So it has been 2 years since becoming gluten and lactose free. I discovered I had intolerance's to both after completing an elimination diet. I know if I have any of this food by accident as I react. It is extremely painful, i can throw up and it makes me feel very tired. It takes away all my energy and I can't really do anything until its gone through my body. It was hard as chocolate, cheese and Italian food are my favourites but as the effects of eating this food are so awful it's quite easy to not eat it - I just felt sad.
Favourite spreads:
Vitalite is great for cooking and general sandwiches
Arla Lacto free spread tastes as close to butter compared to anything else
Favourite Chocolate:
NOMO bars - 100% they are all good and taste like chocolate not cheap chocolate alternative like the others
Favourite Bread:
Forget it - there is none, you just get used to it over time. Bread is better toasted. My preferred options;
Warbutons tiger loaf
Genius triple farm seed loaf
Favourite tea cake:
Genius fruit loaf - great with the Arla lacto free spread
Favourite fake dairy:
Arla Lacto free cheese - so good on toast
Alpro custard - made from soya
Alpro vanilla yogurt
Alpro coconut yogurt
Food heaven squirty cream
Gu free from cheesecake
Favourite Pasta
I find that gluten free spaghetti sticks together and is a pain but the shapes are all good. There isn't much different, except the price of course.
Milk
I prefer arla lacto free, almond and coconut milks. I will use soya but prefer the taste of the others. I really like coconut in coffee but its not for tea, almond is better.
I have to check the ingredients of the food i eat as milk and wheat can appear in foods you don't expect ie crisps. Its also not easy to grab food on the run. If by chance there is a gluten free sandwich in the shop, it could still contain lactose... Even salads can contain milk in dressings/cheese or croutons (wheat). Even just going to the cooked meat counter I have to check as milk/wheat can be used in colouring the skin. I have to plan food in advance.
As well as being inconvenient its also much more expensive... There aren't budget options on alternative foods and quite often they are packed with more sugar/fat so aren't always the healthiest choice either.
Breakfast out would usually be cooked egg, beans, mushrooms, tomato and bacon but I would need to check it wasn't cooked in butter. If eating out for lunch most places will do a jacket potato, no butter and beans with side salad and that's my usual choice that's safe. When going to a new place, it takes me ages to order as I have to go through the allergens menu and choice is very limited in some places. When eating out I have to focus on the company being what I'm there for rather than what I'm eating.
After feeling better on a gluten free diet, I then thought about being tested for coeliac but you need to be eating gluten for 6 weeks before the test and the solution is not to eat gluten, so I decided not to put myself through that.
I have got used to it. There are lots of alternatives. I miss the ease of being able to eat what i want and the freedom to choose what I fancy from a whole menu but its better than being ill. I have always had IBS and now I rarely suffer from any attacks. I do when very stressed but this has helped enormously. It's not a healthy lifestyle choice, as I said previously, the alternatives are packed with sugar and fat, it's a necessary choice to keep well.
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