I am lactose intolerant, too. I just developed it in the last two years, and I hate it! I love to eat dairy products! Anyway, here are some of the things I do to cope...
- For butter, I use Olivio or Canola-based margarine. Both are lactose-free. You can buy Olivio at any grocery store, and the other I usually get at Trader Joe's or Whole Foods Market or a store like that.
- I cook with either the margarine mentioned above or olive oil.
- I can tolerate hard cheeses as long as they are cold (i.e. cheddar) and goat cheese. Goat cheese is easier to digest and doesn't bother me at all.
- I purchase Soy yogurt and Soy milk. When I am sick of Soy milk, I use Lactaid milk. To me, it tastes just fine. I've even tried the Soy cheese, but I don't care for it at all.
- I purchase Soy ice cream or lactose-free ice cream (Breyer's has a great lactose-free ice cream).
- I also look for vegan products while I am shopping at a health food store. Vegans don't eat dairy, so any of their products tend to be lactose-free. I have found frozen burritos and things like that that are dairy-free as a results of manufacturers catering to the vegan market.
- If I am out to dinner or at social event or just plain want some dairy, I take a Lactaid pill before I eat. It does the trick and allows me to digest dairy without any trouble. I never leave home without Lactaid pills!
As an FYI on the Lactaid pills, my GI said you can never take too many of them so not to worry about
it. They are simply the enzyme that digests lactose. I can even take them now while pregnant.
Current Medications:
- Asacol (4 pills, 2x per day)
- Rowasa (1 enema daily, as needed)
- Folic Acid (1 mg, 1x per day)
- Calcium (600 mg, 2x per day)
- Prenatal Vitamin (1x per day)