Lactose Intolerant Diets

[TolleranzaDelDio]

My BF is lactose intolerant. We will be crusing in November on the Star and were looking at our cruise personalizer at the dietary needs. If he checks the lactose intolerant option, what will occur? He takes Lactaid often so he doesn't want them to take away all the options, just wondering what kind of options it presents. Thanks!

[evert9]

I'm LI too and didn't indicate it as such as I just take Lactaid and am fine. I take between 2-3 of them depending on the thickness and type of creamy stuff I'm eating. I just tend to be really careful. Symptoms after eating that kind of food isn't good!

[Cruisin' Chick]

A couple of cruises ago, I marked the "low cholestrol" option for my hubby. At every dinner, the head waiter or maitre'd (can't remember) came over with the menu for the next night and asked hubby to pick what he wanted. The next night, that would be the dish brought out for him. He didn't care for having to decided a day before so I didn't select the option on our last cruise.

 

So, I'm guessing your bf will get the chance to select ahead of time so dishes can be prepared for him specially.

[cruznliz]

We cruised with some old friends recently and the man is allergic to nuts. He didn't mark the cruise personalizer, but he mentioned it to our waitress at traditional dining. She told the head waiter for our section and he came to our table every night with the next night's menu. (It was kind of fun to get a preview of the next night's menus). Anyway, our allergic friend would pick out what he thought he wanted and the head waiter was able to tell him if there were nuts in it. I think if our friend had wanted an item that contained nuts, they would have specially made him the entree without nuts. That's why they want to know 24 hours in advance. It seemed well organized.;)

[sjbdtz]

Formerly lactose intolerant...

:) I excluded dairy from my diet for almost 10 years, until I learned the following tidbit of information:

 

http://www.healthcastle.com/lactose-intolerant.shtml which is that the active bacteria in yogurt convert the lactose in the yogurt, to lactase.

 

Lactase is what helps you digest lactose, and is what is deficient in many (including NCL cruisers...just to keep this topical).

 

I've been eating a yogurt every day for the last couple of years now, without any ill effects....then I stumbled on THIS bit of information:

 

http://www.mothernature.com/Library/...ooks/47/90.cfm which is that eating yogurt will lessen your OTHER intolerance for other lactose products.

 

So you can eat yogurt, and then eat ice cream...and you'll likely be okay.

 

I tried it first with a sweet pastry (made with butter)....under the premise that it would be delicious....so even if the article was wrong, and it were to have upset my stomach....at least it would have been worth it! :)

 

It worked...and I've been re-integrating all sorts of dairy products over the last few months....with almost no issues whatsoever.

 

It's amazing the freedom that comes with being able to eat a sauce in a restaurant without insisting that it be dairy-free!

 

Try yogurt....just make sure it has active bacterial cultures (most do), because these are what convert the lactose to lactase.

 

Good luck!

__________________

[merela]

Take Lactaid pills with you or just avoid food that you know is heavy on the cream.

 

When my DS was allergic to dairy (he has since outgrown that allergy), I had asked them to put all the sauces on the side.

 

There were plenty of desserts, namely fruit sorbets, that were made without dairy.

 

Sometimes people don't know what to make of food allergies and food intolerance and if you have PC dining, it'll get to be a pain to have the maitre d' or the waiters come up to you at every meal and ask you about it.

 

But ship's cuisine is full of cream and butter (and so delicious!), so I think taking Lactaid pills maybe the way to go.

[evert9]

 

I've been eating a yogurt every day for the last couple of years now, without any ill effects....then I stumbled on THIS bit of information:

 

 

 

Try yogurt....just make sure it has active bacterial cultures (most do), because these are what convert the lactose to lactase.

 

_________________

 

That's really interesting. I eat yogurt EVERYDAY and still have problems :(. Will pay more attention to active bacterial cultures but I"m pretty sure mine does.

[1male]

Formerly lactose intolerant...

:) I excluded dairy from my diet for almost 10 years, until I learned the following tidbit of information:

 

http://www.healthcastle.com/lactose-intolerant.shtml which is that the active bacteria in yogurt convert the lactose in the yogurt, to lactase.

 

Lactase is what helps you digest lactose, and is what is deficient in many (including NCL cruisers...just to keep this topical).

 

I've been eating a yogurt every day for the last couple of years now, without any ill effects....then I stumbled on THIS bit of information:

 

http://www.mothernature.com/Library/...ooks/47/90.cfm which is that eating yogurt will lessen your OTHER intolerance for other lactose products.

 

So you can eat yogurt, and then eat ice cream...and you'll likely be okay.

 

I tried it first with a sweet pastry (made with butter)....under the premise that it would be delicious....so even if the article was wrong, and it were to have upset my stomach....at least it would have been worth it! :)

 

It worked...and I've been re-integrating all sorts of dairy products over the last few months....with almost no issues whatsoever.

 

It's amazing the freedom that comes with being able to eat a sauce in a restaurant without insisting that it be dairy-free!

 

Try yogurt....just make sure it has active bacterial cultures (most do), because these are what convert the lactose to lactase.

 

Good luck!

__________________

 

I hope that I am indebted to you for the rest of my life! The LI only started in the last few years and really gets in the way of my cruises.

I will try the yogurt immediately...

Thanks again...

[Zeta3]

In addition to eating yogurt there is another dietary supplement that you take once a day that works better than lactaid. My DH used to be reliant on lactaid but now takes the once a day stuff and can eat all kinds of dairy with no issues.

 

http://www.ganedenbiotech.com/index.php?page=DALI

[1male]

In addition to eating yogurt there is another dietary supplement that you take once a day that works better than lactaid. My DH used to be reliant on lactaid but now takes the once a day stuff and can eat all kinds of dairy with no issues.

 

http://www.ganedenbiotech.com/index.php?page=DALI

 

Since it has to include lactase, isnt it just a bigger dose? Expensive? thanks

[Zeta3]

It is about $9 for a 30 day supply, it includes lactase plus the good bacterias found in yogurt. My DH says it works much better for him than lactaid and he doesn't have to deal with the hassle of always having lactaid tablets available and remembering to take them. He just eats dairy whenever he pleases. If you go their website they will send you a free sample, it took about a week to arrive but it is worth trying I would say.

[1male]

Thanks Julie. I will look for it in a local store..

Here's hoping!

[pamssanity]

My BF and I-- are both lactose intolerant-- and I do take lactaid to have ice cream once in a while-- but you just tell your waiter and he will let you know if you are ordering anything with lactose or dairy in it-- I found it to be very accomodating--I found I had to do without soups once or twice-- but thats due to personal choices and I had margarine avaialble whenever I wanted it..everyone was very helpful.

[cruzinchris]

If you have the time and patience, try to do an "isolation" diet to pinpoint exactly which lactose-rich dairy products cause your symptoms. You may very well find, like I did, that not all dairy products are offensive to you.

 

I have become increasingly lactose-intolerant in recent years (I'm 56) and find it easy to give up certain diary products but not all. I can do without ice cream but not my favorite cheeses - I've never met a blue cheese I didn't like :D .

 

By isolating dairy products for a time - sauces made with cream, ice cream, different types of cheese, butter, whole milk vs. lowfat or skim, etc. - you may be able to determine on your own which dairy products cause your symptoms and which are tolerable. I did this and discovered that there are specific dairy products that I can tolerate and those that I can't.

 

I can't do heavy cream, ice cream, triple-cream cheeses (Camembert, Brie), whole milk, for example, but I am able to tolerate lowfat/fat-free milk products (cottage cheese, yogurt) and many of my favorite cheeses (thankfully, most of "the blues"). I also discovered that I can eat certain cheeses when they are right out of the fridge or at room temperature but not when they are melted.

 

Bon Appetit!

Chris

[MauiLvrs]

In addition to eating yogurt there is another dietary supplement that you take once a day that works better than lactaid. http://www.ganedenbiotech.com/index.php?page=DALI

We ordered a free sample: http://www.ganedenbiotech.com/index.php?page=sample

We'll see how it works...

[sjbdtz]

I have become increasingly lactose-intolerant in recent years (I'm 56) and find it easy to give up certain diary products but not all. I can do without ice cream but not my favorite cheeses - I've never met a blue cheese I didn't like :D .

 

, but I am able to tolerate lowfat/fat-free milk products (cottage cheese, yogurt) and many of my favorite cheeses (thankfully, most of "the blues"). I also discovered that I can eat certain cheeses when they are right out of the fridge or at room temperature but not when they are melted.

 

I'm not sure what's up with the room temperature vs. melted, but see the earlier post & links about yogurt...that's no surprise.

 

When buying cheeses, look on the label for the SUGARS %. If the Sugars are listed at Zero (O), then there's no lactose remaining.

 

 

Here are a few resources:

http://www.drkimberly.com/lactose.html

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lactose_intolerance

 

Another perspective is this site I found when googling: http://www.telusplanet.net/public/ekende/lactose.htm

[Twinsmomct]

We ordered a free sample: http://www.ganedenbiotech.com/index.php?page=sample

We'll see how it works...

 

My husband and I use this product every day and we love it. It lasts throughout the day. We buy it at any of our local drug stores or we've found it cheaper at WalMart.

 

To the poster who said that lactaid doesn't work for them -- you might want to go to a gastro doc and have him run some bloodwork. We thought my son was lactose intolerant until the doc told us that he has a "cow sensitivity." In other words, all dairy and beef will affect him in a "negative way." He may outgrow it, but right now he can tolerate very limited amounts of beef/dairy. Unfortunately there are no pills for this condition!

[tentativesailor]

If he checks the lactose intolerant option, what will occur? He takes Lactaid often so he doesn't want them to take away all the options, just wondering what kind of options it presents. Thanks!

 

Was on CB in June. Checked Lactose Intolerant ... nothing changes. Menu selections are all the same.

I took my lactaid before meals and enjoyed the soups and desserts.

 

SPECIAL DIETS: You can contact the On-Board Dining Coordinator for your specific ship. This person processes special dietary requests.

800-Princess operators have the names/contact information for the on-board coordinators.

 

I requested soy milk and lactose-free milk (this had to be done by fax to the on-board coordinator). They said these would be available for me, upon request, in the dining rooms (not buffet) and via room service. Had soy milk with my morning room service coffee and also with my evening after dinner coffee. Did the buffet for breakfast and lunch and popped a lactaid for dairy foods - no problems!

My mother has a low-sodium/diabetic diet. First night we asked our waiter about special dietary concerns. Every night the head-waiter brought her the menu for the next evening. What great service!!

[jaycee200]

I just wanted to pop in and put in another plug for the Digestive Advantage 1-a-day lactose pills! They are great! True a little more expensive than Lactaid, but when I added up how many Lactaids I was taking a day, it was actually about the same cost for the Digestive Advantage and I didnt have to carry around the pills with me all the time. Also, I think in addition to the free sample they had going on, they also have coupons available on their website. (Personally, I buy my coupons for this in bulk on Ebay, and then just buy several boxes when they go on sale at my CVS or Walgreens (My Walmart still doesnt have them :( )

[TolleranzaDelDio]

Has anyone else tried the Ganeden Digestive Advantage for Lactose Intolerance pill? We are thinking of trying the free sample, but don't want all the junk mail to come with it.

[1male]

Has anyone else tried the Ganeden Digestive Advantage for Lactose Intolerance pill? We are thinking of trying the free sample, but don't want all the junk mail to come with it.

 

At the suggestion of folks a few posts ago, I bought a box of 32 at CVS for 9.99, and began them as instructed. It took almost a week for it to take effect and now I LOVE them. I have not had the courage to have icecream or brie, but otherwise they really do work. if i can trace back to who told me about them I will heartily thank them. I think having the bacteria in the small colon, or whereever seems to make a big improvement. Now if only I could get rid of the TERRIBLE GAS PROBLEM. that is the side effect I get, which they also mention may happen.

I don't know how big the free sample is, but if you think it is not worth the aggrevation, spring for the 10 bucks and try it..

Good luck;)

[Zeta3]

Hey I am glad the pills are working for you! Now you have to be careful because my DH went crazy eating ice cream and cheese... no lactose intolerance issues but he DID gain 5 pounds! ;)