Lauren Au, RD

I am lactose intolerant.

May 12th, 2009

Have you ever felt bloated after drinking milk? Does your stomach feel uncomfortable after having yogurt?

I have. For a long time, I wanted to believe that I wasn’t like the other 90% of Asian Americans who are lactose intolerant, meaning unable to fully digest the lactose enzymes found in milk and dairy products. I kept consuming skim milk, yogurt, and cheeses so that I could get the adequate amounts of calcium and vitamin D in my diet.

But recently, I found myself having digestive problems. So what did I do? I experimented. I included foods (1% milk and low-fat yogurt) that I thought would cause symptoms and nonetheless, they did.

So my solution was to not completely rid my diet of dairy, but slowly wean myself off of it in the afternoon and evening. I have cereal with 1% milk in the evening and my coffee with soymilk. If I feel like diary in the afternoon or evening, I choose unsweetened soymilk as my beverage. I also take a multivitamin to get my recommended levels of calcium and vitamin D.

Take-home message: Pay attention to your body and your reaction to certain foods. Many digestive problems, like lactose intolerance, Celiac Disease, or Irritable Bowel Syndrome can be managed with the proper diet.

Lauren

Entry Filed under: General