Sorry - Another Stupid Question!

[Bonnie]

Hi guys,

So I started keeping a food diary a month ago. I also cut out dairy for 2 weeks. Haven't noticed much difference except maybe my bloating has been less. Friday I had cows milk in my coffee, within a minute my stomach started rumbling and I got some really "pleasant" wind! So Saturday I tried some fudge containing milk solids - exactly same reaction. So just to make sure I had a chocolate mousse - exact same reaction!

So I ate a bit of extra mature cheddar cheese next day - nothing! So whats the deal? I can't have cows milk but ok with cheese or just avoid the whole lot. Actually didn't find it toooooo difficult avoiding dairy. Much to my surprise! Mind you, I would do practically anything to avoid bloating.

Still can't eat any "substantial food". Made some entirely gluten-free cottage pie on the weekend. Used rice milk in the mash potatoes. Boated up like a beached whale. Ate it again a day later - same thing. I did put a bit of grated cheese on the top which may have had something to do with it but its more likely it was mixing protein and carbs. My body does NOT like that. Bummer - I enjoyed it though

Please help with this dairy issue - confused as usual!!

Yvonne

[elisabet]

Hi guys,

So I started keeping a food diary a month ago. I also cut out dairy for 2 weeks. Haven't noticed much difference except maybe my bloating has been less. Friday I had cows milk in my coffee, within a minute my stomach started rumbling and I got some really "pleasant" wind! So Saturday I tried some fudge containing milk solids - exactly same reaction. So just to make sure I had a chocolate mousse - exact same reaction!

So I ate a bit of extra mature cheddar cheese next day - nothing! So whats the deal? I can't have cows milk but ok with cheese or just avoid the whole lot. Actually didn't find it toooooo difficult avoiding dairy. Much to my surprise! Mind you, I would do practically anything to avoid bloating.

Still can't eat any "substantial food". Made some entirely gluten-free cottage pie on the weekend. Used rice milk in the mash potatoes. Boated up like a beached whale. Ate it again a day later - same thing. I did put a bit of grated cheese on the top which may have had something to do with it but its more likely it was mixing protein and carbs. My body does NOT like that. Bummer - I enjoyed it though

Please help with this dairy issue - confused as usual!!

Bonnie,

I do recommend to eliminate all diary products.casein is very similar to gluten and makes the same damage.

elisabet

Yvonne

[momandgirls]

Hi - Aged cheeses/cheddar have such a tiny amount of lactose that they are allowed to state that it is lactose free so, for most people, they can tolerate it. Galaxy foods/Veggie Shreds makes a good mozzarrella substitute (it comes in a green ziplock type bag) and Rice slices makes a good american cheese substitute. We can both eat that without problems. Neither of us drink milk and I can't have soy either so we cook with rice milk and haven't had any problems. Have you tried Lactaid milk and/or taking a Lactaid pill if you're going to eat something with dairy in it? (I haven't looked at the pills so, actually, am not sure that they are gluten free).

On another note, you say that you were diagnosed using BEST. What does that mean? Thanks!

[aikiducky]

So I ate a bit of extra mature cheddar cheese next day - nothing! So whats the deal?

Sounds like you're lactose intolerant. Lactose is the milk sugar, and it gets broken down when cheese matures, so matured cheese doesn't have lactose. This means you should either avoid milk products with lactose, or take lactase pills (the entzyme that breaks down lactose) before eating anything with lactose. But you would be ok with cheese, and possibly with yoghurt (some of the lactose gets broken down in the fermentation process), and butter (which is mainly milk fat).

hope this helps!

Pauliina

[Bonnie]

Thanks for your help guys.

I hope its just the lactose - that's easy done. I would like a little cheese or plain yoghurt every now and again for variety!

BEST stands for Bio-Energetic Stress Testing. Its a computerised system that has a trained technician testing your pulse points in your hands and feet. The computer "reads" imbalances. I had never heard of gluten before this came up. Since then I've been to a GI and all sorts of other doctors for confirmation. Had bloods but had already been gluten free for 6 weeks so they were negative. The GI wanted to do a biopsy but I did my own gluten challenge instead. The GI and I agreed I had my answer from that. The BEST system doesn't help with cures or treatment - just picks things up. It was spot on with me - parasites, other intolerances etc.

Yvonne

[momandgirls]

Thanks for the explanation of BEST. Just to clarify, aged cheeses do still contain lactose, just very little. The FDA rules state that foods can still have a little lactose and still be called lactose free. Depending on how intolerant you are, you may or may not be able to handle them. We can't tolerate any dairy at all not matter how much. Hopefully, something like Lactaid pills will work for you.

[Bonnie]

Thanks for the explanation of BEST. Just to clarify, aged cheeses do still contain lactose, just very little. The FDA rules state that foods can still have a little lactose and still be called lactose free. Depending on how intolerant you are, you may or may not be able to handle them. We can't tolerate any dairy at all not matter how much. Hopefully, something like Lactaid pills will work for you.

To be honest, I don't fancy using Lactaid pills (if we even have them here!). I would rather just stay off it altogether. I'm going to stay off dairy completely for another 2 weeks to double check that it is affecting my bloating. If my bloating gets better again, then I'll stay off for a long period. This bloating is the bane of my life. I am a slim person and it makes me feel incredibly fat and I have to wear loose tops - I hate it!

[jenvan]

Yvonne--

Try doing dairy with a lactase supplement/lactaid pill and see if that gets rid of your symptoms or improves them. If it does, then lactose intolerance may be the problem. I would say 2 weeks may not be quite long enough to give you an accurate sense of dairy's effects in your diet though. It takes me 3 good weeks of dairy free to get rid of its negative effects on me. And honestly, when I did eat dairy, sometimes I noticed GI symptoms, sometimes I didn't, depending on what I was eating. The food journal is a good way to go for sure...what about issues with rice or soy? Keep your eyes peeled for things besides dairy as well. Something else might be sneaking up on you.

[Bonnie]

Yvonne--

Try doing dairy with a lactase supplement/lactaid pill and see if that gets rid of your symptoms or improves them. If it does, then lactose intolerance may be the problem. I would say 2 weeks may not be quite long enough to give you an accurate sense of dairy's effects in your diet though. It takes me 3 good weeks of dairy free to get rid of its negative effects on me. And honestly, when I did eat dairy, sometimes I noticed GI symptoms, sometimes I didn't, depending on what I was eating. The food journal is a good way to go for sure...what about issues with rice or soy? Keep your eyes peeled for things besides dairy as well. Something else might be sneaking up on you.

Thanks Jen, I will stay off for 3 weeks from now. You advised me before that the dairy may be a reason for my chronic C.

I am very very intolerant to rice. Don't touch the stuff anymore and I don't really eat soya. I also bloat really badly from any type of legume or bean - lentils, aduki beans, black eyes beans - pity because I really enjoy them. No other symptoms except the bloating and terrible wind/gas.

Yvonne

[jenvan]

Let me know how it goes... Like I said, it takes 3 weeks about to get out of the "C" cycle and start going regularly after getting rid of dairy...

[Bonnie]

Let me know how it goes... Like I said, it takes 3 weeks about to get out of the "C" cycle and start going regularly after getting rid of dairy...

Thanks Jen, great photo by the way!! Will let you know how I get on.

Yvonne