Gluten and Dairy Intolerance...end of my life?!

I think I may be gluten and dairy intolerant. I originally thought it was dairy, but now I think. How the hell do I live like this?!
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Replies

  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    learn to cook and you can have pretty much anything... a lot of shop bought sauces have gluten in so you have to make everything from scratch. i feel sorry for you about the dairy though - my husband was dairy free for a while (thought he had an intolerance) and i hate the taste of soya milk and pretend 'cheese'.

    if you only think though, i would get yourself tested... no point cutting it out if you dont actually have to.
  • Flab2fitfi
    Flab2fitfi Posts: 1,349 Member
    I've lived like this for the last 14 years - been a coeliac for 20 and dairy intolerant for 15 years. It can be tough but there are so many replacement products out there today that are both. I struggle as I'm also egg, soya, mustard and sunflower free.
  • meganb2506
    meganb2506 Posts: 24 Member
    I have found that I dont even miss cake or bread anymore and I thought I would die without them.

    Definitely get tested though.
  • HBMairi
    HBMairi Posts: 84 Member
    There are gluten and dairy alternatives out there, and most supermarkets have sections for this.

    Try almond milk (its quite a nutty taste, but you get used to it and I prefer that to normal milk now). If you want bread, try the gluten free stuff, or try without bread, I dont miss it now.

    Its not the end if you are gluten and dairy intolerant, just means changes in what food you eat and how you look at food. Turn it into a positive :)
  • tennisdude2004
    tennisdude2004 Posts: 5,609 Member
    There are gluten and dairy alternatives out there, and most supermarkets have sections for this.

    Try almond milk (its quite a nutty taste, but you get used to it and I prefer that to normal milk now). If you want bread, try the gluten free stuff, or try without bread, I dont miss it now.

    Its not the end if you are gluten and dairy intolerant, just means changes in what food you eat and how you look at food. Turn it into a positive :)

    I would opt for dairy alternatives, but I would steer clear of the gluten alternative products as they border on Junk food.

    They are made using substitute flour and wheat in there products - sounds great, but there is a down side!

    Whilst you may not be able to eat wheat, at least wheat is fortified with vitamins and mineral (this is a legal requirement). The alternative wheat and flours used in gluten free alternative products do not have this same legal requirement and as such do not have the same vit content and long term consumption of these alternatives COULD lead to vit deficiencies.

    The best option is to cut out the gluten based products which are causing you an issue and just replace them with different food - eat more fruit and vegetables to replace any micro nutrients you are losing form the other stuff.

    Its cheaper and easier.

    Good luck.
  • WhoWasGivenToFly
    WhoWasGivenToFly Posts: 64 Member
    I didn't miss gluten containing products after awhile because I felt much better ( more energy, less bloat) without them. I am afraid to eat anything with gluten because I know how bad it will make me feel.
  • dnamouse
    dnamouse Posts: 612 Member
    First things first, get tested. It's better to know for sure.

    My husband and son are coeliac. Same son and I are also lactose intolerant. It's not too bad, you just need to get creative is all.

    If it's lactose intolerance, there are some really good lactose-free products available now. I am so happy to be able to have cheese on pizza again, even if I have to make it all from scratch to make sure all our intolerances are catered for lol
  • JusticejamesbMBA
    JusticejamesbMBA Posts: 25 Member
    You'll be okay. Just make everything from scratch.
  • fitcrt
    fitcrt Posts: 76 Member
    I think I may be gluten and dairy intolerant. I originally thought it was dairy, but now I think. How the hell do I live like this?!

    Are you certain about this? Don't just jump onto the gluten free band wagon... I was suffering from food allergy symptoms and I tried to figure it out on my own - eliminated dairy for a bit, wheat for a bit, etc. I finally went to see an allergist who did the back prick test & then a follow up blood test - and it turns out I am allergic to corn & all corn products (which hide in many many many foods under names you would never think were corn). If you are having reactions to foods - please get yourself tested & find out what it really is. Per my doctor the two hardest allergies to deal with are soy & corn because the food manufacturers put it in everything! I hope this helps!
  • Meerataila
    Meerataila Posts: 1,885 Member
    learn to cook and you can have pretty much anything...

    This. But you should make an appointment with a doctor and not change your diet until after you get tested. I've read it can throw off the tests otherwise.
  • Sharon5913
    Sharon5913 Posts: 134 Member
    Yes, there is a learning curve, but I have been GF for nearly 12 years, and I got my life back!!! You can do this, as others have said, learn how/what to cook, and be kind to yourself.

    Good Luck,

    Sharon
  • csuhar
    csuhar Posts: 779 Member
    I think I may be gluten and dairy intolerant. I originally thought it was dairy, but now I think. How the hell do I live like this?!

    Are you certain about this? Don't just jump onto the gluten free band wagon... I was suffering from food allergy symptoms and I tried to figure it out on my own - eliminated dairy for a bit, wheat for a bit, etc. I finally went to see an allergist who did the back prick test & then a follow up blood test - and it turns out I am allergic to corn & all corn products (which hide in many many many foods under names you would never think were corn). If you are having reactions to foods - please get yourself tested & find out what it really is. Per my doctor the two hardest allergies to deal with are soy & corn because the food manufacturers put it in everything! I hope this helps!

    This would definitely be the first step. Get to a doctor and get tested so you can figure out exactly what's going on. The next step would be to talk to the doctor about the impacts of these foods on your health. Because the final step, IMO, would be to take the information from steps 1 and 2 and decide on how much you want to elimiate these foods.

    If the worst that is happening to you is that you feel bloated or get gassy, you have the option of deciding that your love for these foods outweighs the discomfort.
  • msf74
    msf74 Posts: 3,498 Member
    I think I may be gluten and dairy intolerant.

    How did you specifically come to this conclusion?
  • itsbasschick
    itsbasschick Posts: 1,584 Member
    i'm allergic to wheat and lactose intolerant. the second is easy to deal with - take lactaid first act before you have any dairy (amount varies depending). drink lactose free milk, lactaid makes one and most stores have a store brand. you can drink soy milk (my husband likes silk, which is available in most stores around us). and many people who are lactose intolerant can eat yogurt without discomfort; for myself, i find it depends on the yogurt, but i do well with fage 0% greek yogurt.

    as far as gluten intolerance, an awful lot of foods don't have any gluten. eggs, meats, soy, potatoes (including baked potatoes, most potato chips and mashed potatoes), yams and rice - which means you can eat crispy rice cereal as well as hot cream of rice. i'm pretty sure quinoa is gluten-free, but double check that. pretty sure celiacs can eat corn, including corn tortillas, and oats have a tiny bit of gluten, but most people with celiac can eat them. and these days there's a ton of gluten-free products in many stores including the udi's bread line and nut thins crackers (i love the almond ones!), not to mention pastas from a variety of companies.

    btw, the olive garden and disneyland are two places that have gluten-free pasta on their menus, and disneyland also has gluten free pizza.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    I can't say I've heard anyone dying yet from starvation due to gluten and dairy intolerance's.


    I guess if OP disappears we'll know what happened.


    Speaking of- gluten is a huge thing right now- it's pretty much a fad diet that a boat load of people who ascribe to it have no idea what it is- so, regardless- the big companies cater and produce a fair bit of gluten free products at this point. You'll be fine- so some research- make your own food. Make wise choices. Dairy seems easier to cut out and there are plenty of subs for that so again- you'll be fine.
  • AlliSteff
    AlliSteff Posts: 211 Member
    Totally do-able! My sister is celiac, and lactose and egg intolerant. Because of this, my whole family has gone away from breads, etc because it is just easier that way (when we have family dinners, etc). I don't even miss my breads

    This does, usually, involve a lot more cooking on your end
  • catb58
    catb58 Posts: 239 Member
    I not only have celiacs, but a wheat allergy. This means I can't eat anything with gluten, but I also can't use shampoos, lotions, beauty products that have any type of wheat derivative (wheat germ oil and some vitamin e additives...oatmeal because of cross contamination) or my skin feels like it's burning and breaks out.

    It's getting much easier to find gluten free foods. Many cereals (many of the Chex cereals, for example) are gluten free. Look for gluten free oatmeal (usually certified.... because for many of us, the tiny bit of gluten from cross contamination can be debilitating). Udi's bread tastes almost like real bread for those days when you just have to have a PBJ. :wink: Check your spices, as well. And sadly enough...Twizzlers have wheat as the first ingredient. :sad: Most of my meals are made from scratch. I also make my own seasoning mixes for bbq, chili, soups and keep them in labeled quart jars.

    Once you get used to the routine of checking all ingredients and making many things from scratch, it's not so bad. It beats feeling sick all the time!
  • Organicgasm
    Organicgasm Posts: 592 Member
    We eat almost exclusively gluten and dairy free in my house. With the exception of occasional gallons of raw goat milk. Or organic wheat (which is easier to digest) for special treats once in a blue moon. Because of my kids' autoimmune issues, we stumbled across a program called Whole30 and just went from there.
  • husseycd
    husseycd Posts: 814 Member
    It's not really that hard, IMO. I'd personally avoid the non-wheat breads, pastas, etc. and just focus on appreciating simple foods. I was a bread loving, pasta loving, carb queen! I gave it up over a year ago for my own reasons and haven't looked back. I love the way I eat now and how it makes me feel. And honestly the taste. Who knew an over-easy egg with some broccoli (where you use the yolk as sauce for your broccoli) could be so dang delicious!
  • I have been gluten free for eleven years, and the advances in gluten free foods over the last couple of years has been wonderful! Even Wal-Mart carries gluten free products now. While there are certainly some gluten free "junk" foods, there are junk regular foods. As with anything you should always read the label before buying anything. I buy Udis or Rudis gluten free bread, but I get the whole grain version of both, which has both good levels of fiber and protein, and low levels of sugar. I make my own waffles and muffins using Pamelas all purpose mix and adding almond flour(for more protein) and ground flax (for extra fiber). Recent studies have shown that wheat has been modified so radically from its original form, that the gluten in that wheat has ZERO nutritional value, and it is actually damaging to cells in our body. If you are concerned about vitamin deficiencies, the main vitamins found in wheat (b vitamins), can be sourced in other foods or in good whole food supplements.