Newbie to the board and to non-dairy! :)

[Gemsy]

Hi! I'm a newcomer. :)
I've had IBS for a long time but it seems to be worse when I drink lots of milk. Therefore I want to try cutting out dairy foods.
It's an ideal opportunity, as I will soon be moving into my first flat and can finally start buying food for myself! So I want to try and make myself feel more healthy for a change.
Is anyone in the same boat, or does anyone have any tips for a newbie? :D

[Broxine]

Hi!

From what I've heard from others, cutting out dairy is supposed to be a great help with IBS.

I've been dairy free for a couple of months and this website has been such a great help with answering any questions etc. I've had. Also its given me some great ideas for meals I never would have thought of on my own!

So are you a student if you are just getting your own flat?

[Broxine]

Ignore the student question - just read on your profile that you are a secretary!

[cnc]

Hi and welcome... Hope you stick around and let us know how you get on.

I've just moved for a short period to somewhere I can cook for myself and it does make things easier as you know that the food is dairy free (providing you've read the ingredients etc...), and you can make unusual meals, whereas if you were somewhere you can't cook for yourself, you end up with the same meal regularly (well in my experience anyway)

[Gemsy]

Ignore the student question - just read on your profile that you are a secretary!

Thanks for such a nice welcome! :)
Yep, I'm a secretary, haha! I just decided it's time to get out and live on my own... Well, with a flatmate. :D
But yeah... I'm a bit unsure of what sort of things to get when I go shopping and all that... I've been looking around on various web sites and printed out loads of recipes which is a good start I guess!

Hi and welcome... Hope you stick around and let us know how you get on.

I've just moved for a short period to somewhere I can cook for myself and it does make things easier as you know that the food is dairy free (providing you've read the ingredients etc...), and you can make unusual meals, whereas if you were somewhere you can't cook for yourself, you end up with the same meal regularly (well in my experience anyway)
Yeah, my dad certainly wouldn't make sure everything was dairy free for me! Hahaha... But I can be as fussy as I like in my own home. :)

[Broxine]

What sort of foods are you missing now - maybe we can suggest some dairy free alternatives... personally sweet things and desserts were a huge struggle for me to start with (I have a very sweet tooth!) but the discovery that sainsburys angel cake is made with Soya was my saviour! :drool:

[Copper]

Welcome to the site Gemsy. Hmm cheese and chocolate were my main problems. I just can't cope with soya milk so I have lactolite which is a lactose reduced milk. I can only tolerate the smallest amount in my coffee. I have been a bit heavy handed this week so the lactase capsules came to the rescue.

Let us know what you are struggling with and we will try and help.

[Gemsy]

Well, there's nothing in particular yet that I'm struggling with... I just need some ideas for meals, and maybe some links to recipes?

I just don't really have a clue where to start! I'm going to try rice milk and soya milk first of all. Ahhh, it's all confusing.

I'll remember about the angel cake though. :D

[cnc]

With receipes I just tend to adapt anything I'd usually make, there are ways to replace most dairy products... I still miss ice-cream, which is bizarre as its not something I used to eat that much, but I think its the fact that I can't have it, that makes me want it more. The replacements are very good, but you can't get them when you go out for meals and stuff, which is when I tend to miss it the most!

[rebecca c]

Hi Gemsy and welcome to the site. Sounds like you are already on the right track just find some suitable substitutes and try out recipes with them in. I make my kids pancakes with rice milk and they havent even noticed the change. I find the pure spreads great for baking cakes and stuff.

I get IBS too but it seems to be a combination of a few different intolences including dairy.

[Pam]

Hi Gemsy, welcome to the site.

First I would say you need to get yourself a list of all the milk derivatives eg. whey powder, buttermilk, butterfat, casein etc and then give yourself plenty of time when you go shopping so that you can read all the labels very carefully.

It isn't usually necessary to get special recipes as most can be converted to dairy free just by substituting butter with dairy free marge (Pure or Stork block - but not stork tubs) and use an alternative milk. You can often find dairy free products within the normal ranges at supermarkets too eg. biscuits - there are quite a few normal ones that don't contain milk so you don't have to buy really expensive free from ones.

Watch out for milk in surprising places too - eg tablets - most use lactose to bind the ingredients together. It doesn't sound like you have skin contact problems but if you did you would also have to watch laundry and toiletry products as well as rubber gloves and condoms! (You'd be amazed where milk gets to!)

Be aware that most processed foods contain milk and cooked meats are often bulked up with lactose so check the packets.

Let us know if there is anything that you are particularly looking for, someone here is bound to have found something suitable.

I hope your symptoms improve with your new diet.

[matt]

welcome to the site. as has already been said just get into the habit of reading the small print. plus side is that you'll eat more fresh food and prpare it yourself as it's the processed stuff that contains the most milk.

east street has holland and barrett and another health food shop. waitrose do a nice selection of dairy free milks and pure spreads. tesco at bursledon usally quite good for selection.

theres been loads of receipes listed on the site. best bet is for you to think what you fancy and ask. i did have some links to good sites but half way through changing to new computer so give me a few days and a large hammer and i'll be able to send them.

:lol2:

[Gemsy]

Thank you very much for your helpful tips!

I have one more question... Is it a good idea to take calcium supplements?
I'm actually looking forward to doing this now, I've bought myself a nice range of cookbooks for my new kitchen. :) :D
east street has holland and barrett and another health food shop. waitrose do a nice selection of dairy free milks and pure spreads. tesco at bursledon usally quite good for selection.
Oooh, hello! You live near me! I'm in Hythe. :naughty:
But not for long! :lol2:

[Copper]

Ah ha a good question. I asked a locum doctor (I wasn't told my GP was off when I made the appointment) and she said as long as I was having a balanced diet I should be ok. My diet is not balanced with no dairy worth mentioning. I have just been through the worst of the "funny age" and so I take calcium tablets. I take Ostron as they contain minerals too. I also drink Tropicana orange juice with added calcium.

[cnc]

I took them for a while, but then got bored, I'm already taking enough medication that I couldn't be bothered taking anymore. I shall ask my new friendly GP about calcium supplements when I next see her, in about a fortnights time...

[paranoidangel]

Hi Gemsy, welcome to the site.

I became dairy free a few months ago, so still finding it hard (I'm hoping it gets easier after long enough!).

I hate going out to eat and finding I can't eat any of the desserts, unless they have a fruit salad option. Then I have to sit and watch my friends eat chocolate cake and ice cream :(

[matt]

heck i live closer than you think.... i'm in butts ash!

just happen to know the shops in town as the health food one in hythe rubbish.
i order my stuff from fordingbridge as i have to go there regularly.

i get calcium from the doctors. if you've a good diet you shouldn't need it. best bet is to get an appointment with doctor. either here if you've a good one or wait till you're in town.

[ellsie]

Hi Gemsy and welcome to the site. I take a calcium supplement daily and have done for a long time. You can get a lot of calcium from beans and seeds and leafy green veg, broccolli is good, but I am not eating enough of those on a daily basis so I take a supplement. I found this to be mega important when I was pregnant as babies take what they need and drain your body of calcium like little sponges!

:bwelcome:

[Broxine]

I hadn't thought about taking calcium suppliments. The soya milk I drink has calcium in so I just presumed that would be enough...

[ellsie]

It might be enough but I hate soya milk and never buy it or drink it so I need to have them really.^_^

[Broxine]

It's better to be safe than sorry - it's not going to hurt if you have too much calcium as your body will just not absorb it if its had enough so better to take them I would have thought

[matt]

eat your greens aswell!! broccolli and cabbage etc all have lots. or eat fish. but yeah the easiest way is to eat calcium tabs. you prob can overdose on them but i think you'd need to eat loads and i wouldn't think the affects would be life threatening!

[cnc]

Calcium overdose can provide you with kidney stones, as a result of too much calcium in your urine apparantly, however, if you stay within the dose- technically you should only take enough tablets to get you as close to 100% of the RDA as possible, this as far as I understand is the safest way to do it- then you should be fine. Some tablets are in the region of 500% of your RDA so choose carefully....
I think this is correct.... (I vaguely remember being told this, but will ask my Dr about calcium when I next visit)

[Copper]

My box of calcium & minerals tablets say that each large tablet is half the RDA. I take just one tablet and assume that I get the rest from my orange juice and other foods.

[Gemsy]

Ah ha a good question. I asked a locum doctor (I wasn't told my GP was off when I made the appointment) and she said as long as I was having a balanced diet I should be ok. My diet is not balanced with no dairy worth mentioning. I have just been through the worst of the "funny age" and so I take calcium tablets. I take Ostron as they contain minerals too. I also drink Tropicana orange juice with added calcium.

I got some Ostron the other day. It says 100% RDA on it (800mg) but according to another site ladies need something like 1500mg to be healthy... so I hope that one of those tablets a day and some leafy veg will be enough.
I will chat to the doctor about it when I get a chance to sort a new docs out, haha.
So I'm all ready to start on Monday! Which is when I'll be all moved in and settled and ready to try loads of lovely new recipes. ;)
What a small world, Matt! Hehe. I'm moving to Portswood but I will miss Hythe a lot. I was in the Hythe health food shop the other day and I saw some soya strawberry ice cream! That's my favourite desert, so I'm happy. :lol2:

[matt]

used to know portswood well, too many trips to the pub instead of college..

downstairs in the dungeon (bevois valley)....which means nothing to anyone who's never been to southampton.

hope the house move goes well. sure you'll find a decent supplier in town, i'd try that one in east street if not one in portswood high street, no idea as years since been there shopping.

[sjlatty@hotmail.com]

I hadn't thought about taking calcium suppliments. The soya milk I drink has calcium in so I just presumed that would be enough...

B) Hi welcome I'm new to the site too but have been allergic to cow's milk for 10yrs along with lemon/citric acid and some random e number e150!! I can have goats milk i'm happy to say cos i can't drink soya unless its chocolate!! But soya dosen't have a lot of calcium according to a brochure i've got unless is fortified. My advise would be to have as someone else said fortified soya/ tropicana etc xx:naughty: :unsure:

[cnc]

Hi, welcome to you as well!!
I agree about the soya, get the stuff thats got calcium in it, brands like Alpro and So Good are calcium enriched, and so are some of the others. The cheaper stuff tends not to have the added calcium, but is good for having in the house when you run out of the other stuff.

[Copper]

Welcome sjlatty!! I hope that you come back and post some more helpful hints.