Dairy Free Help??

rebeccar5301
rebeccar5301 Posts: 3 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi,

I’ve been suggested by a doctor to cut out dairy for a few weeks in order to help acne breakouts, I would love to hear any help on advice for recipes, what to eat and other peoples experiences! :)

Replies

  • yvette1910
    yvette1910 Posts: 9 Member
    Dear Rebeccar5301,
    I did Vegan January and found it really easy (am already veggie though) and as a bonus I lost 3lbs in the month! There are loads of meals and replacements available now. A really good place to start is the Vegan Society: https://www.vegansociety.com/ they have lots of recipes, tips and discussion groups.
    Nearly everything dairy can be replaced in recipes and it's getting quite trendy so you'll even find choices in most cafes and restaurants.
    Good luck and please keep us updated.
    :)
  • Fuzzipeg
    Fuzzipeg Posts: 2,301 Member
    I'm surprised by your doctors suggestion. Dairy is not the only possible cause of acne. Has he done any allergy testing or any testing? It seems like a hammer to crack a nut. They had no suggestions for how to replace the nutritional loss?

    I was advised to avoid dairy, proved casein intolerant, following testing. My experience was, after 48 hours of abstinence I felt much better, I'd not realised I had dairy issues but mine were not related to acne. Time scale might be relevant, you may have symptoms you live with, are normal to you.

    May I suggest you do your own research along side, carb intolerance for want of a better term or may be carb quality could be in the mix.

    The Vegan site above is a good one to look at. All the very best.
  • czmiles926
    czmiles926 Posts: 130 Member
    I've gone (nearly) dairy free in the last month to reduce breakouts and when I have definately seen positive results.
    The hardest part was cutting out yogurt because I swear that used to make up 50% of my diet. I tried soya yogurt but it was gross and overpriced.
    I use vitalite dairy free spread on my toast and in cooking and it's delicious. I would definately recommend.
    Soya milk is pretty nice in tea but gross on its own. Almond milk is really nice on its own but a little pricey so I don't get it often.
    I'm going to try nutritional yeast to add a cheesy flavour to my cooking because I've heard good things about it.
  • avadahm
    avadahm Posts: 111 Member
    I’m a fan of soy! I can’t drink milk very well (cheese I’m
    Ok with) and I’ve enjoyed replacing it with soy milk. If you normally like cheese, my vegan friend says the vegan cheeses aren’t terrible (but not the same so she doesn’t recommend just plain vegan cheese to the face) and can be incorporated into foods easily.

    Avoiding dairy can be difficult so be sure to check ingredient labels. Things can pop up in unusual places.
  • WholeFoods4Lyfe
    WholeFoods4Lyfe Posts: 1,518 Member
    I am dairy free. Feel free to check out my diary. If you’d like a visual representation of my diary, PM me and I’ll share my IG account. Good luck! My reasons for eliminating dairy were different than yours, but I feel so much better.
  • triciale555
    triciale555 Posts: 57 Member
    We went dairy free two years ago due to my daughter’s allergy. Truthfully it is hard to like/enjoy dairy free foods in the beginning. Now, we’ve adjusted and it all tastes “normal”.
    So only doing this for a few weeks, I doubt you’d adjust to the taste of cheese, ice cream, milk etc.
    I’d stick with the normal everyday items - fruit, vegetables, pasta, meat. Oreos are dairy free
  • triciale555
    triciale555 Posts: 57 Member
    It cut my reply.... if you could be specific about what you like to eat, I could probably tell you a few itemss
  • janicelo1971
    janicelo1971 Posts: 823 Member
    I gave up dairy about 15 years ago...what substitutes are you looking for? i know some great brands of different items
  • VUA21
    VUA21 Posts: 2,072 Member
    When using cheese as a topping on most things, swap to avocados. Also, soy, almond, and coconut milk are great options for cereals and making mashed potatoes (just remember to use the plain unsweetened ones for mashed potatoes - hazelnut flarored potatoes isn't a good flavor).

    Getting out of the "breakfast" foods for breakfast may help too. There's no rule that you can't have fajitas or grilled chicken for breakfast.
  • VUA21
    VUA21 Posts: 2,072 Member
    MostlyWater wrote: »
    Dairy free foods can be full of chemicals. Just be aware.

    Like dihydrogen oxide! Colorless, oderless, tasteless, kills thousands of people. Beware the "chemicals". (SMH/sarcasm)
  • jessicarose22492
    jessicarose22492 Posts: 59 Member
    Look up vegan recipes on pintrest! Two of my favorite dishes are general tsao tofu with rice, broccoli, and carrots :) Also love burritos with a hummus base, beans, rice, corn, tomatos, and lettuce! Another great website to find recipes is thefriendlyfig.com
  • AJB1014
    AJB1014 Posts: 1,380 Member
    I cut out cream in my coffee, processed "cheese foods", and yogurt. I still enjoy grass fed cheddars, the occasional pizza, and a real latte every now and then. Reducing my exposure to dairy was easier than cutting it out completely, and being mindful of the quality of dairy I was eating also made a big difference in my complexion.
  • bearsnbunnies
    bearsnbunnies Posts: 1 Member
    I have been dairy free for about 4 years because of digestive issues. There are lots of ideas on Pinterest and I take a calcium supplement. I feel good and hardly ever miss it now. I was a huge cheese, yogurt and cottage cheese user before.
  • NewChapterInMyLife
    NewChapterInMyLife Posts: 757 Member
    Chao cheese!!! You will love it!! Its non dairy, tastes amazing.
  • nowine4me
    nowine4me Posts: 3,985 Member
    Almond milk and any product by So Delicious. The unsweet coconut milk yogurt is the bomb. I don’t care for any of the fake cheese except kite hill. Ben & Jerrys non dairy ice cream is obscene. Pizza extra sauce & veggies. That about covers it.
  • no1racefan1
    no1racefan1 Posts: 277 Member
    Ben and Jerry's non-dairy ice cream is so delicious, you'll never miss dairy ice cream! I also really like Silk Almondmilk vanilla yogurt.
  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
    First we would need to know what dairy you are looking to replace! I like almond milk in my coffee, and sometimes sub pumpkin for cheese in recipes.

    For me personally, dairy does not cause breakouts, but my skin gets a lot clearer when I am careful about high fat foods (including many cheeses) and get enough exercise to break a sweat at least once a day. Just eating a balanced diet makes a huge difference for me. Something to consider if eliminating dairy doesn't have the results you hope for. Good luck!
  • AmandaDanceMore
    AmandaDanceMore Posts: 298 Member
    There are so many dairy alternatives, both in the stores and things you can make if you are so inclined. A lot of the store bought products are especially good for helping you over the “but I miss cheese!!!” hurdle. At this point in history, with so many people trying veganism, there is a diary free replacement for everything dairy, and a lot are really quite nice.

    If you’re a mac n cheese fan, here’s a great recipe for you! I sometimes will just make the sauce to have on hand for quick pasta and veggies or even use it as nacho cheese- http://alisainalaska.blogspot.com/2011/03/best-vegan-mac-and-cheese.html?m=1

    FWIW, I do feel SO much better without dairy in my life. Fewer headaches, my super sensitive skin has fewer issues, and I find my muscles recover faster from strain.
  • helenneal28774
    helenneal28774 Posts: 2 Member
    My sister has similar problems, and so does her 15 year old son. They both find going lactose-free solves it. You could try it to see if the problem is lactose or dairy.
  • VUA21
    VUA21 Posts: 2,072 Member
    I am VERY intolerant to dairy, not quite an allergy, but I'll be sick for the rest of the day with even 1oz of cheese.

    Unsweetened almond milk, use just like regular milk...yes that includes baking and cooking. Avocado, I use avocado instead of cheese for sandwiches, tacos, and a lot of other foods.
    Eliminate cheese: just don't buy it.
    Vegan cream cheese, Sprouts has one that tastes great, use that when recipes call for cream cheese, blend it 50/50 with almond milk as a Greek yogurt substitute.
  • raviiin
    raviiin Posts: 13 Member
    I suffered from horrible severe acne for my entire teenage years. Nothing I did ever helped. I went on birth control in my early 20s and that cleared up my acne about 60%. then I switched from vegetarian to vegan and cutting out dairy has made my skin almost 100% acne free, and for me that is such a huge deal.
  • Rocbola
    Rocbola Posts: 1,998 Member
    My life and health has improved drastically since i cut dairy. You'd be surprised how many conditions are caused by dairy.
  • nooshi713
    nooshi713 Posts: 4,877 Member
    You can use soy or nut based substitutes.

    My dermatologist suggested this years ago. I tried it for a few months and it didnt help my acne at all. I had bloodwork done before and after and found my calcium was low after cutting dairy. I was drinking calcium fortified products and taking a supplement with vitamin D but my body wasn't absorbing it the same as from dairy. I honestly see no reason to cut out dairy unless someone is very lactose intolerant. Anyway, this is just my experience and I know everyone is different.
  • WilmaValley
    WilmaValley Posts: 1,092 Member
    Great suggestions, needed this!

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