A few weeks ago, my doctor put me on a lactose-free diet. She suspected I was lactose intolerant despite testing negative to a milk allergy (if you’re curious, a milk allergy is referring to the milk protein, while a lactose intolerance is referring to the lactose enzyme). Apparently you can be lactose intolerant while not technically being “allergic to milk”. It’s all very confusing but I DO know when I cut out all lactose I felt much better. As with other intolerance, purging your body of the offensive substance will also make you more sensitive to that substance later on (because your body is effectively “spoiled” by not having to constantly struggle, so you will notice a reaction quite quickly). This has definitely been the case with dairy; even a few accidental bites will make me feel sick and
have me combing the ingredients of my last meal looking for the inevitable dairy product.
I am still unsure whether this discovery is a negative or positive thing. I feel much better, but now I have an even more restrictive diet! I didn’t have much dairy to begin with, so cutting out gluten was a much more drastic change, but cutting out lactose shook off the remaining rare tummy troubles. Now to live gluten, lactose, and peanut free. :(
Thank goodness I can still have a decaf Americano with soy milk!
My Achilles Heel 