When I was pregnant with our son, I craved dairy daily. (Note: this photo above was during pregnancy. I'm no longer looking like Jupiter.)
Often it was string cheese or a yogurt. Sometimes it was a big bowl of ice cream (oh Ben and Jerry, how I love you!). Other times it was just a tall, cold glass of skim milk.
I never had a rumbly tummy afterward. My body craved the calcium and the vitamins, so I indulged. After all, I was carrying a baby who was taking up a lot of my nutrients!
Now that I have my son in my arms, I've spent the past three months trying to figure out what has been bothering my stomach. I have given up various things for a week or so at a time with no relief in what my husband and I refer to as "my hurty tummy." (Yes, we have a baby now, so sometimes we talk like this).
A month ago, I gave up dairy. Bingo. That was it.
I had a mini-meltdown in the kitchen when I figured it out.
"I will NOT be gluten intolerant AND lactose intolerant," I said, stomping my foot. "I will NOT have problems with casein. I WILL eat dairy whenever I want."
Then I made pizza for dinner. Then I felt deathly ill all night.
Sigh.
Apparently I'm one of "those" now. Those can't-have-gluten, can't-have-dairy folks. No more big bowls of ice cream. No more tall glasses of skim milk.
I've found that I can sneak in a bite or two without feeling ill effects. A quarter-tablespoon of butter on my mashed potatoes or a bite of frozen yogurt doesn't send me reeling like a crumb of gluten would. But, for the most part, I'm a dairy free girl now.
Ironic, since I live in the dairy state!
Luckily there's still plenty of great food to be had. My husband leaves the yogurt out of my morning smoothie; I've transitioned to using almond and coconut milk for cereal and baking. I've even found some coconut ice cream that approximates the creaminess of the real thing (more on that later).
So expect more dairy-free recipes here on ol' GFJF. And lots of sympathy for those of you with allergies or intolerances in addition to gluten.
Are any of you lactose or casein intolerant? How did you cope with the transition?
I've been dairy free (casein-allergic)my entire life (we found out when I was 2. I don't remember anything before that), so it wasn't a huge transition for me, it was just a part of life.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I/my parents found out that I can tolerate goat or sheep dairy. It's composition is enough different from cow dairy that it is okay for us. Doesn't mean it's okay for you, but it might be something worth checking out if you really miss dairy.
Also, when it comes to cheese, check out Daiya. Their cheese is the closest thing to "real" cheese that exists. Their blocks have a bit of a texture problem, but their shreds are amazing. Even my non-dairy allergic husband eats my cheese stuff with no complaint.
My kid is both gluten and casein intolerant (and a lot more, actually). Removing soy after GF and CF was actually more challenging.
ReplyDeleteThe coconut "ice cream" is amazing! ;)
Good luck with your transition!
Ok. We have got to get you Daiya vegan cheese stat!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tips, friends! I will definitely check out Daiya.
ReplyDeleteAnd I will pray I don't develop any sort of soy intolerance, Penny!
I thought I had developed a dairy intolerance after my celiac diagnosis, but it turned out to be an actual dairy allergy (sigh). Like someone mentioned earlier, Daiya is a great faux cheese; great on pizza too. Not great to eat cold, tho, but is melts as well as cheese and tastes amazing. If you have ever had Amy's frozen GF Dairy Free mac-n-cheese dinner, she uses Daiya in it! So creamy. Can I recommend a good GFCF recipe website? I like www.angelaskitchen.com. She is GF and CF and has awesome recipes.
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