Coconut Milk For IBS

Nut, seed, and coconut milk is a saviour for many people who can't tolerate dairy based milks. I remember first hearing of soy milk in grade 9 or 10 when a friend of mine's mom bought it for their fam as the girls were getting gastro symptoms from traditional dairy products. 

I remember thinking it was SO COOL! I was the kid who drank several glasses of milk per day (especially alongside my big bowl of pasta with powdered cheese!). Although I loved my milk I knew it was hurting my tummy and was eagerly looking for relief from my gut pain, and chronic constipation, even at 13 or 14 years old.

Although it took me several more years to full make the switch to dairy free (16 to be exact), I definitely enjoyed seeing more dairy free milk alternatives show up on the market. 

I would order almond milk based chai lattes from Starbucks or a side of dairy free milk for my coffee. Sometimes my requests were met with "Uh, we only have regular milk", but often nut based milk was available.

Nowadays there's everything from coconut milk, hemp milk, nut milk, pea milk etc. available at every grocery store and cafe (love it!).

There are many reasons why one may side step dairy based milks. Here are a few of them: 

• Dairy upsets their tummy
• They don't support the dairy farming practices
• They don't believe animals should be farmed for human consumption (milk or meat)
• They believe the environmental impact to be too much
• Dairy causes inflammation and water retention
• Dairy causes acne and skin disorders

All great reasons to skip the dairy aisle and head straight to the nut milk section! Although, what if the nut milks are ALSO causing you issues? This is most definitely a thing, and here are a few reasons why it may be causing you gas, bloating, constipation, loose stool, fatigue or gut pain:

• The thickeners and preservatives are causing an immune response 
• The type of nut or seed that they're using is causing an immune response

Sometimes, when you're either first starting out on a gut health journey or fine tuning your current regime, taking full control of what you're putting into your body is the best approach in reducing inflammation so that your body can actually heal. 

If you're continuously putting food, products, chemicals etc., that are mounting an immune response then you will be battling chronic inflammation and the immune system won't have a chance to heal. 

If this is resonating with you, here are a few of my favourite non-dairy milks and a recipe to get you started! I'm going to follow up on this blog post with a free nut milk recipe book for IBS so keep an eye out for that one.

Anti-Inflammatory Dairy Free Milk Options:

• Green Pea Milk (low FODMAP, easily digestible and high in protein as well)
• Macadamia Milk (low FODMAP, right in protein and healthy fats) 
• Hemp Milk (low FODMAP, rich in Omega-3's, protein and are easily digestible)
• Coconut Milk (low FODMAP, rich in healthy fats, easily digestible - Recipe below) 

Coconut Milk For IBS

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut 
• 4 cups filtered water 
• 1 Madjool date or 1T of maple syrup (optional)

Directions: (so easy!)

• Place all ingredients in a high speed blender 
• Blend for 60-90 seconds 
• Pour through a sieve or nut milk bag 
• Pour into a glass container 

These milks can last for 4-5 days in the fridge. They are delicious in cereals, overnight oats, chia puddings, desserts or just in a glass with a homemade cookie! 

Love this recipe and info? Know someone who may also love it? Please share! We are building a community of like-minded peeps who are passionate about gut health and healthy living <3

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Cassandra Hope RHN and founder