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Eating low-carb, WITHOUT dairy

116K views 92 replies 25 participants last post by  itissteve 
#1 ·
This thread is for those of us who are sensitive/allergic to dairy.

It seems that there are very few of us on this forum, so this would be a good place to share ideas and tips for dairy substitutes and other ways around our restriction.
 
#39 ·
I get tired of trying to spread the WF spreads too, but I like the flavors, so I often mash them up with a spoonful of peanut butter and/or dairy butter. It makes them more manageable. 'Course they aren't free foods anymore, but have fat added, and my short fuse stays a little longer when I don't have to keep trying to make it stay on the cracker. :cool:
 
#42 ·
lactose is the sugars in milk. The human body usually has an enzyme (lactase) that aids in digesting the lactose. Those who don't manufacture their own lactase will not be able to digest lactose, and often get stomach pains, etc., when they ingest milk products.

Those of us who are allergic to milk, are usually allergic to the protein in milk, called casein. Symptoms can vary when ingesting milk, and the severity of symptoms also vary. My particular symptoms to having dairy products is itchy skin. If I persist and keep eating it, my ears will be affected and I get vertigo. YMMV
 
#44 ·
Something new

A new non-dairy products.

Cultured Coconut Milk, by So Delicious
With 10 active and live cultures

This products has way less carbs than their "yogurt" type product. For 1 cup it has 6g carbs with 3g fiber = 3g net carbs.

1 cup is a lot, and it's thick. I drink 1/2 cup and dilute it with water. It is unsweetened, so I usually put in the equivilent of 1/2 t. sugar - usually liquid splenda.

Finding cultured anything that doesn't have dairy in it is difficult. This product really fits a need for a low-carber.

I first saw it at Natural Grocers about a month ago, in their dairy case.
 
#46 ·
Interesting! I'll look for it at the Natural Grocers I go to next time I go to town. I've tried the coconut yogurt, forget which brand, and didn't really care for it.
So Delicious is the only brand I have seen that makes coconut yogurt. This c. milk product is much better in my opinion than their yogurt - which I have had, but mix it with coconut cream because it has higher carbs than I want.
 
#49 ·
Let me know if anyone has any experience with the non dairy yogurts.
So Delicious makes the yogurt type product, which they call cultured coconut milk and comes in the same type of container as regular yogurt. It has way too many carbs per container than I can do. That's why I was so happy to find their other product, which is in a plastic "jar" shaped like a milk bottle. It is also called cultured coconut milk - but doesn't have all the carbs in it that the yogurt-type product does.

That said, the coconut "yogurt" is tasty - even the plain - and the texture is yogurt-like.

I once made coconut milk yogurt - but had to use a milk-based starter to do it.
 
#48 ·
The coconut milk I use comes in a can. It is not watered down, and when stirred up it is the consistency of thick cream.

The cultured coconut milk I mentioned above is like slightly thinned yogurt.

I have bought coconut milk *beverage*, which is a lot like almond milk - very watery. I don't use it, or almond milk, because there really nothing there. I can water down the canned coconut milk to make it more like cow's milk if that's what I want.

The other reason I use canned coconut milk is that the coconut fat separates out of the liquid and rises to the top, and I can turn the can over, open it and pour off the liquid, and then have the coconut "cream" left - fewer (if any) carbs than the contents of the can all mixed up.
 
#50 ·
I notice you are sensitive to diary and eggs, which is what my physician is telling me (I am celiac). Do you have any experience with your crp level coming into line when you lowered your intake of those foods. My A1C is at 5.7, down from 6.1 a few months ago; I am due to go in again for tests. But my crp was last tested at 15, which my physician says is due to intestinal inflammation. Hard to wrap my head around. The first time it came up at 11 and I had to go for an angiogram, of course it was fine, then everyone threw up their hands. So I have been looking for where the inflammation came from. So just wondering if anyone else has had experience of gut healing and lowering that number. MY triglycerides are low, my good cholesterol is good, my bad cholesterol is high, but on checking with a vap test, the particles are big and fluffy. I eat about 35 gr. of carbs a day. I feel a lot better than last winter before I knew my blood sugar had gone awry on me. Thanks in advance.
 
#51 ·
what is "crp" ?

I eat 100% gluten free. I don't even look at it!

Most of my food "allergies" are really sensitivities. So an occasional indulgence is tolerable.

From what I've read, it seems that inflammation is component of a lot of health problems, including diabetes and CVD. It definitely is for celiac and gluten intolerance, and probably for any kind of food sensitivity or allergies.

I work on gut health by taking probiotics, and eating fermented vegetables. And I assume that not eating grains also helps reduce inflammation.
 
#52 ·
CRP is c reactive protein, a marker for inflammation. I take pro biotics too, I think they really help. And I try to eat a bit of sauerkraut, trying to heal the system. My fasting number was down and now it's a bit higher, though my afternoon numbers are getting much better. Walking really helps. How do you tell if you are sensitive. My doctor did some tests, and I was sensitive to all the things I eat all the time: almonds, chicken, eggs, dairy, so with celiac what's left?! I eat bacon, avocado, coconut, grass fed beef. Do not understand how it can be eggs, so cruel,but since I've cut back I notice more reaction, wasn't sure it wasn't the carrageenan in the cream, but have mostly switched to goat cheese...don't understand "sensitivity", just know my system is sensitive. And I guess my tummy too.
 
#53 · (Edited)
I found out by having a blood test for sensitivities (not the typical allergy test - I KNOW when I have an allergy, but sensitivities usually are delayed reactions which are hard to isolate).

When you start healing the damage done by celiac, your digestion may improve and you won't be quite so sensitive to some of the foods you are now. But healing won't occur unless you are 100% gluten free (I write this in for someone else reading this post who isn't all that careful about gluten but who needs to be)

Working on gut health is essential I think to reverse the damage done previously. At least for the short term, avoiding EVERYTHING you know you are sensitive to is really important. As you heal you may be able to add in some of the foods now and then.

I agree, not being able to have eggs (like everyone else on this forum, it seems) is a bummer. It's much easier to get around dairy than eggs. (Unfortunately, it's the casein I'm sensitive to and doesn't matter if it's cow's milk or goat's milk (which I don't like, anyway) I get the same reaction to either.)

As I've said so many times.... "You do what you have to do." It looks like you've found a way around your sensitivities - maybe if you look at the recipe section you can find a few other foods to enjoy that would work, or would work with only a few alterations.
 
#58 ·
Does anyone with these sensitivities, which I assume create inflammation, have an experience of c-reactive protein test, a marker for inflammation, lowering after gut healing and attention to food sensitivities? I also find my upper tummy is almost always distended? Is that a symptom of sensitivity? I am sturggling so much with the dairy and eggs. Bacon and avocado seem to be the safe foods, not that I don't like them, but hard to believe....and coconut oil in my coffee, and now tea.
 
#59 ·
#61 ·
Non-dairy BUTTER

Using Spectrum shortening (made from palm oil)
I added a few drops of butter flavoring (Capella brand)
and a little salt.

and

got a buttery spread for my low-carb bread and for vegetables (something other than olive or coconut oil)

Spectrum Shortening:
for 1 Tbsp
12g fat
-- Saturated Fat 6g
-- Trans fat 0g
-- polyunsaturated fat 1g
-- monounsaturated fat 5g

Not perfect (still a little bit of PUFA) but not nearly as much as non-dairy margarine.
 
#62 ·
I hope we can keep this thread open. IMHO its very helpful. I have been struggling with the dairy issue, as I definitely re act to HWC, though I am addicted to my ice coffee in the summer, BUT I can see, it is better when I refrain. I do like the coconut cream from the can (upside down, skimming off, etc.) in the blender with vanilla and stevia, but it is a bit more work....so for today I am doing black ice coffee....I wonder with the celiac condition if I stay off the dairy for a few months, maybe I can tolerate again.
Anyway, I am doing okay, and learning everyday. The forum is saving my life. I get good ideas from others, and see what a quirky struggle we all face....
 
#64 ·
Okay, in the interest of keeping this thread alive and well....

LC/diary-free coconut "yoghurt" smoothie:

In a 1-qt measure (the spout helps pour it out later)

1 can coconut "cream" (turn the can over and open the bottom end, pour off the liquid, and scoop out the thick "cream"). The mixture will blend better if this is at room temperature.

1 container of So Delicious dairy free cultured coconut milk, plain

Almond milk (fill the empty So Delicious container)

(optional)
1T Ultra Gel* (a powdered thickener that doesn't have to be heated to thicken).

__________

Whisk the liquids together until very smooth. If you want it thicker, then whisk in the gel. Pour into a jar with a lid and refrigerate.

I tested 1/2 cup as one serving.
My BG was 105 to start, 113 1hrpp, 107 2hrpp

I also stirred into my serving a liquid probiotic, added a couple drops of EZsweet, and 2 drops of a chocolate-raspberry flavoring. It was yummy.

Probiotic: Inner-eco fresh coconut water probiotic (found at Natural Grocers)

Gel: Cornaby's Ultra Gel. Ingredients: Modified Food Starch (Waxy Maise) This stuff is better than a gum as it doesn't make the food slimy. I think I purchased it at netrition .com
 
#65 ·
Thank you so much for keeping this thread alive and fresh with new ideas. I'm new here but as a prediabetic with two prior GD pregancies, and currently 14 weeks into the latest round of insulin-dependent gestational diabetes, and also a pretty extreme milk sensitivity -- this information is rare and priceless to me. I wish I had something to add -- I'm still just *really* hungry and eating almonds all day long. ;) Thanks again for the great ideas. I'll be implementing many of them ASAP.
 
#66 ·
Recently I've grown tired of using coconut cream as a replacement for dairy cream in a hot drink. My current formula is Almond Milk (which has no fats, but tastes good), Coconut Oil, and butter-flavored Palm Oil (a butter substitute). The Palm oil gives it that creamy mouth feel.

As usually, I flavor it with Capella's raspberry chocolate flavoring and sweeten with liquid sucrulose.
 
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