milk-related stories
Coffee - Is Your Non-Fat Milk Really Non-Fat?
Have you ever stood in line at the coffee shop determined to be a good little coffee drinker and order non-fat milk? Then as you're downing your quite rich and creamy coffee, you wonder if you really got non-fat after all? A Glamour blogger recently wondered if baristas ever mess with your coffee drinks. After all, it can't be easy to remember grande, skinny, mocha and all the other variations that can be ordered. One Glamour reader commented that in her experience, yes, it can happen. Maybe there's a long line and there's already whole milk perfectly steamed or maybe a certain milk must be used up before it goes bad. Whatever the reason, there's certainly a chance of not getting what you ordered and you might not know the difference.
Is coffee confusion a catastrophe? Of course not. Just know that when you stop for a specialty coffee, you're also probably getting some "specialty" calories. When you make it at home, you know for sure what you're getting -- and saving some coin in the process.
Speaking of coffee, see if you've got a clue about caffeine with this fun quiz from AOL Health.
Calcium and vitamin D important for active women
Diet & Weight Loss, Nutrition & Supplements
It's a well-known fact that older women need calcium and vitamin D to fight bone loss. But it's also important that younger, active women get calcium and vitamin D to prevent stress fractures.A recent study looked at more than 5,000 female U.S. Navy recruits and found that those who didn't take additional calcium and vitamin D were 25% more likely to suffer a stress fracture.
The authors of the study recommend that women take calcium and vitamin D supplements before starting any new exercise regime. But you can also opt to get your calcium and vitamin D naturally. Dairy products such as low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese are good sources of calcium, but there are other nutrition sources as well. Your best source of vitamin D is the sun; fish and vitamin D fortified foods (milk, orange juice, and cereals are often fortified with vitamin D) are also sources.
Nutrition cliches - truth or myth?
You should always listen to what your momma tells you. Unless what she's telling you is just an old wives' tale. Ella from Ruby Room helps us decipher the truths from the myths:- Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. There aren't too many people who would dispute this. A good breakfast gives you the energy to get through your day and it can even help you lose weight.
- Hot milk will help you get to sleep. Milk contains melatonin and tryptophan so it can help you feel sleepier.
- Beans are the musical fruit. They certainly do produce a fair amount of gas while digesting. But they're a healthy addition to your diet ... so they're worth it.
- Mixing drinks will increase your hangover. I remember a little rhyme from when I was in college: "Beer before liquor, never been sicker. Liquor then beer, nothing to fear." The truth is, it's simply the level of alcohol in your blood and the amount of dehydration that creates a hangover.
- Carrots will help you see in the dark. Carrots are rich in vitamin A, which is beneficial for vision. But the direct link between carrots and eyesight is far more myth than fact.
Would you eat breast milk ice cream?
Ice cream a favourite indulgence of yours? Would you still eat it if it was made from breast milk? I know what you're probably thinking -- ick. But it's no joke. PETA recently urged ice cream giant Ben & Jerry's to start using milk from human mothers instead of milk from cows to make their famous frozen treats. The idea came after a revelation that a Swiss restaurant owner intended on carrying breast milk at his eatery.
I know I shouldn't find this gross ... but I do. Breast milk is full of important nutrients, but I still think it's best left for babies. What do you think? Is breast milk best? Would you eat this ice cream?
Chocolate milk isn't so terrible after all
Healthy Kids, Nutrition & Supplements
When I was a kid, there was no question that a big glass of milk was a healthy choice. Today, however, there's a pretty decent debate about milk. (Just do a search for anti dairy... you'll see what I mean.) There are environmental and ethical implications in dairy farming and many just feel that milk from a cow isn't healthy for humans. Personally, both my son and I drink milk. Not the three glasses a day some organizations would have you drink, but we each probably have one small glass a day. However, I'm a believer that you don't have to have dairy to get your necessary nutrients. When it comes to milk, though, my son and I drink low-fat, white milk. I'm just not a fan of the added sugar in chocolate milk. Some varieties of chocolate milk can add up to 18 grams of sugar. (Though I do let my son have chocolate milk as a special treat now and then.)
Is milk overrated?
Milk. It does a body good. Or does it? According to the Celebrity Diet Doctor, one of milk's major health claims -- that it helps prevent osteoporosis by supplying the body with much-needed calcium -- is totally bunk.
In fact, some even believe that milk causes osteoporosis. A study done by the dairy industry allegedly found that post-menopausal women who drank three glasses of milk a day lost bone density twice as fast as those who drank no milk at all. And, as Jacki told us a few months ago, there are other interesting health risks associated with milk.
Still, take everything with a grain of salt -- Milk is a good source of calcium and protein and as long as you practice the 'everything in moderation' mantra, I think you'll be fine. And I'm not giving up my post-workout glass of skim anytime soon.
Quench kids' thirst with these healthful drinks
Healthy Kids, Nutrition & Supplements
When my son and I go shopping, we always buy 100% fruit drinks for his school lunches. No matter how many times I insist on the 100% varieties, my son is always drawn to the sugary options. I know why, too. It seems as if the 100% juice products are packaged to attract parents -- with images of fruit and so forth. The sugar-added varieties are packaged to attract kids -- my son is drawn to the pouches that have surfers and skateboarders on their packages. But I insist on 100% juice. After all, fruit juice is sweet enough as it is... why would anyone need added sugar?Healthcastle recommends the five top drinks to pack in your child's lunch box:
- Milk. If the school provides milk, you may want to send your child with the money to purchase milk there. (If you're opposed to chocolate milk, be sure to educate your child on that.) If you pack milk cartons, use an insulated lunch box and a freezer pack to keep the milk properly chilled.
- Yogurt drinks. Try freezing yogurt drinks before packing in your child's lunch box. By lunch time they'll still be chilly, but thawed enough to drink.
- Water. Always the best option for hydration, fill a reusable water bottle with water and ice each morning.
- 100% juice. There's no reason for the added sugar, so if you're going to pack juice make sure to purchase one that's labeled 100%. Keep in mind that 100% juice is still high in sugar, so don't let your child sip on these all day. One at lunch is enough.
- Soy drinks. Be sure to pick a soy drink that is calcium-fortified, lightly flavored, and lower in sugar.
Decoding Rx Instructions
Healthy Aging, Healthy Habits, Healthy Home, Vitamins and Supplements, Womens Health, HealthWatch, Healthy Kids, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment, Reviews & Products, Alternative & Green Health, Nutrition & Supplements, Men's Health
I have a total love/hate relationship with medicine. Although I value science and medicine, quite often I can't stand the affects they have on me. I simply can't stand to be drowsy, foggy or affected in any way. Prescriptions are great if they fix what's wrong with you, but all of the side effects are for the birds. I suppose if we all took each drug correctly, we may have less. So, I was particularly intrigued when Women's Health posted a study regarding drug labels.
According to a survey in the Annals of Internal Medicine, almost half of the participants misunderstood drug warning labels, and most ignored the directions altogether. This gallery provides some of the most common instructions you'll find on those little stickers slapped on each bottle and what they really mean.
All-American Rejects all about health
Diet & Weight Loss, Celebs & Entertainment
The rockers known as the All-American Rejects are all about health, and they tell PEOPLE magazine it's not hard for the group to live healthfully."On the road we're just active every day," says rhythm guitarist Mike Kennerty. "We're playing shows. So that really does help. It's when we come off the road that we're not doing anything but sitting around drinking."
Drinking milk is what he means.
The quartet joins a slew of other celebrities donning milk mustaches in the famous Got Milk? ads. The ads, which promote the nutritional benefits of drinking cow's milk, are a bit controversial. Click here for more scoop.
Trisha sports milk mustache -- would you?
Diet & Weight Loss, Celebs & Entertainment, Nutrition & Supplements
Country music superstar Trisha Yearwood is singing the praises of milk, and she wants the world to know it. That's why she's signed on as the latest celebrity to sport the white mustache in the Got Milk? ad campaign.
The 43-year-old wife of Garth Brooks, mom of three girls, and cookbook author says she grew up on a farm and has been a fan of milk for her whole life.
According the National Academy of Sciences, children and adults should drink 24 ounces of milk each day. Teens should drink 32 ounces. Why? Calcium, protein, vitamin A, vitamin B-12, vitamin D, potassium, phosphorus, niacin, and riboflavin to name a few. Another reason: If you're trying to lose weight, studies show that 24 ounces of fat-free or low-fat milk every day as part of a reduced-calorie diet can help people drop pounds and burn more fat than cutting calories alone. Some people don't support these merits, arguing that milk increases cancer risk and causes a myriad of other health problems. Milk sucks, says this website. And this one lists a bunch of articles about the controversy surrounding milk consumption. Check it out and let us know what you think. Would you sport the milk mustache. Or not?
Take a peek at these milk-mustached celebrities who support the iffy dairy product -- or at least say they do.
Dark chocolate sales double in two years
Celebs & Entertainment, Nutrition & Supplements
Dark chocolate has been enjoying an improved image lately, with all the good press regarding its health benefits.It may still be high in sugar but it's rich in antioxidants, contains less fat than milk chocolate, and in some circles is considered a Super Food. No wonder dark chocolate sales are soaring.
Dark chocolate sales in Britain have doubled over the past two years, a new report reveals. By the end of the year, the British chocolate market is expected to grow even further. Predictions have sales growing 17 percent by 2013.
Experts think dark chocolate could soon be paired with wine and suggest upmarket bars could offer a choice of the finest chocolate to go with their best wine or champagne.
Coffee creamer alternatives
Are you a coffee drinker? It's an acquired taste I just never picked up. My coffee maker sat on the top shelf of my closet for years and years on the off chance that someone might stay over and want coffee. Finally, this summer I dusted the machine off and gave it away on Freecycle. If you're more of a coffee drinker than I am, you might appreciate these coffee suggestions from HealthCastle.Cream or creamers can have anywhere from 40-90 calories. In addition, some contain saturated fat and/or trans fat. Try these alternatives:
- Use skim milk in your coffee -- two tablespoons only adds 10 calories.
- For a creamier alternative, try fat-free evaporated milk.
- Soy creamer is a vegetarian alternative; for less fat and calories try soy milk.
Milk just as good as barium
Diet & Weight Loss, Nutrition & Supplements
Next time you're prepping for a CT of your gastrointestinal tract, you might not need to reach any further than your refrigerator because a new study suggests that whole milk is just as effective, costs less, and is easier on patients than the barium suspension commonly used for oral contrast.A study of 215 patients turned up this conclusion and besides the similar effectiveness of milk and barium, patients were generally happier drinking milk.
Says Chi Wan Koo, MD, lead author of the study: "We found that milk was less expensive, it had better patient acceptance and fewer adverse symptoms."
Intrigued? Check out the study abstract here, in the May issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology.
Vitamin D: 40% of US infants and toddlers aren't getting enough
Healthy Kids, Nutrition & Supplements
Breast milk doesn't contain high quantities of vitamin D, so if you're breastfeeding your infant ask your doctor if supplementing the vitamin is a good idea. Toddlers can benefit from vitamin D-fortified milk. Perhaps the best source of vitamin D is sunlight. While it's, of course, important to protect your child's skin, some exposure to sunlight is healthful as it triggers the production of vitamin D in the body.
Martha sports mustache in spirit of health
Healthy Habits, Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Celebs & Entertainment, Nutrition & Supplements
Martha Stewart is the latest in a string of celebrities to sport the milk mustache and says she's all for focusing on milk and forgoing fad diets. Milk gives her the nutrients she needs and helps her maintain a healthy weight. It's always fat-free for this craft gal who believes staying active and eating right are key in her crazy, busy world.Stewart's favorite way to incorporate milk into her diet is to soak Irish oats in her fat-free variety and then cook to creamy perfection.
Milk has always been a staple for Stewart and her family. Same goes for the milk-mustached celebrities pictured in the gallery below.
To learn how to milk your diet, visit this whymilk.com site.























