Food and Tips

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What Are Dairy-Free Probiotics?
Dairy-free probiotics are probiotic foods
and supplements that do not contain milk or
other products from cows or other
livestock. Dairy-free probiotics are thus
lactose-free. Many people around the world
have an intolerance to lactose the sugar
in milk and, according to a 2013 report,
75 percent of people with lactose-intolerance
or milk allergies either reduce their
dairy consumption or go dairy-free
altogether as a way to manage symptoms.1
Other people may want to avoid dairy for
health reasons or because they live a
vegan lifestyle, avoiding dairy, meat and
animal products. What Is Lactose-Intolerance?
According to the NIH, 65 of people around
the world thats 30 to 50 million people
in the United States alone have a hard
time digesting lactose beyond infancy.2, 3
Some people also have a true allergy to
the proteins in milk, including the protein
casein. While some people will use the
terms allergy, sensitivity, and intolerance
interchangeably, allergy and lactose
intolerance are quite different. An allergy
is when the bodys immune system sees a
substance milk protein in this case as
a foreign invader, or allergen, and then
the body produces antibodies in response.
The allergic reaction can range from mild
itching, red skin to severe, causing an
inability to breathe due to swelling in
the throat, or even anaphylactic shock.
Fortunately, there are far fewer milk
allergies compared with lactose-intolerance
2-3 of the population in the developed
world, though that still makes it the most
common food allergy among kids. In
contrast, people with lactose-intolerance do
not produce adequate lactase, the enzyme
that breaks down lactose, which is the
sugar in milk. People who are
lactose-intolerant experience different
symptoms from people with a milk allergy.
Lactose-intolerance causes digestive symptoms,
including stomach pain, diarrhea, gas, and
bloating. What Are PLU Codes? PLU codes,
also known as produce codes are unique,
four or five digit numbers that grocery
stores use to control and manage their
inventory of fruits, vegetables, and herbs.
The codes also help cashiers identify the
produce being purchased to ensure accurate
prices at check out. Although PLU codes
were designed for retailers and not the
consumer, you can benefit from knowing how
to read them.1 The International
Federation for Produce Standards (IFPS) is
a global organization comprised of national
produce associations from around the world.
Theyre responsible for deciding which codes
are assigned to which foods. There are
currently 1,400 PLU codes used worldwide.
The IFPS assigns codes using the 3000,
4000, 83000, 84000, 93000, and 94000
series. Cant Sleep? Discover Causes
Natural Solutions The United States is a
sleep-deprived nation. It shows in our
health as well as how we age. According to
the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, sleep deprivation is a serious
public health issue, and one
2

• in three adults dont get enough sleep.1
  Our ancestors did not have this issue, but
  the world has changed.
• Unnatural light sources affect our natural
  biorhythms. Processed foods and caffeine can
  alter energy levels. The need to connect
  to social media, play online games, and
  other computer or phone-related activities
  can keep you in a state of perpetual
  excitement. Its time to identify these and
  other sleep-altering factors and explore
  solutions to get your sleep cycle back on
  track.
• The Top 6 Dietary Supplements
• So what are the best dietary supplements?
  That depends. There are hundreds, if not
  thousands, of dietary supplements, and each
  has its uses. The best supplements for you
  depends on your needs, lifestyle, and
  physiology. This is a general list of the
  supplements most people could benefit from
  based on observations Ive made over the
  course of my career.
• Calcium
• Calcium is the most abundant mineral in
  the body, making up nearly 2 percent of
  total body weight. The vast majority of
  the calcium in your body is used to make
  and maintain your bones, but trace amounts
  are also crucial to the proper functioning
  of your enzymes, nerves, heart, and
  blood.6
• Globally, a staggering 3.5 billion people
  are at risk for calcium deficiency.7 Many
  of these are among the elderly. As we
  age, we tend to lose bone mass. A calcium
  supplement may help make up the difference.
  I recommend IntraCal, a formula that combines
  calcium orotate and
• magnesium orotate to ensure optimal
  absorption. 8
• Vitamin D
• Vitamin D is involved in numerous
  physiological processes and is particularly
  important to your skeletal, immune,
  endocrine, and cardiovascular systems. Your
  body can produce this nutrient when your
  skin is exposed to sunlight. Unfortunately,
  our society spends more time indoors now
  than at any point in history. Complicating
  this is our overreliance on sunscreen when
  we are outdoors.9
• Were so worried about skin cancer that
  weve become overly vigilant against the
  sun, blocking out all exposure to sunshine
  and depleting our vitamin D levels. Some
  studies estimate that as many as 77
  percent of Americans live with some form of
  vitamin D deficiency, most without even
  realizing it.10 According to the Harvard
  School of Health, one billion people
  worldwide have low levels of this
  nutrient.11 The best way to solve this is
  to spend more time outside in the sun,
  but failing that, a vitamin D supplement like
  Suntrex D3 can help.
• Iodine

iodine supplement can help you get the
iodine you need.12
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• Vitamin B-12
• Do you feel sluggish and sleepy during the
  day? You may be one of the estimated
  two-fifths of Americans who live with a
  vitamin B-12 deficiency.13 Vitamin B-12 is
  required for healthy red blood cells, brain
  function, and DNA synthesis. A deficiency
  can cause anemia, fatigue, weakness,
  constipation, and loss of appetite.8 Left
  unchecked, it can lead to difficulty
  walking, poor balance, confusion, and, in
  extreme cases, dementia.13
• Probiotics
• Your body, especially your gut, is home to
  colonies of beneficial bacteria. We call
  this your microbiota, and it can influence
  your health in significant ways. It helps
  support digestion and your immune system. A
  healthy microbiota can even affect mental
  health.14, 15 Its important to keep your
  good bacteria healthy or the bad ones
  might take over. A good probiotic
  supplement can help keep your microbiota
  strong and your body in balance.
• Weight Loss Supplements
• More than any other supplement on this
  list, be cautious with weight loss
  supplements. If something sounds too good
  to be true, it probably is.
• Weight loss doesnt come from pills, it
  comes from hard work, willpower, and
  long-term lifestyle changes.
• That said, there are some nutrients that,
  when combined with a healthy diet and
  regular exercise, can help a sluggish
  metabolism. These metabolism-boosting
  supplements can help give you an extra
  edge as part of an overall healthy
  lifestyle but will do absolutely nothing if
  you maintain bad eating habits and poor
  lifestyle choices.