Dairy

[Corkdarrr]

Ok, so for way long before the whole gluten-free thing, I've always been lactose sensitive. In that if I eat a bowl of ice cream and drink a glass of milk, I'm probably going to get D. But dairy in general doesn't seem to bother me (I can most certainly but cheese on things, glass of milk here and there, bowl of ice cream now and then...just not all at once).

Last nite I ate a bowl of some insanely delicious super chocolately ice cream. (I also drank a glass and a half of milke yesterday.) And now today I am not feelin' so good. I've been playing with the idea of cutting out dairy for a month or two since going gluten-free because apparently dairy is hard to digest when you've damaged your intenstines for the past 24 years. Either way, it's been two months and I still feel kinda crappy in general. So there's obviously something going on yet, whether it be another sensitivity or unintentional glutening through ignorance.

So here's my question(s):

Should I cut out dairy?

And if so, how strict do I need to be?

Cheese has never bothered me. I'm originally from Wisconsin, and if I stop eating cheese, I may never be allowed back in the state to visit my parents. Also, I might lose my mind.

What if I just stop drinking milk and eating ice cream for a month or two, but continue to put cheese on things (beans and rice would just suck without any monterey jack...)?

-Courtney

[rinne]

What if I just stop drinking milk and eating ice cream for a month or two, but continue to put cheese on things (beans and rice would just suck without any monterey jack...)?

You could try that.

I went dairy free, almost, after a month of being gluten free because it was clear that dairy was giving me a problem, in my case bloating, C and irritability. I have eaten it a few times since then thinking MAYBE it has been long enough and I have found out every time that it is a no. I find it funny to say but I don't really miss it and I loved cheese. Smoked applewood cheddar from the deli down the street comes to mind, I tried to talk my husband into buying some just so I could have it in the house. Some people tolerate goat cheese a little better.

Does this mean I should cross Wisconsin off my places to see?

[Guest nini]

I had to give up dairy initially, but after six months I was able to reintroduce it... although with my fibromyalgia symptoms still lingering, it has been suggested that I eliminate dairy and soy again. I don't want to.

[Corkdarrr]

You could try that.

I went dairy free, almost, after a month of being gluten free because it was clear that dairy was giving me a problem, in my case bloating, C and irritability. I have eaten it a few times since then thinking MAYBE it has been long enough and I have found out every time that it is a no. I find it funny to say but I don't really miss it and I loved cheese. Smoked applewood cheddar from the deli down the street comes to mind, I tried to talk my husband into buying some just so I could have it in the house. Some people tolerate goat cheese a little better.

Does this mean I should cross Wisconsin off my places to see?

Yay Rinne! You gave the right answer.

I will start by cutting out the blatant over-use of dairy. But not the highly delicous complimentary ingredient that gets all melty and stringy.

I've found that I don't miss a lot of things. Breads and pastas, mostly. And the only time I ever crave anything is when someone has it sitting in front of me. Like a pizza. Or a toasty sandwich with melted CHEESE on it.

Like yesterday I was in a gas station/Subway. And it smelled SO GOOD. The line was like 15 people long, and I was fine with waiting. I could've stood there and just smelled the air for hours. YUM.

And the great state of Wisconsin would probably still love to have you come visit. One little bite won't hurt (haha....people say that to me about gluten. Yes. Yes it will.)

[RiceGuy]

I'd definitely go dairy-free awhile to find out if it's a problem. You should eliminate it entirely - that's the best (if not the only) way to get results. It was for me, as with so many here. I didn't want to give it up either, but in actuality you don't have to. There are non-dairy cheeses you can use, though be sure to check the ingredients since many have casein (the primary milk protein). If you tolerate casein but not lactose, then you'll have more choices for alternatives. I just don't eat cheese anymore, and I don't crave it either. It seems our bodies often develop chemical addictions to substances we shouldn't be ingesting in the first place. I do plan on making some pizza one of these days though, but when I do it will be with a non-dairy cheese. Here's one example product: Open Original Shared Link

I did read a recent post saying that hard cheeses were ok with them, but not various other dairy products. I haven't gone digging for answers on how or why this might be so.