What foods should I avoid if I am lactose intolerant?

If you can't digest and absorb the sugar in milk (lactose), you're said to be "lactose intolerant." It makes eating dairy products all the more challenging and painful. Your gastrointestinal (GI) system will scream "oh no!" and you'll feel it with gas, bloating, urgent/uncontrolled bowel movements and general discomfort. The first cure for lactose intolerance is to simply avoid the foods that trigger the problem (ahem, anything containing milk).

Depending on the severity of your intolerance, you may be able to consume hard cheeses, fermented dairy, and sheep or goat's milk products versus cow's milk. That said, whenever consuming dairy you want to consume the highest quality so just because lactose-free products are available, if they have a lot of sugar or artificial ingredients they may help you with the lactose issue but be poor for overall energy and health. Lactose-free products are widely available today, as are supplements to further help you digest milk-containing foods and beverages.

Lots of people don't realize they are lactose intolerant until they no longer want to tolerate its awful side-effects and are ready to get to the bottom of their discomfort by zeroing in on the culprit. Half the battle is just coming to terms with being lactose intolerant, and then doing what you can to minimize your exposure to lactose.