STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

Millions of Americans suffer from dairy-related intolerance or allergy. The National Institute of Health's clearinghouse on digestive diseases reports that: "Between 30 and 50 million Americans are lactose intolerant. Certain ethnic and racial populations are more widely affected than others. As many as 75 percent of all African Americans and American Indians and 90 percent of Asian Americans are lactose intolerant. The condition is least common among persons of northern European descent."

Whole Foods Market Team Member Denise Jardine knows about dairy-free living first hand. On these pages, Denise will share recipes as well as how she turned her dairy problem into a health enhancing experience.

• Understanding Lactose Intolerance, Sensitivity, and Dairy Allergy
  
• Dairy-Free Shopping List (PDF)
  
• Denise’s Story

Dairy-Free Shopping at Whole Foods Market
Some people who avoid dairy are allergic to the dairy proteins themselves and must avoid all dairy products, including milk, cheese, butter, cream cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, ice cream, whey, or casein. Others avoid dairy because they lack the enzyme lactase, which digests milk sugar, lactose. People who are lactose-intolerant may choose to eliminate or reduce lactose-containing dairy products from their diet. There are many dairy substitutes available for those who need to avoid dairy products. Please note that dairy-free is not the same as egg-free.

Check for Hidden Sources
Dairy ingredients come in many different forms, several with names more difficult to pronounce than "milk." The important thing is to be able to recognize them when they appear on a label. Look for: curds, whey, ghee, casein, rennet, casein, lactose, lactulose, whey and casein hydrolysates, lactalbumin, and lactoglobulin.

Our Dairy-Free Shopping List
We've put together an extensive list of dairy-free products available at Whole Foods Market. As your partner in good health, we're committed to bringing you the highest quality products available for any diet.
view dairy-free shopping list (PDF)

Ingredients Change
We have made every effort to be as accurate as possible, however, we cannot be held responsible for individual reactions to any products nor can we guarantee the absence of cross-contamination. Always read the label and/or check with the manufacturer. Our dairy-free shopping list is only a guide to assist you in your shopping for products available for your dietary needs. The information provided here is for educational purposes only. In no way should it be considered as medical advice. Please keep in mind that there are products available in this category that may not be shown on our list.

• www.foodallergy.org
  
• www.livingwithout.com

Here is a grocery store that is in my area that carries an extensive dairy free product line- Whole Foods. Do you have one in your area? If not, Im sure that there is an equivalent Natural food store that will have the products you need to start feeling better. I can really relate to your  frustration, I have had milk allergies in varying intensity all my life- being at its worst when I was a child. I would have stomach cramping, hives, asthma, etc... Now, I have more of an intolerance than an allergy per say: I cant eat ice cream, drink alot of milk, and just need to control the amount of dairy that I eat- no need to eliminate it completely. I think that the more you educate yourself on the hidden sources of dairy that you didnt anticipate, the more successful you will be in starting to feel well . You will no longer go thru the cycle of: trying to avoid dairy, finding it hidden in foods you didnt think it would be contained in, and then feeling helpless to the sucess of its elimination in your diet.  Dont give up! This is definately one of those allergies that can be controlled- and belive me - once you have identified those hidden names: Curds, Whey, Ghee, as listed above- you will be feeling great in no time!! HTH!!

Seashells wrote:

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 I am going to try Almond Milk and Rice Milk, does anyone have any reviews or recommendations?

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You could also try goat's milk.  It's a little more expensive than cow's milk, but tastes exactly the same I swear!  I was allergic to cow's milk (only, other dairy was fine for me) from age 3 until I was 11 or so and drank goat's milk exclusively during that period.  We used to get it in the health food section of our grocery store, so you might find it there or at a whole foods/organic market type place.

I wasn't lactose intolerant, though.  But it might be worth a try for you anyway.