Do your children have frequent digestive issues, or other allergy symptoms, such as rashes, a stuffy or runny nose? Have you ever asked yourself whether these symptoms are related to lactose intolerance or dairy allergy?
These symptoms may indeed be related to a lactose intolerance or dairy allergy.
One basic difference between a food intolerance and allergy is that the immune system doesn't kick in with an intolerance. For example, lactose intolerance is the result of a lack of the enzyme “lactase.” Lactase helps your body digest the milk sugar “lactose.” This is why some people can tolerate small amounts of dairy products without problems. Lactose intolerance is not a true allergy.
Fortunately, there are two simple tests to check for lactose intolerance. If one of these tests show that the problem is lactose, this will be much simpler to deal with.
LACTOSE INTOLERANCE TESTS
Two tests can detect lactase deficiency. One is the Hydrogen Test, and the other is the “Lactose Tolerance Test.”
1. The Hydrogen Test
Pros – Simple to administer if the equipment is available.
The hydrogen breath test is the preferred method. It measures the amount of hydrogen in the air you breathe out.
You will be asked to breathe into a balloon-type container.
You will then drink a flavored liquid containing lactose.
Samples of your breath are taken at set times and the hydrogen level is checked.
Normally, very little hydrogen is in your breath. But if your body has trouble breaking down and absorbing lactose, breath hydrogen levels increase.
Cons – Doesn't readily distinguish the type of sugar that is not tolerated.
2. The Lactose Tolerance Test
This test is similar to the glucose tolerance test, which is given to test for gestational diabetes during pregnancy.
The patient drinks 50 grams (about two ounces) of a lactose containing beverage. If blood glucose rises, this means the lactose is being digested. If, however, blood glucose stays the same, this means the lactose is intact, a sign that lactase, the enzyme that breaks down lactose for complete digestion and metabolism is lacking.
Most people aren't born with lactase deficiency. It is more common for lactase deficiency to develop after “weaning.” Some ethnic groups are more susceptible to lactose intolerance probably because cow's milk isn't a common staple. For example, in Asian countries and Latin American countries.
DAIRY ALLERGY – WHAT IS IT?
A dairy, or cow's milk, allergy, on the other hand, is the result of an immune system reaction to one of the two proteins in cow's milk products.
IgE is the most common immunoglobulin reactant, however, IgM, IgA, and a few other immunoglobulins may react as well.
When a person has a true allergy to cow's milk* or other dairy products, they can't eat or drink them AT ALL.
Because both types of intolerance can cause digestive upset, including diarrhea, cramping, nausea, and vomiting, it can be difficult to tell the cause. Lactose intolerance is one of the most common intolerance. It is also the cause of much confusion.
For your convenience, I created a short e-book on the difference between lactose intolerance and cow's milk allergy.
Below is a delicious breakfast recipe that is completely Cow's milk free. Feel free to substitute any non-dairy milk for the soy and any type of nut butter will do as well.
Note that you can go into the free myfitnesspal.com app on android or Apple and the QR code in the recipe will work for you.
*Children and adults who are allergic to cow's milk are usually allergic to other animal milks as well, though not always. For example, goat milk is discussed as a potential replacement. However, besides the fact that goat's milk protein is also likely to cause an allergy in a person who has had an allergic reaction to cow's milk, there is the fact that goat's milk is deficient in the B vitamin Folate (folic acid).
Recipes High in Iron and Vitamin C – Who is at Risk of Iron Deficiency? There are at least seven (7) groups of people at risk for Iron Deficiency anemia.
I previously talked about the importance of protein as well as the importance of iron in your child's diet. Today, I will discuss how to increase the ability of your body to absorb and use iron in the foods you eat. First, let's review the groups of people at risk for iron deficiency.
7 Groups of People at Risk for Iron Deficiency
Pre-Term Infants
Premature babies are at risk for iron deficiency. This is because the unborn infant stores the largest amount of iron in the last trimester of gestation. Thus, babies born prior to the end of the 9th month have less iron available to use after birth.
Unfortunately, premature babies are also at risk for iron overload. So, it is important to talk to a doctor before giving an iron supplement to a preterm baby.
Young Children
Young children are growing quickly, and their iron needs are increased. Often their intake is inadequate as well. This puts them at risk for iron deficiency. Click Here for a list of Foods That Are High in Iron.
Cow's Milk Should be Treated as a Food
Toddlers are especially at risk of iron deficiency if kept on the bottle longer than 12 months. This is because babies are usually given cow's milk starting at 1 year of age. Cow's milk has no iron and is high in calories. Whole milk, which is recommend until 2 years of age, has 150 calories in one cup. If formula is replaced by cow's milk and is put in the bottle, the young child will usually consume too much milk. This will fill him or her up.
The toddler will then not want to eat other foods, including foods high in iron.
To make matters worse, an excess of cow's milk will interfere with the absorption of iron that is eaten. Thus, it is important to wean your baby off the bottle by 12 months old.
Teenage Girls
Teen girls often limit their diet to stay thin. In addition, the start of menstruation increases the amount of iron lost and the amount of iron that is needed in the diet. Ensuring plenty of iron rich foods will help to reduce risk of anemia and the complications associated with anemia.
Pregnant Women
Iron needs increase during pregnancy because mom is eating for two! Doctors will usually recommend a Multivitamin with Iron and Folate to ensure proper nutrition.
Congestive Heart Failure Patients
The reasons why are unclear. However, it is true that when heart failure is present, the heart is not pumping blood as efficiently. Also, inflammation is present. Sufficient nutrient intake is essential during this process. Thus, the person with heart failure will most likely be taking supplements as ordered by their doctor or dietitian.
Persons with Digestive Diseases Including Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's Disease
A healthy digestive system is essential for adequate nutrient absorption. With Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn's Disease, the ability to absorb nutrients is decreased. Also, the amount of nutrients lost is increased. People with these diseases are usually supplemented with iron and other important nutrients to help improve nutritional status.
Vegetarians
When a person is on a vegetarian diet, careful planning is required to ensure enough iron is taken in. It is important to remember that eggs, beans, grains, spinach, nuts and seeds are non-heme sources of iron. Non-heme iron is less readily absorbed by the body than heme sources of iron. Also, most non-heme sources of iron are high in phytic acid. Phytic acid inhibits absorption of iron. Thus, vegetarians need to consume higher amounts of iron to compensate for decreased absorption of non-heme iron as well as presence of phytic acid.
Combining Vitamin C Rich Foods with Vegetarian Iron Sources Will Increase the Amount of Iron that is Absorbed.
For example, when serving bean burritos, add homemade salsa to increase iron absorption.
This homemade salsa is made with fresh tomatoes, onions, jalapeno peppers, and cilantro, and is rich in Vitamin C. Combining this recipe with bean burritos (or other meat burritos or tacos) will increase the iron in the foods served with (beans, tortillas, chicken).
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Total Time15 minutesmins
Course: Appetizer, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: easy, healthy
Servings: 8Servings
Calories: 8kcal
Author: Deborah Hanyon, MPH, RDN, ACE-CHC
Ingredients
1cupRoma Tomatoesabout 2 large, diced
1/4cupOnionsdiced
2tbspCilantrofinely chopped
1wholeJalapeno or AnaheimJalapeno (Medium Heat); Anaheim (Mild Heat)
1tbspLemon Juice
1/2teaspoonSaltTo taste
Instructions
Chop all vegetables to desired size (remove seeds from pepper) 2) Add lemon juice and salt 3) Mix all ingredients together4) Chill 2 hours and Serve
Add oil to pan and heat 2) Saute onion, garlic, bell pepper and tomato until vegetables are tender, 10 minutes or so 3) Add 1/4 cup water and chicken 4) Mix and heat through 5) Serve on corn or flour tortillas with cheese, lettuce, fresh salsa or other favorite toppings.
Nathan won't eat tomatoes in most things. However, he likes this recipe if we serve it on a tortilla with cheese. It makes me so happy to know that I figured out another way to sneak in some healthy vegetables. This increases the number of vegetables he is eating. Plus, it adds variety to his limited diet.
Under normal circumstances, your kids would be eating lunch at school, either a sandwich packed by you or a school-bought lunch. However, the past year of the pandemic required many schools to close, which means that parents have had to homeschool on top of working from home. To make matters worse, not only are you juggling homeschooling and virtual learning, but now you must create homeschool kids' meals every day.
If you’re scratching your head wondering what else to serve your kids, we’re happy to help refresh your recipe book. Here are some simple kid-approved lunches you can whip up while you’re homeschooling. Be sure to have your kids help out with the cooking — they’ll enjoy it and it’s nice to have extra hands in the kitchen, even small ones!
1. Broccoli Mac and Cheese
You can’t go wrong with mac and cheese, particularly not with this quick and easy recipe. Your kids love it and you love that it only takes 15 minutes to make. To make an even healthier option, add in more vegetables like sweet corn or peas and substitute gluten-free brown rice macaroni. Your kids won’t know the difference, but it’s better for them.
2. Chicken Salad Wraps
Your little ones are probably getting tired of ham and cheese sandwiches every day, so mix things up with this super simple chicken salad recipe. With only six healthy ingredients including chicken, mustard, mayo, celery, dill, and relish, this recipe is paleo and low carb. Serve on its own with a side of grapes or wrap the chicken salad in a whole grain or gluten-free tortilla.
3. PB & Strawberry Pita Pockets
There are endless ways to fill a pita pocket and they’re all fun. What food that you eat with your hands isn’t? This pita recipe in particular is a big winner with kids. It’s a twist on a PB & J and calls for peanut butter (or other type of nut butter), honey, sliced strawberries, and banana.
4. Tomato Penne Pasta
Do you have a fussy eater? Keep meals simple and streamlined, like a bowl of buttered penne pasta with parmesan cheese. If they are open to it, you can add a creamy tomato sauce, or serve it on the side. To make this dish healthier, you can use hidden veggie pasta or add vegetables into the sauce.
5. Cauliflower Pizza Bites
A twist on pizza, these cauliflower rice-based muffins are a hit with kids and adults. Along with the cauliflower rice and egg, you can fill your muffin cups with anything you would add to a pizza, from sausage to spinach. The best part is that they take less than 45 minutes to make!
Chloe Kirby is a writer and digital marketing professional. She earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree at McGill University in Montreal, Canada and her Master’s Degree at Goldsmiths University in London, England. Chloe has professional experience in e-commerce, digital marketing, and copywriting. For the last year she has been working in New York City.
Some of you have asked for High School Graduation Tips and how to know that you are meeting the requirements for your state. Since my son is in 9th grade this year, and since I know it is a big deal that he gets a true valid diploma, I started planning and organizing when he was going into 7th grade. Middle school was sort of a practice run, because it’s not “official” the way high school is. (Post may contain affiliate links).
The other day, I was thinking, “My little system is working so well!” I purchased this little portable file cabinet on wheels, and it has been super helpful.
For example, I can move it out of the way when I’m not using it, which is a HUGE deal because we are living in an apartment that is less than 1000 square feet.
As a result of my system working and giving me confidence, I decided to share it with you. Hopefully, you’ll get some new ideas that will help you feel more organized and on top of things.
The little file cart I purchased was less than $50 and I organize it like I would any other file cabinet. Since I only have one child, some of this might be a little simpler for me. However, what I do is I start with 8 1/2 by 11″ hanging folders. I label them by main subject. For example, Math, English, Social Studies, etc.
The sub-folders I have created include teacher notes, answer keys, to do work, and work completed. You may have other ideas for that. If you have more than one child, you could create more folders (and have a bigger file cabinet (they have bigger ones than I one I’m using).
When I first decided to homeschool, I discovered HSLDA. This stands for “Homeschool Legal Defense Association.” HSLDA is the oversight organization in the United States. They can help you get off to a good start. They have lots of resources, and if you become a member, they will even defend you in court if need be.
I haven’t needed them for legal defense, but have picked up some ideas through their site. And, particularly because Nathan is in High School, I want to keep tabs on what HSLDA has to say as they are usually on top of changes in homeschooling laws.
One of the things HSLDA recommends is researching the specific academic requirements of your state.
My state is Oregon. So, I just typed in “Oregon High School Graduation Requirements 2023” and looked for the information. This is what I got. I am using the basic table from this site to help me with my planning. (It hasn’t updated since I last checked. However, I will keep checking every year, just in case)
In the state of Oregon, in order to graduate with the standard diploma, Nathan has to take three years of math. However, the three years include Algebra 1 and beyond. I chose to enroll him in pre-algebra this year so that he would more easily be able to master Algebra. This means he will get a total of four years of math (he is not happy about this).
I’m okay with this, because even though he hates math, he is not terrible with math. His biggest issue is math facts, and quite possibly, if he would have remained in traditional school, he would be further back than he is currently. He can understand the concepts, and when he has a calculator, he can deal with his difficulties with math facts.
After all, a calculator will only give you a correct answer if you enter the numbers in correctly.
In addition to math, Oregon requires:
Four credits English/Language Arts (years=credits).
At least three years/credits of science
One of the science classes needs to include a lab
Also, three years of social science
One credit/year of physical education (PE)
One credit/year of health
Three credits/years of either a second language or other arts career and technical education
Six elective credits
Total of 24 credits, divided by 4, is 6 credits per year, which would be 3 credits per semester.
And one credit/year is equal to 150 to 180 hours (can be as low as 120, depending on the course).
If you’re homeschooling, this is a really good thing to know. Knowing the specifics will make it much easier to plan and also to reassure yourself that your child is doing what he or she needs to do to meet the minimum requirements for graduation.
It’s good to get an idea of the number of hours so you can determine about how much time your child should be spending in school each day as well. You can take the 150 hours, divide it up into the number of school days planned, and voila you have an average amount of time to spend each day.
Of course, you can adjust as necessary throughout the year—it is not set in stone.
And I don’t keep track of every little hour, I simply get an idea for how much time he is spending—or better yet, if he completes the reading and other assignment, it counts as an hour or whatever time—even if he didn’t actually spend that amount of time to finish.
Speaking of which. If you have a child that consistently completes assignments more quickly than average and is highly motivated, you should consider a higher level diploma (I don’t know what it’s called, but I believe that in Oregon there are three levels, standard diploma, adjusted, and higher requirement diploma).
When you are planning your semester or year, keep in mind extra-curricular activities. For example, if your child is taking piano lessons for 2 hours a week (plus practicing in-between lessons), include this time in the total hours spent in music and give your child credit for the time spent. And if you like, you can add some written work to the “class,” like an essay on a particular composer or something similar. Once your child completes the required minimum hours (150+), then you can add 1 credit of music to his transcript.
An example in our house is that my son is involved in puppet ministry at our church. He spends, on average, 3 hours per month at his meetings, at least 1-hour (ideally) practicing for the performance, and another hour prepping before the performance. He is involved year-round. So, by the end of 4 years, he will have earned 1 credit in drama (.25 credit per year x 4 years = 1 credit).
So, make sure you give your kiddos credit for their extra-curricular activities as you deem appropriate.
In addition to Drama, Nathan is currently enrolled in
Pre-algebra
Bible
9th Grade English
Social Studies and Geography
Life Science
PE
Math
This year he is taking a Cinema Studies class for 9th grade English. It’s a great experience, watching classic movies, and then discussing and writing about them. This class is working out wonderfully because it involves movies instead of books; 2 movies per month (each movie counts as one novel).
Some of the movies we’ve watched so far include Casablanca, Places in the Heart, Rudy, and High Noon. We are also reading on the side, and I assign writing related to the topics we are learning. For example, when we were studying the presidents at the beginning of the semester, Nathan wrote two essays on two different presidents.
We also read on the side.
For example, before bed. I read to him. There are many reasons why I read to him. First of all, he likes it when I read to him. Second of all, I read faster than he does. Third of all, I honestly believe that when you read to your children, it really helps them build their vocabulary. It also helps develop listening skills and develops their imagination. I especially love reading historical fiction because it makes the real story and real person come to life in ways that an ordinary textbook can’t do. Lastly, if gives us time together.
So, there are LOTS of awesome reasons and excuses to read to your children!
For science, Nathan is reading “The Grand Experiment” Parts 1 and 2. We’ve already finished the first book! He is super smart in science. So, I’m going to have to consider what we are going to do for the rest of the semester!
We’ve studied several Christian martyrs in Social Studies with the assistance of Schoolhouse Teachers and Torchlighters. We also read the book, “When Lightning Struck,” which is a historical fiction/biography written through the eyes of Martin Luther.
This book was written by Danika Cooley. It was really well written and we both enjoyed it! Martin Luther was indeed a complex individual.
For PE, Nathan is signed up for a one-hour class at the local recreation center, “PE for Homeschoolers,” and we drag his reluctant butt to the gym two times a week for weight training (not his favorite thing to do :D).
And last, but not least, Nathan spends 15 hours a week with his ABA therapist. This is most DEFINITELY Life Skills. And I am most definitely giving him credit for the work he is doing. (Not sure how much, but definitely some credit).
Hold on a Second!!! How Am I Supposed to Record All of Those Classes and Hours Without Getting a Headache?
This is where Applecore comes in!
I have all sorts of resources that I’ve gathered from all different places. However, whenever I’m stuck on a subject, and to help with organization and direction, one of the places I go to is SchoolhouseTeachers.com. And I use Applecore system for transcripts and scheduling.
Applecore makes it really easy (not an affiliate).
For example, at the beginning of the year I utilized Applecore to create his course overview (see picture at right). This shows which subjects he’s taking and how much credit he’s going to earn as a result of completing the course by the end of the year (or the end of the semester).
Then I add his schedule for Monday through Thursday plus Friday for life skills what he’s doing every day. Note that I did this mainly for record keeping purposes. I find that in the day-to-day flow of things, it’s much easier to have a hard copy schedule that I can go to plan my day and week.
And last but not least, there’s attendance section (see picture below).
You can just mark attendance based on every day that your child is in school. If you do this, you will have a permanent record which is really nice. And there is no need to update it every day. Once a week, or even once a month, will do.
I actually paid extra for the Applecore Gold because of the fact that Nathan is in high school.
One of my favorite things about Applecore is that it’s online, on their server. So, I don’t have to worry about losing it.
However, if you prefer to keep track offline, then this is another reason to consider SchoolhouseTeachers.com.
Schoolhouse Teachers is always a good deal, but at certain times of the year you can get even better deals for membership. And they are also a great source for high school graduation tips.
In regard to scheduling, Schoolhouse Teachers can also help you with this. For example, once you join you have access to their HUGE planners, which are updated yearly. Plus, the awesome digital magazine, Old Schoolhouse, and a free subscription to World Book Online.
The planners are available for high school and elementary level. Though I think the high school level might only be available if you have a high school membership, which is a little bit more, because it includes EVEN MORE stuff.
Anyway, lots of choices for you to consider and hopefully the high school graduation tips for homeschoolers in this post are helpful to you!
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Chicken and tomatoes
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