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.

If you like the taste, opt for black coffee.

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We know that sugar is a dieter's number one enemy. So we diligently avoid cake, cookies and candy. We purge our kitchen of ice cream and soda. We stock up on artificial sweeteners. And yet we're still consuming sugar. But from where?

AOL Body recently revealed some surprising sources of sugar, including:

• Deli Meats
• Ketchup
• Vanilla Soy Milk
• Bagels
• Spaghetti sauce
• Canned peas
• Salad dressings

Are these part of your 'healthy diet'? If so, make sure you're checking the labels -- if the sugar content is too high, skip it for the sake of your shrinking waistline.

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I recently wrote about how much protein we need to get each day to eat a nutritious diet. And while getting our protein fix isn't difficult for those of us who eat some sort of meat with most of our meals, it's a bit harder for someone who doesn't eat meat -- or dairy either. Vegan protein sounds like an oxymoron to some people, but it's really not. Fitsugar recently compiled a list of the top 5 vegan proteins:

• Tempeh: (like tofu but different -- read more here). There's 22 g of protein in 4 oz of tempeh.
  
• Tofu: It has 19.9 g of protein per 1/2 cup.
  
• Seitan: (a form of wheat gluten.) There's 19.9 g of protein for each 3oz.
  
• Soy Milk: (the plain variety). It has 11 g of protein for each cup.
  
• Edamame: Eat half a cup and you'll get 10 g of protein.
  
  

Any vegans out there want to share their main sources of protein?

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When most people think of health foods, they often think of soy-based products like soy milk and tofu. But is soy really healthy? Did anybody check the facts before labelling soy as healthy? Dr. Mercola did and he has some pretty strong things to say about soy. Check out his thoughts on soy by clicking here and here.

Dr. Mercola wants everyone who thinks soy is healthy to check out The Whole Soy Story: The Dark Side of America's Favorite Health Food by Dr. Kaayla Daniel. In it, she reveals some startling things about soy. Like? It apparently impedes sexual maturation in boys and speeds it up in girls. It also supposedly can cause thyroid problems and endocrine disruption in adults. And if it's given to infants, it's hormonal effects can be irreversible.

Hm. These are some pretty strong allegations. What do you think?

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Who knew you could make your own soymilk at home? I know it's not a completely new idea, but I admit it's something I never thought about doing until I saw this Soyabella Soymilk Maker. Just add soybeans and water and in 15 minutes you'll have your own fresh and healthy soymilk. Plus, if you're so inclined, you can also use it to make rice milk, soups, and porridge. Has anybody ever made their own soymilk at home? I'm wondering if it tastes better or different, and if it's worth the extra effort?

Via Gizmodo

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Soy milk is not for everyone, just ask my kids. Prior to a long car trip last month, I bought shelf stable, mini soy milks, complete with straws. They look like juice boxes, but much healthier. I figured they'd love cold soy milk on the road. After taking their first sip, they got this ugly look on their faces. My six year old said "Ugh!" and my three year old said, "Gross, this tastes like coffee milk!" Talk about ruined expectations.

I happen to love all lactose-free soy milk and so does my digestive system. Shape recently clued readers in that soy milk is just as good an accompaniment to a low-cal diet as skim milk. Northern Illinois University researchers compared women following an eight-week, low-cal diet that incorporated either three cups of light soy milk or skim milk. Both soy and skim delivered similar weight loss of approximately eight and a half pounds per participant.

Researchers surmise it may be the calcium that helped participants lose the weight. Both skim and soy contain about 300 milligrams of calcium per cup.

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Milk used to be a simple thing, delivered in bottles on the front step fresh and ready to drink -- and all the same. But today choosing milk for your family has become fairly complicated with grocery store shelves offering not only regular cow's milk in everything from whole to skim varieties, but also soy milk and even oat milk. What's the difference besides the obvious? How can you know what's best for your family? Obviously it depends on your personal tastes and priorities, but Women's Health has broken down the different types of milk and ranked them from best to worst. Personally I'm a soy milk fan, but on their list soy milk comes in 2nd with regular skim milk in 1st place. Agree? Disagree?

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Though last week's extreme heat wave seems to have broken, it's still pretty hot out there. Keeping yourself hydrated in summer weather is very important. Water may be the best thing you can drink for your health, but this article from Fitness Magazine lists 8 other beverages that can offer other health benefits while contributing to your daily fluid intake. They include:

• green tea
• mint tea
• low-fat milk
• soy milk
• hot chocolate
• low sodium tomato juice
• cranberry juice
• orange juice

What do you think about this list? I think there are some semi-controversial drinks there -- including milk (some people are allergic), hot chocolate (packaged brands may include additives), and soy milk -- that some people may argue don't qualify as one of "the healthiest" drinks or may have concerns about. Everything in moderation, right? Read the full article here, then come back and tell us what you think!

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For millions of Americans that are lactose intolerance, how can you make sure that you get enough vitamin D and calcium in your diet needed to build strong bones and help ward off osteoporosis later in life. Lactose intolerance is the inability to digest significant amounts of lactose, the major sugar found in milk. Lactose intolerance is caused by a shortage of the enzyme lactase, which is produced by the cells that line the small intestine. Lactase breaks down milk sugar into two simpler forms of sugar called glucose and galactose, which are then absorbed into the bloodstream. People who do not have enough lactase to digest the amount of lactose they consume may feel very uncomfortable when they digest milk products. Common symptoms, which range from mild to severe, include nausea, cramps, bloating, gas, and diarrhea. Symptoms begin about 30 minutes to 2 hours after eating or drinking foods containing lactose.

Here are some foods to add to your daily diet when milk and dairy products are not an option. A 3-ounce serving size of canned Atlantic sardines contains 325 milligrams of calcium, compared with 336 milligrams for a 1.5-ounce serving of Swiss cheese. 1 Cup of fortified soymilk contains 200 milligrams of calcium. Sardines are an excellent calcium source because they contain soft bones. An orange has 48 milligrams of calcium. A cup of raw broccoli contains 43 milligrams, a cup of raw kale, 90 milligrams, and an artichoke delivers 56 milligrams of calcium. A 3-ounce serving of fish such as salmon, mackerel, and tuna has more natural vitamin D than a cup of milk. 1/2 cup of pinto beans contains 40 milligrams of calcium. Calcium supplements are helpful, especially for people who need more calcium or aren't able to get enough in their diet. But remember that getting calcium from food offers other benefits, such as fiber, antioxidants, and protein.

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I love milk. I love a tall cold glass with a bowl of hot chili or for a bedtime snack to help me doze off. I love it on my oatmeal and poured over my Grapenuts. I'm lucky enough not to have an allergy or to have any digestive issues when I drink it, but I know that many people do. Actually, there are a lot of reasons people pass up a cold glass of milk -- some believe dairy is bad for humans in general, others choose a vegan diet.

Whatever your reason for avoiding cow's milk, there are substitutes out there. Soy, rice, and nut milks come immediately to mind. As this article points out, however, milk alternatives are not, in fact, milk. You need to choose carefully to make sure you're getting a full serving of good nutrition in every glass.

The reason milk is so popular is because it's an excellent source of calcium, B12, riboflavin, and vitamin D. Milk alternatives won't automatically contain those ingredients, so be sure to look for a brand that comes fortified. As the article points out, the most efficient way to be sure you're getting a comparable glass of milk is to put the food labels side by side and compare.

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I'm not lactose intolerant, but I did spend several years on a dairy-free macrobiotic diet. So even though I eat more broadly now, the macro influence persists and I generally stay away from milky stuff. Except I had pizza last night for dinner. And Greek salads with feta are a staple in our household. And, of course, there are those irresistibly refreshing Starbucks Frappuccinos in the summer. So it comes as good news to people like me that Starbucks is testing soy-based Fraps (according to Slashfood). Unfortunately, the test is limited to a couple of tea drinks, making the experiment far less interesting than it would be if the chain were formulating a soy-based Java Chip Frap. Tea? What is that, anyway? Never mind -- I don't want to know.

By the way, the Food & Water Watch, a consumer health group, has been protesting Starbucks' use of milk produced with growth hormones. The campaign was launched in March, and protesters hit the streets in front of Starbucks shops in June.

And did you know that in its early days Starbucks declined to serve skim milk in its drinks? As I learned from Howard Schultz's business biography, "Pour Your Heart Into It," the then-purist company refused to divert from the traditional Italian cafe experience upon which it was modeled. In those days Starbucks also didn't offer to-go drinks, asserting that its dark-roasted flavor was ruined if served in any material other than ceramic cups. Oh, the compromises wrought by global expansion.

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