I'm lactose intolerant.
This may not seem like that big of a deal, but there are a few key points that need to be acknowledged.
1) I've never been 'intolerant' or allergic to anything in my life.
2) 90% of my college diet was based in dairy (cereal, Greek yogurt, lattes, mac n cheese, pizza...)
3) I work at a restaurant where cheese goes on/in EVERYTHING.
3) I work at a restaurant where cheese goes on/in EVERYTHING.
4) Ice cream is my coping mechanism.
I may or may not have had a meltdown in the frozen aisle of King Soopers, and the irony is not lost on me.
Apparently, when I had food poisoning a while back, my body took it as a sign to stop making the enzyme lactase, which means I can no longer process lactose. Thanks, biology, for blatantly labeling things.
I am aware that this is not the end of the world, especially with all things considered. But it's an indicator of change, and those can be hard to take. Change is something that I can manage if it occurs over a period of time, but abruptly encountering it is hard. Assimilation and adaptation occur gradually, ask Darwin.
I guess I'm excited to try new things (maybe?) but I have yet to find a suitable substitute for pizza. Vegan cheese is NASTY. I'm okay with almond and soy milks, the ice cream is... adequate, and apparently soy mac n cheese is a thing, so I won't starve.
If anyone knows of any tricks for lactose avoidance, comment below or get a hold of me somehow, it'd be much appreciated.
And one more fun thing! I've revamped the blog a little bit, you can now subscribe by email by entering your address above and can see the most popular posts on the sidebar.
Meanwhile, I'll sit here studying with my Soy Dream vanilla fudge swirl and ruing the day I ate the chicken salad that triggered this whole debacle.
Apparently, when I had food poisoning a while back, my body took it as a sign to stop making the enzyme lactase, which means I can no longer process lactose. Thanks, biology, for blatantly labeling things.
I am aware that this is not the end of the world, especially with all things considered. But it's an indicator of change, and those can be hard to take. Change is something that I can manage if it occurs over a period of time, but abruptly encountering it is hard. Assimilation and adaptation occur gradually, ask Darwin.
I guess I'm excited to try new things (maybe?) but I have yet to find a suitable substitute for pizza. Vegan cheese is NASTY. I'm okay with almond and soy milks, the ice cream is... adequate, and apparently soy mac n cheese is a thing, so I won't starve.
If anyone knows of any tricks for lactose avoidance, comment below or get a hold of me somehow, it'd be much appreciated.
And one more fun thing! I've revamped the blog a little bit, you can now subscribe by email by entering your address above and can see the most popular posts on the sidebar.
Meanwhile, I'll sit here studying with my Soy Dream vanilla fudge swirl and ruing the day I ate the chicken salad that triggered this whole debacle.
Welcome to the club. A friend here who recently developed intolerance was told by her doctor that complete avoidance for a few months could result in partial recovery -- you may want to look into that. It seems to have worked for me -- after a lactose-free childhood, I now indulge in ice cream and pizza with no problem (though I still reflexively avoid milk). In the meantime, you'll quickly learn that dairy free milk and frozen confections are often delicious, but the world has yet to create a palatable vegan cheese.
ReplyDeleteAlso, you may want to update that employment information on the "About Me" bit.
That's been on my to do list for a while now... thank you!
DeleteAnd I'm giving soy yogurt a try for the first time tomorrow, and if that goes well, cheese will be the only thing I'll really miss...