Showing all posts in Healthy Eating

In Food, Healthy Eating, Women's Interest

Am I Lactose Intolerant?

Author Nicki CawoodPosted on 3 Comments

For some time I have suffered with stomach difficulties ranging from being bloated and having stomach cramps to struggling with wind and the runs. This has been happening on and off however I’d put it down to being “one of those things”. I work A LOT, I dont always get the rest I should and to be fair just assumed it was something to do with that.

Recently someone suggested looking at my diet and the possibility of being intolerant to something. I follow Slimming World and eat a healthy and balanced diet however the one thing that did jump out was the amount of dairy I was having on the plan. I don’t drink, I don’t smoke, I don’t have much of a sweet tooth and dislike choclate but I do like my cheese products!

I looked up all of the UK guidance I could find on being lactose intolerant and as suggested on the NHS website set to on an elimination diet. The end result was that having removed a number of foods and reintroduced them at a later date it has become clear that  certain foods no longer agree with me.

By cutting a range of dairy product out of my diet I have found that all symptoms have disappeared completely. I can tolerate small amounts of fat free natural yogurt and quark however dairy yogurts, milk, cheese (hard and soft) and similar kick-start the rather unpleasant symptoms with vigour.

So, is it safe to assume that I am lactose intolerant? I know that lactose may be found as a hidden ingredient in a number of foods however as I follow SW and eat a lot of basic foods such as meat, vegetables, fruits, grains and no processed / few snack foods I haven’t come across these so much myself.

I have to admit that before researching the topic I knew little about lactose and being lactose intolerant. I assumed that it was generally something you were born with (I was wrong) and that you coulddn’t eat anything at all dairy-wise, again a presumption which appear incorrect. Regardless of the outcome of my own situation it once again seems apparent there there is so much that a lot of people don’t know about allergies and food intolerances.

So what now? I could go to my GP however from NHS info and individual accounts it seems unlikely that they will do anything other than suggest an elimination diet and changing what I eat, which I have done. I’ve reintroduced milk and yogurt via alternatives and manage that fine so do I just plough on as long as the symptoms have disappeared with the lactose-freee eating?

If you are lactose intolerant or know something about this I’d love to hear from you! Any experiences and advice is welcome.

 

**UPDATE 9/6/14 – I’ve seen the GP today who pretty much confirmed my suspicions that I am lactose intolerant. There is of course no treatment however she suggested I continue what I am doing diet-wise as it clearly helps and continue monitoring. Any advice on products (what is good, what is not) and non-dairy specific foods that contain lactose would till be appreciated. I’m sure many others will find all advice and experiences useful.

In Family Time, Healthy Eating, Reviews / Sponsored

All Inclusive Holidays or Self Catering?

Author Nicki CawoodPosted on 1 Comment

I had this debate with Roy at the weekend and we couldn’t come up with a conclusive argument for either being the “best” choice. It is a difficult one actually (usually I know the answer to such things and am, of course, always right…..).

Pros for Self Catering Holidays

  • Complete control over what we eat.
  • Full control over where we eat.
  • We can also eat when we want as we aren’t restricted to whatever timetable the hotel / accommodation sets (I like the flexibility of this).
  • It is probably cheaper (don’t quote me on this) to shop around and buy food and cook it at your accommodation or make up your own picnics etc (the frugal fan in me likes this).
  • With self catering you can eat in your pjs without scaring people in the dining room.
  • We can keep a closer eye on what the kids eat, as while neither is at all fussy food-wise I’m not sure how they’d cope with some foreign foods, especially when I can’t guarantee to know exactly what they are (assuming the accommodation would provide local dishes?).

Pros for All Inclusive Holidays

  • I don’t have to cook…. At all (this is a big plus).
  • We can eat within the comfort of our complex (etc) without trawling the streets looking for somewhere suitable.
  • I get the impression that having food prepared freshly for you with all inclusive holidays makes life so much easier and possibly healthier than eating at unknown restaurants or street vendors (dependant on where you were?).
  • I also hear all inclusive meals are often buffet style and you can enjoy an all you can eat type of experience (I’m not sure if this is bad or good, I’m going with good though).
  • You know your food and drink in-house is paid for. I have to wonder if we’d choose self-catering because it is cheaper and then spend anyway because the lure of eating out (and not being bothered to shop and cook) is too much.

I suppose which one is for you would depend on where you are going, who you go with and what you have planned for your holiday. If you’ve been away what did you choose, all inclusive or self catering? I could throw half-board into the mix but I guess that would just confuse things! 🙂

 

What do you think? All in or all out?

holiday food

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