Rice Milk - Apopka,FL

Hi M.,
My son is about to turn two, and we just took him off the bottle and off cow's milk. We switched to almond milk, as we are also trying to help his eczema and were advised that cow's milk could be the culprit. His eczema was not that bad and we had it mostly under control with non-steroidal all natural moisturizers, so I opted to keep him on cow's milk until closer to age two to make sure he was getting enough fat in his diet. One thing you will need to do is make sure your daughter is getting enough good fats in her diet, as rice milk does not provide the fat that cow's milk does, and it is FAT that is so important for proper brain development at this age. You can get good fats in things like avocado, coconut meat and milk, and flaxseed oil. My pediatrician is big on the importance of fat in a toddlers diet, but not all peds. make as big a deal about it, so your doctor may not even mention it, but I would definitely supplement the fats if I were you. Also, I have heard that rice milk can sometimes cause constipation. If that occurs,you may want to try almond milk (assuming she has no nut allergies). We buy it right at Publix.

1 mom found this helpful

Hi M.,
Eczema is directly related to food sensitivities. Your daughter would do well on a very clean whole foods diet of vegetables and grains like quinoa, millet, amaranth and buckwheat. Very easy to do at this age. Try to eliminate all forms of sugar (juice, carbs that turn to sugar, etc) Check that the rice milk isn't too sweetened. Stay away from anything processed and with added ingredients like colors or HFCS. If you feed her a variety of colorful veggies and lean protein and wild salmon(all organic if possible) she will be getting all the nutrients she needs. Children don't need milk despite what we are taught. I am studying holistic nutrition and will soon be teaching parenting courses based on Dr Sears L.E.A.N. program. I would be happy to talk to you about any of this if it seems foreign. just email me

I also give my children a whole foods supplement of 17 different fruits and veggies that have been juiced and concentrated. They have gummies for your daughter's age. It was reccommended by my pediatrician. You can go to www.wejuiceplus.com for more info and to order. At about 80 cents a day it is a great supplement and no other vitamins are needed.

Lastly, children with many food sensitivities typically have a digestive system that is out of balance. A probiotic is essential. My children take cocobiotic made from coconut water available at www.bodyecology.com
Also an omega 3 supplement is very important. Carlsons, Nordic Naturals, or Udos are brands that are of top quality and these are available at Whole Foods.

If you are looking for a pediatrician who is open to holistic medicine and builds the immune system through nutrition I can give you a name. Sometimes it is easier to do what is best for our children when we are working with a Dr. who has stepped outside the conventional box.

God Bless,

1 mom found this helpful

Another milk to try is Hemp Milk. The people who make Rice Dream make it and it is called Hemp Dream. It has Calcium, Vitamin D, B12, Magnedium, and Manganese in it. Both my kids are on special Diets so I know it can be hard to find the right type of milk that they will like.

Children don't need milk. Both of my children are very sensitive to dairy. I alternate with different types of milks including soy, rice and almond. Almond is very nutritious.
Ideally your child can get everything from diet. Some beans as well as greens have lots of great calcium that is highly absorbable. Milk does not have the same absorption rate as the others. I would supplement with a good supplement and fish oil or omega oils. I use USANIMALS, found at www.palmbeach.usana.com.
They are the highest rated supplement along with a one from Douglas Labs- available through doctors only.
Anyway, don't worry that she "needs" milk, just give her a diet rich in whole grains, fruit and veggies.

My daughter went through something similar. She is 8 now and has been drinking Rice Milk since she was 1 year old. The doctor is confident she is getting enough nutrients through that and the rest of her diet. The sooner you get her on that the more chance she has to out grow it. Let me know if you need any other info or a shoulder to lean on. Mine is allergic to all the same yours is.
C. ###-###-####
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Hi, M.. Rice milk is a great substitute for the comfort and convenience of milk. Unfortunately, it's not nearly as nutritious as cow's milk or soy milk, which your little one can't have. So, yes, I would give her some supplements.

Rice milk has only a modest amount of protein, vitamins, etc. If it's made from whole grain rice, it does have some iron in it. Mostly, it's a great thing to drink, and it's great for cereal and to substitute for other uses of milk, but most brands of it just don't have a lot of good stuff in them.

Try to balance out things with more healthy proteins. To supplement some of the minerals, try vegetable juices or smoothies with great combinations of stuff that she's not allergic to. Can she eat lactose-free cheese? That's a pretty good source of protein, calcium and magnesium.

There are some wonderful allergy cookbooks on the market today. I'm sorry, but I've forgotten their titles. You can google "allergy cookbook," and get a whole list.

I wish for your whole family happiness and health.

Peace,
syl

Hello M.,
I myself have been experimenting with my little one. We tried her on Soy milk first, however that caused her diarreah so now we are trying Rice Milk. So far so good. I purchase Rice Dream Vanilla enriched with vitamins for added nutrients. I also put 2 tsps of Cereal in her milk for flavor. She's never given us any issues and is developing very well. Hope this helps you.

Most rice milk is fortified with vitamins, so you really shouldn't worry about that. My only concern with rice milk is the added vegetable oils to make up for the normal low fat content. The oils don't always stay fresh.

Our family likes Almond Breeze and Almond Dream unsweetened milks. You could also try Hazelnut or Oat milk at Whole Foods or Chamberlains.

Add more healthy fat to your daughter's diet with avocados, ground walnuts or flax sprinkled on oatmeal, shredded coconut or coconut milk added to mashed sweet potatoes. Try to make every calorie count with nutrient dense plant foods.

The best way to make sure your child is getting enough nutrition is to provide a good variety of whole, fresh foods and minimize the cereals, crackers, meat and other processed foods.

I highly recommend Dr. Joel Furhman's book, "Disease Proof Your Child" and "Eat for Health". These two books will get your family started in the right directions with whole foods nutrition.

Best wishes,

G. G.
Wellness Coach

Hi,
It's a good idea to talk to a doctor, but try to find one who will consider or know about alternative therapies. Allergies are a sign the immune system is reactive. You want to find out as much as you can about what may be triggering the reactiveness. An evaluation of your child's overall health and history is probably a good idea as well. Supplementation may be a good idea but also try to learn about how combining different foods can provide nutrients not available otherwise (ex: rice and beans=complete protein). Try to buy organic where possible as rice, other grains and most fruits and vegetables may contain pesticide residues that can further complicate matters.

Hi M.,

My daughter has been drinking rice milk since she was 1 and now she's almost 3 1/2 and doing great. Her doc said that she gets what she needs from it and that she's growing healthily. I do give your vitamins on a daily basis anyway. Rice milk is the way to go. I now have a 6 week old and will be giving her the same whenever she can start the Rice milk.

My son went on rice milk for a long time and eventually to soy and now to organice regular. They grow out of it and yes, are getting plenty of nutrients. Make sure he gets outside each day for some sunshine and he'll have plenty of vitamin D. As for the eczema, try the Arbonne ABC Kids wash and lotion. It is fantastic! If you want to try it, email me and I'll help.

Good luck!

N.
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Hey there,
My daughter is 26 months and has an allergy to peanuts, soy, and egg also. She however does not have an allergy to lactose. I have been giving her Yo Baby yogurt since she was about 5 or 6 months old. My mom is lactose intolerant, but she can handle yogurt. I have been told that usually people that have a problem with lactose can eat yogurt, because the cultures in the yogurt have broken down the lactose. You might want to try the Yo Baby yogurt, unless your doctor has told you no yogurt. It is made be Stonyfield Farms, so it is organic, and there are a variety of flavors. My daughter and 8 month old son LOVE it. So do I.

About your daughter's allergies. Both peanuts and soy bean are a legume. Now, I didn't think anything about that until this holiday season, when we found out by trial that my daughter is allergic to pinto beans and lentils. I never even thought she could be allergic to other beans, but she certainly is. So, just keep an eye out. I asked my doctor about it, and she said that if I were to keep exposing her, her allergy could develop into an allergy as serious as her peanut allergy. Anyways, just a heads up. You may already know this. Good luck!

Hi M.,

My son was on rice milk for almost 3 1/2 yrs. Our doctor told us as long as he's eating the right foods, he'll be okay. I did by the Healthy Kids orange juice though or the one with added calcium, just incase. Also, rice milk can be binding for the little ones - just something to be aware of.
If I may add one thing, if your child has never had tree nuts I would be cautious on using almond milk. We deal with multiple food allergies so we've never been able to try/use almond milk.

L.

Hi M.,

Rice milk is fine for her. You can add almond milk or coconut milk for variety too. Avocado is a really good food, almost perfect, for fat content and also nutrients like calcium (more than cow's milk) and most little one's love it's taste and texture.

Eczema is systemic so you will probably see an improvement as her diet changes. If it continues get her on an absorbable multivitamin. I know an exceptional ezcema lotion if it is still irritating her after her new diet settles in.

Regards,

M.
www.squidoo.com/ifyourbabycouldtalk

You can buy liquid vitamins for babies/toddlers.

My youngest went on Rice Milk and I did give him a supplement. Best to consult with your pediatrician. OK?

Hi. I have celiac disease myself (food allergy to gluten) and it is genetic so I have my 15 month son on a very light easy diet until they can test him to see if he has celiac disease also! So i have found that the pedisure drinks are lactose free, and gluten free. They are recommended for ages over 1 year for the nutritional gaps! Im not sure about soy though. Here is the number you can call to find that out! But they taste great and my son loves them! They are his special treat!18009868505....Good luck!