Top Health Tips on Living with Lactose Intolerance

Food is a very important part of your life as it provides all the necessary nutrients required by your body and is essentially, the fuel for all things to function within. However, many people may have aversion to certain kinds of food as it causes adverse reactions within their body. Let s look at some of the common food allergies that people commonly report and how to identify them.

Allergies v/s Intolerances: It is important to note here that there is a significant difference between food sensitivities or intolerances and allergies. Sensitivities or intolerances cause adverse effects on your body inevitably when you consume certain types of foods. One such example is diarrhea, caused by ingesting cheese or milk by lactose intolerant people. However, allergies are caused when the immune system within your body mistakes harmless food as something that might harm you and thus tries to protect you from its effects. This results in reactions within your body which may be very painful and problematic.

Common foods that trigger allergies
Some of the common foods that trigger allergies are:
1. Peanuts
2. Shellfish
3. Other forms of tree nuts such as almonds, walnuts etc.
4. Gluten rich grains such as wheat, rye barley, oats
5. Certain types of fish
6. Eggs
7. Soy products
8. Milk (allergic reactions mostly occur within children)

Some other foods which have been known to cause allergies in rare cases are:
1. Meats such as pork, chicken, beef, mutton
2. Corn and corn products
3. Gelatin
4. Certain spices such as mustard, garlic and coriander among others
5. Certain seeds such as poppy, sunflower, or sesame

Symptoms of allergies
In certain cases, the allergies might manifest immediately, almost in a matter of minutes, within the body. However, in many cases, it may take a few hours for it to show up. The symptoms may range from mild to quite severe. Mild symptoms will make it quite hard to actually diagnose it as a food allergy.

Some of the milder symptoms could be:
1. Hives or eczema could form on your skin which may be very itchy. These would look like raised swollen areas that could be red, inflamed, and dry.
2. The inside of your mouth and ears may become itchy
3. You could suddenly develop a runny or a blocked nose and start sneezing or coughing.
4. Your eyes may become watery, red and itchy
5. You may develop a funny taste in your mouth
6. Others symptoms may include throwing up and even loose motions

Other severe forms of allergies can be caused mostly by shellfish and peanuts and other forms of nuts and fish. Symptoms in such cases would look like:
1. Uneven heartbeat
2. Difficulty in swallowing and breathing
3. Feeling of extreme weakness, confusion
4. Passing out or feeling light headed
5. The tongue, throat or lips may swell up
6. Chest pain

Health is wealth! This age-old adage holds true even today. The usual practice of 3 meals a day needs some tinkering and 5 small meals a day seems like a good way forward. Go to any dietician or any nutritionist and they will vouch for its benefits. So, let us now take a look at the many advantages that come up with this multiple-meal plan:

Alters the food schedule and instils a sense of discipline:
It helps in altering your food schedule. When you spread your meals throughout the day, it allows you to try different dishes without over-consuming any one dish. With more opportunities to eat healthy, you can develop proper diet charts and follow it properly across the entire day. Moreover, it teaches you the discipline to keep a check on your diet.

Keeps a check on binge eating and overeating:
Five meals a day plan can help you control your weight. Intake of small meals prevents binge eating. You don't need to consume in large quantity at once if there are more meals to look forward to throughout the duration of the day. Smaller meals condition you in such a way that you do not indulge in overeating even if you are outside.

Something in every meal:
Since you're opting for five meals a day, you will indulge in different types of food items throughout the day right from vegetables, fruits, cereals, eggs, milk-shakes and much more. This will not only keep your palette satisfied but will also make sure that you get all the right amount of nutrients as nothing healthy will be left out.

Goes hand in hand with all the diet charts and plans:
Eating healthy and in small portion ensures that you are on course for your diet plan. Five meals a day will give you a chance to screen your nourishment intake and manage it more viably. It also helps in keeping your appetite under check. It maintains a healthy balance between healthy eating and satiating your hunger.

Disregard the three-feast model; it has now become obsolete. Your busy schedule requests that you take a more dynamic approach to your nourishment. Five meals a day is just the right way to ensure that you have your share of proper nutrients every day.

Do you consume soy milk on a regular basis? Soy milk is full of essential nutrients and is a source of complete protein for vegns and vegetarians. However, some people avoid taking soy milk as several compounds similar to the female hormone estrogen are present in soy milk. In spite of having several cons, the pros of drinking soy milk are significant and essential for maintaining good health.

Nutrients in soy milk: Soy milk contains protein in large amounts and is fortified with micro nutrients such as vitamin D, calcium, phosphorous, vitamin A, vitamin B 12 and Riboflavin. One cup of soy milk contains about 8 grams of protein. Soy milk also contains Alpha Linolenic Acid or ALA, an Omega-3 fatty acid, which the body requires for proper functioning. The micro nutrients contained in soy milk are similar to those present in cow milk.
It is lactose-free: Cow milk contains lactose, which is a natural sugar and many people find it hard to digest it. Soy milk is completely lactose free. Hence, if you have a milk allergy or are lactose intolerant, soy milk serves to be an ideal nutritional replacement without having any negative side effects on your body.
Health benefits
There are several health benefits, which are obtained by drinking soya milk. It is free of dietary cholesterol, trans fat and saturated fat, which indicates that your risk of heart disease is reduced. Drinking 25 grams of soy milk as a part of a healthy diet prevents the occurrence of heart diseases. Soy contains isoflavones which help in the prevention of hormone associated cancers such as breast cancer, prostate cancer and endometrial cancer.

Concerns
In spite of having several health benefits, there are some potential concerns associated with soy milk and its consumption. According to some studies, soy can affect or impact fertility in men. Soy may also increase the activity of thyroid hormone and reduce thyroid function. Moreover, milk is considered to be more effective than soy protein in boosting lean muscle mass.

Soy milk accounts for being one of the most ideal non dairy milk varieties, if you are concerned about matching its nutrient content with cow s milk. Recently, there have been some controversies regarding the benefits of soy milk as GMOs or genetically modified organisms are used in it. However, there are many soy milk manufacturing brands which do not use GMOs. Moreover, there is no evidence about GMOs being harmful to the body.

Sudden weight loss is extremely common. It is mainly adopted by people who are depressed because of their weight and want to reduce weight rapidly. There can be various reasons why people would want to adopt sudden weight loss techniques. Few of these reasons are obesity, feelings of social neglect, heart diseases and inactivity or lethargy.

Sometimes many people want to reduce weight as soon as possible. They try to lose weight by dieting or by consuming certain medications. This might result in a lot of complications such as:

If you reduce weight rapidly, it might cause the skin to be left behind and also it will cause the skin to sag. This also creates stretch marks on the surface of your skin from where you intend to lose weight. This might give a very unsightly appearance to your body. So it is better to reduce weight slowly.
Many people try to starve themselves while dieting to get faster results. This is extremely harmful for your body. It can result in dehydration and sometimes also lead to nausea or fainting.
Rapid weight loss can also make you lose water from your body. This can be extremely detrimental for your health. It is difficult to burn a lot of calories in a short time instead you might be burning water from your body which is very harmful.
Sudden weight loss is not a permanent solution. You should be very careful while adopting rapid forms of weight loss exercise or diet, you might lose weight for a limited period, but since your body isn t trained to adapt to temporary and rapid changes, you might start gaining weight rapidly instead.
Rapid weight loss can also lead to the formation of gallstones. It can also cause infection because of obstruction in the normal flow of the bile from the gallbladder to the intestine.
Hair loss can also occur, if you are trying to lose weight rapidly. Protein intake gets reduced when you follow a strict diet plan for rapid weight loss. This can make your hair extremely brittle and dry hence causing it to break.
If you want to reduce weight, it is better to follow a diet chart which does not make you starve and rather balances your diet.

Both natural and homeopathic remedies can efficiently deal with lactose intolerance, and thus you should check the reports of the patient for finding the best solution. You can choose any of these remedies or else can continue with both.

List of homeopathic medicines for treating lactose intolerance

- Aethusa Cynapium: The medicine helps in the digestion of milk so that unwanted stomach aches can be easily avoided. On the other hand, health condition of the kids can also be improved to a great extent using this medicine. Loose tools or green-colour diarrhea due to dairy products can be prevented with care.

- Apis Mellifica: milk allergies can be easily cured with this medicine and thus kids are often prescribed the drug by a homeopathic expert. A few symptoms are found in kids due to lactose intolerance like breathing difficulty, body itchiness, redness, swelling, skin rashes and others. All these symptoms can be treated by this homeopathy medicine.

- China Officinalis: This medicine is mainly prescribed to those kids for whom Apis Mellifica is not the suitable one. Flatulence, belching and bloating can be properly controlled or regulated by taking this drug regularly. Excessive mucus formation, chest's rattling sound and excessive coughing might occur with dairy intolerance and these symptoms might get severe. This is the reason the doctors often prescribe this medicine as the best option.

A few natural remedies for treating lactose intolerance

- Probiotics: These are specialized bacteria that not only help in improving digestion, but proper nourishment can also be gained.

- Coconut milk: This is now considered as one of the leading substitutes for different dairy products.

- Apple-cider vinegar: Lactose intolerance signs can be completely eradicated along with the maintenance of body balance by consuming apple cider vinegar regularly. This is a natural product, and thus you can take the same regularly without taking a doctor's permission.

- Fermented products: Kimchi and Sauerkraut are those fermented foods that can create helpful bacteria as a result of which the gut can be re-populated and digestive system can be regulated. The symptoms will get reduced slowly with the consistent intake of these foods.

- Yoghurt: This can be taken with meals as it is enriched with beneficial bacteria that can help in digesting different other dairy products. With the consumption of yoghurt, Lactose can be broken down naturally, and on the other hand, digestion can be improved.

Diabetes is an abnormal condition where the sugar-level in humans are higher than usual. Ayurveda can be used efficiently in treating this condition. Madhumeha is the Ayurvedic term for diabetes. In Indian terms, diabetes is known to the common man as Prameha, which is said to be divided into 3 major types Kapha, Pitta and Vata. Lack of exercise and intake of food having excess of snigdha, ushna and guru types are said to be the chief cause of prameha.

Along with drugs and medications, Ayurveda stresses on the importance of a balanced diet and exercise. The management modules that can be categorized are:

Vyaayam (Exercise)
Panchakarma (Procedures for Bio-purification)
Pathya (Regulation in diet)
The use of therapy (Medications)
The individual s constitution highly affects the ayurvedic treatment of prameha. Some of them are:

Obstruction in srothus
Ahara and Vihara
Dosha predominance of disease
Hereditary factors
The prakrithi of the patient
Manasika Prakrithi
Dooshya vitiation
Management of diabetes can be done using a variety of herbs. Some of them are:

Vjaysar
Eugenia jambolana (Jamun beej churna)
Pterocarpus marsupium (Vijaysar churna)
Ficus bengalensis (Nyagrodha twaka churna banyan tree bark)
Shilajeet
Momordica chirantia Karvellaka (Karella Bitter Gourd)
Kirat tikata (Chirayata)
Emblica officinalis (Amla)
It is possible that certain patients are unable to respond to insulin or hypoglemic medicines. In this case, an ayurvedic physician may prescribe some ayurvedic drugs such as:

Dhatri Nisha
Chandraprabha vati
Vasant kusumakar rasa
Diabetes is not just a lack of insulin. It is the most probable cause is plain poor maintenance of your body. Its cure will need to include all of these things discussed. By doing all, diet, herbs, exercise and stress management, you can certainly take care of your Diabetes.

Maintaining a healthy diet is of prime importance during a wedding season. Slightest of negligence can lead to unaccounted fat, leading to cardiovascular and other diseases. While working out can help to stay away from putting on the extra pounds, a healthy diet goes a long way in ensuring that the body functions at the optimum level.

Here is a list of important tips that will help to follow a healthy diet and refrain from putting on extra weight:

Stay away from unnecessary fat: Most wedding parties have numerous food options. The high fat items such as dairy product, oily dishes should be eschewed in order to ensure that the body is not overstuffed with unnecessary fat that is difficult to get rid of.
Look at the portion size: Another good way of maintaining a healthy diet is to pick and choose the right dishes and go for small portion size rather than going all out for the one dish one likes. There is no harm in trying multiple dishes, but the same should be done in small portion sizes.
Planning for the day: One critical aspect of eating healthy is to eat throughout the day. On the day of a wedding, there are many people who tend to save the stomach for the party meal or drink. This is a very bad approach as far as eating healthy is concerned. A good way to plan the day is to eat light throughout the day. Salad, for instance, comes as a relief during the wedding session.
Making a routine: Sticking to a diet chart helps a great deal in maintaining a healthy diet. The diet chart should comprise of multiple options. For instance, one need not stick to an oatmeal for breakfast every morning. Variety will help to break the monotony and encourage a person to stick to the diet routine.
Calorie count: In continuation of the diet chart, keeping a rough count of the calorie consumed on a daily basis also helps to stick to a healthy diet. Calorie count is a good way of keeping track of what one is eating and how much impact it will have in the longer run. Since wedding parties tend to possess a lot of food items, a rough calorie count will help an individual to balance the calorie count in the next few days.
Refrain from too much drinking: Staying away from alcohol can be difficult in wedding parties, but their consumption increases the urge to eat more. It, therefore, makes sense to not consume more than a couple of drinks in any wedding party.

Everyone loves a thick luscious mane of hair, which is shown on television commercials. To be able to flick around shiny healthy locks, you may have tried the best shampoo brands, made frequent visits to the parlour and consulted the doctors several times. However, did you know that the best nutrition for your hair comes from the food you eat daily? Thinning hair, reduction in hairline, excessive hairfall resulting in an undesirable physical change, can be a major cause of frustration and low self esteem. Healthy and hygienic lifestyle, sufficient sleep, adequate water intake and exercises along with a balanced diet help to promote the growth of hair.

Important nutrients necessary to boost hair growth and volume:

Most of the hair is made of protein and therefore it is of utmost importance to include proteins in the diet. Protein cells are building blocks for hair and strengthen your locks.
Vitamin D leads to a healthy scalp and activates the growth of hair follicles.
Biotin (Vitamin B7) leads to the synthesis of an important hormone known as Keratin which forms the fibrous part of hair.
Inadequate Folic acid in the diet can cause a reduction in cell division and lead to premature greying of hair.
Vitamin A and C help to keep the scalp free of dandruff. They lead to the production of sebum that nourishes the hair strands and prevents split ends. Split ends can lead to the breakage of hair, eventually turning your precious mane into a rough, dull and unmanageable one.
Omega-3 fatty Acids improve blood circulation to the hair roots, promoting shine and health of hair.
Iron and Zinc prevent breakage and damage of hair. They contribute to strengthening of hair roots.
Some of the best food items recommended for maintaining healthy hair:

Carrots, Whole grains, Legumes and Lentils, leafy green vegetables, fruits: Carrots are rich sources of Vitamin A. Carrots have several advantageous effects on the human body, mostly showing remarkable improvement in eyesight and hair growth. Carrots can be eaten in a salad, boiled or lightly tossed in the pan in just a few drops of oil and beneficial spices for added flavour. Carrots can also be made into carrot juice and consumed on a regular basis. Vegetables, fruits and legumes are rich sources of iron, zinc; vitamins that are essential for hair maintenance.
Lean Meat and Eggs: Eggs and lean meat are rich sources of protein. Egg whites do a commendable job when it comes to promoting hair growth. Egg yolk and the egg whites are known to remarkably condition the hair and benefit damaged hair when mixed with a natural hair pack before shampooing it off. Egg protein is beneficial, whether consumed or applied externally. It must be made a vital inclusion in your diet.
Oatmeal: Known to have multiple benefits, it must make a way into your diet chart, if you are looking forward to healthy skin, hair and the perfect body weight. Oatmeal applied externally can condition and clean the hair, reducing itchiness of the scalp. Oatmeal consumed in breakfast daily can help to control hormonal imbalance that leads to excessive hair loss. It can also play an important role in controlling genetic alopecia.
Walnuts and Almonds: The W of Walnut can also stand for Wonder nut. This nut contains all the necessary vitamins that activate the hair follicles and increase the volume of hair. It contains, iron, zinc, Vitamins B9, B6 and B1, healthy fats and adequate protein. Almonds are as beneficial as Walnuts, containing all the basic important nutrients needed for your hair. A handful of walnuts and almonds daily will zealously guard your hair for a long, long time.
Green Tea and Dark Chocolates: Rich in anti-oxidants, green tea is beneficial both when consumed internally and applied externally. The hair can be washed with green tea to remove and prevent dandruff. Dark chocolates are also rich sources of anti-oxidants. Now that s a delectable way towards healthy and happy hair.
Fish: Salmon, Mackerel, Oysters are excellent sources of Omega-3 Fatty Acids.

Allergy is characterised by a hypersensitive immune system giving rise to various physical problems like asthma, respiratory problems, skin rashes, etc. The best way to prevent allergies is to stay away from allergens, be it specific food, dust, pollen, or something else.

However, it is not always possible to stay away from allergens. This calls for an allergy cure. There are medicines that help bring down the severity of symptoms. One can also get allergy shots to stay away from allergies. However, Ayurveda in combination with modern medicinal treatment can be a very good option for preventing allergy and also treating symptoms.

Ayurvedic Perspective of Allergy:

The Ayurvedic perspective of allergy entails low immunity and presence of toxins in the body. This calls for enhancing immunity, removing toxins, and also improving the digestive system to prevent and treat allergies. Improving the digestive system and removing toxins too work to fortify the immune system.

Ayurvedic Treatment for Allergy:

Ayurvedic treatment for allergy revolves around deciding the type of allergy and remedies associated with it. According to Ayurveda, the imbalance of three biological factors, namely: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha, is responsible for any disease including allergy. Various allergens precipitate this imbalance. This is why allergies can be divided into various types, namely Vata type allergy, Kapha type allergy, and Pitta type allergy. Panchkarma is effective in cleansing the body and other Ayurvedic therapies like Udvartana and Abhyangam are also done to detoxify the body.

The Vata Type Allergy:

Vata type allergy is caused by dryness. Symptoms like insomnia, dry cough, anxiety, etc., are associated with this type of allergy. Symptoms can get worse in a windy or dry environment.

Treatment of Vata Type Allergy:

For relief the patient needs to drink 4-5 cups of tea mixed with ginger root extract every day. Inhaling the sesame oil thrice or four times during the day can also help.

Kapha Type Allergy:

Kapha type allergies owe their origin to humid conditions. The symptoms usually worsen during the spring and in warm weather. The patient may have clear or cloudy mucus and problems with digestion.

Treatment of Kapha Type Allergy:

Half a teaspoon of liquorice mixed in a glass of lukewarm water after a meal can bring down symptoms. One can also take half a teaspoon of Sitopaladi with honey three times a day to soothe the symptoms. A liquefied diet of vegetables and fruits can also be helpful in fighting the symptoms.

Pitta Type Allergy:

These types of allergies can precipitate a feeling of burning in eyes, loose stools, skin rashes, etc. The conditions may worsen in the summer.

Treatment of Pitta Type Allergy:

Inhaling coconut oil twice or thrice a day can offer relief. Neem leaf extract made into tea may also help in fighting the symptoms. Half a teaspoon turmeric powder mixed in a cup of warm milk can alleviate such allergy symptoms to a large extent.

Conclusion:

Ayurveda can help alleviate various allergy symptoms. Various herbs such as licorice, aloe vera, Cayenne, milk thistle, olive oil, rosemary, turmeric, garlic, butterbur, etc. have excellent potential in healing various allergic symptoms. Ayurvedic medicines also available contain these herbs and help cut allergies. However, it is always a great idea to consult an ayurvedic practitioner before purchasing or going for these herbal medicines.

Sometimes, during consumption of certain food items, many children get itchy throat, eyes, ears, asthma, sneezing, rashes, diarrhea and eczema. This can be due to food intolerance in children. It is a form of allergic disease in children. Every 1 out of 10 children suffer from food intolerance. These days, food allergies are becoming more and more common in children who are allergic to nuts, milk and eggs. In some cases, it can also be life-threatening. This condition is known as anaphylaxis. Milk and egg allergies are more common throughout the world.

Symptoms of food intolerance:

Bloating

Your bowels start becoming irritable.

Stomach starts to ache.

Cough and cold is a common symptom.

Itchy skin rash

Causes of food intolerance in children:

There are enzymes in your body, which help you to digest the food you consume. Some enzymes in your body are insufficient; which further causes food intolerance in children. For instance, lactose intolerance causes spasms, stomach aches, diarrhea and so on so forth.

Food intolerance can also be caused due to chemicals, such as chemicals present in coffee, tea, cheese and chocolates.

Some food products can also cause food intolerance such as undercooked beans containing aflatoxins can cause extreme stomach infections in children.

Some children are also intolerant to certain food products which have salicylates such as majority of fruits, vegetables, herbs and also additives. Processed food contains a high amount of salicylates.

Children can be allergic to antioxidants like artificial food coloring, artificial flavoring and preservatives.

What to do if you think your child has food intolerance?

Take your child for a skin prick test. In this test, the skin is pricked with a thin needle and when the blood oozes out, supplements of different food products are put in that area. If that particular area becomes reddish and begins to itch, your child has allergy to that certain food product

A blood test should be done. It verifies the level of IgE present in your blood and finds out if your child is suffering from food intolerance or not.