Eating for Your Dietary Needs

So, a little embarrassing to admit, but hey, why not? We all have something we can't eat. Mine is dairy! I am lactose intolerant (which my family is too---we coined the phrase "lactarded"), and it is hard to eat certain things I love. Like sour cream.

I was never lactose intolerant as a child. It started around the time I was 13, but I had never really cared for milk...ever! Other than chocolate, of course! : ) I love ice cream, sour cream, yogurt, and cheese. Now, cheese and yogurt rarely bother me. Cheese has very low levels of lactose, so it is easier for me to digest, but I still keep it to a minimum for gassy repercussions. Yogurt has rarely bothered me, probably because I choose yogurts with pro-biotics which helps a lot in digestive aid!

However, sour cream and ice cream are a (stomach) death wish for me. It's hard at times when I don't have Lactaid on me (the most magical pill ever!), and even then it sometimes fails. Which is the biggest let down ever.

Last night I was taken to Taco Bell, and I got a crunchy taco. I didn't realize it was a crunchy taco supreme until I opened it. I ate it, but almost immediately I had problems. It was unfortunate! And my fiance is also lactarded, so he was in the same boat. Not fun!

In general, I have to watch what I eat. In addition to being lactose intolerant, I also have IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), and Acid Reflux. Rich foods like mayo, ketchup, etc tend to give me hours of horrible heartburn. And my IBS can be triggered at any time, so when eating out, I tend to stay away from rich foods that may have any triggering ingredients such as diary or tomato.

My fiance also has Crohn's Disease, which my father also has, so I am used to those changes as well. It is a rare occurrence that I consume corn in this household! Very sad! But I grew up with my dad's limitations and it's okay. We accommodate for our issues, and it works very well.

So, here are some of our favorite products!

Luna and Larry's Coconut Bliss Ice Cream

In Dark Chocolate <3

It's dark, decadent, and reminds me of eating a Mound's bar! The coconut shows through, just enough, and it is amazing. It has the same texture and creaminess of ice cream.

Lactaid Milk

Now, I normally get 2% but they make all kinds of it. I get the smaller container since I don't like milk very much to begin with! But it's great for cooking and cereal.

Beanitos Black Bean Chips

These are absolutely amazing! My fiance and I found them a few weeks ago at the grocery store, and they're made completely of black beans so he can eat them! They have a wonderful taste and crunch, and go amazing with salsa. They're also corn and gluten free, which is lovely for those who have concerned. We've only tried the black bean, but they also make 3 additional flavors.

So, there's my small list for now! I can give an update later with some of my all time favorite products, but I want to ask you all: What are your dietary restrictions and what foods to you eat to combat them? Any favorite products? Let me know!