Edited to add because I totally spaced:
This post is brought to you by Beano, but all (embarrassing) experiences are my own.
For the first two years I blogged here, I blogged most of my meals, for better or worse.
And then I stopped for a number of reasons: I’d been laid off, and honestly, didn’t want to be judged for what i was or wasn’t spending my money on, I was bored of it, and I was having a bout of digestive issues and I didn’t want anyone to potentially try to emulate the sometimes weird combinations I was eating to keep my stomach happy.
When I started trying to lose weight, my trainer gave me these nutrition guidelines. I’d been overweight and had digestive issues before then, so they were certainly worth a try.
One of the hardest guidelines to follow was cutting out dairy. BUT WHAT ABOUT CHEESE? AND YOGURT? I asked Joel. I soon realized it was easier to listen to him than not, so I just tried giving up the damn dairy.
I found that so many of my digestive issues went away, but I was still missing my dairy products. I would experiment with “cheating” a little and adding them back in sometimes.
I don’t believe I’ll ever go 100% dairy-free (because, cheese), but I definitely have my limits. I can’t have a meal with a particularly creamy sauce or some nice cheesy enchiladas without feeling sick, so I don’t usually eat these foods, but it would be nice to be able to enjoy them every once in a while. I also REALLY miss yogurt. It was such an easy afternoon snack, and sometimes I look longingly at my coworkers’ yogurts in the afternoon. (Non-dairy yogurt is just gross, sorry.) I can usually (but not always eat fro-yo), but regular ice cream usually makes me sick. Pizza is very touch and go.
So as part of this Back on the Menu Challenge with Beano, I’ll be experimenting with their Beano + Dairy Defense to see if it helps me with some of these formerly off-limits foods. I’m thinking either some nice cheesy Mexican followed by ice cream.
What foods are off-limits to you?
What exactly IS beano?
As a beginner vegan, I’m learning how to live without my own afternoon yogurt. Right now, I’m loving an apple with a bit of nut butter. Justin’s Maple Almond Butter is a delicious treat! After eating a few bites of the apple skin, I just squeeze the almond butter right onto the apple. No need to slice and spread!
LOVE that you are doing this, lady 🙂
Honestly, I’ve started to eat coconut yogurt and I really love it. The almond yogurt was gross and I’m not really ever looking for ways to add soy to my diet, but try coconut. The plain doesn’t taste tropical. It’s very good!
Yeah the almond yogurt is…yuck. What brand coconut yogurt?
@Theodora Blanchfield: the brand is called so delicious dairy free and the product is actually called cultured coconut milk.
I can’t eat tomatoes, peppers or eggplant in any form–no fresh tomatoes, tomato sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, and even spices made from peppers like paprika, chili powder, etc etc etc.
But I’d rather avoid all of it than suffer the consequences!
Have you ever tried the Lactaid pills? I usually take 3 pills and it helps, because I’m lactose intolerant LIKE WHOA. Best tips I can give: Play around with the number of pills you need. Some people need only 1. Usually I need 3-4. Not all generic brands are alike. I find CVS’s brand works for me, but Walgreens is a big ol’ no no. BJ’s Wholesale brand is great AND is RIDICULOUSLY cheap (180 pills for 15 bucks. Incredibly cost efficient!). I hope you’ll do a follow up post to this one. I’d love to hear how the Beano works!
I have, and they’ve worked surprisingly well though I USUALLY just try to stay away from what bothers me. But yes – there is a follow-up post to this one 🙂
I have a minor wheat intolerance, which mostly affects my life in the form of not being able to eat bagels unless I want to die from heartburn. BOOOO. But one bagel is 4 pieces of toast, which is about 3 too many for me.
I’ve actually been thinking of tracking my food and how I feel, because something is making me feel grody at various times of the day, but it’s not obvious. I want to know what it is, so I can see if it’s worth it!