Healing My Dairy Intolerance (How To Reintroduce Dairy into Your Diet, too!)
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I’m a Certified Nutritional Practitioner and recipe developer who helps women feel empowered in their health journey, learn how to confidently eat well, find healing and support during chronic illness, and gain kitchen confidence through simple, delicious recipes for you and your family!
My Journey Healing Dairy Intolerance & How to Reintroduce Dairy
Today, we’re going to walk through my journey of healing dairy intolerance, because you may have wondered..can you heal dairy intolerance? Yes my friend. You can! I’ll walk you through the habits and changes that helped me heal lactose/dairy intolerance and reintroduce milk into my diet after years without!
I’ll never forget the most severe days of my dairy intolerance journey - my husband had eaten a cheese-loaded sandwich and happened to kiss me not long after. What should have been super romantic turned into a massive migraine and several days in bed.
Let’s back up a bit - I didn’t always have a dairy intolerance. I was raised in the 90’s and “got milk” like everyone else in that era. My college days were full of low fat dairy, sugar-free ice cream, and other chemical nightmares that I had no qualms with at the time, but I did not skimp on dairy at all.
When my second son was diagnosed with a severe dairy allergy not long after he was born, I immediately removed it from my diet. I don’t see that as a mistake - it was the choice we had to make in order to continue breastfeeding; unfortunately, that food removal spiraled into MORE food removals and before long I was eating extremely little, convinced that every symptom I had was linked to an item I needed to cut from my diet.
Even when our nursing journey ended, I had an impossible time attempting to add dairy back into my diet. I always had the same extreme symptomatic response - migraines, headaches, flu-like symptoms and days in bed. Here’s the bullet point version of what finally changed that:
What Finally Reversed my Dairy Intolerance
Brain retraining - the DNRS brain retraining program in particular truly changed my life. A simple at-home DVD program (it’s now online I believe!) led me from 7-10 foods (not an exaggeration) to nearly a full blown Paleo diet. I was still quite limited for some time, but this program took me out of the extreme reactive state I had been in for so long.
Trying raw dairy - this deserves an entire blog post on it’s own! Did you know that lactose intolerance is quite legitimate, that nobody is designed to break down lactose in isolation? Raw, unpasteurized dairy has two vital enzymes - lactose and lactase, which is the other component needed to actually absorb and assimilate lactose. Pasteurizing dairy removes the lactase enzyme, which makes it incredibly hard for our bodies to know what to do with the lactose by itself.
Now keep in mind, we don’t want to make the mistake of going from zero dairy to a glass of milk overnight. Slow and steady wins the dairy race! More on this in a bit!Gut support - Thankfully, some of the foods I could include during my five years of major limitation were things like bone broth, gelatin and collagen, grass-fed beef, and coconut products. Those nutrients and proteins paved the way for my food sensitivity healing!
Eating MORE - Ultimately, one of the singular factors that helped me come off thyroid medication and heal my body was increasing my overall caloric intake and carbohydrates. This may or may not be your journey, but often, under-eating can naturally result in not getting enough nutrients!
Focusing more on bioavailable foods
Bioavailable foods are those with nutrients that our bodies can use really well. The nutritional composition of any given food on paper only goes so far - can our body actually absorb and use the nutrients?Because I was in the Paleo realm for so long, I realized that I was eating a TON of nuts, seeds, & raw and cruciferous veggies. While yes, I firmly believe that all real food can have a spot at the table, we do need to be mindful of the biological place these foods are suppose to take.
For example, while nuts and seeds have incredible nutritional value and I love to include them, a small handful is much different on our gut than eating loads of almond butter, cashew milk, and replacing every dairy item we can with nut and seed products. Which unfortunately, is usually what happens when we find the Paleo/dairy-free realm. We miss the real thing and try to compensate!
The same goes for veggies - they are a fantastic inclusion, but we have to prep them mindfully. Raw, cruciferous veggies in particular can be tough on an already comprised gut. I vividly remember eating LOADS of salads in my Paleo days that were along the lines of lettuce, raw cabbage, raw broccoli, raw kale, because that’s what I had been taught through the functional chronic disease world. My digestion was a wreck. I was cold all the time, and my cravings were through the roof. Not only because my overall caloric needs weren’t being met, but I also wasn’t balancing that massive raw veggie consumption with good saturated fats, cooked veggies, root veggies, etc.
I hope you hear the nuance here, but I can firmly say, both anecdotally and through the hundreds of women who have used my (now discontinued) meal plan method of reintroducing dairy, the drastic reduction of so many nuts, seeds, raw and cruciferous veggies has made a huge difference.
(Don’t worry, I’m going to talk about this meal plan method!!)
Now, what ARE bioavailable foods? The pillars I cling to are how I create all of my cookbooks and recipes - things like quality animal proteins, fresh ripe fruits, root vegetables, seafood, pastured-eggs, fresh and cooked veggies (bell peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, squashes, etc!), soaked grains, bone broth, and slow-cooked bone-in meats. My Nourish book was created around all of these principles!
Prayer and community - at face value this might seem like the less “functional” approach, but God was so faithful to answer years of praying, both individually and with our close community, for my extensive food sensitivities and chronic illness to be healed. Having people around me who truly believed and advocated for my healing was such a gift! I’ve debated over the years about removing this bullet point, but I want to leave it to remind you that the Lord truly cares about what’s on your heart. That doesn’t mean healing is guaranteed, but we see in Scripture that Jesus deeply cares about healing, and I love that reminder!
Is Dairy Healthy?
While we’re here, let’s break down this contested topic. Dairy is possibly one of the most confusing foods in the wellness world. With SO many sensitivities, allergies, etc, how do we know whether to include it or avoid it?
The first important thing to note is that it has incredible nutritional value; it’s loaded with calcium, fat-soluble vitamins, and has the perfect balance of macros. Not to mention, it’s been consumed for all of human existence!
So why has it gotten called evil?
1. Most modern dairy is fortified. The reaction you're having may be from the added synthetic vitamins or other fillers. OR because of the poor farming practices the animal was raised with.
2. Like we talked about above, pasteurized (what grocery store milk is) milk lacks the lactase enzyme. Raw, or unpasteurized, milk provides both the lactose and lactase enzymes.
3. Blood sugar imbalances, eating too many PUFAS (inc. nuts and seeds and highly refined oils like sunflower, corn, canola, and vegetable oil), too many raw veggies, etc, and other gut issues can lead to poorly digesting dairy.
So what's the possible solution?
1. I saw a HUGE difference when I stopped consuming so many things like nut and seed products (butters, flours, etc - raw handfuls of nuts can still be wonderful!), conventionally grown (non-organic) grains, processed oils, conventionally raised chicken and turkey, alcoholic beverages, raw leafy greens, and raw cruciferous veggies (cooking those veggies can do wonders..we still like veggies!!)
2. Focus on saturated fat through well-sourced animal protein, coconut products, cacao, and ghee, and include quality carbs like honey, fruit, maple syrup, root veggies, and raw carrot salad daily.
3. Prioritize "nose-to tail-eating" (utilize the whole animal) - bone broth, collagen, gelatin, liver, etc - don't only eat muscle meats!
4. Try local raw milk and/or raw hard cheese in small amounts when you're ready.
It's important to know that while dairy is incredibly beneficial and should be included when possible, some people are not in that place and that just means some more healing needs to happen! Chances are, if you focus on these principles, you may tolerate dairy more than you think!
Best Milk Sourcing
Here is the ranking I personally use when buying or consuming milk, from my top choice, to less favorable options. There can be varying opinions here but here’s what I use in my own house!
1. Local, raw, high A2 grass-fed and organic with no additives. If you can’t find high A2, local and raw is still fantastic. Sheep and goat milk that fall into this category are also wonderful choices.
2. Organic, grass-fed, low-temp pasteurized and non-homogenized, and ideally local (like Mill-King in TX!)
3. Grass fed organic, additive-free store-bought (like Kalona, Maple Hill, etc)
4. Organic with no additives
(from here down is a pretty big “very rarely” for me, personally)
5. Conventional whole milk with no additives
6. Organic milk with additives
7. Conventional milk with additives
8. Milk alternatives. EXCEPT Califia brand coconut milk or something similar. Most everything else is loaded with synthetic ingredients!
(In many countries, including the US, synthetic vitamins have to be added to any reduced fat milk, so whole milk is usually your best choice. For questions about specific brands, I would check if they have additives, if they do, I would personally call it a hard no!)
Health Benefits of Butter (just as a bonus!)
“Heart disease was rare in America at the turn of the century. Between 1920 and 1960, the incidence of heart disease rose precipitously to become America's number one killer.
During the same period butter consumption plummeted from eighteen pounds per person per year to four. It doesn't take a Ph.D. in statistics to conclude that butter is not a cause. Actually butter contains many nutrients that protect us from heart disease.
First among these is vitamin A which is needed for the health of the thyroid and adrenal glands, both of which play a role in maintaining the proper functioning of the heart and cardiovascular system.
Abnormalities of the heart and larger blood vessels occur in babies born to vitamin A deficient mothers. Butter is America's best and most easily absorbed source of vitamin A.”
© WESTONAPRICE.ORG
So, How do We Reintroduce Dairy?
First, I want to make clear that this list is not intended for those with true food allergies (IgE mediated) - this is for overcoming sensitivities that produce slow-released reactions and not something like anaphylaxis.
This is also not medical advice nor should it replace your trusted practitioner insight.
That said - here’s how I personally reintroduced dairy and how I would coach a one on one client to do the same! This method was available in my meal plans for years and I was ecstatic to see hundreds of women benefit from that food guide!
My Dairy-Reintroduction Guide
Step 1: I would give your gut a three month minimum of following the food pursuits I outlined above: focusing on real, whole food and prioritizing those bioavailable foods we talked about. My Nourish book, while dairy-inclusive, is still a great tool here and can be used easily with swaps. It outlines how to meet your weekly and daily nutrient needs, how to balance all of your meals for optimal nutrition, and has a seasonal produce guide, example meal plan, as well as a good-better-best sourcing guide! Nourish is the new but slightly repackaged version of those previously mentioned meal plans that made SUCH a difference in so many women’s health journeys!
Step 2: Start with GHEE. Ghee is a fantastically nutrient-dense cooking oil that has a bit of a different flavor from butter but works really similarly. Part of my own dairy intolerance healing (and our pursuit of healing my son’s true dairy allergy) has been to cook with Ghee - it does not have milk proteins that typically cause reactions (casein, lactose, & whey), and so it serves as a great launch pad for eventually pursuing dairy.
Step 3: One trusted method of reintroducing dairy is to add 1-2 Tablespoons of (preferably raw) milk to your day for a couple of months. This process is best done very slowly, as your body does not have a lactose base if you have not been consuming dairy for some time. The first week, add 1 TBS of milk to breakfast (mixed into coffee or just straight), the second week, experiment with 1 TBS at lunch in addition to breakfast, and the third week, add one more TBS to dinner (if you are having cheese with a meal, omit the milk TBS for that specific meal). Raw, hard cheeses are another great option when you feel ready.
During this process, if you notice any reactions, go back to square one and give yourself more time!
Other tips: Homeopathy can be a great support for this process as well. There are a few remedy options that I encourage you to look into with a trusted homeopath. Even though this medicine is safe, effective, and gentle when used appropriately, homeopathy can be very individualized, and what worked for another may not work for you.
The remedies I would consider for milk intolerance include:
Bovista 200c - Protocols vary for this remedy, but it is often recommended either every other day or 1-2 times a week for several months. This is a great remedy for gluten intolerance and other allergic tendencies as well. It is the homeopathic “go-to” for general food sensitivities (and also for uprooting cat allergies!). This is also the Banerji Protocol for gluten intolerance and other food allergies, dosed as three pellets two times per day.
Calc Carb 200c - This can be a great remedy when overall immune health is also low. Again, a specific protocol is best worked out with a good homeopath. It’s a good fit when the overall metabolism is low and sluggish, and the person feels flabby, pale, and chilly. We have personally used this in our family to support our son with food and environmental allergies as well. Protocols vary from twice daily to once a week.
Lycopodium 200c - This remedy fits well with an IBS type picture, where symptoms are primarily around the GI tract - bloating, indigestion, etc. Protocols vary from twice daily to once a week.
Aethusa 200c - This is not one I have experimented with personally, but is often high on the list of considerations for milk intolerance. Protocols vary from twice daily to once a week.
This is not an exhaustive list, but are some more common choices!
Again, with any of these, I encourage you to not use them willy-nilly. Do a bit of digging and work with someone if you can!
I hope this is helpful as you seek food freedom and vibrant health!
Want a DIVINE date-based brownie recipe that can be made dairy-free if needed? Click here!