Mythbusting: Milk is the only way to get calcium

Up until the age of about 25, I thought that breakfast made me nauseous. Yep, breakfast. I'd noticed a pattern that every time I had breakfast before work or school, I was queasy by about 11 o'clock. So I got into the habit of skipping the most important meal of the day altogether and waiting for lunchtime. It wasn't until after I stopped drinking milk and eating other dairy products, that I realized that it wasn't breakfast itself, but the milk in my cereal that was causing me trouble.

When I cut out it out, other things started to make sense as well. It wasn't the stress, but the milk in the help-me-stay-up-late-to write-essays lattes that were causing me stomach aches in college. Those mysterious sharp pains in my lower abdomen that were sometimes so strong that it was hard for me to walk, also disappeared. It had all been because I was/am lactose intolerant.

Chances are that, if you're reading this, you're lactose intolerant too. I say this because you're probably a human person and despite a name that would make you think it's a rarity, as much as 70% of the world's population is lactose intolerant.

Map of Global Lactose Intolerance. See large image here

What is widely referred to as 'intolerance' is actually the general state of affairs. It is mainly people with Norther European heritage, that's white folks, whose cuisine has been linked with dairy farming for eons, that seem to be able to able to digest lactose. The rest of the world puts up with the bloating and pain because they like the taste of cheesecake and ice cream, but it's probably not doing them any good.

What happens in the body when you're lactose intolerant?

It's about your gut. Lactose is a sugar found in milk. When you drink milk, your body digests lactose with an enzyme called lactase. If you are lactose 'intolerant' then you don't have enough of this enzyme to deal with the grilled cheese sandwich or the pecan praline ice cream you just ate! As a result, your colon tries to pick up the processing slack. Or to say it in a sciencey sort of way:

In lactose intolerance, the individual has a deficiency in lactase, the enzyme that breaks down lactose. Normally, lactose is broken down in the small intestine by lactase and very little lactose reaches the large intestine where the bacteria break it down to produce hydrogen. In lactose intolerance (lactase deficiency), the ingested lactose is not metabolized in the small intestine and reaches the colon where it is metabolized by colonic bacteria producing a large amount of hydrogen which is measured in the breath sample. This excessive fermentation can cause symptoms and diarrhoea.

The hydrogen detected in the breath and is one of the ways to discover of you are lactose intolerant.  All of these processes cause the symptoms that I'm not too proud to say I've experienced like bloating, cramping, nausea, as well as wonderful things like diarrhea, constipation, and gas. Yeah, it's the best. 

What do you do about it?
I tried a few things over then years but abstinence is the most effective. What I have is not a milk allergy, I don't break out in a rash or anything, but the more I have the more uncomfortable I become. So, though I am vegan, I could physically manage one bite of my grandmoms mac n cheese without too much trouble, but couldn't manage a bowl of Haagen Daaz, even if I wanted to. There are pills you can get over the counter that can ease the aches and pains but in my experience they also act as a bit of a laxative, meaning that you end up replacing one problem with another. Not a glamorous topic I know but truth is truth.

What about calcium?
Yes of course. The biggest side effect of being lactose intolerant is a calcium deficiency, right? Wrong. It's aaaaalllll over the internet but it is complete and utter nonsense. There are so many natural, easy, delicious, plant-based sources of calcium it's not even funny. Don't believe me? Let me spell it out...

Do you like pictures better? Let's put it another way with a little help from the folks at Viva.

There are so many things to chose from. So many many delicious things. And one of them is HUMMUS so as a vegan I'm already eating this 30 times a week anyway!

Are you worried about my calcium? because I'm not!

8 Naturally Hydrating Foods & Drinks to Beat the Heat

Summer is well and truly under way and while it's my favorite time for looking good - less rain to mess up my hair and more excuses for pedicures - all that sun and heat means paying a little bit more attention to feeling good as well. The human body is more than two-thirds water and keeping yourself juiced up goes a long way to making sure joints, eyes, brain, skin have the fluids they need while aiding digestion and keeping the skin healthy this season.

On an average day, the average woman needs about 2.2liters and the average man needs about 3 liters of water from foods and drinks to stay hydrated. As the heat increases, you are more likely to lose these fluids and natural salts through perspiration so it's important replenish yourself throughtout the day. Lots of sports drinks claim to be able to do the job but you can avoid the additives and see real results with some of these deliciously natural sources of hydrating nutrients.

Source: phuthinhco

Coconut Water
Coconut water seems to be everywhere at the moment and with good reason. Unlike traditional sports drinks, leading brands contain no dyes, fat, cholesterol or added sugars but DO provide a natural source of 5 essential electrolytes - potassium, sodium, calcium, magensium and phosphorus - for rejuvenating after even the most hardcore workouts.  Drinking the juice of young green coconuts has been standard practice throughout the tropics forever, but you don't have to go on vacation to get this nutrient rich tipple anymore.

Source: mitch98000

Cucumber Spa Water
I love this one because it tastes fantastic, looks beautiful and cost pennies!  Cucumbers on their own are not only full of water but also potassium, vitamins K and  C, respectively good for your cells, bones and the immune system. Sliced and soaked in a bottle or jug of water, they give you get all of these benefits plus a refreshingly cool taste with almost no trouble at all. Mix it up with a some lemon or fresh mint to make it a spa day any day.

Source: agemo

Lemon Water
Drinking water with lemon is another beautifully simple solution for anyone who likes eating out or going out. When you order your water with ice and slice, your adding calcium, Vitamin C and giving yourself a detoxifying boost. Lemon naturally helps the liver to break down the external toxins from smog, chemicals and air conditioning that become much more relevant as the temperatures increase. As it's generally free and easily accessible, there's almost no reason not to hit it.

Source: mynameisharsha

Watermelon
Growing up, I thought that you just ate watermelon in the summer time because it was delicious. While this is absolutely true, turns out that this perfectly pink treat has been found to be a natural source of electrolytes like potassium, magnesium and phosphorus which help you to better dissolve all the water - 92% of the fruit - in the melon.  All this plus it's fat free and contains lycopene, an antioxidant which has been shown to protect skin from the suns UV rays, making it the perfect summer snack.

Source: daviderestivo 

Tomatoes
A fresh tomato right off the vine is like a mouthful of sunshine and at almost 95% water, they are a great source of fluids on a warm day.  Like watermelon they provide a healthy dose of lycopene with every bite, as well as antioxidants like Vitamin A and C. An extremely versatile ingredient, they are easy to add to salads, munch in salsa or eat as a stand alone snack.

Source: mobilestreetlife

Strawberries
This time of year strawberries are juicy, plentiful and full of goodness. Each little fruit is 91% water and just 8 strawberries can provide more vitamin C than an orange. High in manganese, potassium and fiber, they make a fantastic summer treat that is easy to share, or not!

Source: thedeliciouslife

Celery
A single stalk of celery is made up of 96% water but also contains natural healthy salts and lots of fiber. All of these things help to keep digestion on track during challenging warmer weather. Great for juicing or eating raw, celery is also unique in that it maintains up to 99% of its nutrients when steamed.

Source: pettacolopuro

Water
And finally regular everyday water. If you're feeling thirsty, this is your body telling you that you need more to drink more water, so respond accordingly. If you're taking it easy then drinking water should provide everything you need. But if you're working up a sweat, then your body will start to using up its electrolytes after about an hour and may need something with a higher nutrients mix. As the mercury rises it's useful to keep a reusable bottle to hand so that you can quench your thirst whenever and wherever you need.

As seen in Clutch Magazine