Lactose Intolerance Versus Dairy Allergy

People often confuse dairy allergies with lactose intolerance. Some people believe they are one in the same thing. They are actually two very different conditions.

Lactose Intolerance:

Lactose is a sugar found in milk. Lactase in an enzyme produced in the upper intestinal tract that helps the body metabolize lactose. When the body stops producing lactase, you become lactose intolerant. The colon then tries to digest lactose and fails with the follwing results:

• Abdominal cramping
  


• Gas



• Bloating



• Diarrhea

Dairy Allergy:

A dairy allergy is caused by an immune response to any of the dozens of proteins found in milk. The most common allergen found in milk is called casein. During an allergic response, the body can react in any of a number of ways.

• Hives or other skin rashes
  


• Digestive distress



• Respiratory distress (wheezing, coughing)



• Migraine



• Anaphylaxis (full body allergic response, can be deadly)

The symptoms can be the same for either a dairy allergy or lactose intolerance. The way to tell which one you have is to get tested for dairy allergies.

Dairy products include anything made with cow, sheep or goat's milk. Some people report that they can digest goat or sheep's milk or cheese made from them but cannot handle cow's milk products. This is due to the difference in the proteins found in the various milks.

A number of persons with lactose intolerance have found that they can assimilate raw cow's milk without incident. This is due to all the natural enzymes being present in raw milk that help break down the lactose. Most milk is pasteurized to kill potentially harmful bacteria. This process also kills the helpful enzymes that are naturally in milk to help in digesting it.

If you would like to stay away from animal milk altogether, there are a number of options available on the market today.

• Almond Milk
  


• Rice Milk



• Soy Milk



• Hemp Milk



• Coconut Milk

You can find these milk substitutes at most grocery stores.

If you are interested in recipes that are dairy free, see my book "Done With Dairy. Giving Up Gluten".

For more information and for a copy of the special report, "Drowning in Dairy", go to http://www.deliciousandhealthy.com/

Is There Gluten in Your Lipstick?

If you keep having allergic reactions and you can't figure out what they are from, they could be from your lipstick - or the lipstick of someone you've kissed!

Yes, many lipsticks do contain gluten. Here is a list of ingredients that contain gluten that you should look out for:

• Amino peptide complex
  



• Hordeum vulgare (barley) extract




• Phytosphingosine extract




• Triticum vulgare (wheat) extract




• Hydrolyzed wheat extract or proteins




• Protein




• Disodium wheatgermamido PEG-2 sulfosuccinate




• Hydroxypropyltrimonium hydrolyzed wheat protein




• Cyclodextrin




• Dextrin palmitate




• Secale cereal




• Malt extract




• Maltodextrin




• Yeast extract




• Avena sativa

Here are a few companies that manufacture gluten free lipsticks:

Ecco Bella

Bare Minerals

Burt's Bees

Afterglow Cosmetics

For more information on living a gluten free life, recipes, and coaching help, go to:

http://www.deliciousandhealthy.com/

Cafe Conversations

I'm sitting at Peet's Coffee in Larchmont Village - a very sweet little section of Los Angeles that makes you forget you're in LA. It's very east coast and sleepy little town like. I feel at home here.

When people sit in coffee shops, their conversations are quite audible to the the quiet folks tapping away on their computers next to them (like me right now). I try my best not to listen to what they are saying and just to focus on what I am doing but when I hear the word "gluten", I just have to hear what is being said. After all, it is my world.

This man and this woman were talking about a mutual friend of theirs who is gluten free. They were essentially making fun of her for her fears around cross contamination and getting something in her food that might cause a reaction. It made me think about the issue we food sensitives face: the disbelieving judgment of others.

I try to weigh it out from where they sit. They simply don't understand what it is like to nurse yourself through a reaction that can last for days - things like a nasty rash, a migraine, severe fatigue, bowel distress or painful inflammation in the muscles. I feel like if they had the same problem, they certainly wouldn't make fun of the situation. But then I think by the way they were talking about this person that they weren't crazy about here for a number of reasons. Then I feel a little better.

Seriously though, It is important to feel respected by the people around us. It is hard enough saying no to the home made bread at the table or asking if the chef used flour to thicken the sauce. We don't want to do these things - we have to.

If you find yourself criticizing a friend or being criticized for your food reactions, you are not alone. I think it is human nature to pass judgment on things you don't understand. Just keep taking care of yourself in the best way you can. My Mom has the best advice ever and always says just before I hang up the phone with her - "Take good care of my baby!" Thanks Mom, I will!

Do you have a story similar to this one? Go ahead and share it!

An Entire Gluten Free Market!!!

There's a new kid in town and although it's not LA city, it is LA county. Alright, it's the far eastern edge of it but hey, Claremont, California now has a gluten free market!

Stella Lucy was opened in October of 2009. Catering to the food allergic, one thing Stella Lucy guarantees is that everything in the store is gluten free. Many things are dairy free and are so marked. Still other items are vegan.

The selection is wonderful! There is a wide range of products from pastas to cake mixes to cookies, breads and crackers.

I bought a few things (of course) and I will let you know what I think of them as I consume their gluten and dairy free goodness (I hope they are good anyway).

If you would like to visit Stella Lucy, it's located at 101 N. Indian Hill Blvd. in the fabulous town of Claremont, California. Their other store is located 108 S. Camino Real, San Clemente, California. To shop online, go to www.StellaLucy.com

Welcome To This Blog - At Last!!

So many people have requested that I create a blog to share what I am learning and thinking. This blog will be a mixture of a number of things. I"ll supply recipes, tips, new information, current personal experiences and education on food production and how to avoid the toxic foods that are being grown, processed and sold today. Please leave your comments and suggestions. I would love for this blog to become a community of people seeking information and camaraderie in a world where going gluten and dairy free are particularly difficult.

Please sign up for this blog so you will be notified of new posts. I look forward to hearing from you!

Be Delicious!!!

Love,
Dr. Meg