A friend of mine has been mentioning since December that she thinks she might have a food sensitivity to dairy.  So when I visited her recently and she asked me about the symptoms I experience when I eat dairy, I realized that while food sensitivities may seem like one of those crazy health fads, my life has greatly improved since the day that I cried when I found out about the need to cut dairy from my diet.

Yes, that is right, I literally bawled like a baby when I found out about my food sensitivity.  Why? Because being able to eat whatever I wanted, being the friend who encouraged others to indulge in desserts, and having cakes and muffins and glasses of milk were all a part of who I was. I was the gutsy, non-picky woman (who was lucky enough to have a great metabolism, I might add, so I could stuff myself full of dessert and barely gain a few pounds).

I was unfortunately also the woman who struggled with constantly bloated belly, chronic fatigue, a sore stomach, constant nausea and mood swings. I spent at least one weekend a month on the couch, with a body that felt heavy and drained.  I could barely walk up a hill, let alone climb a mountain.  I caught every flu and cold that could be caught, taking two weeks to get over each one, only to have a few days reprieve before I caught the next one.  My life as I know it would never be possible if I hadn’t been educated about food sensitivities, and surrounded by friends who helped me avoid what was essentially poisoning me.

Mind you, I’m certainly not perfect. You may have even caught me devouring an Easter sugar cookie this week on my way to the office from a meeting (that’s not very nice you have them beside the till where I have to pay, you know).  I may have also spent the weekend eating one piece (okay, let’s be honest, two pieces) of this amazingly delicious coconut lemon cake that a friend made.

So in an attempt to get back on track, and avoid poisoning my digestion further, as well as encouraging my friend to try the dairy-free life for at least a week, I will share with you my tips and a few recipes:

Eating Out

• Don’t be afraid to ask! Restaurant menus often don’t disclose all the ingredients so be sure to ask about what you’re ordering.  They love to sprinkle cheese on top of everything, or include a slice of cheddar in a wrap.  Be sure to ask also about whether they cook it in butter (for example restaurants’ “steamed” side vegetables require being doused in butter it seems).
• Don’t be afraid to send it back. Stop being so nice and stop paying for food that will make you sick. If you ask for no dairy, and they serve it with dairy, then it’s their loss. (It’s hard to be tough on folks, but their job is to serve food that you order!).
• Don’t be afraid to ask them to make it special for you.  There’s easy ways to adapt menu items, leave the cheese off of sandwiches, etc.  As restauranteurs become more educated, they also are much more likely to have dairy-free options outlined in a list or alternatives developed.
• Call ahead. If you’ve made plans with people you don’t know so well, then it’s a little awkward to come across as a “picky eater.” (Picky eaters, I might add, are likely healthier eaters, but we seem to think of them as “high maintenance”).  Call the restaurant ahead of time to determine what you can eat, what they can adapt, etc, to avoid having to educate the waiter or waitress at the table in front of your new colleagues or friends.
• Choose wisely. If you have the ability to choose your restaurant, then don’t go for italian or french cuisine.  These cultures love dairy and honestly whenever I go there, I end up disappointed because I can’t order what I really want.  I love Japanese and Thai food for this reason; it doesn’t feel like having to eat a carrot at the table while your friends indulge in chocolate cake.  Of course there are also great restaurants who support dairy-free eating by outlining ingredients (it’s one of the reasons that the Pendulum Pub in the SUB is my favourite spot to eat on campus).
• If you love coffee with cream/milk like I do, learn to love your new version of milk options and learn to love coffee shops that offer these choices (or stock some in the office fridge to top up your coffee when you return with it).  I like both rice and almond milk in my coffee and the vanilla unsweetened versions of both make it a bit nicer.

Eating In

• Surround yourself with supportive family or friends.  You will tire of those folks who always lament or pity you for your “food choices” (a reminder: this is not a choice. I would not choose to miss out on chocolate milkshakes, ice cream or pizza!).  So make sure to spend time with those types of folks over coffee or movies or anything that does not involve eating. (Watch out for movie popcorn though!)
• Don’t stock your house with things that poison you. I don’t have milk in my fridge. If friends want cheese on their pasta when I make them dinner, they can bring it themselves.  Why tempt yourself with food that harms you? If you start thinking about dairy as a poison for your body, it really helps to better enable you to make the right choice for your body.  You will also start benefiting from saving money on the purchase of milk and cheese- both items are rather expensive! You will also lose some weight since they’re both very fatty!
• Stock avocados, and vinaigrettes.  I love the creamy texture avocados give sandwiches and wraps, salads etc.  I also have gone out of my way to develop new recipes for salad dressings- most of which have to be based on some form of vinegar (my favourite now is Goddess Dressing)
• Focus on what you can eat, as opposed to what you can’t. I learned this one from Adam Hart at Power of Food.Decide that you have a lot of options still available. No, they don’t all taste like cardboard either.  In fact, many of them are healthier and delicious.  They are better fuel for your body.  So let me outline a few favourite options:

Breakfast

Breakfast Quinoa

I make my quinoa the night before and then just microwave it with some frozen peaches and raspberries, toss in some sunflower seeds and sesame seeds and cinnamon. Pour on some almond milk and then run out the door with it.  This recipe looks so much better than mine though!

Lunch

I sautee some garlic, ginger, red pepper, onions, zuchini and add in some salt and pepper. Putting it over quinoa and adding an avocado is a quick healthy lunch.

Dinner

My favourite dinners involve tomatoes it seems, so check out my series of favourite tomato recipes (pasta, soup or salad!).