Jyoti Primalani asked:


Calcium becomes especially important during pregnancy for the mother and her growing fetus. However some women are not able to ingest and digest milk for several reasons. In some cases the problem is not about taste. Milk can leave a gassy feeling and in the more severe situation, intense cramping and even diarrhea can occur. Repeat episodes of this means that she is lactose-intolerant. Lactose intolerance happens when there is an inadequate supply of the enzyme lactase required to digest lactose or milk sugar. In such cases milk does little good to the body, anyway.

The degree of intolerance varies; some people are able to handle a glass of milk without any complaints while others cannot even manage a sip. If you are lactose intolerant or if you can’t stomach the idea of four glasses of milk each day or simply find the taste of milk deplorable then there are alternatives to getting your calcium supply. You can find ways and means to deal with the problem without suffering stomach upsets.

1. Eat or drink dairy products in small portions a few times in the day instead of larger portions in one sitting. For example try drinking only half a glass of milk, or eat a thin slice of cheese or ¼ cup of grated cheese at one time.

2. Lactose is easier to digest when mixed with other foods, in particular high-fiber foods such as whole grains or cereals. So have your cereals with milk or eat your whole-meal bread with cheese.

3. Have your calcium as a cup of yoghurt or buttermilk, or in blends such as smoothies, soups, dips, desserts etc. Active cultures found in yogurt, known as acidophilus help break down lactose without the aid of supplements

4. Look for lactose-free calcium fortified milk at the supermarket

5. The closer a dairy product is to milk, the more likely it is to upset your stomach. Aged cheese such as cheddar, Parmesan and Swiss may be easier on your stomach because more than half the lactose is removed during processing.

6. Read labels carefully. If milk in any form, even the lactose-reduced version is upsetting, stay away from dairy-based foods.

7. Calcium comes in non-dairy forms: juices, especially those fortified with calcium, canned fish with bones such as salmon and sardines, tofu, greens, broccoli and calcium-enriched soy milk and cheese are good examples.

8. Milk is a major source of vitamin D. If drinking milk is a problem, you will need to try other methods to get this nutrient. A few minutes each day in the sun will help; avoid peak hours since your pregnant skin is more sensitive now. Take a supplement that contains vitamin D, eat enriched cereals and breads and drink vitamin D-enriched soy milk and juice.

9. Take lactase in pill form whenever you eat or drink a dairy product. Check with your doctor on this.

10. Regardless of all this if your calcium supply is still lacking, ask your doctor to prescribe a calcium supplement that won’t offend your pregnant tummy.



Robert

Zoey asked:


I have never ever tried tofu before and I have no idea how to cook it how to marinate it and what temp to put it in the oven for. What I want is marinated tofu that tastes really good.
Right now I have drained it cut it in cubes and covered it in soyaki sauce but theres not enough to cover it all and I have no idea how long to have it marinate for and how to cook it.

Mildred

JessicaLeigh asked:


I want to have a tofu sandwich for lunch, but I’m afraid to leave it out of the fridge for too long. Would it be okay to have it in a plastic container in a brown lunch bag for about 5 hours?

Ryan

Caren Killtral asked:


For any woman that has suffered the horrible effects of menopause, there is some welcome news on the horizon. In the popular press, there has been a lot of talk about the potential of soy as a treatment for the effects of menopause. While some studies have suggested that soy is not the all-natural solution women have been waiting for, recent studies have shown that the regular consumption of soy can indeed help alleviate the symptoms of menopause.

Soy contains a number of ingredients that have been proven beneficial for optimal health. It has been suggested that the protease inhibitors found in soy could play a critical role in preventing cancer. Soy is extremely high in compounds known as isoflavonoids, which have shown great promise in lowering the risk for osteoporosis and heart disease. This is generally attributed to the biological similarity between isoflavonoids and estrogen.

The general consensus seems to be that ingesting 30-40 grams of soy per day can have a dramatic effect on one’s health. In some studies, soy has been known to lower cholesterol levels by 15 to 20 percent. A recent study conducted in Asia suggests that North American women suffer the effects of menopause significantly more often than women in Asia. Scientists have attributed this to the fact that women throughout Asia consume significantly more Soy products in their diet.

While it may seem like a daunting prospect, there are some simple and effective ways to include Soy in your diet. Soy milk, tofu, roasted soy nuts, and soy flour are some of the most popular soy-based foods. Tofu is simply wonderful, if the proper steps are taken to prepare it. Simply cut it into cubes, and allow it to marinade in soy sauce and fresh herbs for a few hours.

Once the marinade is complete, mix some soy flour and yeast flakes in a bowl and add the tofu cubes. Be sure the cubes are well covered, and then you can pan fry them with a bit of olive oil. Crispy fried tofu is a wonderfully healthy dish that is sure to please everyone in your family. Eat right! Eat healthy! And when it comes to dealing with menopause, just keep on keeping on. Things will get better!

Caren Killtral is a big believer in natural health therapies, and a proud member of the editorial team at menopauseinsight.com – an online guide to women’s health issues with important information about diet considerations, vaginal dryness, hormone replacement therapy and more.



Steven

ashly s asked:


Does this affect the taste, and at what times would I want a softer or firmer tofu?

I specifically want to fry tofu in a pan and then put it in a pot with broth and udon noodles. Should I buy a softer or firmer tofu?

Ruth

lovve_chicago asked:


I recently tried grilling tofu and the tofu came out nice and browned on the outside and I thought I finally got it right but I went to taste it and the middle just didn’t have any taste. Anyone know what im doing wrong and have any tips?

Brett

Michael Dappert asked:


In 1971, a friend of mine invited me to supper. He fixed brown rice with vegetables that were sauteed in a wok using soy sauce. All of this was pretty exotic to me because I had grown up in a working class family in Illinois. During the meal my friend mentioned there were people who ate like this all the time. In fact, there were people who did not eat any meat at all, they were vegetarians. That sounded pretty cool to me and I decided to live that way.

I really do not know why the idea of being a vegetarian resonated with me. I was certainly attracted to anything that, at the time, was labeled “counter-culture.” But really changing something as basic as what and how you eat is pretty drastic. My mother was aghast and figured I would probably die of malnutrition. Looking back at how hard it was to purchase foods that were whole grain and sufficiently nourishing, it is a wonder I was not malnourished, perhaps I was.

To obtain something as simple as whole wheat flour or brown rice we had to drive into St. Louis. There were a couple of places that were then called “Health Food Stores” where you could buy these and other products. I do not recall seeing anything like Tofu, Tempeh, or the array of products that one can find in a Whole Foods Store or the small locally owned food store where we now purchase nearly all of our food. It was several years before a commercially produced whole wheat bread began to be sold in the regular supermarkets in the area.

I did some traveling during the early 1970’s and spent some time in Colorado and California. In Colorado there was a store that sold all the stuff we wanted at the time plus a lot more. They even had a bakery and made the most wonderful little pies. We thought we were in heaven. You could just go in an buy what ever you wanted. Our wants were fairly simple at the time. Mostly we purchased brown rice, some beans, flour, maybe some nuts and seeds, yogurt, cold pressed oil, soy sauce to put on everything.

Whole wheat flour sold for 5 cents a pound. I think brown rice was around 10 or 11 cents a pound. Medium grain brown rice now costs us $1.29 per pound. Beans of various types are about $1.25 a pound. So we bought the raw materials and made meals out of it. For a while I made bread that was just whole wheat flour, water, and sea salt. You had to knead it for a long time, bake it, and slice it. It was substantial and very chewy.

Slowly, over the past 36 years, good simple food has become more readily available. I have spent the last 30 years in a rural area of Illinois. We have done most all of our grocery shopping at a food co-op and then, for the last 10 years or more, at a locally owned store that sells a wide array of products the I would have never dreamed of in 1971. Also, during that same time period, I have become a Vegan, thus no longer eating eggs or cheese or any type of animal products. But, now, if I wanted to, I could go into the local grocery store and purchase a package of Tofu, some organically grown whole wheat flour, and organically grown fruits and vegetables.

Today it is easy to find good food to eat. Lots of restaurants in large metro areas offer some type of vegetarian dishes. But, these dishes may often times not be vegan. I generally seek out ethnic restaurants. Chinese, Indian, and Middle Eastern fare always includes some type of vegetarian choices. The major metro areas have not just little health food stores but medium sized super markets offering products of all types. There are a lot of people who may not be vegetarians but see no need to consume meat at every meal.

Being a vegetarian was quite weird 30 years ago. There were lots of people who simply did not understand what the term even meant. Today the idea of a vegetarian diet is not so exotic or misunderstood and it is a lifestyle that is easy to practice.



Sandra