Lactose and Gluten Free

A couple of year ago, I noticed that my body was changing.  I could have just chalked it up to age.  But, know what I know, I had an idea that it was something more.

I decided to go dairy and gluten free for two weeks.  I noticed differences, almost immediately.  My tummy was not as bloated and I was not as gassy.  When I started adding things back into my diet, I was a bit impatient.  I added both dairy and gluten in at the same time, so I was not able to pin point what exactly was causing problems.  Over the last few years, I have been able to determine that I definitely have some dairy intolerance, but since gluten could still be a problem because of the harm that it does the small intestines, I still can’t completely rule out that I have an issue with gluten.  

On Monday, I decided to go completely gluten and dairy free again.  I made the decision for a few reasons.  First, I really need to get a handle on what is causing me the problems.  Second, I need to figure out if I can tolerate any other dairy like cheeses or yoghurts.  Some people with lactose intolerances can tolerate them.  

I have been having a hard time avoiding dairy and gluten in the UK.  I love clotted cream teas!  When I am at a friends house, it is customary to be offered tea.  I don’t care for it black and I don’t bring my dairy free coconut milk.  My friends are so used to putting milk in tea that I often do not get my request in before they have made it white.  I also LOVE cheese.  We often eat crackers and cheese as a snack on Saturday and Sunday’s.  Plus, my favorite desserts in the UK have lots of dairy and gluten involved.  And one can’t forget that I am now doing some work for a local bakery that has a fantastic little cafe...

Going gluten free is also more difficult for me here since I have not attempted any real baking ventures.  My husband insisted that I leave my Kitchen Aid mixer at home.  Enough said.

Recently I discovered these wonder products in the grocery store.  Free From.

The package is easily marked.  The little bubbles in the corner nicely tell me what it is “From Free”.  These bakewell tarts are actually my favorite. My complaint about the products are that they seem to contain glucose-fructose syrup, otherwise knows as high fructose corn syrup.  Doh!  Now I know why my ADD is going crazy!

The NHS does have testings and if all else fails at the end of my trial, I may just end up getting testing done.