Low Carb and Dairy Free - What do I eat?

aurablush

Looking for some advice! In the winter I was told I am diabetic. I went to a holistic doctor and he wanted me to go low-ish carb, staying under 50 net carbs daily. (My doctor would really like me to go to no carbs, but I told him that was not feasible.) In order to do this, I have relied very heavily on dairy products. I have always had bad allergies, and a new allergy doctor wanted me to get a food allergy test. I found out last week that I have a mild allergy to any products derived from cow's milk! I can reduce my intake of dairy and hope my allergies get better, or I can stop eating all dairy completely and qualify for an experimental study taking allergy drops to try to get my body to like dairy again. I love dairy and am having a very hard time deciding which of these options is better. If I do the study I have to commit to an entire year completely 100% dairy free. This seems very difficult as I do like to eat out frequently and travel and such. Has anyone ever successfully beat a cow's milk allergy? I was told I can eat dairy products from goat's milk although they are difficult to find. Trying to do both dairy free and low carb seems so impossible. When using low carb cookbooks/blogs most are filled with dairy, and paleo cookbooks/blogs tend to have a lot of tasty sounding things that are unfortunately high in carbs. Any advice on where to go from here and/or what to eat would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

AleciaG724

You can eat TONS of vegetables! Change your carbs to whole grains (whole wheat pasta, brown rice, barley, quinoa, etc.) they are much lower on the glycemic index. You can also eat lean meat for protein if you eat meat, or there are lots of vegan protein options available now, including Daiya vegan cheese. I was a diet tech in the nutrition office at a hospital and we'd get this question frequently. I am vegetarian and try to keep my carbs under 60, I log every day & my diary is open if you want to add me.

bcattoes

I'd stick with mostly vegetables and meats. 50 net carbs is pretty low so you are not going to have much room for grains.

You can try soy, almond, oat, rice or coconut milk as a substitute for milk. There are soy substitutes for cheese and yogurt, but I've never tasted them.

neanderthin

Just ask for goat dairy products, I'm sure they can get it for you. I consume goat milk, cheese, yogurt etc and it's readily available where I am. What exactly in cows milk are you showing an allergic reaction to? Also, any Dr that tells someone to forgo carbs altogether needs to be questioned about it.......not very good advice, at all.

lee91356

I agree about the dr telling you "no carbs at all" because in my experience unless you eat only meat and fish its impossible, everything has carb - fruit, veggie, dairy, etc.

I think it possible to go cow dairy free but it would be hard. If your not allergic to nuts then yes you can eat soy/ tofu, edemame, plenty of fruits and veggies and as for milk almond/ soy and other alternatives are fine. I will warn that some of the "cheese" alternatives are plain nasty though lol. But you can also eat meat and eggs so there are options.

Low carb sucks but there are good treats and alternatives out there you just have to find them and try util you find what works for you.

shannashannabobana

Goat cheese is in all the supermarkets now so that should be pretty easy to find. I don't know if your allergy is to milk or cheese? Some people who can't tolerate dairy are fine with cheese, so you might check on that.

As for the other stuff, meat, veg, fats like olive oil and I was going to say butter, but again, don't know if butter is an allergy issue for you or not. You could go with old fashioned bacon fat for veggies or duck fat even...it can be done.

I don't think no carbs is possible, let alone recommended by any doctor. Under 50 should be doable.

paleo cookbooks/blogs tend to have a lot of tasty sounding things that are unfortunately high in carbs

Really? Aside from potato/sweet potato, most paleo folks don't go too crazy on the carbs so that surprises me. The way to survive a low carb diet is to up your fats.

gracetillman

I love Goat Cheese and Feta made from goats milk. Both are available at the local grocery, but I buy them in bulk (Goat Cheese at Costco and Feta from Whole Foods).

I have seen goat's milk yogurt but I do not know how it tastes.

You could ask your local grocery to stock these products if you do not find them on your own.

lemonmon1

Stop eating dairy entirely, it causes so many problems! If you want a milk substitute, I recommend Flax Milk. I buy the brand Good Karma.

Dairy Milk causes weight gain: Contrary to what you have been told, milk will actually make you fatter instead of losing weight. If you are in the habit of drinking milk frequently, it is not shocking that you have become overweight. As you drink more and more milk, you will gain more and more weight.

Milk causes a host of other diseases: Besides weight gain, there are a lot of harmful side effects of drinking milk, such as arthritis, constipation, skin allergies, cancer, acne, etc

http://www.healthkicker.com/694635592/milk-is-it-good-or-bad-for-your-health/

FredDoyle

Stop eating dairy entirely, it causes so many problems! If you want a milk substitute, I recommend Flax Milk. I buy the brand Good Karma.

Dairy Milk causes weight gain: Contrary to what you have been told, milk will actually make you fatter instead of losing weight. If you are in the habit of drinking milk frequently, it is not shocking that you have become overweight. As you drink more and more milk, you will gain more and more weight.

Milk causes a host of other diseases: Besides weight gain, there are a lot of harmful side effects of drinking milk, such as arthritis, constipation, skin allergies, cancer, acne, etc

Now that's a load of codswallop. Crazy...

chrisdavey

Stop eating dairy entirely, it causes so many problems! If you want a milk substitute, I recommend Flax Milk. I buy the brand Good Karma.

Dairy Milk causes weight gain: Contrary to what you have been told, milk will actually make you fatter instead of losing weight. If you are in the habit of drinking milk frequently, it is not shocking that you have become overweight. As you drink more and more milk, you will gain more and more weight.

Milk causes a host of other diseases: Besides weight gain, there are a lot of harmful side effects of drinking milk, such as arthritis, constipation, skin allergies, cancer, acne, etc

http://www.healthkicker.com/694635592/milk-is-it-good-or-bad-for-your-health/

:laugh:

I would be focussing on plenty of fibrous veggies, meats (doesn't have to be lean as you will need to up the fat intake if you lower carbs) and if you include starchy veggies as long as they are in a meal that contains protein and some fibre the GI will be reduced. (same goes for sugary things but I'd definitely be limiting these now)

And don't know what paleo stuff you've seen but they are typically high protein and fat.

astrovivi

Almond milk is a good substitute for dairy.

You can even make your own almond or cashew cream.

jwdieter

Unless vegan, this is a very strange topic.

aurablush

according to the allergy doctor it is the casein, which is the protein that is found in dairy. this is why i can't just take something for lactose intolerance, because it is apparently very different from that

dbmata

I think I'm going to be a holistic doctor next week.

aurablush

thank you everyone for the advice! it is nice to know that others think the idea of no carbs is ridiculous because i REALLY don't want to do that!!

aurablush

@dbmata I know some of his advice sounds crazy but i am actually getting a tiny bit smaller (and hopefully less diabetic), and when i was eating delicious whole grains i remained at the same weight no matter what i did

bqgagliano

So, I am a low-carb, ovo-vegetarian... This means, I don't eat any dairy, but consume eggs. I made this change a few months ago, when I noticed that, while consuming a vegan diet (upwards of 130 to 200 carbs a day), I was having major fatigue issues. As in, two hours after breakfast, I wanted to curl up and go to bed, and every afternoon on my way too the gym, I wanted to fall asleep and was foraging for caffeine and a granola bar pick me up. The Crash and Burn was an everyday occurrence for me. I was downing coffee, in hopes of a boost, but it was doing little to nothing for me. So, I decaffeinated for two weeks, and was still experiencing major fatigue, naturally. I pushed back the coffee, to my one cup a day, always at breakfast... and found that I was still tired. I knew I had to change something. Aside from that last 15 pounds I just could not seem to get back off. I felt horrible ALL the time. So, I came across Atkins, the new Eco-Atkins, customizable for vegans and vegetarians. I can't/don't want to eat dairy, and I morally can't get behind the high dairy consumption. But, I made the egg compromise, to no more than one a day (organic, steroid and hormone free, cage free eggs for me only). That seems fair, and healthy to me. I feel so much better. I have sustained energy, and feel so light and good. Like I've got my spark back. I've been eating LOTS of non-starchy vegetables, and a nice balance of tofu (1 net carb per serving), seitan (which I make weekly at home, super easy, 4 net carbs per serving), and eggs(<1 net carb per serving). Along with the right amount of fat to make up for the reduction in carbs, this helps the body produce sustainable energy and fight off hunger and cravings. Such as avocados, olives, artichokes, olive oil, and coconut oil. I am getting complete proteins this way, good fats and plenty of nutrients. Remember you do not have to complete the protein at the meal, just some time within that day. Along side the reduction, of carbs, I've cut out sugar... and that's helped with my bladder infections (perk). I occasionally have a sugar free low carb protein shake, and tofu is sooo versatile. I make tofu scrambles when I am not up for an egg. Vegetarian protein has really come a long way. I consume about 30 net carbs a day now, so I know that 50 net carbs a day is completely do-able. At 50 net carbs a day you can have some grains, nuts, fruits... really your options are pretty versatile.
I highly recommend looking into it... It may take a few weeks for your body to adjust to the new dietary change, but once you're past that... you should feel great. This has been the easiest diet I have ever been on, and I HATE diets. Plus, I've taken of 5 lbs, just this month.
I mean, my path isn't perfect for everyone, but do what's best for you. Anything is possible.

1ZenGirl

Bacon.

mockchoc

OP I had a blood test done many years back and it showed I have the exact same allergy to dairy as you. Mine caused sinus headaches. I still have some but not too much and I'm fine. Goats milk and it's cheese/yogurt as mentioned before is a good substitute. What are your symptoms from the dairy? Don't think you mentioned unless I missed it.

Edited to say ok you said allergies but what sort exactly?

steffipaulina

Peanut Butter! 2tbsp for a snack
Make sure and get in a lot of fats (healthy oils)
Have salads with meat and oil
Salad wraps (use lettuce as the wrap instead of tortilla)


Try and make every meal consist of veggies and protein but have variety so you don't get bored.

This is pretty much how I eat.