Damn It! I think I Might Be Lactose Intolerant too....

A gf friend asked me the other day what does lactose intolerance feel like. She has been a waning gf consumer for over 10 years, but strictly gf for over the last 5 and is thinking that possibly she now might be lactose intolerant. At the time, I didn't verbalize it or think it, but I think it might be unlikely, because it seems like once you purge your body of a toxin, it is much easier to identify others that cause irritation, soon there after. I am thinking it might have been a situational discomfort more than an intolerance or allergy.

I identified my lactose intolerance about two years into being gluten free. I think it truly takes a year to completely feel the benefits of being gluten free if you are predisposed. After spending x number of years consuming gluten, it takes a reasonably long time to rejuvenate your gut flora and microvilli and completely purge your body. The first 3 months of an elimination diet there is a noticeable difference and you stop feeling like crap all the time, and then the first 6 months you notice significant inflammation decrease, but only at the year mark do you start to feel a semblance of what you should be.

As the years passed and the cleaner I ate, the easier I noticed my reactions to different foods to include: refined sugar, stone fruits, caffeine, dairy, and processed and conventional meats. 

I noticed my lactose intolerance because I had made homemade, local strawberry, strawberry gf shortcakes with homemade whipped cream. Within less than an hour of eating dessert, I was doubled over in digestive pain. My guts gurgled, ached and the gas was horrendous. It was painful and burned every one's nostrils. I was shocked and completely uncomfortable. Being the test guinea pig that I am, I tried it again over the next few days. I tested the strawberries on their own - no reaction. The next day I tested the gf shortcake by itself, again no reaction. On the third day I tested the remaining bits of the whipped cream and again within an hour the painful, nostril-burning-gas emerged. I was excited, disappointed and tried to run away from my own stench all at the same time, but at least I had found the culprit.

At first I thought it was just whipping cream, but then I noticed any and all conventional diary gave me problems. So it was out with the dairy too. Bummer! The pain and smell alone would make anyone throw up the white flag. Lactose intolerance is immediate and wretched, which is how I know my friend was not lactose intolerant too.

I switched my cream in my coffee to almond milk (which eventually gave way to giving up coffee entirely too) and started buying naturally lactose free aged cheddar. A helpful hint, the harder and more aged the cheese the lower levels of lactose. Lactose is a sugar found in milk and milk products. The small intestine produces an enzyme called lactase. Lactase breaks down lactose into two simpler forms of sugar: glucose and galactose. People with lactose intolerance often do not have the ability to produce proper amounts of lactase to breakdown lactose, causing digestive issues.

There are ongoing debates about lactose intolerance and things we can do to facilitate or aide lactase production. Aside from body chemistry and genetics, the largest proposed culprit is the processing of conventional milk products. The theory is that because conventional milk is so pasteurized and stripped of nutrients and bacteria that naturally assist in digestion, an increasing number of people are lactose intolerant. There is another theory that those children that were given farm fresh milk are much more likely to be able to consume commercial milk later in life, as the healthy bacteria from the farm fresh milk helped prime the gut flora to fend of the devoid-of-helpful-bacteria conventional milk that most of us consume. Similarly, if you are able, of which few of us are, because the FDA has very strict regulations on farm fresh milk and pasteurization, to consume farm fresh, unpasteurized milk as an adult, apparently you can revert your lactose sensitive gut into a lactase producing machine that has no problem digesting milk products. I have yet to try this, but it sounds very intriguing.

Over the last year, I have played with what works and what doesn't for me. Everyone is different and is effected differently and the only way you are going to know your intolerances, unfortunately is by testing them. So endure the pain and the smelly gas or diarrhea, however you may be effected, but really it is the only way for you to know what you need to avoid.

Now I only consume one brand of aged extra sharp cheddar cheese, all others I have tried give me discomfort, but even then, I am very conscious of how much I consume in a meal and over the course of a few days. Be wary of vegan and lactose free brand cheeses, they often times contain gluten, preservatives and even plastic derivatives to get that "cheesey" texture and melting abilities. Read your labels! I eat organic Greek yogurt, which naturally has less lactose in it due to the aging and straining process*. And I drink kefir, which is 99% lactose free, again because of the processing procedures.

It is a huge bummer that those of us who already have to cut out gluten, also might not get the pleasure of eating delicious cheeses and ice creams and all the other yummy dairy products out there, almost 75% of gluten intolerant people are also lactose intolerant, but again the more you know, the more you research and the more you test your own allergies, you will find what works for you.

A Helpful Hint - The Power of Ginger

Throughout my entire food journey of identifying being gluten intolerant and then lactose intolerant, I also found I am allergic to stone fruits, ie nectarines, plums, peaches, apricots (I know!!! Right!? Totally sucks!) and also fresh apples and pears. This entirely sucks on so many levels because I love fruit, of all kinds, I could subsist on fruit alone if I didn't live in a region that isn't exactly the best for fruit production, especially tropical fruits, which are my favorite.

I discovered my stone fruit allergy actually years ago, but never put two and two together. I remember two very distinct instances of driving the 5 hour trek to Boston in the snow to catch flights to CA. My boyfriend was driving and mid-way through our road trip I would pull out my bag of snacks, which almost always included an apple, because they are great traveling fruits. I would consciously buy the organic, non-sprayed, Maine varieties. But on both trips I would immediately have a reaction. My lips would swell up getting itchy and visibly puffy, my throat would tighten and the entire inside of my mouth and throat would itch for over an hour. I had never in my life had reactions to fruit like this, so I chalked it up to being my boyfriend's truck. He was a boat builder at the time and he would lug his tools around and the cloth seats would collect so much dust and dirt from the yard, I just assumed it was the debris and dust of his work (which in turn made me entirely empathic to his toxic working environment. I figured if had such a quick reaction in his vehicle, I could only imagine what his body would go through, day in and day out).

Years passed, I identified my gluten intolerance, the truck had been sold and again I still had reactions to any stone fruit and apples and pears. I realized that it indeed was an allergic reaction and decided to avoid all my favorite fruits indefinitely. :(

I have found over time that cut, frozen stone fruits don't bother me, in small amounts. So I still buy the fresh fruit, cut it off the pit and freeze it. i then use small amounts in my breakfast smoothies. (Although I do wonder if the upper part of my digestive tract has a reaction, then the likelihood of my lower part reacting during the remainder of digestion is very high that I should probably remove stone fruits entirely from my diet, wah!) Giving up these fruits has been very hard. I love fruit. 

The other day, I decided to test my allergy, it had been over a year since I had eaten a fresh stone fruit. My Mom had bought these luscious, juicy, heavenly-smelling nectarines. So I cut it off the pit, let it sit for 20 minutes then ate a wedge. Within minutes my lips, mouth and throat began to itch, my throat tightened, all from one small wedge. So the allergy still exists, yay for testing inevitably what I already knew (you can tell I am not willing to let this one go so easily).


Getting ready to tough out the next hour of discomfort, my step-dad made a suggestion to halt the allergic reaction, by taking a chunk of fresh organic ginger and chewing on it. Instinctively that made complete sense, ginger is an anti-inflammatory, so I gave it a whirl. I popped about a 1 inch piece of fresh ginger in my mouth and started chewing. It was rugged! Let me tell ya! I love ginger, but never have I put a fresh chunk in my mouth and chomped down. So i chewed it until there was basically pulp, swallowing the juices as I chewed. I spit out the remaining pulp and waited. While I was chewing the ginger I noticed that the itching, swelling and tightness immediately lessened (but that could also have been my focus shifting towards the burning-kick-intensity of the fresh ginger). 

In the end I would conclude it worked wonderfully. My allergic reaction time was cut tremendously, what typically lasts an hour, lasted all of 15 minutes and with significantly less ferocity. It was truly amazing that ginger can alleviate such an aggressive reaction so quickly. 

So while I still will be avoiding all stone fruits indefinitely, it is nice to know I don't have to suffer if I accidentally eat some (I think I shall travel with fresh ginger in tow at all times now, ha!). I must warn you though, I can take intense flavors and I eat ginger on an almost daily basis, and for me, it was gnarly to pop a whole piece of ginger in my mouth and chew, it is not for the faint of heart, but if you are looking to halt an allergic reaction, I would highly recommend it.

Blessed to be a Witness

The past few weeks have been more wine, than yoga and sweat *. My day job is all consuming; working 8 until 8 most days of the week of very intense, stress-filled days, leaving little time for much else. While I know this schedule is only temporary, as we move through this tough transition at work, I feel the balance of my life is so skewed and it is exceedingly frustrating, exhausting and unfulfilled.

I relish in the balance of my life, where my personal time, my time to write, to do daily yoga, get restful sleep, to make my home and garden lovely and thrive, and quality time with my family as a healthy and happy balance. It makes me weepy when this balance is disrupted. While I am willing to work long hours to help in a tough time, my work ethic is unwavering, I struggle, as I think many of us do, to maintain a balance of a demanding work schedule and a healthy, happy, fulfilling life outside work.

I dream of getting off the hamster wheel. I am perpetually amazed by those people I see and hear about that manage to survive in an atypical lifestyle, not working a mainstream job or living the mainstream life, I always romantically question, how? And furthermore, how can I?

People like Timber Hawkeye, buddhistbootcamp.com, giving up his corporate unfulfilled life of 60-hour work week to a 20-hour work week to accommodate the living the rest of his simple, and very fulfilled-sounding life in Hawaii. And "Slomo," Dr. John Kitchin, in PB, San Diego, my childhood hometown, who gave up a lucrative career as a doctor to live a life of rollerblading up and down the beach boardwalk every day, simply because it makes him happy. And @yoga_girl, Rachel Brathan, who has turned her life and love of yoga into a lifestyle brand. While she is obviously busy and surely gets exhausted from all the travel and PR she needs to do to promote herself. From her Instagram and blog, she has a seemingly beautiful life, teaching yoga around the world, doing her daily practice and living her life with her dogs and fiancee in Aruba. 
 


Sure, sure I know, we all have our struggles and social media shows the most romantic versions of our lives, so seemingly any one's life is beautiful and balanced in a snapshot. But it makes me wonder, how do people do it? How do you give up the expected job, the expected possessions, the expected grind to live the life you want, follow your passions and live with less, but actually have so much more?

I thought by moving to Maine I had done those things, and in most ways I have, because, my life is beautiful in so many ways. I am by no means complaining. I know my work hours and stress are circumstantial and will pass, but how do you work enough to live, but not so much that it consumes your life?

In my perfect world I would wake up in the morning, drink my green tea in silence looking over our blooming lovely yard, as the dog lays basking in the morning sun, followed by beach yoga and then a smoothie or green juice.

(An aside, any chance you can do yoga on a beach I would highly recommend it! Last weekend, we snuck away for mini-vacay at a neighboring beach community. We stayed in a beach-side cottage and were lucky enough to have the first warm days of spring that made it feel like summer is quickly approaching. I have always admired the Instagram of people doing yoga on a beach, like @yoga_girl. But I have never had the confidence to do yoga in public, aside from in a class, where no one is paying attention to you anyway, nor have I felt that I was at a place in my practice where I could do it in public without looking like a goon. I said f-it last weekend and did my yoga on the beach each morning. The rhythm of the waves guiding my breath and soothing my busy mind and the sand between my toes. The connection to the earth, to my body was intoxicating and I cannot wait to do yoga on a beach again. I have found I need yoga in my everyday life, and if that means doing it in public, so be it. So judge me, point, I no longer care, because I am in my own little blissful yoga bubble of calm. If you only knew and were in your own bliss bubble, you would totally get it.)

So while I envy those who make their lives following their passions and hobbies, turning them into a living. It makes me wonder, if your passions and hobbies become work, are they then less enjoyable?

I think many of you struggle with this balance as I do, and maybe you even fantasize about going against the norm and living a life that fulfills your passions, your soul and your heart. If you are one of these people who have managed to make that shift, any words of wisdom are extremely appreciated!

Until I figure out the magical balance, I plan to calm my mind, remind myself that this is just a phase, insist on implementing daily practice back into my life, and if it is on a beach, then that is even better; and continue to contemplate how I can I turn my passions into that which makes my life, and no longer have them just play ancillary roles.

The words of Ben Harper remind me to be grateful, because at the end of the long, stressful and exhausting day, really, truly I am blessed,

"Blessed to be a witness."

Conscious Awareness

Well aware and supportive of my lifestyle shift towards local and/or homegrown vegetarianism, whole foods, gluten free, sugar reduction, lactose free, green juice drinking ways of eating, along with a wellness approach to exercise, my Man told me about this video, The American Parasite, months ago. I have been meaning to watch it. He said I already know many of the things the video talks about, but it does a concise yet detailed job of getting the point across. He warned me up front that is a promo video for the company that produces the probiotics, so I knew at some point it would switch to a pitch for their product (which it does, towards the end). Even though it is an advertisement, there is honesty and truth in a lot of this video. So a warning about the pitchy quality of this film, it is truly informative and maybe might plant a seed or will help grow that seed that has already been planted or at least be a conversation starter about how to make smarter food choices. 



I have been taking probiotics since I was a child, not Keybiotics, first time actually, that I have ever heard of it. One of the things that bothered me the most about this promo video was that it kind of seems like a one pill fixes all, which is how our healthcare system and many approach their own health. While probiotics are a phenomenal additive to anyone's' life, they do not fix everything. Health and wellness internally, emotionally, physically are a full circle and you need many pieces to complete that circle. While probiotics are essential to my daily life, they also are accompanied by many other parts that make my guts and me a happier and more complete me. 

This film reminded me of my recent viewing of Killer at Large, a documentary about government, agribusiness and food conglomerate's role in mass production of our foods. Killer at Large (watch it here) goes into much more detail than this video for Keybiotics and really points out how little we have control over what we put in our bodies. Killer at Large was extremely disheartening for me to watch and learn how little our government and the food conglomerates care about our health and well-being, while they greedily line their pockets.

While both films implement a scare tactic, which is necessary to a point, for people to learn, what I walk away from both, is conscious awareness. We all must be consciously aware of self, what our bodies need, what we should be eating and how to get good, clean, whole, real foods, and what can we do to help us live longer, healthier, more fulfilling lives.

Information is key and the more each of us know the more each of us will consciously choose other than processed, sugar, fat, chemical and preservative laden foods; in exchange for real, locally grown (ideally home grown), whole foods, eating what is in season and being aware that by purchasing and consuming the foods controlled and manufactured by food conglomerates only perpetuates the problem.

Be conscious, be aware, learn more and make the choices that sit right on your moral compass.

The Power of Yoga

I wrote this post a few weeks ago, but never completed it. Today's post and this one seemed to go together: 

I am amazed by yoga and how much I love it.

This was not always the case however. I remember as a kid my Mom dragging me to yoga classes. I would begrudgingly go, whining, half-ass attempting down dog, which inevitably led to my nose running, which meant for all the people in the class looking for silence and focus, were subject to my incessant sniffling. And shavasana, forget about it, I would get so bored laying there. Why did I have to go to a class to lay on the floor?! It made no sense to my 10 year old self. I wanted to be outside running around, not in a stuffy room with a lot of people barefoot, breathing the same air and being extremely quiet. I really disliked yoga along with some other things Mom made me do, like gardening and drinking wheatgrass.

Now that I am adult though, I have been practicing daily for over 6 months, I am amazed how much it has changed my life and subsequently flummoxed by how much I thought I hated yoga as a kid.

I think yoga is much more fitting to where I am at this point in my life. I am keenly aware of what my body needs, what works and what doesn't. And with that comes focus on those things which make me feel best.

For most of my life I have just lived and consumed and enjoyed and moved through it, entirely unaware of my body responses to certain situations, consumptions and movement. I always thought pain was a sign of weakness, stillness a waste of time and food and alcohol meant to be consumed, enjoyed with abandon.

It makes sense, as kids we move through life, as quickly and as little connected as possible, we want to do it all and as quickly as possible. There is little self reflection and the concept of looking/feeling your true needs doesn't kick in until adulthood (and for some, possibly ever).

I guess Mom was right. It is funny how those things I hated as a kid, that she made me do, have come full-circle and are very enjoyable and important parts of my everyday life. Thanks Mom.

And today, as soon as I finished my practice I KNEW I had to write about it:

Today was the first time this spring that I was able to do yoga outside. It was a gorgeous, crisp, bright blue sky, spring day in the mid-60s. I even was able to sit outside during lunch today and take my sweater off. It was a perfect Maine spring day, which led to a very strong urge to do my practice outside.

Outside practice is not always an option in Maine, well I guess I could practice in snow, but teeth chattering does not seem very centering to me. As all Mainers do, we relish the days like today, where we can open all our windows, the breeze is cool but not cold, but enough to keep the bugs at bay and the sun warm enough to warm our winter-chilled bodies, but not so warm where the humidity becomes stifling.

I couldn't wait to get home from work so I could take my mat and my dog outside for a sunset practice.

While I have surely done yoga outside before, there was something about today's practice, a centering, a focus, a nimbleness that I have never had before. Possibly it is because I am at that next stage of my practice, but for some reason today it felt like because I was outside, with nature, in the grass, with my Boo basking in the afternoon sun, picking her nose up from time to time to sniff the spring air, that I had a kind of perfect yoga session.

I was able to transition effortlessly. Poses that are normally challenging were done with ease. I felt more connected to my body and subsequently to the earth that I think today I crossed over into that "zen Buddha yoga practice" phase. I have heard of this focus and centering, this grounding, of which I have felt and "experienced" before. All of which are parts of why I practice daily and turn to yoga as a centering of every part of my life, but for some reason today it was different.

Different in a way that is hard to put into words, but in a way that all felt right in the world, at least for that hour, not bothered by seasonal allergies (that have recently come on full force), but graciously consumed by the cool spring air, the bright green grass, my dog practicing her own form of dog yoga, or at least being a supporter coming to lick my ears from time to time. Today I felt grounded, centered and focused with myself and nature in a way I never have with my practice before.

I have been saying for over a half a year how much I love yoga, but today I truly love yoga (I think I might even need a shirt).

Namaste.

Sometimes she is extra helpful, like here, she decided to lay right behind me as I was in plow pose and shoulder stand, completely unaware that there is not enough space on the mat for the 2 of us