Where To Find Lactose Free Probiotics

By Olivia Cross

A probiotic is basically a good bacteria that helps your gastrointestinal tract to stay healthy and keep your digestion up to par. Many people take these supplements and they are found naturally in foods like yoghurt. If you are following a dairy-free diet, you may be wondering if there are options available for you. Fortunately, there are a variety of lactose free probiotics available today.

People on non-dairy diets are usually careful to read labels when buying products. Some ingredients may be confusing such as whey, curds, milk sugar and milk by-products but they should also avoid these. When buying a probiotic, the expiry date is also important as live cultures have a limited life span.

Did you know that yoghurt and kefir can be made with a number of other ingredients besides dairy? A number of dairy-free versions of these foods can be found at local and online health food stores that can help boost probiotic intake. They are made from soy, coconut or almond milk and contain live cultures like lactobacilli and bifidobacteria.

Other foods like sour pickles, sourdough bread and sauerkraut are other non-dairy sources of beneficial bacteria. Another way to incorporate a probiotic into a diet is with a drink. People find this most convenient and enjoy the different flavors of these drinks that are available for purchase online.

Of course many people prefer to take their supplements in the form of capsules or sachets as they find this easiest. Some capsules are far more effective than others and they all contain different strains and in various different combinations. Reading online reviews of these products can help with making a decision as to what to buy. The best probiotic will contain beneficial bacteria able to survive the stomach acids and remain effective.

Another important factor when it comes to purchasing dairy-free probiotics is to find out how the bacteria were cultivated. Was a non-dairy base used? Sometimes strains are grown on an organic dairy base and traces of the dairy remain. This will probably only affect those who are extremely intolerant but it is preferable to buy one grown on a non-dairy base.

Some studies have been done that seemed to suggest that digestion of dairy actually improved when a probiotic was used consistently. However, not all scientific evidence seems to support this theory. However, if you are battling a chronic digestive condition, an autoimmune disease, recurrent yeast infections and many other health problems, these can often be improved by taking a probiotic. The good bacterial strains will compete with harmful bacteria for nutrients, starving out yeasts, fungi and bad bacteria. The digestive immune system is supported and nourished.

A probiotic contains live cultures. This means that care has to be taken when storing it. If stored on a shelf it will have a limited shelf life but when stored in a refrigerator it can last a number of months. The great news for people who cannot eat dairy, is that there are numerous probiotic products available that do not contain dairy. If they cannot be found at a local health store, they are available from a number of online sources.

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OCD Stop Free Online Treatment for OCD in Australia from Swinburne University

I received a message from a research assistant at Swinburne University of Technology in Australia about online treatment they are offering through a study by Swinburne's National eTherapy Centre. Their website mentions Exposure Therapy in conjunction with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy as effective treatment for OCD.

More about OCD STOP!

OCD STOP! online treatment is based on a face-to-face Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) already in use. Evidence shows CBT is the most effective treatment for OCD. The online program OCD STOP! is known to help reduce symptoms of OCD. This study aims to find out who can most benefit from this treatment.

OCD STOP is free, safe, completely confidential, and does not use medications.

The 12 week program provides information about OCD, and helps participants learn how to control their anxiety and better manage their OCD. During the trial participants receive assistance in the form of weekly email contact with a qualified therapist.

Participants in the trial will be randomly assigned to one of two groups, those undertaking a cognitive behavioural treatment program called Systematic Treatment of Obsessive Compulsive Phenomena or OCD-STOP, and those completing Progressive Relaxation Training. Irrespective of which program they are assigned, all individuals will be given the opportunity to take the alternative treatment at no cost.

The director is Prof. Michael Kyrios, an academic clinical psychologist.

Note: OCD Stop! online is free. There is also a group that meets onsite, with a nominal fee.



Swinburne is also offering a 12 week STOP Group for OCD, starting April 2012, at Swinburne's campus in Hawthorne VIC, Melbourne.The program cost $420 for the 12 weeks. You may be eligible to receive Medicare Rebates. Medicare rebates are only available for sessions attended. A Mental Health Care Plan and a GP referral for psychological group therapy are needed to obtain a Medicare rebate for the cost of the group. The next STOP therapy program is planned to commence in April 2012. To find out how you can register to participate in this group please contact the Clinic's Project Officer by phone (03) 9214 5528 or email psychprojects@swin.edu.au

The Fountain of Youth is Free

by Nina

The Fountain of Youth by Lucas Cranach the Elder

“Researchers are optimistic about recent efforts to delay the effects of aging and, perhaps, extend life spans. 

"But at the same time, the scientific community is wary of how quickly these findings are packaged and resold by companies promising a fountain of youth. “It’s probably worse today than it’s ever been,” said Dr. S. Jay Olshansky, a professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Illinois at Chicago and a research associate at the Center on Aging at the University of Chicago. “As soon as the scientists publish any glimmer of hope, the hucksters jump in and start selling.” —New York Times

I’m not sure why I even opened the New York Times special “Your Money” section on Wednesday—maybe it was because of the cute, colorful illustrations—because this issue was entitled “A Guide to Buying Just About Everything” and buying a lot of stuff isn’t exactly my idea of fun times. But it turned out that the article about what you couldn’t buy—the “just about” part of the issue—was the one that caught my attention. Because, you guessed it, it was about aging, and it was called Science (and Quacks) vs. the Aging Process. Although the article seemed to take a while to get to the point, it basically concluded that you should not spend your money on solutions for delaying aging. 

I have to say that nothing in the article was particularly new to me. After all, living with a medical researcher who studies aging, I’m well aware of all the snake oil being peddled out there to people who want an easy fix to the aging “problem." And the fact that there are currently no medications or supplements that have been proven to delay aging is one of the reasons why we never recommend supplements on our blog (though people ask about them all the time). As the article said: 

“People are aware of the aging process, and they want to interfere,” Dr. Barzilai said, but he said he thought it was a mistake to turn to Internet remedies. “Some are causing harm. Some, maybe, you couldn’t care less, and some might be even good, but we don’t know that.” 

But because I didn’t really know where this article was going with its message, I laughed when I reached the conclusion. 

"It is a message Dr. Olshansky echoes — instead of spending money on aging “fixes,” he suggests that people accept the bland prescription doctors have been offering for decades: a healthy diet and exercise. “You don’t need to spend money,” he said. “Maybe a good pair of running or walking shoes would work. Exercise is roughly the only equivalent of a fountain of youth that exists today, and it’s free to everyone.” 

Yes, we’re back to the same old basics: a healthy diet and exercise. And yoga can help with those basics. Of course, the asana practice is a wonderful exercise system (see Opening Your Yoga Toolbox) and various yoga practices, including meditation and conscious relaxation, can help with healthy eating (see Yoga for Healthy Eating: An Overview). But this doctor rather typically forgot about another basic: stress management. Because stress causes many age-related diseases, such as heart disease and strokes, using yoga to managing your stress is another important way to stay healthy as you age (see Stress, Your Health, and Yoga), and maybe even extend your life span. 

And, yes, especially if you practice yoga at home as I do, all these basics—exercise, practices to support healthy eating, and stress management—are free.

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Important Information On Lactose Free Protein Shakes

By Ines Flores

Different people have different opinions about diets so depending on who is asked, one will always get a different answer. Well, everybody is different and this is why their bodies may not work in the same exact way and need the exact amount of different nutrients. For instance there are some people whose bodies are lactose intolerant therefore they usually have some unpleasant symptoms if they take protein shakes that have been made from casein of whey. Lactose free protein shakes are recommended for such people.

Protein shakes are taken mostly by people who are bodybuilding, have had weight reduction surgeries or are on diet in order to meet the nutritional needs that are required for them. For such people, it is important for them to make sure that they read the labels on everything they purchase so that they can know the exact amount of calories, sugar and fat they are consuming. From this label they will also be able to find out if the food has anything they are intolerant to.

Lactose refers to the type of sugar that is found in milk. This sugar is usually broken down by the enzyme lactase inside the small intestines. When someone has an intolerance problem to this substance, it means that their bodies cannot successfully digest it hence they end up having bloating and gas problems because the lactose moves to the colon where it is broken to small pieces by certain bacteria.

When the small intestines are unable to digest this sugar, it is passed on to the large intestines where it is broken down by the bacteria into smaller pieces. This is the process that causes the symptoms in the people with this problem. They get symptoms such as diarrhea, bloating and gas.

Lactose may be found naturally inside milk and other products made using milk such as yogurt, cheese and also margarine. They may also be gotten in the foods that include milk as part of the elements. Foodstuffs that do not contain lactose usually stipulate this information on the nutrition tag. For this reason, individuals must constantly make sure that they look at the labels before they buy something they will eat.

Protein shakes are products that many consumers use just to meet their nutritional needs. It is very rare that a person will need them as a basic need. There are many things that are used to make these products such as casein, whey, eggs, soy, collagen and egg whites among others. People with lactose intolerance must avoid those that have been made from the milk proteins.

These people are advised to consider the alternative sources of getting nutrients such as soy and egg whites since they will also give them the same amount of proteins they want without risking their digestive system. However, the shakes that have been made only by the use of collagen are not recommended because they only have a very small amount of protein in them.

When using all the guidelines correctly, it is probable that one will get all the nutrients that are available in the protein powders without having any concerns with the digestive tract. This is part of the many reasons why it is essential to always seek nutritive advice before starting a diet.

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