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Lactose Intolerance: Lactose-free foods?

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Irritable Bowel Syndrome
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Posted 12/27/2011 9:32 PM (GMT 0)
I have lactose intolerance with my IBS, and Ive decided that, come the new year, I will be giving up all things with milk in them. I have enough trouble with all other foods, so I figure I should just bite the bullet and remove it from my diet. However, Im a really big fan of cheese and chocolate. Does anyone know about some cheeses or chocolates that are lactose free, or if those items even exist?
Posted 12/28/2011 3:48 PM (GMT 0)
If you look at the food label for the kosher symbols, foods without any dairy at all are marked "pareve" or "parve". There are chocolates available that are dairy free for sure. And if you shop at a Whole Foods or similar, there are many products that are dairy free.

If it is only lactose that is bothering you, you can take lactase tablets with dairy foods and resolve the issue directly. However, if dairy proteins bother you (casein), then going dairy free is the best solution. You might also experiment with goat milk, goat cheese and goat milk yogurt since the proteins in goat milk are often tolerable when cow's milk proteins are not.

All cheeses probably contain some lactose, but hard, aged cheeses have the least amount.
Posted 12/29/2011 1:29 AM (GMT 0)
Its not only lactose, I know that. The doc put me on dicyclomine and I take a lactase enzyme, but I still have stomach issues when I eat anything dairy. Had a run for the bathroom a little while ago. I am so tired of having to make people wait on me while I run for the nearest bathroom; its frustrating and embarrassing.
Posted 12/29/2011 3:07 PM (GMT 0)
So try going dairy-free, which of course means no cheese. You can try goat cheese and see if you get the same result. There are also some delicious sheep cheeses out there, but I don't know much about the protein in sheep's milk and whether is causes the same problems as cow's milk.
Posted 12/29/2011 3:29 PM (GMT 0)
Yes there is! I'm lactose intolerant. There is Soy Cheese, Soy Yogurt, Soy Milk, Rice Milk, and OMG you won't believe what I got myself for Christmas..... DAIRY FREE Chocolate! My chocolate bar is DARK CHOCOLATE DREAM (sorry just saying how the label goes) 100% Dairy Free Rasberry filling manufactrured by Taste The Dream
I also am a big fan of dairy free icecream and my fav is blueberry pomagranite sorbet
I can do goat prodects too.
You can make your own dairy free pastas

My fav Dairy Free Smoothie is In a blender: 1 banana and about oh whatever frozen berries you got about 3 hand fuls and a few drops of water (to unthaw the berries) blended til all smooth, add sorbet of choice (I think mine was actually a fruit flavored sorbet) and touch of soy milk til you get the consistency you want
Also, go organic if you can. Much more tastier foods with organic.

Now, heres a catch about us lactose intolerant people: Our bowels are harder, and firmer. It is easier to get constipated. When that happens, about 4 ounces of milk will help push it forward or any dairy.
Posted 12/29/2011 4:29 PM (GMT 0)
Be careful, many soy "dairy" products contain casein, the protein found in milk. To be sure it doesn't, check the kosher symbol for the word "parve" or "pareve."
Posted 12/31/2011 1:07 AM (GMT 0)
Smurfy, that chocolate bar sounds sooo good. However, the price does not look too good from where Im sitting lol And I will keep in mind your smoothie recipe, for whenever I get a blender. I got a juicer for my birthday a couple years ago, but I dont have a lot of money to spend on the amount of fruit it would take to make a decent amount of juice :( Living paycheck-to-paycheck sucks!

kazbern, if I am checking products and it has the little "U" in the circle (kosher) and has "parve" or "pareve" beside it, I should be good to go?
Posted 12/31/2011 4:55 AM (GMT 0)
Exactly right Jaden. The word "parve" or "pareve" means it has no dairy in it. It also will have no meat-based ingredients or fish-based ingredients.
Posted 1/1/2012 2:17 AM (GMT 0)
Cool, thankies! I am currently working with my gastroenterologist and talking about a FODMAP diet--or rather, I will be bringing it up in a couple weeks when I go back to see her. I was supposed to quit the dairy in November, but with the holidays it was just impossible--everything had hidden dairy somewhere. So it became my New Year Resolution, and I am set to start tomorrow :)
Posted 1/1/2012 3:09 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Jaden, and I hope you will excuse me for intruding into your forum. I don't have IBS but I am lactose intolerant. I'm now on a totally soft diet due to severe gastroparesis, but prior to that was able to find lactose free foods via vegetarian/vegan links online. There are some lovely vegan cheeses and chocolates available - and of course you can eat these safe in the knowledge that they are completely dairy-free, not just lactose free. There are a lot of things out there - right down to cheese sauces, cans of whipped cream, condensed milk. I'm not sure where in the world you are (I'm in Australia) but some examples are Chocolate and Dairy Substitutes
Posted 1/1/2012 11:52 AM (GMT 0)
I've suffered with IBS symptoms & anxiety my whole adult life. I found Gluten Free diet in the last few years has helped tremendously & I have loads of energy, no constipation, pain, wind, mucus in stools (sorry grose I know) 20 years later I've been diagnosed with Helicobacter (why the Doctors didn't check for that when I first started getting chronic diarrhoea, cramps, weight loss etc I don't know).

My Dad's always had stomach problems, we thought it was a genetic bad stomach. He recently had a breath test & confirmed he had Helicobacter, people living together catch it off each other & I had a blood test to confirm I have it. I've had a course of antibiotics but don't feel they have worked as I don't feel any different. I feel a lot better from eating a gluten free (regular painless BM's, not anaemic etc) , low dairy diet and avoiding Vinegar & tomatoes have stopped the diarrhoea. I need to fast & do a breath test to see if it the bacteria is still present. But I recommend anyone who is having tummy troubles, constipation, diarrhoea, anaemia, infertility, miscarriage, anxiety, depression, low energy get tested for Helicobacter Pylori ASAP. Its bacterial & so easily contracted, I wouldn't be surprised if 50-80% of the population have it. Good luck!
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