Life on a Dairy-Free diet....

I've mentioned here before that I have recently been told I'm lactose intolerant, and have been trying to reduce the amount of dairy/milk products I run into.

This has become my new best friend...

But for the next few weeks/months I am going to try and even cut out the little encounters that I've had with dairy over the last 6 weeks. (It was mid-September when I was told of this food allergy, and wow has it changed my world...)

I went grocery shopping today, and let me tell you. I have NEVER realized how much food has milk or a milk derivative in it. I kept picking up boxes of food and putting them right back onto the shelf... I was able to find a few chip/snack alternatives, so those quickly got added to my cart, and written down in my notebook.

One of the things that has been recommended to me is Soy Milk.

Well...I had my first sip of the soy milk maybe 10 minutes ago and well...the jury is still out. Talk about a different flavor and consistancy. I know it is going to take time to get used to it, and I'm not completely discouraged...it is just going to have to fit into my new attitude towards this.

It takes time.

It takes time to adjust to anything new...life without dairy will take time to adjust too.

Today was the first day where I felt limited in what I could eat. We got home from church and the leftovers in the fridge didn't really look appealing. There was salad but I wasn't in the mood for that. So...I stood looking into the cupboard and pantry just staring at foods that I can't eat now.

I looked at some noodle items...nope, takes milk to make them. Looked at the box of instant mashed potatoes, nope...has milk in it. Finally as I was about ready to warm up Ramon Noodles (so yummy, lol) I noticed the box of rice next to them. So, rice it was...

Here's the reason I'm being so cautious right now....I FINALLY FEEL GOOD AGAIN! It has been months since I last felt this good... My belly still hurts from time to time, but I haven't overall felt this good in a very very long time.

And lets face it...I'm sick of feeling icky. It has interfered so very many functions. I've gone out with friends or family feeling like crud too many times. I just want to feel normal again.

SO...with the changes in my diet, getting even more strict today, I am bound and determined to GET MY LIFE BACK!

SO, let's raise a glass (of soy milk, of course) to my resolve to do what I must to regain the upper-hand in life...Here GOES!