Diary Free Diet~~ Need Suggestions!

Yes, we've had to make a TON of dietary changes with our oldest! The sneaky thing about removing dairy is that many items that have dairy proteins do not list them as such, so you really have to know what to look for. Basically, unless I make it, I don't trust it (or if the company doesn't specialize in allergy-avoidance, I don't trust it). Here is a list of ingredients to avoid:

milk solids ("curds")
whey
casein (sodium caseinate, most commonly)
lactose (sodium lactylate, frequently)
lactalbumin and other names that begin with lact
galactose (a lactose by-product) Most people with milk allergies will have no trouble with galactose, but you should be aware that it may cause problems in some people.
protein (often "high protein" or "protein enriched" version of another ingredient, such as wheat) The added protein in foods (particularly "high energy" foods) is often milk protein.
caramel coloring. Many kinds of caramel coloring use lactose, a milk sugar, to help get that rich color. When in doubt, do without.
Recaldent. This ingredient, found in some Trident brand chewing gums, is milk-derived.
Fruit flavored Tums contain undisclosed dairy. The original, white Tums are fine.
"natural ingredients". Some of these may contain dairy products or byproducts. Call the manufacturer (an 800 number is usually listed on the packaging) for further information.
A new, low-calorie sweetener is coming on the market soon. The good news: it tastes great. The bad news: it's derived from whey. The name is "tagatose" . It goes under the brand name Naturlose. I've contacted the manufacturer to get information about how dangerous it might be for people with milk allergy. (Be aware that it may show up in toothpastes, mouthwashes, foods, and any other places where a low-calorie sweetener would be used.) Tests suggest that it is completely safe for people with milk allergy, but you should read the information sent by the business development manager for tagatose and make your own decision. .
and the obvious:
milk,
butter,
cheese,
yogurt...
Be especially alert when obtaining the following, as milk products creep in:
margarine
hydrolyzed vegetable protein (for the unusually sensitive person) since the processing phase may utilize casein
bread, and breaded (often fried) foods
chewing gum
soy cheeses
"non-dairy" anything, including Cool Whip. Non-dairy does not mean milk-free. It is a term the dairy industry invented to indicate less than 1/2 % milk by weight, which could mean fully as much casein as whole milk!
kosher parve desserts. (Most parve foods are okay, but we've occasionally had trouble with desserts. It probably has to do with the degree of cleaning between milk and parve runs on the processing equipment.) Kosher recipes, however, are a wonderful source of milk-free cooking ideas.)
medicines and vitamins. Be sure to let your physician and pharmacist know about your allergy! Further information is provided below.
baby formula. Even some of the hypo-allergenic ones may contain casein in small amounts. ALERT ! Many people with milk allergies also develop soy allergies. (This may be a result of exposure to soy at a very early age.) Most non-dairy baby formulas are soy-based. If your infant has a milk allergy, stay alert to the possibility of a soy allergy, or some other food allergy, developing. (For older babies, rice milk is a good alternative source of calcium.) If your baby is allergic to both milk and soy, consult with your pediatrician regarding an amino acid-based formula.
canned tunafish. Many brands contain "hydrolized caseinate". However, the low sodium ones in spring water (such as Star Kist), and all of Trader Joe brand tunafish, appear to be milk free.
chicken broth: Any form, including canned and bouillion. Many brands contain milk solids.
NOTE: I've been informed that sodium stearoyl lactylate has nothing to do with milk.
chocolates. Even dark or bittersweet chocolate is often run on the same production line as milk chocolate, and the risk of cross-contamination is high if YOUR chocolate bar comes from the beginning of the run. You may, however, wish to check out kosher pareve chocolates, such as the ones offered at Chocolate Emporium. (Christmas and Easter themed chocolates are offered at this site, too. You might also wish to try Amandas Own Chocolates.
If you purchase Tropical Source brand chocolates, read the bar carefully, as not all flavors are run on dairy-free lines.
sour mix, such as what is used to make margaritas, or other artifically "sour" items such as some candies.
vinegar flavored potato chips/crisps. The "vinegar" may actually be a milk-derived ingredient.
whole poultry fresh from the store *may* be infused with lactose to keep it fresher. Check the ingredient list or purchase a kosher bird.
Wine! Casein is one of six substances that may be used to clarify wine. (Egg white is another.) If you call the vintner, ask if casein is used in the "fining process".
Coconut milk powder (dried; not to be confused with canned coconut milk in liquid form). Every brand I've found to date contains casein, milk or cream.

Did she have a biopsy for celiac or just a blood test and if a blood test did they do a
genetics test. If you didn't want to do biopsy, I would do a challenge of a gluten free diet for 6 weeks as well.

My daughter was having big time problems with dairy but 6 months after going gluten free she was able to go back to dairy after her intestines healed...just a thought.
When we removed dairy we made sure there was plenty of leafy green veggies in her diet, like broccoli, spinach and kale. We still made alot of baked goods, cocoa pebble rice crispy treats made with dairy free margarine was one. Lots of cut up fruits and veggies available all day long. Give her oatmeal if she likes it or waffles with a little extra fiber. Lots of water. No juice it messes up things with too much sugar. Good luck.

I saw big changes in my son when we removed all dairy. He never liked milk or dairy anyway so it was easy to remove. Unless he eats something constipating like a banana, his poop is usually great and passes easily. You should see big changes in personality as well as the bowel movements pretty quickly (like in a few days) if its an allergy. My son gets very angry and cries and yells when he gets dairy. Other kids act differently though.

Hi. So sorry for what you are going through.
We have also cut out dairy for our 3 year old for other reasons (frequent tummy aches)....We only use yogurt bio products...

as a substitute, we have tried rice milk, soy puddings...
we also try to give more fish and other proteins to help diversify....

hope this helps.
jilly

I know lactose has gotten a lot of press in the past 20 years as "the thing" that people are sensitive to in dairy - but your doc is right, there are a number of different proteins that can cause people trouble. I had terrible GI issues for years (from pre-teen to my 20s) until I figured out that I needed to cut out milk. I had tried Lactaid, etc, and that hadn't helped at all. My youngest seems to have the same kind of sensitivity that I do (it is a sensitivity, not a true "allergy.") I can eat some cheese, but I have to watch how much and how often. Same for ice cream, although I primarily do soy ice cream and save the real stuff for a treat. I drink soy milk, and eat soy yogurt (my youngest does OK with yogurt, but I can't eat it.) Both my son and I do fine with butter and dairy as an ingredient in baked goods (but cheese-based or heavily-dairy-based sauces etc are things we have to be careful of.)

All this to say, it's definitely worth a try. There are many different soy and rice based milk-substitute products out there, you should be able to find one that your daughter enjoys. Approach them with the knowledge that they are not anything like the "real" thing, though. Anyone who tries soy milk expecting it to taste like milk is going to be disappointed. But if you think of it as a beverage that can be used instead of milk, you can find one that you like. Definitely start by eliminating all of it - butter, cheese, milk, ice cream, yogurt, any dairy product in cooking - two weeks is really not so long to substitute - and see if it helps. If it does, then you can start reintroducing different things - does she do OK with butter? Then, how about a little cheese once a week or so? Then, if that's still ok, try some dairy yogurt, etc. Since the heating/aging/natural processing that takes place with butter and cheese and yogurt alters the structure of the proteins, she may be able to tolerate some but not others.

Good luck, I hope you find an answer to these issues!

Try coconut milk or almond milk. I can't digest dairy either and find that I need to carefully read the ingredients on any foods I buy. Also I find that I need to cook from scratch. On the positive side, my cholesterol is now normal and I don't have to worry about gaining weight.

Lactose is the inability to digest the sugars in milk. By taking a special supplement, most people who are Lactose Intolerant can usually eat and enjoy cow dairy products with no issues.

For those born with a casein or a whey protein allergy--the two proteins in milk--that is actually really an allergy and there is no way to consume dairy without having issues; there is also no supplement to take that will allow you to consume cow dairy products without some sort of issue. You need to stay away from consuming cow dairy products if you don't want any issues/any harm to your digestive track.

You'll note that I am stating "Cow" every time I mention dairy. There is a reason for that. Some people who are allergic to the casein (or whey) protein in cow's milk are not allergic to the proteins in goat or sheep or even African cows. The only way you'll know for sure is to get tested for food allergies/intolerances; that's usually done by a Naturopathic doctor.

I wasn't diagnosed with my casein allergy to cow dairy until I was 40 years old. That means for 40 years my consumption of cow dairy products was irritating and ruining my digestive track; my naturopathic is convinced that that started my Leaky Gut symptoms and severe malabsorption issues as well as led to my gluten and soy intolerances and a variety of other food problems, to include issues with my immune system and adrenals. Per testing, I am able to eat/consume goat and sheep products. But not all people are; for some, their body's aversion to casein means even those animal products are off-limits.

I suffered from constipation my entire life until I finally discovered my cow dairy allergy and quit eating/drinking it. I have no issues if I consume goat or sheep products. (Same with my husband. He suffered from almost-diarrhea until he discovered he also has a casein allergy; goat and sheep don't bother him.)

It is imperative if you suffer from a food allergy or a food intolerance to make sure to stay away from the food that is offending/making your body sick. I wish 40 years ago that my parents knew that I was allergic to milk; I probably would never have gotten as sick as I did 4 years ago and wouldn't now be spending the rest of my life trying to get my body healthy. In fact, I might end up taking supplements for the rest of my life, as my digestive system has been so hurt.

My husband and I both can tell when we eat cow dairy; we have diarrhea (yes, I am now regular and even have the occasional diarrhea) and our stools are yellow. We also usually suffer from cramps.

We also like to use products made from almond, oat, hemp, coconut, rice, hazelnut. We do not use soy because of the bad estrogen issues associated with it.

If you take your child to a naturopathic doctor and have her tested for food allergies/intolerances, you'll know for sure, then, what she has and to what extent you'll need to remove cow dairy products from her diet. Her regular allopathic doctor will not do these types of tests--usually because doctors in general don't believe that food can or will harm the body. I had many issues with allopathic doctors not discovering what was wrong with me, which is why I pretty much do all of my doctoring in the alternative community now.