Being lactose intolerant doesn't mean that you have to give up your coffee. There are several products that you can add to your coffee for flavor that do not contain lactose. If you order coffee from a coffeehouse, you need to ensure that it's lactose-free.

Being told to eat candy to cure a medical condition may sound too good to be true. But if you have problems with your salivary glands, sour candy may be just what the doctor ordered. Infection, decreased saliva production or stones in the salivary ducts can cause pain and swelling in the salivary glands.

Colitis is a condition in which the colon is inflamed. Several varieties of colitis exist including collagenous, ulcerative and lymphocytic. Consuming the proper foods will ensure that your body gets the nutrients it needs without aggravating your digestive tract.

Stomach pain, cramps, gas, bloating and diarrhea that occurs after you have eaten dairy products might indicate that you have lactose intolerance. Simply put: Your body is not able to digest milk, cheese, yogurt and other dairy foods.

Caffeine is a stimulant and is present in coffee, tea, cocoa, soda, and some medications. It increases alertness, revs up metabolism and enhances mood. Caffeine reaches its peak level in your body within one hour of consumption and can stay at peak levels for up to six hours.

To extract nutrients from the foods you eat, they must be small enough for the cells of your small intestine to absorb. The process of digestion reduces your food particles to a size sufficient for absorption to occur.

The time it takes for food to digest varies per person and is affected by how much food was eaten, the combination of foods, physical activity and metabolism.

Synthroid is the name brand for levothyroxine sodium, a medication used for low thyroid function, or hypothyroidism. It may also be used to prevent the occurrence of goiters.

Gas and diarrhea can happen for several reasons, but if you've made a change in your diet, the symptoms are likely due to a specific food you've added. Common culprits include milk products and fiber, which cause the same symptoms but for different reasons.

Yogurt is one of the simplest, tastiest digestive aids you can add to your diet, but not all yogurts are created equal. With so many yogurt brands and products on the market, the choices go far beyond blueberry or strawberry.

Your stool can change color for a variety of reasons: from certain medications to medical conditions. Food can also change the color of your stool. While the color of your stool can vary, certain colors can indicate a potentially serious problem. Consult your physician if the color of your stool worries you.

"Pureed" is a general term referring to food, usually cooked vegetables or raw fruit, that has been blended, processed or mashed so it has the consistency of a thick liquid. Common examples include mashed potatoes, applesauce and guacamole.