress etc), pulses (eg soya – used to make tofu, soya burgers, soya milk etc, red kidney beans, chick peas, broad beans, baked beans), parsnips, swede, turnips, some nuts such as almonds, Brazils, hazelnuts, pistachio and some fruits (dried figs, currants) and olives – and exceptionally high are sesame seeds. (Hummus, that gorgeous Middle-Eastern dip, contains sesame paste.)

Supermarkets and health food shops now stock a wide selection of delicious and nutritious dairy free alternatives to milk, yogurt, ice cream, margarine and cheese!

For more nutrition information , subscribe to my RSS feed.

I have noticed that most of the information relating to lactose intolerance and milk allergies comes from studies that have been sponsored by The Dairy Council.  I’ll leave you to draw your own conclusions about the implications this has on the validity of the studies.

Here is some information about lactose intolerance and milk allergy

Lactose intolerance
Lactose is a sugar found naturally in milk. It’s important to distinguish between lactose intolerance and milk allergy, because milk allergy can cause severe reactions.

Lactose intolerance is caused by a shortage of the enzyme lactase, which is needed to break down lactose so it can be absorbed into the bloodstream.

When someone doesn’t have enough of this enzyme, lactose isn’t absorbed properly from the gut, which can cause symptoms such as bloating and diarrhoea.

Milk Allergy

Allergy to cows’ milk is the most common food allergy in childhood, and affects 2-7% of babies under one year old. It’s more common in babies with atopic dermatitis.

A reaction can be triggered by small amounts of milk, either passed to the baby through the mother’s breast milk from dairy products she has eaten, or from feeding cows’ milk to the baby.

Children usually grow out of milk allergy by the age of three, but about a fifth of children who have an allergy to cows’ milk will still be allergic to it as adults. The symptoms of milk allergy are often mild and can affect any part of the body.

They can include rashes, diarrhoea, vomiting, stomach cramps and difficulty in breathing. In a very few cases, milk allergy can cause anaphylaxis.

Cows’ milk allergy is caused by a reaction to a number of allergens in cows’ milk, such as casein and whey. Casein is the curd that forms when milk sours, and whey is the watery part that is left when the curd is removed.

People can be allergic to either whey or casein, or both, and an allergic reaction can be triggered by very small amounts of these allergens in people who are sensitive.

Heat treatment, such as pasteurisation, changes whey, so people who are sensitive to whey might not react to pasteurised milk.

But heat treatment doesn’t affect casein, so someone who is allergic to casein will probably react to all types of milk and milk products.

Milk from other mammals (such as goats and sheep), and hydrolysed milk and soya formulas, are sometimes used as a substitute for babies who are at risk of developing cows’ milk allergy.

However, the allergens in milk from goats and sheep are very similar to those in cows’ milk.

This means that someone with a cows’ milk allergy might react to these other types of milk as well, so goats and sheep milk aren’t suitable alternatives for people who are sensitive to cows’ milk.

Some highly hydrolysed milk formulas are suitable for babies with cows’ milk allergy, but other types of formula, such as partially hydrolysed milk and soya formulas, aren’t suitable, because many babies with cows’ milk allergy might react to them as well.

For more information about dairy substitutes and ways to get your calcium subscribe to my RSS feed.

• Include a portion of fruit every day but be adventurous and make it quick and easy to eat. Instead of setting your child the task of peeling an orange, why not pack them a bunch of grapes, a portion of fresh pineapple or fruit segments.

• There’s nothing more warming than a mug of homemade soup on a cold day. Invest in a small flask for those winter months. Equally, on a warm day a fresh, cold smoothie may be just as welcome.

• Make a salad box in the morning with fresh salad and vegetables and alternate toppings throughout the week, like grilled chicken, tuna, pulses or asparagus. This is also handy for the grown-ups who take lunches to work.
• Rice is a great base for salad, so try mixing in fruit, nuts, beans and vegetables for a tasty lunch alternative.

• If they have a sweet tooth, don’t automatically head for the sweets and chocolate. There are healthier alternatives that are just as tasty, such as dried fruit and nut mixes.

• If you’re looking for a slightly sweeter drink there’s nothing nicer than a 100 per cent fresh fruit juice to accompany their lunch.

It is important to be careful about the “healthy” snacks that you buy for the lunch boxes as all are not as healthy as they seem.

• Cereal bars: many cereal bars contain more than 40 per cent sugar and 30 per cent fat.

• Flavoured yoghurt: the once-healthy yoghurt now often comes attached to a pack of confectionery to stir in. Some of these contain more than five teaspoons of sugar in each pot.

• Savoury snacks: cheese strings and similar foods tend to be highly processed and may contain high levels of saturated fat and salt. One single snack can contain almost as much salt as a young child should have in an entire day.

• Fruit juice drinks: pure fruit juice contains 100 per cent fruit juice as you would expect. However a ‘fruit juice drink’ can contain as little as 6 per cent juice. Many so-called ‘juice drinks’ are really only juice-flavoured sugary water and contain more water and sugar than actual fruit juice. They many also include artificial flavourings, sweeteners and colourings.

With a little imagination and preparation, it may be easier than you think to give your children a healthy lunch.

Some five million children’s lunchboxes are prepared in British homes every weekday, yet a Food Standards Agency (FSA) survey revealed that three quarters of these were less than healthy.

They tended to contain foods that were too high in saturated fat, salt or sugar.

The same survey indicated that 45% of these lunches failed to include any fruit. Unsurprisingly, most included crisps, chocolate, biscuits and sugary drinks.

Making the same lunches day in and day out for your children can be torturous for all of you.

With a little creativity and collaboration you can make lunches that your children will enjoy and that can be considered healthy.

I do recommend you involve them in the process of changing their lunches though – you can always rely on children to be honest about their opinions.

If you are introducing something new to children, they will be suspicious and it may take three or four attempts to get them to try it.  It is important thing that you try and you keep trying.

A sandwich is still the quickest and easiest thing to put in a lunch box.

However, there is nothing worse than a soggy sandwich or having the same one over and over again.  According to the FSA survey, 85% of children had a sandwich in their lunch box – the most common being 2 slices of white bread with ham.

Here are some ideas to make sandwiches a bit more interesting.

• Vary the breads: whole grain whole wheat sliced bread, pittas, mini bagels, tortillas, small dinner rolls, English muffins, flat breads or naan. Check the label for 2 grams or more of fibre per serving.

• Vary the spreads: light mayonnaise, mustard, salsa, hummus, tzaziki, peanut butter, chutney or teriyaki sauce. Imagine the tasty combinations!

• Vary the fillings: peanut butter and sliced apples, peanut butter and banana egg salad with tomato, salmon with teriyaki sauce and baby spinach, tuna salad, turkey, ham, roast beef, hummus with grated carrots, refried beans with salsa and grated cheese or leftover stir fry in a wrap.

For more lunch box ideas, subscribe to my RSS feed

There are some herbs and nutrients that can help immensely when you are under the weather.

One such herb for colds and flu that’s recommended by both complementary therapists and orthodox doctors is Echinacea.

Commonly known as purple coneflower, it contains several active ingredients in the root and leaves that has antiviral, antibiotic and anti-inflammatory qualities.

Not only can it help to prevent or shorten the course of an acute infection,  it also helps stop colds or flu developing into more serious conditions, such as sinusitis, bronchitis or middle ear infections.

As a result, it can be of particular benefit to high-risk groups, such as the elderly, or children with asthma.

For an acute infection take 15 drops of echinacea tincture twice a day as a maintenance dose, increasing to 20-25 drops of tincture in water three or four times a day when necessary.

For children, give one drop for each year of their age, twice daily, increasing both dosage and frequency by 50 per cent when the cold and flu symptoms are at their most acute.

Echinacea tincture is readily available in most healthfood stores and chemists.

Like echinacea, Vitamin C is rich in antiviral and antibacterial properties. Many people take supplements of the immune boosting vitamin at the first signs of a cold.

I would suggest taking 1g of Vitamin with bioflavonoids a day, starting when you first notice that those around you are beginning to go down with something.

Some clinical studies have also found that the mineral zinc can help nip cold symptoms in the bud.

Zinc plays an important role in many aspects of immune health, and scientists now believe that the mineral could inhibit colds from developing by coating and inactivating viruses in the throat as soon as they appear.

There are many other ways in which you can help yourself to boost your own immune system.

Eat a healthy diet, including at least five portions of fruit and vegetables daily and no more than 2-3 units of alcohol and watch your caffeine intake.

Take some daily exercise – a brisk 20-minute walk lowers stress and boosts immunity, which helps to reduce your chance of developing a cold.

Getting enough sleep is also important to help build resistance.

Increase your fluid intake to at least one glass of water or juice every waking hour. Not drinking enough fluids causes mucus to dry out, which in turn can affect your ability to keep secondary bacterial infections from taking hold in your system.

Steaming liquids, such as water, herbal tea (and yes, chicken soup), will help relieve congestion.

If your nose is red and raw from using tissues, rub a little petroleum jelly or chickweed cream into the sore area. This will protect and waterproof the area.

For further nutrition guidance and advice on other natural remedies, subscribe to my RSS feed.

When: 13 Feb 2010

Where: Chatsworth Hotel, Steyne, Worthing, BN11 3DU

Come along and learn how to create the life of balance, choice and fulfilment that really works for you. This is a fun and participative event, run by a professional Life Coach that will really get you thinking and moving in the right direction this year.

• We will explore where we are now and where we want to be.
• We will develop both self awareness and self belief.
• We will consider what we want more of and how to make the space to bring it into our lives.
• We will look at how to simplify and appreciate what we already have.
• We will put the foundations for future growth firmly in place.

This is a half day event so we will no doubt work hard and have much fun along the way!

The workshop is being held at the Chatsworth Hotel, Steyne, Worthing on Saturday 13th February.

The cost is just £45 with 10% going to local charity. If you book for 2 at the same time you will both get 10% discount so why not come along with a friend.

Depending on when you function best you can choose between the morning 9.30-1.00 and 2.-5.30.

You do need to book in advance so please phone Eileen on 07941 760 889 to ask any questions and secure your place. Email eileen.choices@googlemail.com

It seems to be never ending, doesn’t it? The kids are off school – it’s hard to get into work and Cabin Fever is beginning to set in.

If you are finding yourself bored, irritable, lethargic, comfort eating, and have cabin fever—if all you want to do is sleep, then you most likely have the winter blues.

This is not to be confused with SAD (Seasonal Affected Disorder) where people find themselves depressed and fatigued to the point that their personal and professional lives begin to suffer.

The good news is that there are ways to turn your winter blues around in no time at all.

An easy and everyday thing we can do to fortify our health is eat good food.

Fresh, organic vegetables and fruit are among nature’s most powerful healing agents, supplying anti-oxidants, vitamins and minerals.

Also, it’s important to keep yourself hydrated.  Central heating and hot showers/baths are very dehydrating – so making sure you get your 2 litres (4 pints) of water each day is essential.  You can have hot water if you find room temperature too cold.  Add a slice of lemon for flavour.

Although sunlight is in short supply at this time of year, being exposed to bright light will increase your serotonin and vitamin D levels.

But let’s face it, not all of us can go for a beach holiday in the middle of winter – a good alternative is to get a light box.

During the day, raise the blinds, pull back the curtains and let the sunshine in.

Even on overcast days, the additional light will make you feel better. At night, close the curtains and blinds to keep the house warm.

And should you see the sun at all – try and get out in it. Exercise can also help to boost both your mood and your immune system.

When the weather permits, take a 15 – 20 minute brisk walk around the neighbourhood. The fresh air and exercise will get your heart pumping and clear the cobwebs from your mind.

So, clear your front path or try and dig out your car.  Even in inclement weather you can step outside your door and do some deep breathing to enhance your mental well-being.

Plan ahead. Have a purpose each day to get you out of the house for a brief time.

Run one errand per day. If you plan your errands to be accomplished in daily increments, when inclement weather does prevent you from getting out, you will be better able to cope.

If you feel tired when the sun sets (the natural way our bodies should feel), then listen to your body! It’s telling you it’s time to rest.

Most of us, however, stay up much later than our bodies would like, which tends to impair the adrenal glands and the immune system.

A sound night’s sleep can do wonders for your mood and will help you to feel ready to take on a new day in the morning.

Increasing your intake of Omega 3 can also help – good sources of this are nuts, flaxseed and oily fish.

If you find yourself feeling down for no apparent reason then the flower remedy Mustard can really help pick you back up.

To conquer some of the dis-ease of Cabin Fever, take stock of the clutter in your house.

Stacks of yellowed magazines, dust-coated collectibles and dated clothes in your wardrobe may be undermining your positive thoughts and emotions, thus contributing to your “fever.”

Clearing your clutter can help bring about harmony and balance in your house and also your mind.

This is easier said than done. It’s the getting started that’s the key.

Here’s a tip. Make two lists.

One list contains tasks that can be accomplished in 15 minutes, such as organising the holiday decorations before you return them to storage and alphabetising your CDs, if you must.

A weekend list is filled with projects that require an hour or two of your time and energy.

Bigger chores include clearing out the spare room, and sorting through your child’s unused toys and deciding together how to put them back in service by giving them away or donating them.

Make sure you take the time to treat yourself – whether you sit down with a cup of tea and a really good book or you have a massage at the Holistic Health Clinic – make sure that time is just for you!

It’s that time of the year again – January.  The start of a new year.  A chance for new beginnings.  And of course, for those all important New Year resolutions.

New Year resolutions are a great motivator to make changes in your life – however, no-one seems to be able to keep them for very long.

I want to look at the usual suspects – being giving up smoking, cutting down drinking or “being healthier.”

Giving up smoking is a choice that only you can make and it isn’t always an easy thing to do.

My only advice is do it because YOU want to and not for someone else and get as much support as you can.

The NHS Stop Smoking Service are good at what they do

Cutting down drinking.  Did you overdo it during the festive season and now think you want to stop drinking all together? Or are you looking at moderating your drinking?

Either way – you should be realistic in setting your goals.

Stating that you aren’t going to drink for a month is all well and good, but can be hard to achieve and if you fall off the wagon then it can feel like you’ve failed and that can lead to a whole host of other emotions.

Make the resolution viable for you. If you usually have a beer or 2 at the weekends, then resolve to not drink during the week.

Also make sure you have a substitute to hand such as fruit juice and sparkling water, so that you can alternate between an alcoholic drink and a non-alcoholic one.

“Being healthier” is a vague resolution at best.  Are you planning to undertake more exercise – perhaps join a gym or go for a walk in the snow? Or are you going to eat more healthily?

Find an exercise that you enjoy, that you will find time in your busy schedule to do and that you won’t get tired of in 2 weeks.

Kickboxing is a great way to burn calories and build up your fitness levels.  SAMA offer kickboxing classes for all levels of fitness across the Sussex area.

Yoga is another great form of exercise.  The Holistic Health Clinic Brighton offers a range of classes.

If you have vowed to eat more healthily, then I advise you to be specific about what this means to you.

If you are planning to cut things out of your diet, then make sure that you replace them with something else.

For example, if you are cutting out coffee/caffeine, make sure you have plenty of herbal teas/red bush/green tea or coffee substitutes with you so you won’t be tempted.

If you are cutting out dairy, then goat’s, soya or rice milk all make good substitutions.

If you are cutting out wheat – then make sure you know what you can replace it with.

The key for me to healthy eating is moderation. It’s about making sure you get your 5 a day and you drink your 2 litres of water, and then everything else will follow.

It’s also about eating in a healthy way. Check out my post on How to Eat Healthily for more info.

It’s also about remembering that it’s ok to enjoy yourself occasionally.

I run a virtual drop-in clinic where you can ask your nutrition questions.

I hope that 2010 is a very happy and healthy year for you all.

Coping with Christmas Shopping

Be organised.

Have a definitive list of who you wish to buy for in a notebook you won’t lose before you go.

Do it all in one day if at all poss. It adds to the fun and prevents you spending too much.

Buy only one gift for each person and buy something you truly think they would like rather than having to spend £20 on Johnny because you did on Rosie!

Noting what you buy in your book also prevents buying second presents cos you’ve forgotten the first one.

(My daughter persuaded me to some early Christmas shopping in October which simply meant I hid what I bought and may one day find it again……)

If you have a day’s holiday left book it off with a friend and make a really fun day of it.

If you know which shops you are going to again make a plan so that you can pick them off in a logical order.

I know this all sounds very military but it saves on both brain and leg work to put a bit of planning in first.

Keep some good quality dark chocolate in your bag to nibble as it has now been proven that it alters metabolism and lowers stress biomarkers.

If you do get pushed, squashed, trodden on or beaten to the last one of this year’s must have toy (apparently anything to do with Star Wars - just proves everything really is cyclical!) take some long deep slow breaths to boost your serotonin levels (also great as you cant swear whilst doing the breathing so it will stop you getting into a fight) and help you feel calm and centred again.

If you really can’t bear it all – best use the Internet. Enjoy!

Coping with  the family

One of the reasons spending Christmas with family that we may not see by choice the rest of the year is that stories will be brought up from childhood that we might well prefer to forget.

The retelling pushes us back into our old child role and can feel very crushing to self esteem.

The best way to deal with this is firstly to anticipate it and secondly to choose to respond differently and from our now sorted adult stance.

Recall the event, see the child and acknowledge how he/she has grown.

Pretend that the annoying uncle, brother whatever he or she may be is actually a member of your best friend or partner’s family and view them with the compassion you would if they actually were someone else’s relative.

In other words change the perspective from which you participate and your chances of survival or even enjoying yourself will be magnified!

If all else fails take the dog for a walk or if there is no dog say you want to go and have a look at your old school that did you so proud all those years ago!

No need to stop and listen to the story that rekindles, just be back in time for lunch

And don’t forget to do the washing up – another great way to make space for yourself and get a few brownie points with mum!

Eileen is a qualified Life Coach and can be contacted via eileen.choices@googlemail.com

For tips on how to survive the physical aspects of Christmas, subscribe to my RSS feed.

Here is a guide from her that will help you survive the festive season.

CUE- CONTROLED RELAXATION

This technique will help you learn to relax immediately, on command, whenever you choose to do so.

This isn’t magic, you have to want to relax, and imagine yourself being relaxed.

By following these instructions you’ll find it extremely quick and easy to relax much deeper than normal.

This is all you need to do. Just close your eyes and relax.

Picture being in a pleasant relaxing scene, either from memory or fantasy. It doesn’t matter how vividly you picture things, just keep your mind on the idea…

Focus on the most relaxing aspects of that scene…

Think about the things happening there that make you feel good…

When you’ve really explored that scene to your satisfaction, you can create your own hypnotic trigger for those good feelings, a signal that you can use to help yourself to experience those same things whenever you choose to do so…

keep thinking of that pleasant, relaxing scene and imagine those good feelings becoming stronger…

Take a deep breath and hold it for a few seconds…

As you exhale, let go slowly and imagine the feelings of relaxation becoming much deeper as your thumb and forefinger draw together locating and magnifying those wonderful sensations.

Now you can add a pleasant feeling to that sense of relaxation.

Feelings of pleasure and relaxation go well together and tend to make each other stronger as you will see!

So now imagine that you are as happy and contented as you could possibly be in that scene…

Imagine actually smiling to yourself inside, really feeling good… now you can make that feeling much stronger as well…

Take a deep breath and hold it for a few seconds…

As you exhale, let go slowly and imagine those pleasant feelings becoming much deeper… Keep focusing on those pleasant feelings making them grow.

Now you can add a word to help you remember those feelings. It can be any word…

You can take another deep breath; this time as you exhale, you can imagine the feelings of pleasant relaxation growing much stronger again as you focus your mind on your word.

Think of the meaning of the word… Say it in your imagination…

If you like picture it and what it feels like. Imagine the word has power to create those feelings when you focus on it in this way. By doing so you can give it that power.

Now you can combine the physical cue of drawing thumb and finger together with your word…

Take another deep breath; this time as you exhale slowly focus your mind on your word and draw that thumb and finger together allowing those pleasant feelings to become even stronger.

The more you repeat this the stronger it becomes!!

Thank you to Paula for providing us with this invaluable tool.

Paula Newman DHypPsych(UK)

Tel:01273 696295 or 07808 141752

Paula practises at Holistic Health Clinic, Brighton.

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