(For those of you who don’t follow Sam or FK’s journals, “M,MH&I” stands for “Me, My Health & I.”)
I’ve been having a fair amount of stomach problems over the past 2-3 years, and I’m still messing with my diet to try to figure out what exactly is causing the issues. I know that red meat causes a lot of problems, for instance. However, I’ve finally narrowed one thing down that causes significant issues, and that’s milk.
That sucks. You see, I always thought I had escaped that falling knife because my ancestors lived in Europe. (Hey, don’t say I never learned anything in college… that theory was one of the few things that stuck with me from college, from a really adamant-about-evolution biology professor.) Since I’m adopted, I don’t know my real ancestry; I suppose my ability to tan well should have made me realize that I probably wasn’t descended from the northern European population that can actually digest lactose.
Last week I started noticing that I was having severe cramps, bloating, diarrhea, etc. a few hours after drinking milk. Since I had recently started drinking a different kind of milk, I decided to pick up my regular kind and see if that did the same thing. Unfortunately, last night, it did (and showed itself this morning, which is why I’m writing this blog at 8AM PST.) Well… shoot. I had a bunch of cheese last night, too, but it was Manchego (a variety that is made of sheep’s milk), so I’m not sure if the cheese affected me the wrong way or not. I have some more cheese in the fridge, so I’ll try that experiment tonight and see where it gets me.
Regardless, it’s clear that I will need to cut down on my milk intake significantly, if not cut it out completely. This is disappointing, because I really like cereal with milk, and cereal is a cheap meal that can be made quickly. 
My next mission is to figure out exactly what types of red meat are causing the issue. I’ve already been avoiding red meat for quite a while now — I rarely eat it. Steaks seem to trigger the symptoms the most; hamburgers the least. Symptoms include a lot of gas and bloating and sometimes, if the meat isn’t perfect, diarrhea. If anyone has any ideas on that, feel free to post a comment.
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4. August 2006 at 8:18 am
Try soy milk? Or lactaid? I have the same problems
4. August 2006 at 8:18 am
Try Silk soybean milk and see if that helps
4. August 2006 at 8:19 am
Try goat’s milk. Much tastier as well and way way easier to digest.
4. August 2006 at 8:21 am
Soy milk with vanilla flavoring tastes great with cereal. The only difference is it breaks down outside refridgeration quite quickly (like in a few hours), so you have to it right away.
It also isn’t a bad idea to talk to a doctor about it. A simple blood test can determine some allergies and intolerances. Typical ones are milk, meat, and eggs. So try cutting them out, completely, and see how it works. Also write a journal of everything you eat and when you have issues (harder than it sounds). This makes it cake to determine what is causing you issues, if its certain things (on my side, I never could nail one thing down).
There’s lots of us that have gone down the same path, so keep us informed on what’s going on and we may have advice for ya.
4. August 2006 at 9:07 am
Soy milk? Yuck. Buy the Lactaid milk brand, which has most/all of the lactose removed from it. Or buy the enzyme pills which will break down the lactose for you.
I’ve had very good luck with both, and I happily enjoy my cereal every morning. I’ve even found that after a few months, I can handle regular milk again for a few months.
Doug.
4. August 2006 at 9:18 am
I can eat cheese all day long. I can eat ice cream for a bit. I can’t drink milk at all. something to do with the amount of fat in each I think. It’s fine with me, I hate milk anyway.
24. August 2006 at 10:17 pm
I really feel for you. My wife went through the same experience with milk about 7 years ago. She has found that the only milk generally available, that does not get her is goats milk. Sheep milk products are hit and miss for her, some give no discomfort, some mild discomfort (mild bloating and cramps). All cow dairy gives her major symptoms.
We cut down on milk (and milk products) in general, and she uses a soy – rice milk blend for most cooking and cereals, but we also use goats milk and goats milk cheeses. The cheese is the hardest thing. We are both cheese lovers but finding a good variety of goat cheeses is a bit hard.
Good luck, and it’s well worth the effort to narrow it down.
24. January 2007 at 6:27 am
Soya is not always the answer to a milk sensitivity problem as reseach has shown that 20% of those with milk problems are also sensitive to soya.
Unfortunately my blood tests showed equal sensitivity to both milk and soya … and also sunflower seeds, and as rice milk in the UK has now started replacing the light safflower oil with the cheaper sunflower oil … so my milk substitute has been reduced to “Oatly” and an expensive almond product – which tastes fine in coffee.
Good luck – food sensitivities are an inconvenience – but can be worked into a diet.
I just wish that food producers were better informed – as, imo, they put soya, milk and sunflower into too many products.
J