05 August, 2011

Healthy-ish Living


Since my last post on this subject, I haven't been totally on top of things, especially yoga. My motivation is slipping a bit... I don't really know why. I definitely miss how I feel when I do yoga regularly, but it's like pulling teeth to get myself to pull out my mat. I wish motivation was something I could buy at the store or order online.

I have made one really huge discovery/improvement! So you know how I've been complaining about feeling sick almost all the time for about a year and a half now? Sick and bloated and lethargic and lousy? Yeah, turns out I'm lactose intolerant (it's either that or a dairy allergy, and I'm praying it's not an allergy). Over the last couple weeks, I have completely cut dairy from my diet. I'm going to start slowly introducing it again (starting this weekend) with lactase supplements.

Hopefully, my body will allow me some dairy. I really don't know what I would do if I just couldn't have it at all anymore. It's been really difficult to find things to eat for the last couple weeks. I'm not a vegetarian, but I don't eat a lot of meat. So if I feel like a sandwich and I'm not in a meat mood, I would usually just have a cheese sandwich. For some reason, it's become a major substitute for me. I think it's the saltiness. And you already know how much I love a good cheese plate. (Side note: aged cheeses supposedly contain virtually no lactose, and it's also said that many other cheeses contain very little lactose too. I'm just eliminating it all for now, just to be safe and to allow my body some time to recover.) Ahhh, it's been trying. And, of course, the second you say you can't have something, it's all you ever want. I keep dreaming about pot de crème, lovely cream sauces, mashed potatoes, ice cream, and cake. And iced mochas... oh, don't even get me started on the iced mochas!

I know there are all kinds of dairy substitutes out there, but, I'm sorry, it's not the same. And soy milk and tofu give me the heebie-jeebies. Also, soy milk isn't recommended for women with a history of breast cancer in their family. It contains a plant-based estrogen and can potentially increase your risk. Coupled with the fact that I can't stand the stuff, I think it's safe to say that I've ruled it out. Annnnd I don't really care for almond milk either. It's far too sweet for me. Fortunately, I like coconut milk, so that's been good for cereal and to put in my coffee from time to time.

Despite what a pain in the butt this has been, it's INCREDIBLE to have some answers!!! I wish I had figured it out sooner. Just so you know, having to run to the bathroom every time you consume dairy is NOT the only symptom of lactose intolerance. That's what I thought... and that's why I didn't realize I was lactose intolerant. My main symptom is bloating, like 6-months-pregnant-at-the end-of-every-night bloating. So for all you women out there with mysterious, constant bloating, consider the possibility of lactose intolerance. It's very common!

Okay! That's enough talk about dairy and my body! I hope everyone has a gorgeous weekend!!

22 comments:

  1. Hi there! I just wanted to let you know to not give up all hope on dairy. I too am lactose intolerant and have found certain things that I can eat that don't give me any problems whatsoever! Frozen Yogurt is no problem at all (makes up for ice cream for the most part). Certain types of string cheese and even certain types of yogurt are okay too. I do have to agree that milk is a problem and I personally really don't like the taste of the lactose free milks. I just wanted you to know its 100% possible to get to enjoy food and not have the horrible awful side effects of dairy afterwards!

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  2. last year i was feeling so sick and overall lousy...it turns out i had a gluten intolerance. as stressful as it was to find gluten-free alternatives, how healthy i feel now is totally worth the stress! good luck with the dairy!

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  3. Oooh so glad you figured that out! I had a gluten sensitivity that was doing the same to me for the looongest time.

    I know you said you don't like dairy substitutes, but I have a friend who is kinda deathly allergic to dairy and she uses this awesome coconut milk coffee creamer (yeah, it's an actual coffee creamer!), eats coconut milk ice cream (you can usually find it at fresh and easy or trader joes - it's amaaazing), and have you tried almond milk in your cereal? It's protein filled and actually pretty darn good, just a teensy bit on the sweet side.

    Anyhow, good look with everything!

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  4. Have you ever tried almond milk? I think vanilla almond milk tastes pretty similar to the really thing in cereal, smoothies and coffee/tea.

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  5. I've heard that a LOT of sickness or feeling "off" is due to an intolerance or allergy of some sort. I am gluten intolerance and I notice a MAJOR difference when I consume it vs. when I don't. But, I can't speak on the benefits of going without, because I struggle to cut my intolerances out too....

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  6. I was also going to suggest almond milk. I drink the chocolate version for dessert, so yummy!

    As far as a dairy free cheese, there is a brand called Daiya that is not bad that you can get at whole foods.

    I wrote a post not too long about some of my favorite vegan alternatives so you can check it out if you get bored :)

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  7. Carissa Marie, apurpledress, Heather - thanks guys! i do like coconut milk (and coconut milk products), but i don't like almond milk. i like almonds themselves, but have never been a fan of anything made out of almonds. just too sweet for me! the only exception are macarons (the cookie is made out of almonds). it's actually surprising to me that i love them so much! i haven't tried the chocolate coconut milk yet, but i have plans to make a chocolate raspberry green monster with it some time in the future. doesn't that sound so good??! yum.

    The Soul Anchor - i seriously have no idea what i would do if i found out i couldn't have gluten... i really don't think i would avoid it. no dairy AND no gluten rules out pretty much everything i LOVE.

    simplsmiles - ohhhhh, you give me so much hope!!! thank you! we found out my husband was lactose intolerant a few months ago. he was so sensitive in the beginning that he couldn't even eat a nilla wafer without feeling sick, and now he's able to eat several dairy foods without even taking a lactaid! your comment has me totally craving frozen yogurt... :)

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  8. great to hear jasmine! i've also cut out (most) dairy from my diet, and have felt SO much better! last thing to go is a touch of creamer in my morning coffee... thinking of switching to coconut milk creamer. have you found a good dairy creamer substitute?

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  9. my motivation is slipping too. I blame it on my trip to Lake Tahoe. I was doing so well before then, and now it kills me to get to a workout. Hoping it will come back.

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  10. i also had terrible bloating lately! my doctor thought it was acid reflux when it fact it was the opposite - i was too alkaline. who knew there was a downside to consuming so many veggies?! i just took got some "good" bacteria in me, like yogurt has, and balanced things out. after weeks of tests, prescriptions and pain, 1 day of altering my diet fixed it all. i swear everything comes down to food.

    try almond milk! and in terms of sandwiches without meat have you tried veggie burgers? not like weird "faux meat" versions, but homemade black bean burgers or kinds like that? there are a lot of options that are not soy based!

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  11. @jessica o'brien - thanks! i've been on probiotics for 2 months now, and i think they're helping a bit. i'm glad they're helping you! how awesome that it was such an easy fix for you! i'm going to the store tonight to get an enzyme blend too that's supposed to help with digestion and could ease some of the bloating. unfortunately, i don't care for almonds products (too sweet), and beans are my nemesis (not a fan of the texture), so finding substitutes for things is definitely going to take some time. lots of trial and error!

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  12. OKAY... i JUST realized i may be lactose intolerant TOO!! today starts my cutting out the dairy diet. and i'm very sad about it. boo.

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  13. It's great that you've discovered the culprit! I hope you get good results with the lactose supplements so you can enjoy your favorite dairy products again. I love dairy and I drink milk like a baby, so I can imagine how hard it is to cut it out.

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  14. Oh, man! That is a bummer! I hope you are able to reintroduce it so you can still enjoy dairy! I grew up on a dairy farm, drank raw milk since I was tiny, and was even my county's alternate Dairy Princess! I hope you find ways to work around it. There are definitely ways to do it, like simplsmiles suggested. It would be really, really hard for me to give it up, too!

    I do really enjoy almond milk, but it's more of a dessert type of treat for me. Definitely not worthy of being a dairy replacement.

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  15. Ugh, that stinks. My friend actually has a gluten allergy, and to help her out, when I'm around her, I eat gluten-free. You can ask your friends to try dairy-free products with you!

    Follow me?

    -Sara
    thefakelaugh.blogspot.com

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  16. I can't help you in dealing with your symptoms but I can tell you that (as someone who was vegan for 8 years and still doesn't eat much dairy) that you can still have cakes and mashed potatoes but with soy milk and dairy-free margarine!! Even now that I started eating some dairy (I felt I had no choice as I live in France), I still make my cakes and mashed taters and many other things with soy milk and eat my cereal with soy milk! Don't feel like it's not an amazing option because I swear it is!! I find that soy milk is sweeter and richer than real milk so it makes lattes taste great, too!!!

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  17. Oh.. P.S. I should have mentioned that even though you don't feel it's a good option - when I say soy milk, I just mean dairy-free milk options, in general... rice milk, whatever. Try them each out and see what works for you!

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  18. I cut out dairy when I moved back to CA and it has REALLY helped with the way I feel, my anxiety and depression and my sleeping. Amazing how food can affect us.

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  19. I am glad to hear that you found out a potential cause of why you're feeling "off". Pinpointing what is causing it is most of the battle! I found out my body could not break down the proteins in milk almost 11 years (that makes me feel so old!) ago. It was a huge relief and pain in the ass when I found out. And being a teenager who couldn't eat pizza sucked, but I feel so so much better and wouldn't trade my health for anything. Being dairy-free can be awesome! :)

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  20. I too am lactose intolerant, and figured it out when I was 15. I'm now 31 and have figured out how to live a fairly lactose free life. At first I couldn't bare the idea of no ice cream or cheese...so I was a Lactose pill fanatic, going through multiple boxes a month! The "ultra" kind that are like the equivalent of 3 pills in 1 are the only ones that really worked for me...otherwise I was taking something like 12 pills a day sometimes! Over time, I gradually figured out what my body could handle on its own...a little creamer in my coffee wasn't a problem, a slice of cheese if I was eating it with other foods so it wasn't on an empty stomach, etc. If I haven't had any dairy for several days, I can generally handle a tall latte too. Frozen yogurt is a great alternative to ice cream too! Yogurt contains bacteria that breaks down the lactose so it's not an issue if you make lactase or not (as long as that's the problem and it's not a true allergy).

    Bonus!!! I'm pregnant and the only thing that sounded good in my first trimester was cereal...and because I hadn't had cereal in ages, there was no lactose free milk in the house so I just used the regular stuff my husband uses. No issues day 1, day 2, etc. I've found I can eat any dairy I want without a problem!! I'm praying it's a permanent change that lasts after I deliver this baby, although I think I might end up being disappointed there. :)

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  21. I am lactose sensitive and I hear your pain. It took me almost a year to figure out why I was getting sick, because it doesn't happen all the time. Only about 70% of the time will dairy make me sick, and it's normally milk or ice cream. I have learned little tricks, like non dairy creamer, and I take my lactose pills when I have to have ice cream. I don't eat cereal as often. Also it seems if I mix my dairy with a starchy meal I seem to not get sick, but that could be in my head. It's hard to tell because, It doesn't happen all the time, so it's hard for me to tell what is working and what isn't. Best of luck to you, and I hope your tummy starts agreeing with you soon!

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  22. I am lactose sensitive and I hear your pain. It took me almost a year to figure out why I was getting sick, because it doesn't happen all the time. Only about 70% of the time will dairy make me sick, and it's normally milk or ice cream. I have learned little tricks, like non dairy creamer, and I take my lactose pills when I have to have ice cream. I don't eat cereal as often. Also it seems if I mix my dairy with a starchy meal I seem to not get sick, but that could be in my head. It's hard to tell because, It doesn't happen all the time, so it's hard for me to tell what is working and what isn't. Best of luck to you, and I hope your tummy starts agreeing with you soon!

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