Dairy Free Living

I just realized today that I have been dairy free for longer than I had dairy in my life. I was fourteen when I quit dairy and it has now been 16 years since the last time I had a tall glass of cold cow’s milk. Not the best memory actually because I had been off of dairy to see if that was why I was sick all the time and drank the milk to see how it made me feel. I was very sick. Very very sick.

There were times when I would miss actual dairy, like Pizza Rolls, or when eating out with friends, or going places where the only food available was covered in cheese and I had to wait until we left to eat. It has been many years since I really thought about it at all. When I first quit dairy there were no where near the options we have today. Soy milk was non-existent in my small town and rice milk was my only option. I became so used to eating certain items without dairy that even though there are soy or rice alternatives I don’t always use them.  For instance, pizza is an item that I very rarely add soy cheese to as I am so used to it without that it actually seems odd when I do add cheese.

People sometimes seem to give me a look of pity when I explain that I cannot eat dairy or say “I could never do that!” or “Can’t you take a pill for that?”.  I didn’t really make a decision to quit, it was more like my body made the decision. And no, I can’t take a pill as I have an allergy to casein, an enzyme found in dairy, and not an intolerance to lactose. Besides, I have a friend with a lactose intolerance and she’s taken the pill and still had issues.

And you don’t have to feel sorry for me because I cannot have dairy. If you really feel the need to pity me then pity all those years that I ate dairy and was sick and rashy and grouchy and uncomfortable in my own body because back then many doctors didn’t know much about food allergies. Don’t pity my dairy free life as life has been a lot better without it!

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