Diary Allergy

kiffypooh

Hello,

So I got a message yesterday from my Dr that I tested high for dairy allergies. I have an appointment on Wed with her and she made a point to call me on Friday and say that I should begin cutting out dairy this weekend, so I'm assuming it's really high.

So I have a few questions for those who have a diary allergy.

1. Is it normal to be pretty upset about it? I keep thinking of different foods I can't eat and it makes me really sad. I feel like I have to pay attention to everything thing I eat anyways, this is one more thing to add to the list that already feels really long.

2. What do you eat when you eat out? I can ask for no butter on stuff, but no bread? Right?

3. What are some good, non-dairy alternatives to the things that most people eat. Any brands that are better then others? One to avoid? etc.

4. Are there any questions that may be specific to a person that I should ask my dr on Wed?

I will say, the bright light on this situation is that I will be healthier then I have ever been in my life and I hope this will make me feel more like "food is fuel."

Thank you!

RTricia

rest easy.

I've been dairy free for years now and you'd be surprised the wonderful (non fattening and non allergy causing) non dairy foods, treats there are out there.

I love coconut ice cream!! It comes in many flavors - check your natural foods freezer case.

Almond milk, rice milk, hemp milk, it's all good stuff. It's going to take a while of getting used to if you're that upset about being diary free.

Some people who are dairy free can do butter - but really? Your body doesn't process butter well so it turns directly to belly fat. (look at mine!)

I know this is probably bone-crushing news - I take a sugar free calcium supplement that fixes my chocolate craving so I get my calcium that way.

Anyhow, rest easy. Your body will thank you and you will feel MUCH better without the dairy.

sezp

Hey, So I don't have a dairy allergy, but I am unable to eat gluten. I can relate to what you're saying and I believe it's pretty normal to be upset about receiving the news. There is gluten in most of my favourite foods and I've had to adapt to the diet. But, it's definitely possible even though it seems like an uphill struggle sometimes. You just have to be careful and vigilant. There are thousands of products being made for people with allergies these days, as well as all sorts of alternatives so you should just start with a clean slate and soon you'll be creating your favourites with non-dairy alternatives.

You'll also find that you feel so much better that your old favourites start to lose their appeal. Sorry I don't have more specific info, but thought I'd chip in because it is hard, but it's possible. Good luck!

AllisonMarisa

I have been dairy intolerant for years, and have found little ways around it. It depends on how dairy intolerant you are - for example, there are often times "Whey" stuck in really random things (hamburger buns, cereals etc.) which is technically a milk product. Sometmes I get bummed out about it - like UGH, I want ice cream! or I want cheese! But, nowadays it's just sort of part of my routine.

You learn quickly which things are codes for milk products (e.g: whey) and to scan the nutrition label. It will become second nature. Luckily, a lot of products have put things like milk in bold at the bottom of their nutrition list. As far as eating out, usually I just mention it to my server, like "I am allergic to dairy" and they are really accommodating most of the time. You'll learn to look for alternatives, like if you go out for frozen yogurt, most times they have a sorbet or fruit flavor that is dairy free.

Don't be afraid to ask the people who work at restaurants/cafe/etc. , they won't always know, but sometimes it might surprise you!

I definitely second the Coconut Ice Cream suggestion. I'm not a huge fan of soy milk, but I loved Almond Milk. I got the vanilla sweetened flavor at first and put it in some Cereals that already had flavor. Don't expect it to be just like milk when you taste it, but that being said, I can't even remember the difference between the two taste wise now.