One Saturday morning, Marsha and I decided to make a breakfast of champions – French Toast, fresh-squeezed orange juice and bacon. We had our grocery list ready with bread, bacon, eggs, cinnamon, oranges, and almond milk. ‘Why almond milk?’ I asked, and she replied, ‘It's what I use because I'm lactose intolerant.’

Almond milk is a great milk substitute (1 cup of unsweetened almond milk contains 1 g of fiber and 30-40 calories!), with omega-3 fatty acids (important for mental health) and no lactose. Not only is it a great dairy milk alternative, but it also is helpful for those trying to reduce heart disease risks and watch their cholesterol intake.

So what is lactose intolerance? The Mayo Clinic explains lactose intolerance is due to the lack of lactase in the small intestine. This enzyme bonds to lactose molecules and breaks them down into glucose and galactose (simple sugars), to be absorbed into your bloodstream. Without lactase, foods with lactose move along unprocessed, thus leading to tummy aches and problems.

So Marsha can't enjoy pizza, quesadillas, cr