How to Prevent Lactose Intolerance Part 2

In our previous article we explored the possibility of creating all of your own foods using raw ingredients as a way of omitting lactose content. Whilst this idea may be appealing to many who enjoy culinary craft, there are those who would prefer an easier solution on how to prevent lactose intolerance.

As we've already said, there is no magic cure for lactose intolerance, and the best way to deal with lactose intolerance is simply to avoid as much lactose as possible, thus lessening any discomfort. This is why creating your own foods is the best way to do this.

If creating your own foods is definitely not an option for you, there really are only 2 options left. The first option involves a little self-observation and discipline. First you must be honest with yourself in how much you suffer with lactose intolerance. Secondly, it would be helpful to make a list of all the food and drink you have consumed – and we mean all of the food and drink. Leave nothing out.

As each day goes by, note down what you ate or drank, how you felt afterwards and what your condition was when it came to excretion. By the end of the week you can check back and see what your worst days were, and know exactly what you ate and how you felt. This will give you a good idea of your level of lactose intolerance, and also a good idea of what you can cut back on. If you are unwilling to give up milk and your other favourite foods which may be rife with lactose, then the only option for you is to simply cut down, and best of all avoid drinking as much pure milk as you can, as this is bound to be the biggest culprit.

For those of you who are more open to compromise, the first step you can take is to make sure you absolutely do not continue to buy regular dairy milk, as this is without doubt going to be the biggest culprit in creating lactose intolerance symptoms. You must replace the regular brand of dairy milk you purchase with a treated variety which doesn't contain lactose, or Soy milk. Try this for a week and see how you fare. If your symptoms of lactose intolerance improve enough that you are happy to continue with the rest of your diet intact, then that is up to you. If, however, you wish to continue to cut down on lactose present elsewhere in your diet, you can begin to cull or replace other lactose containing foods which may be present in your diet.

For instance, here is a list of things which contain lactose:

• Milk
• Ice Cream
• Cream
• Cheese
• Butter
• Margarine
• Yogurt
• Peanut Butter
• Bread

The two options you have in instances where common foods such as bread and butter are concerned is to either them up completely, which may be a little impractical, or seek out lactose free varieties and give them a trial. If you swap your regular brands of bread and butter for a lactose free variety or reduced lactose variety and feel much better for it, then it is up to you whether this is a satisfactory result for you or not.

There are also special pills you can take before eating which will boost your ‘lactase' enzyme, therefore help your body to digest more lactose. There are also special lactase liquid drops which you can add to milk before drinking which will help. The major downside of pills of course is they can be costly, and also, practicality.

Now you know how to prevent lactose intolerance from being such a problem, the way you choose is down to you. Before this article draws to an end, it is important you should know that milk is rich in nutrients which are critically important to our health, such as calcium and protein. By cutting milk out of your diet altogether you run the risk of depleting these two vital nutrients, so you must make sure they are kept in your diet somehow. One way is to speak to your pharmacist, explain you have decided to cut milk out of your diet and enquire about any calcium and protein supplements available to you.