5 Delicious Dairy-Free Milk Alternatives

Intolerance of Dairy is pretty common these days!

This means that many more people go dairy-free these days, compared to the days when animal milk was really the only kind of milk you could buy!

This could be because of an intolerance to cow’s milk or specifically an allergy to lactose. The discomfort could influence the decision to follow a vegan diet, or quite simply many want to reduce environmental impact?

Whatever the reason, there is a big demand, for non-dairy milk!

Now, what Dairy-Free Option?

When faced with a wide range of identical-looking containers to choose from, just what will your choice be?

Here we list 5 dairy-free options and what to look for when you decide.

Derived from grains and legumes, each type of milk alternative has its own benefits.
However, some milk may have hidden pitfalls, such as additives or the lack of essential nutrients.

With so many dairy-free options, how do you choose the right one for your needs?
To help you choose, keep reading about the most common dairy-free alternatives and how to see just what they contain!

5 Dairy-free options

When it comes to a dairy-free milk alternative (aka ‘mylk’), there are several popular types you will see on supermarket shelves.

Below are some of the benefits of each, to help you decide on the right option for you:

1. Oat: A source of blood sugar-balancing and gut health-promoting fibre.

2. Rice: A low allergen option with a mild taste.

3. Soy: High in protein. Soy has received bad press in the past saying that it increases oestrogen levels (not true!).
To learn what soy actually does, and how it can be of benefit, Contact us

4. Coconut: A creamier, more filling option. Coconut milk is rich in satiating and energy-stabilising good fats.

5. Almond: A well-balanced and tasty option. Almonds provide healthy proportions of protein, fibre, and fats.

Check what the Label Says

Once you have made up your mind about which type of milk you want, review the ingredient panel of each brand critically to ensure you are choosing the healthiest, most cost-effective and environmentally mindful option for you.

Things to look for include:

Ingredient content
- Almond milk that contains 1% almonds will taste weaker and more watery than one containing 10% almonds.
  As most non-dairy milk contain high water content, make sure you get value for money by choosing the option with the highest amount of the non-dairy base (e.g. nut, seed or grain) you can find.

Additives, Preservativatives, and Flavours
- Milk may contain additives to adjust its flavour, texture or thickness.
  This includes food acids, gum, thickeners, mineral salts, stabilisers, and emulsifiers.
  While several of these may be considered safe, others have unknown safety profiles.
  Some additives are highly processed or artificial and may trigger inflammation.
  They also need to be detoxified from the body, which means they could increase the burden on detoxifying organs such as the liver.
  Rather than trying to see which additives are safe and which are not, the simplest option is to avoid products that contain additives altogether and stick to real food ingredients.

Organic vs non-organic
- Some nuts and grains are exposed to a large number of herbicides and pesticides during farming, and low levels of exposure to these chemicals over a long period have been linked to serious diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and cancer.
  Also, pesticides increase the burden on your detoxification systems, so choose an organic option to reduce your exposure.

Sweeteners
- Many dairy-free milk alternatives often contain a sweetener (such as rice syrup), which is added sugar your body simply does not need.
  Maintain control over your sugar intake by picking an unsweetened option.

Fats
- Omega-6 fatty acids found in vegetable, nut and seed oils, are a common addition to packaged foods.
  Dairy-free milk alternatives are no exception and can contain oils such as sunflower oil. Consuming too many omega-6 fats in relation to omega-3 fats (found in fish) can lead to inflammation and damage in the body.
  As our diets are commonly deficient in omega-3 fats and too high in omega-6, it is best to avoid milk with added omega-6.

Locality
- Nuts and grains are often grown overseas, creating a large amount of ‘food miles’ (and hence carbon emissions) before they reach your store.
  As dairy milk is often locally sourced, look for that dairy-free alternative made from Australian-grown ingredients. This ensures that going dairy-free does not increase your environmental impact unnecessarily.

If milk does come with some or all of the above issues, I would recommend avoiding it.

If you can find an organic, unsweetened milk that contains 3 or 4 ingredients (e.g. water, almonds, oil and sea salt), then you’ve likely found a good option.

Dairy-Free = Delicious

By now you’ve selected your dairy-free milk alternative and checked the ingredient labels.

To start enjoying the taste and benefits, here is a smoothie recipe that also includes dairy-free protein powder and pea protein.

Protein powder is a fantastic addition to a smoothie, as it gives you a slow-release energy source and balances your blood sugar levels. This provides you with steady energy levels.

For more on the power of protein, contact us here.

Dreamy Dairy-Free Banana Smoothie

Serves 1

Ingredients:

1 frozen banana
½ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp honey
1 serve pea protein powder
1 cup dairy-free milk
Ice (optional)

Method:

Place all ingredients into a blender
Blend together until combined
Pour into a glass, top with extra cinnamon if desired
Enjoy!

To Dairy or Not To Dairy?

Avoiding dairy has never been easier or tastier.

Some may be avoiding it due to an underlying issue in the body, such as poor digestive health, intolerance or allergy.

If you suffer from bloating, cramping, diarrhoea, or even skin issues that you think may be related to dairy, it may be worth seeing our Naturopaths to see why you’re reacting to it.

To get the Extra Guidance you need

Book here to speak with our Naturopath today!

November 26, 2019/0 Comments/by Glenda Johnson

Allergies

Allergy and Reactivity Treatment Program

If you live with an allergic condition such as food allergy symptoms, food intolerance, hay fever, asthma, or eczema, and would like to use a natural allergy treatment program, then our Strategic Allergy and Reactivity treatment program is highly recommended.

Our Strategic Allergy and Reactivity treatment program is one you undertake under the guidance of our Allergy Naturopath.

It is also beneficial if you are not sure you have an allergy!
This could be the case if you get a stomach ache after eating cheese or having milk (dairy allergy), or bloat and become headachy with certain other foods or won’t have a bar of say wheat or onions or garlic.

On the other hand, if food isn’t your issue, but pollens and certain grasses leave your skin desperately itchy or a cat sends you into a sneezing frenzy, then this allergy treatment program will be good for you too.

You may have used the usual treatment of allergy management that involves avoiding the allergen and using antihistamine medication. But even after months of use, you still have discomfort!

Our Strategic Allergy and Reactivity treatment program will treat the underlying reasons for your signs of allergies as well as reduce your allergy symptoms.

Here’s how it works:

Your Wellness Centre Naturopathy - Diet 1) It addresses the root causes of your allergy and reactivity

2) It uses proven natural remedies for allergies that reduce reactivity

3) You are guided by your qualified Naturopath.

4) You get a specific dietary plan depending on your allergy or food allergy symptoms and your health history.

5) Your Naturopath will also work with you to strategically re-test the foods that cause you grief.

This means you can remain symptom-free, while still enjoying the foods and activities you love.

Now is the time to address those irritating signs of allergies by tackling the underlying causes. Completing this program can help you gain control of your reactivity and increase your tolerance levels, leading to a reduction in symptoms.

Our Strategic Allergy and Reactivity treatment program means you

Indulge in the foods and activities you enjoy
Pat your dog without sneezing,
Eat the foods you love without bloating,
Have a picnic in the grass without itching
Reduce any other signs of allergies.

We could call that life-changing!

So ring 9879 9596 for an appointment or contact us to see how we can help you.

May 21, 2018/0 Comments/by Glenda Johnson

Allergy

Allergy Symptoms

Do you have unusual reactions or allergy symptoms to a pretty common substance?

Skin Rashes Food Allergy Symptoms Do you experience typical allergy symptoms such as bloating, cramping, diarrhoea, nausea, headache, migraine, itchy throat, mucus, eczema, skin rash, fatigue, itchy eyes?

If you would like some help with your allergies do ring us on 9879 9596 or contact us.

Many people simply live with these symptoms and believe it’s normal for them.

However, some individuals, like you, will have been able to relate these to a food you’ve eaten or something else in the environment.

The reason for this difference is that some of these allergy symptoms happen within minutes while others take many hours to develop.

So why does your body react this way?

The reason is that your body believes that these otherwise harmless substances (animal hair, foods, and grasses) are threatening.

And so, when it comes into contact with these substances, (in this case they are known as allergens,) your immune system releases large amounts of the chemical histamine.

Colds and Flu - Your Wellness Centre Naturopathy

How does Histamine act in Allergic Symptoms?

Histamine is like a burly bouncer outside a club: its job is to muscle an allergen out of your body by any means necessary.

Some of the ways histamine does this job is by producing redness and inflammation, a running nose, itchy eyes, constricted airways, bloating and diarrhoea. All these are signs of allergy symptoms.

But why does your body think these substances are harmful and mount this response against them in the first place?

Steps in your body’s immune system’s response.

They include:

Inflammation within your digestive tract (where the majority of your immune system is found).
Damage to the lining of your digestive tract commonly known as leaky gut, allows small particles (undigested food, bacteria, and/or toxins) to pass through to the bloodstream causing inflammation in other areas of the body).
Low levels of good bacteria and/or an overgrowth of bad bacteria within your intestine that interferes with your body’s immune response.

So in allergy treatment, and especially in food allergies treatment, not only do we initially need to avoid the things you react to, but we need to address the underlying reasons for your unwanted allergy symptoms

As you can see from the above, we need to repair your gut, improve your ability to tolerate allergens, as well as reduce your allergy symptoms or food intolerance symptoms.

Following a prescribed diet in conjunction with specialized supplementation greatly assists in reducing symptoms and building tolerance to allergens.

Your Naturopath will recommend a specific dietary plan depending on your symptom presentation and health history.

So ring us now on 98799596 or Contact us here.

Contact us before 31st May 2018, for an initial appointment and get a complimentary Live Blood Screening valued at $120 included in your initial appointment.

May 15, 2018/0 Comments/by Glenda Johnson

Weight Loss

Which Gut Bacteria Cause Weight Loss

If you’ve been doing everything else to lose weight without the success expected, then it’s worth taking a look at your gut health. It is also worth looking at which gut bacteria cause weight loss.

Gut Bacteria and Their effect on your weight

Fundamental to good gut health is Gut Bacteria. So let’s look further at their role in weight Loss.

We all know that exercise, a healthy diet and adequate sleep are all needed for maintaining a healthy weight.
Besides this, evidence is now revealing that your gut bacteria also needs to be healthy because it dictates how your body regulates and maintains its weight!

This collection of 37 trillion organisms (mainly bacteria) within your digestive tract is known as your microbiome, or gut microbiota.

Your Microbiome: Fat Burning or Storing?

While each person’s gut microbiota is unique, clear trends show the gut bacteria in a lean person is different to that in an overweight person.
Healthy gut microbiota in a lean individual is seen as having a diverse range of beneficial bugs, with very few ‘bad’ microbes that disrupt the health of the gut. Once the gut microbiota is in this healthy state, these good bacteria send messages to the body to maintain its weight within a healthy range. This means it could prevent weight gain.

Alternatively, the gut bacteria in an overweight person is often shown to have less of these good bacteria and more of the bad bacteria.
This imbalance in the gut is a condition known as“dysbiosis”. In a state of dysbiosis, bacteria begin to act differently: extracting more calories from food, storing more energy as fat and triggering inflammation within the gut itself.

All of these factors result in the body storing more fat, especially around the waist (known as visceral fat).

Increasing Your Good Fat Burning Bugs

Therefore, supporting your microbiome to be as healthy, diverse and free from bad bacteria as possible may be a crucial step in maintaining a healthy weight.

Probiotics Weight loss

Evidence shows that a specific probiotic strain displaying benefit for the microbiome and body weight is Bifidobacterium animalis ssp lactis (B420™).

It is important to choose the right probiotic to positively influence the health of your microbiome. This will encourage the growth of beneficial bacteria while reducing the growth of unwanted microbes. However, it is very important to select the right probiotic strain for your needs, as different strains have different actions and health benefits.

it improves the health and diversity of the microbiome, decreases the inflammation caused by dysbiosis and reduces energy uptake from food, which together results in overall reductions in weight gain – helping to keep your waist trim.

Your Trim and Terrific Toolkit

Beyond probiotics, employing key diet and lifestyle strategies is

also imperative to maintaining ideal body composition:

1. Regular exercise: such as walking, yoga, swimming and weights. This helps to burn fat for energy and can reduce high levels of hormones (such as adrenaline) that promote weight gain.

2. Eat a wholefood diet: filling up on fruits, vegetables, lean meats, legumes and healthy fats helps to naturally regulate your appetite and curb cravings. As a bonus,high fibre foods are the favourite fuel source of your good bacteria!

3. Avoid processed sugar and processed fats: excess calories from these sources are stored as fat, especially around your waistline. They also encourage dysbiosis within your digestive tract.

4. Hydration: plenty of water actually increases your energy levels and metabolism, and is vital for proper waste elimination.

5. Adequate sleep: eight hours per night is needed for a reason! It resets and balances your hormones required for a healthy metabolism and reduces weight-promoting

inflammation.

In addition to a healthy microbiome, if weight loss is your goal

talk to your Ringwood Naturopath about finding the best Weight Management

Program to suit you.

A holistic and sustainable diet and lifestyle protocol that helps you reduce cravings, lose fat, maintain muscle mass and increase your metabolism is highly recommended.

Make Your Microbiome Worth its Weight

With the best approach to weight management being a holistic one, consider your microbiome alongside your diet, exercise and sleep to comprehensively prevent gaining unwanted fat.

Improving the health of your microbiome will turn your gut into a weight management machine and help to keep your waistline

healthy!

Talk to Naturopaths at Your Wellness Centre

Contact us here

April 9, 2018/0 Comments/by Glenda Johnson

Women's Health

Polycystic Ovaries and PCOS are Different

Here we briefly discuss the difference between PCOS and polycystic ovaries because they are often thought to be one and the same thing.

Polycystic Ovaries

When you have more ovarian cysts than normal, you are said to have polycystic ovaries.
Ovaries of normal women can be polycystic when they do not ovulate. This can be found up to 25% of the time on ultrasound. On being retested a few months later, their ovaries may be normal.
This is why experts agree that ultrasound alone cannot be used to diagnose the condition of the polycystic ovarian syndrome.

What then is PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome)?

When you have PCOS you not only have cysts on the ovaries like in polycystic ovaries but you also have other underlying hormonal problems which cause other symptoms like:

abnormal blood glucose control (insulin-resistance)
a tendency to produce too much male hormone (androgens)
irregular menstruation
irregular ovulation
acne and obesity

Because of this, only having polycystic ovaries is not enough to diagnose PCOS. This is because it also involves complex metabolic, hypothalamic, pituitary, ovarian, and adrenal interactions as underlying issues.

At Your Wellness Centre, your PCOS naturopath may recommend that you have a hormone saliva test to establish the level of your hormones as well.

Your naturopath will also provide you with effective PCOS treatment, to help all the hormonal symptoms you are suffering from. This includes prescribing special herbs and supplements to help irregular or absent periods as well as other symptoms.

You will also be encouraged to follow a PCOS diet of low carbohydrate, low sugar foods, low glycaemic load foods, and good quality protein to help regulate insulin levels. Studies have shown that diet and lifestyle factors, which are included in the natural medicine treatment are extremely effective in the prevention and management of PCOS.

For more information and to help with PCOS treatment naturally, you are invited to make an appointment with the PCOS naturopath at Your Wellness Centre.

Take the step toward a healthier you!
Call 9879 9596 and book an appointment today!

May 16, 2017/3 Comments/by Glenda Johnson

Posts

5 Delicious Dairy-Free Milk Alternatives