{"id":847,"date":"2016-08-15T19:26:08","date_gmt":"2016-08-15T19:26:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tallahasseefamilymagazine.com\/wordpress\/?p=847"},"modified":"2016-09-13T19:31:55","modified_gmt":"2016-09-13T19:31:55","slug":"lactose-intolerance-doesnt-mean-you-have-to-ditch-dairy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/tallahasseefamilymagazine.com\/wordpress\/2016\/08\/15\/lactose-intolerance-doesnt-mean-you-have-to-ditch-dairy\/","title":{"rendered":"Lactose Intolerance Doesn\u2019t Mean You Have to Ditch Dairy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>By Alyssa Greenstein, R.D., LD\/N<\/p>\n<p>Milk and other dairy products have long been staples in\u00a0the American diet. So much so, that June was named National\u00a0Dairy Month, a time dedicated to celebrating nutrient-rich dairy foods and the farmers who produce them. Besides,\u00a0imagine a big bowl of cereal in the morning or warm\u00a0chocolate chip cookies before bed without the rich, creamy\u00a0deliciousness of good old-fashioned milk?<\/p>\n<p>Yet many people who may be lactose intolerant might feel\u00a0compelled to forgo dairy altogether and as a result, miss out\u00a0on the key nutrients found in dairy foods. Lactose intolerance\u00a0is often mischaracterized as a condition that requires\u00a0completely avoiding dairy consumption when, in fact, that\u00a0couldn\u2019t be further from\u00a0the truth. Lactose intolerance\u00a0is the body\u2019s inability\u00a0to digest lactose and the\u00a0condition happens to be\u00a0very manageable.<\/p>\n<p>While they taste great,\u00a0dairy foods are also nutrient\u00a0powerhouses that can\u00a0play a key role in maintaining\u00a0a healthy diet\u00a0when consumed as part\u00a0of a balanced eating routine.\u00a0Dairy delivers nine\u00a0essential nutrients \u2013 protein,\u00a0calcium, potassium,\u00a0vitamin D, vitamin A,\u00a0vitamin B12, riboflavin,\u00a0phosphorus and niacin, and the nutritional benefits don\u2019t\u00a0stop there.<\/p>\n<p>Milk is also the number one food source for vitamin D,\u00a0calcium and potassium\u2013three of the four nutrients the Dietary\u00a0Guidelines for Americans indicates are under-consumed\u00a0by both children and adults. Dairy foods are also\u00a0associated with lower risk for high blood pressure, cardiovascular\u00a0disease and Type 2 diabetes, and are linked to improved\u00a0bone health in children.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s easy to see why incorporating dairy into your diet is\u00a0important. Fortunately, all is not lost for the lactose-sensitive\u00a0dairy lover. Lactose intolerance is very individualized and\u00a0there are a number of ways to easily and confidently enjoy\u00a0the great taste and health benefits of dairy.<\/p>\n<p>Here are some tips to help make dairy consumption more\u00a0enjoyable for those who may be lactose-sensitive.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Did you know that aged, hard cheeses such as cheddar, Colby,\u00a0Monterey Jack, Swiss and Parmesan contain little to no lactose?\u00a0Try them on every day favorites like salads, sandwiches\u00a0and breakfast items<\/li>\n<li>Give lactose-free dairy a try. Lactose-free milk, for instance,\u00a0is the same as regular milk, minus the lactose. Lactose-free\u00a0milk tastes great and also has the same unique package of\u00a0nine essential nutrients that regular milk has. There are also\u00a0lactose-free options for dairy products like ice cream and cottage\u00a0cheese.<\/li>\n<li>Your sensitivity to lactose may only kick in once you\u2019ve consumed\u00a0a certain amount. Find out what your limit is. Start\u00a0by adding small portions of milk, cheese and yogurt to other\u00a0foods in your diet. Gradually increase the amount of dairy\u00a0foods you consume over several days and weeks to find the\u00a0amount that works with your tolerance.<\/li>\n<li>Traditional and Greek yogurt contain live and active cultures\u00a0that help digest lactose. Top your yogurt with fruit and\u00a0cereal to start your day with a parfait, or freeze it for a tasty\u00a0summer treat.<\/li>\n<li>Consult with a registered dietitian or physician to determine\u00a0if you are actually lactose intolerant. A proper diagnosis\u00a0will help you avoid nutrient shortfalls resulting from dairy\u00a0avoidance.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Learn more about lactose intolerance and find delicious\u00a0recipes to help easily incorporate dairy into your diet at\u00a0floridamilk.com.<\/p>\n<p><em>Registered dietitian Alyssa\u00a0Greenstein, R.D., LD\/N, with\u00a0Florida Dairy Farmers is the\u00a0immediate past president of the\u00a0Florida Academy of Nutrition\u00a0and Dietetics. Greenstein has\u00a0been with Florida Dairy Farmers\u00a0for seven years and is currently\u00a0the senior manager of nutrition\u00a0affairs and communication. She\u00a0provides timely and scientifically\u00a0sound nutrition information to\u00a0the media, medical professionals,\u00a0dietitians, educators, consumers\u00a0and others concerned about\u00a0fostering a healthier society.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Alyssa Greenstein, R.D., LD\/N Milk and other dairy products have long been staples in\u00a0the American diet. So much so, that June was named National\u00a0Dairy Month, a time dedicated to celebrating nutrient-rich dairy foods and the farmers who produce them. Besides,\u00a0imagine a big bowl of cereal in the morning or warm\u00a0chocolate chip cookies before bed [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":848,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_cbd_carousel_blocks":"[]","footnotes":""},"categories":[66,12],"tags":[249,97,69,26],"class_list":["post-847","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food","category-health","tag-dairy","tag-diet","tag-food","tag-nutrition"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/tallahasseefamilymagazine.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/847","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/tallahasseefamilymagazine.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/tallahasseefamilymagazine.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/tallahasseefamilymagazine.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/tallahasseefamilymagazine.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=847"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/tallahasseefamilymagazine.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/847\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":849,"href":"http:\/\/tallahasseefamilymagazine.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/847\/revisions\/849"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/tallahasseefamilymagazine.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/848"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/tallahasseefamilymagazine.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=847"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/tallahasseefamilymagazine.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=847"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/tallahasseefamilymagazine.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=847"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}