Relevant information about the five most popular restrictive diets: Gluten-free, Lactose-intolerant, Pescetarianism, Vegan and Vegetarian.
Lactose is a sugar found in dairy products and is also sometimes added to prepared and processed foods like salad dressings. Your body requires an enzyme called lactase. This enzyme is used to break down the lactose. Lactose intolerance occurs when your body does not produce the proper amount of lactase to effectively break down all the lactose into smaller parts. The undigested lactose causes symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, cramping, gas, and bloating. Luckily, the cure for lactose intolerance is an easy one – eliminate lactose from your diet. While this may seem daunting at first, especially if you love things like milk, yogurt, and ice cream, there are several things you can do to make it easier.
A lot of people with lactose intolerance can actually handle a little bit of lactose in their diet. The first thing you want to do, however, is limit your intake of foods that cause you discomfort. If you do plan on eating or drinking something with lactose, always do it as part of a larger meal to help offset some of the discomfort. You should still be able to get away with eating sour cream, pudding, chocolate milk, yogurt, hard cheese, and cottage cheese, as these items have lower lactose levels. Always read food labels to see what ingredients are in the product before you buy it. Lactose can sometimes sneak in certain products after processing, so you want to make sure you know what you are purchasing. While you may think it will take you hours at the grocery store, you’ll quickly get into the hang of it and will be able to know what products have lactose and what ones don’t without even looking at the ingredients list. Talk to your doctor or nutritionist about a dairy-free diet. They will help you create a meal plan that you can follow that will be tasty but also ensure that you are getting all the nutrients you need.
If you are an ice cream or yogurt fanatic, you may be incredibly upset when you discover that you are lactose intolerant and can no longer enjoy these snacks. Luckily, there are dozens of replacement snacks that are equally as tasty that do not contain lactose. If you want to escape dairy all together, you can go with things like potato wedges, potato chips, apple crisps, French fries, and peanut butter sandwiches. If you are set on having ice cream, however, you can try a dairy free option. This ice cream is usually made with coconut milk or almond milk, and you will hardly notice a difference between the one with dairy.
You may think you will no longer be able to go out for dinner because of your lactose intolerance. Luckily, this is not the case. Your choices will not be limited, just shifted. Make sure you pick your restaurant wisely, and ideally you should call ahead to check that they have dairy-free dishes on the menu that you can enjoy. Always double check with the server when you order to make sure the dish does not contain lactose.
