For those of you who are lactose intolerant

I would first like to say,  I feel your pain.  After drinking a bit of the water in Mexico on a spring break trip my junior year of high school, I became lactose intolerant for three years.  I still to this day, struggle with certain pure dairy products.

In this post, I will share with you some alternatives to dairy products and the truth about how much dairy we really should be consuming anyway. 

As far as milk goes, I still cannot drink a glass of 2% milk without minimally getting an upset stomach.  I stick to skim and that seems to work fine after all these years. 

I am a big fan of cheese and I always wondered why sometimes cheese made me sick, while other times I'd be perfectly fine.  This is because certain cheeses are actually naturally lactose-free.  Most hard or aged cheeses like cheddar, swiss, or moneterey jack are lactose free.  Check the labels on these because some contain small amounts of lactose, but there are manufacturers that make lactose-free versions. 

Lactose intolerance can be a funny thing.  It can last for years, months, or a lifetime.  You can pick it up later in life and then grow out of it. 

Good alternatives for milk: where you are still receiving nutrients and vitamins

• Lactaid brand lactose-free milk 
• check the labels for vitamin D and other nutritious values
• Almond milk
• good option for baking
• Coconut milk
• Soy milk

Solution to eating ice cream, cheeses, etc: 

Lactaid pills: allow you to eat dairy after taking one.  Click the link *Lactaid* to see what this stuff looks like.  You can find it over the counter at most local pharmacies, Walgreen's, Wal-mart. 

Check cheese labels.

There are also non-dairy, lactose-free cheeses made from soy that mimic mozzarella, cheddar, and monterey jack cheeses.  You can find these substitutes at organic food stores and places that sell almond and coconut products.