The great thing about Metabolic Jumpstart is that you can go dairy-free as long as you make a few adjustments to ensure you are eating nutrient-rich and on your targets. This shows you how to get the optimum balance when eating a lactosefree diet. Summary What to eat on your plan Depending on the degree to which you can tolerate lactose containing foods (see the FAQs at the end of this guide), some or all the variations below may apply to you: 1. Choose lactose-free dairy alternatives as your Dairy Exchanges. 2. Check food labels for the presence of lactose and limit or avoid foods containing lactose. 3. Include specific foods to get your daily recommended calcium intake. 4. If you struggle to get enough calcium, consider taking a supplement. Now, I explain each variation above in some more detail. 1. Choose lactose-free dairy alternatives Choosing the right lactose-free dairy alternatives is important because you don t want to miss out on the metabolism-enhancing nutrients (calcium, magnesium, Vitamin D) present in dairy foods. Metabolic Jumpstart s Mix & Match system allows you to swap foods confidently. The simplest variation is to swap regular dairy foods for common lactose-free alternatives. But you need to do this right. On Metabolic Jumpstart, every Dairy Exchange = 600kJ / 145Cal and ideally contains 300mg of calcium. To be counted as a Dairy, a food or drink has to provide close to this calcium level. This means choosing calcium-fortified dairy alternatives.
Some foods will swap with similar amounts, like swapping regular cow s milk for calcium-enriched soy milk. A 300mL glass of reduced-fat cow s and soy milk will both have roughly 600kJ. Check the amounts for other dairy alternatives to see how much is equal to 1 Dairy Exchange (600kJ / 145Cal). And of course, look for calcium. If there s little calcium, the food can t be counted as a Dairy. For example, almond milk without added calcium is actually a Starch (400kJ = 1 Starch Exchange) on Metabolic Jumpstart. The table below lists lactose-containing foods and suggested alternatives for you to include in your nutrition plan. This is not a comprehensive list, so always check the ingredients list on food labels for any dairy ingredients. 8 Lactose containing foods 4 Lactose-free alternatives Milk - Cow, sheep or goat s Evaporated milk, condensed milk Milk powder and skim milk powder Yoghurt Cow, sheep or goat s Soft cheese Cottage, ricotta, mascarpone and cream cheese Cream Sour, thickened, whipped and pouring cream Ice-cream Butter and margarine Calcium-enriched soy milk, rice milk, almond milk, coconut milk and oat milk. Or lactose-free cow s milk (with added lactase, e.g. Zymil). Coconut cream Lactose-free milk powder Calcium-enriched soy yoghurt. Or lactose-free yoghurt. Hard cheese has less lactose cheddar, tasty and parmesan Lactose-free cream Soy or rice ice-cream Milk-free butter and margarine If you wish to consume dairy foods, when you have lactose intolerance, you might consider taking a Lacteeze supplement to help digest lactose for you. See the FAQs for more on this.
2. Read food labels to check for lactose Dairy products are used as ingredients in many foods. Depending on your degree of lactose intolerance, you may need to check labels very carefully. The following terms can indicate the presence of lactose: Milk, milk solids, milk powder. Whey, curds, cheese, cream. Buttermilk or malted milk. 3. Include specific foods to get your recommended calcium intake Dairy is rich in calcium so it is also the main contributor to dietary calcium intake. Avoiding dairy products can make it more challenging to get your Recommended Dietary Intake (RDI) for calcium. Here are daily calcium targets: Age Males Females 1-3 500mg 500mg 4-8 700mg 700mg 9-11 1000mg 1000mg 12-18 1300mg 1300mg 19-50 1000mg 1000mg 51-70 1000mg 1300mg >70 1300mg 1300mg Life stage Pregnancy, 14-18years Pregnancy, >18years Lactation, 14-18years Lactation, >18years Female 1300mg 1000mg 1300mg 1000mg
Calcium content of non-dairy foods per Metabolic Jumpstart Exchange Some foods from other Metabolic Jumpstart Food Groups can give you calcium. Good choices are canned fish with small bones or tofu. Although dark green leafy vegetables contain calcium, only a small proportion is absorbed by your body. In addition to choosing calcium-enriched dairy alternatives, include the following foods in your diet. The amount of calcium in each Exchange shows you the best options. 1 Exchange of Vegetables (Negligible kj) Calcium Content (mg) 3 Leaves / 1 Cup caw curly kale 210 75g / ½ Cup cooked green beans 75 75 g / ½ Cup Cooked bok choy/chinese cabbage 42 3 Stalks / 1 Cup raw celery 42 3 Leaves / ½ Cup cooked silver beet 39 75 g / ½ Cup cooked broccoli 25 ½ Cucumber / 1 Cup raw cucumber 17 1 Exchange of Fruit (300kJ) Calcium Content (mg) 1.5 Dried figs 57 1 Medium orange 32 3 Whole Dried apricots 14 1 Exchange of Dairy Alternative (600kJ) Calcium Content (mg) 300ml Calcium-fortified soy milk 343 200ml Calcium-fortified soy yoghurt 280 40g Soy cheese 280
1 Exchange of Protein (700kJ) Calcium Content (mg) 200g Raw tofu 672 100g Canned sardines with bones 380 120g Canned salmon with bones 372 1 Exchange of Healthy Oils (200kJ) Calcium Content (mg) 10g / 2 Tsp Tahini paste 33 8 Almonds 23 3 Brazil nuts 15 3 Walnuts 9 20g / 1Tb Sesame seeds 7 1 Exchange of Starch (400kJ) Calcium Content (mg) 40g Calcium-enriched cereal 200 ½ Cup Red kidney beans 23 1 / 3 Cup Chick peas 7 ½ Cup Cooked pasta 5 4. Consider taking a calcium supplement If you genuinely struggle to reach your calcium target intake, you may wish to consider taking a calcium supplement. It will be better to make up the shortfall from a pill than risk a chronic deficieny. And not just for bone health, but also to optimise metabolic function. Calcium carbonate is the most common form of calcium in supplement. Calcium in this form is aborbed efficiently when taken with food, as stomach acid enhances absorption. The amount of elemental calcium in calcium supplements can vary a lot, so check the packaging information.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Before you ditch dairy from your diet, ensure that you are actually lactose intolerant. There are many types of food intolerances, so a correct diagnosis is important to not only help you feel better, but also make sure you don t cut nutrient-rich foods from your diet unless you need to. What is lactose intolerance? Lactose is the natural sugar found in most dairy products like milk, yoghurt and cream. Lactose intolerance occurs when you have a deficiency in the enzyme lactase, which digests lactose in the small intestine. As undigested lactose passes through the large intestine, bacteria ferment the lactose. This produces the common digestive problems listed below. How common is lactose intolerance? Approximately 70% of the world s population has lactase deficiency after infancy. Lactose intolerance is most prevalent in Asian populations, affecting up to 90% of adults in these communities. The prevalence of lactose intolerance is lower in Caucasians, at about 15-20%. In Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups have more lactose intolerance, affecting around 70% of the population. What are the signs of lactose intolerance? When you ve consumed lactose containing foods, you may experience: Abdominal discomfort Abdominal cramps Bloating Diarrhoea Excessive wind or gas Do you really have lactose intolerance? Gastrointestinal symptoms are dose-related. You may need to consume 50g of lactose (1L milk) to trigger an adverse reaction. So, limiting the amount of dairy you consume at one sitting may be all you need to do rather than going completely dairy-free.
How is lactose intolerance diagnosed? A lactose breath hydrogen test is most commonly used test to confirm a diagnosis of lactose intolerance. It can also be diagnosed by a series of blood sugar tests after drinking a standard lactosecontaining drink over a few hours to check for an abnormally low rise in blood sugar. A small intestine biopsy, which measures the levels of lactase in the lining (villi) of your intestine can also be used for diagnosis. Please ask your Doctor for more detailed information about testing options. Can I take something to digest lactose? You may choose to take lactase supplements such as Lacteeze, which can assist in lactose digestion. This is not a cure to lactose intolerance but can help. Ask your doctor before commencing lactase supplements. Do I need to avoid lactose for life? When you discover you have lactase deficiency, it is recommended that you temporarily remove lactose from your diet to relieve the gastrointestinal symptoms. This is followed by gradual re-introduction of lactose to see at what level your individual threshold dose for symptoms occurs. For example, up to 250ml of milk (about 12g lactose) may be well tolerated if broken up throughout the day and consumed with other foods. Hard cheese contains little lactose and the lactose in yoghurt is partially broken down by bacteria that thicken the yoghurt, so these dairy foods may still be OK for you.
Several studies have shown that daily lactose consumption results in metabolic adaptations by the bowel bacteria. This adaptation has the potential to decrease digestive symptoms and may allow you to tolerate larger doses of lactose when you consume it regularly. However, if severe symptoms occur even from a small amount of lactose, you may need to completely avoid lactose. Specific medical and dietetic advice The information in this guide is general information and is not meant to replace advice from your Doctor. You should see your Doctor for a diagnosis of lactose intolerance and always check with your Doctor before taking dietary supplements. If you are lactose intolerant, you can follow your Metabolic Jumpstart plan making specific adjustments to ensure you eat nutrient-rich and optimise your metabolism.