Ready, Set, Whoa there tiger!

Having found a new freedom from years of oppression under the tyranny of lactose, I realize there's a danger that comes with the newly discovered freedom. That danger is called OVERDOSE.

I find myself wanting to eat certain foods, not because I'm hungry, but rather because I now CAN eat those lactose-laden foods. Some of these foods are not things I would normally eat even if had not had lactose intolerance all these years. That's when things get scary. You start saying, "Say, that Velveta sounds good. Why don't cut me off a squishy slice?"

Now, the real reason I'm struggling is I have to moderate how much I eat over the first month following the program.

The first few days following the program, you are supposed to limit your dairy intake to 1 to 2 servings (6-12 ounces) a day. You are supposed to ease your body into a full dairy diet by adding more servings each day as you feel you can. That can be tough when you want to try the foods you've been avoiding or limiting for so many years. During the first month following the program, you are supposed to limit your intake to no more than 4 servings in a day (more than 16 ounces) a day. The manual's FAQs mistakenly left out the 'a day', so it reads "Don't exceed 4 servings (over 15 ounces) of dairy in the initial month." That obviously wouldn't make sense, so I have to assume they meant 'per day'. The following answer even says, "Continue to have dairy 4 to 5 times a week for the first month."


My wife picked up a cheesecake, so I may just have to have my 4 servings today in one sitting.

1st day of Freedom!

It's my first day off the program, and I wanted to make it count, so after work, we picked up a pizza for dinner.

And I just couldn't say no to a little ice cream a little later in the evening. The good news is, both the pizza and the ice cream tasted great. The better news is, I didn't get sick. Not even a little bit.

I think it was a decent test of my new found freedom from lactose intolerance. So far, so good.

Day 37 of the Lactose Intolerance Cure

This is it! The last day of the Lactagen program. The dosage seems insanely high today: 24 ounces of milk. Ok, maybe not insanely high, but for someone who's been lactose intolerant for 20 years, it seems pretty dang high.

I've been feeling bloated lately, and I think 24 ounces of milk finally pushed me over the edge. By the end of the day today, after finishing dinner with my last 12 ounces of milk for the day, I started to feel a little sick to my stomach. The illness was short lived, but definitely there. I went back and read some more about the program, and there's this little piece I overlooked. It actually says that you may experience some symptoms while on the program. "Slight gastric symptoms of gas, cramps, bloating or diarrhea may occur while you're on the program. These minor symptoms often occur due to your body's way of adjusting to the treatment."

I was trying to figure out why it took my until the end of the program to get a little sick, and I think I have it figured out. Once you've finished taking the dosages (tomorrow for me), they tell you to start slow with dairy, maybe taking in 1 to 2 servings of dairy a day for the first few days. That would only be 6 to 12 ounces a day. At the end of the program, however, they are giving you 16, 20 and 24 ounces of milk each day. They're super dosage-ing you. So, in light of this, I understand why I've been feeling a little bloated, and why I became a little ill tonight.

Dosages for the day:
Breakfast - 12 ounces of milk
Dinner - 12 ounces of milk

Frosted mini wheats mixed with Post trail mix crunch and 12 oz of lactose rich milk
Clif bar
Chilean Sea Bass
Mashed sweet potatoes
BBQ Chicken
Green beans
Rice Pilaf
Peach pie

If you're new to reading this blog, and this is the first page you're reading, this is the Lactagen program. It's designed to train you large intestines to produce micro flora that will break down lactose, since your smaller intestines are no longer producing the lactase enzyme effectively. The great question is, will it cure my lactose intolerance? I should know a lot by tomorrow morning.

Day 36 of the Lactose Intolerance Cure

Ok, second to last day of the program... and they have me taking 20 ounces of straight milk today. I have to say, I've felt a little bloated lately... but I haven't been sick yet.

Dosages for the day:
Breakfast - 10 ounces of milk
Dinner - 10 ounces of milk

As far as the food I've eaten today:
Bowl of frosted mini wheats mixed with Post Trail Mix Crunch with 10 oz of lactose-full milk
Clif Bar
Chicken Noodle soup
Yogurt
Pretzels
Apple
Curry beef with vegetables
Rice pilaf

If you're new to reading this blog, and this is the first page you're reading, this is the Lactagen program. It's designed to train you large intestines to produce micro flora that will break down lactose, since your smaller intestines are no longer producing the lactase enzyme effectively. The great question is, will it cure my lactose intolerance? I should know a lot by tomorrow morning.

Day 35 of the Lactose Intolerance Cure

Today's the day I test out my tolerance for lactose. I'm trying to be open minded. What has lactose ever done to me... oh yes, that's right. It has made the last 20 years of my life less than optimal. Well, we'll see if I can at least physically tolerate the lactose, even if I'm still emotionally scarred.

The dosages for today are:
Breakfast - 8 ounces of milk. Yep, just plain old full-of-lactose milk
Dinner - 8 ounces of milk.

I seemed to do just fine today. I've had no problems this morning or this evening. We'll have to see how it goes over the next 2 days as well, as I finish up the program by drinking even more milk.

As far as food I've eaten today:

Bowl of Total with Cranberries and Archer Farms organic skim milk (yes, full of lactose)
Beef stew
Homemade apple pie
Danon peach yogurt
Clif Bar
Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich
Edy's strawberry fruit bar

If you're new to reading this blog, and this is the first page you're reading, this is the Lactagen program. It's designed to train you large intestines to produce micro flora that will break down lactose, since your smaller intestines are no longer producing the lactase enzyme effectively. The great question is, will it cure my lactose intolerance? I should know a lot by tomorrow morning.

Day 34 of the Lactose Intolerance Cure

This is it. Today is the final day of taking Lactagen. I have 3 more days in the program. Over these next 3 days I will actually drink regular fully loaded lactose-laden milk. I'll drink 2 - 8 oz glasses the first day, 2 - 10 oz glasses the second day, and 2 - 12 oz glasses of milk the third day. After that... if I survive, then I'll be able to eat up to 4 helping of dairy a day for the next 30 days. After that, no limits. So, assuming all goes well over the next 3 days, I think a little pizza is in order for Thursday night.

The dosages for today are:
Breakfast - 20 cc of Lactagen mixed with apple cranberry juice
Dinner - 20 cc of Lactagen mixed with apple cranberry juice

As far as food I've eaten today:

Peanut butter and jelly sandwich
Great Value BBQ chicken chunks
Glass of Lactaid lactose free milk
Yoplait non fat blueberry yogurt
Pretzels
Taco salad
Homemade apple pie (Mmmmm)

If you're new to reading this blog, and this is the first page you're reading, this is the Lactagen program. It's designed to train you large intestines to produce micro flora that will break down lactose, since your smaller intestines are no longer producing the lactase enzyme effectively. The great question is, will it cure my lactose intolerance? I should know a lot by tomorrow morning.

Day 33 of the Lactose Intolerance Cure

Today is the 2nd to last day of taking the Lactagen mix. This month sure has gone be quickly, which is great for getting through this program... although not so great for work, as I'm trying to get some projects completed this month.

The dosages for today are:
Breakfast - 18.75 cc of Lactagen mixed with apple cranberry juice
Dinner - 20 cc of Lactagen mixed with apple cranberry juice

As far as food I've eaten today:

Peanut butter and jelly sandwich
Stretch Island fruit leather
Peanut butter and jelly sandwich (I was short on creativity today)
Clif bar
Chicken buger patty on toasted bagel with peach slices, baby spinach and raspberry vinaigrette

If you're new to reading this blog, and this is the first page you're reading, this is the Lactagen program. It's designed to train you large intestines to produce micro flora that will break down lactose, since your smaller intestines are no longer producing the lactase enzyme effectively. The great question is, will it cure my lactose intolerance?

Day 32 of the Lactose Intolerance Cure

Whew! I've really been OD'ing on these Clif bars, however, they are lactose free and a good source of balanced nutrition. They've come in handy for the mornings when I don't have time to sit down and eat a breakfast. I just make the lactagen juice mix and take it with me to work and eat the Clif bar with it. 2 more days of taking the Lactagen mix, and then 3 days of lactose rich milk for my dosages.

Dosage today
Breakfast - 17.50 cc of the Lactagen mix with grape juice.
Dinner - 20 cc of the Lactagen mix with Apple Cranberry juice.

As far as food I've eaten today:

Clif Bar
Clif Bar
Whopper (no cheese). I haven't eaten one of these things in years. It was pretty good. Maybe I'll have another one in a year or so.
French fries
Clif Bar
Pasta with beef sausage

If you're new to reading this blog, and this is the first page you're reading, this is the Lactagen program. It's designed to train you large intestines to produce micro flora that will break down lactose, since your smaller intestines are no longer producing the lactase enzyme effectively. The great question is, will it cure my lactose intolerance?

Day 31 of the Lactose Intolerance Cure

One week from today, I'll be eating and drinking dairy to celebrate the end of my lactose intolerance... well, provided the Lactagen really does stop lactose intolerance as it is supposed to do. I think I'll go with pizza from Little Italy's. It's always good to plan ahead. I'd go to a Cheesecake Factory, but the closest one is about an hour and a half away from here. Maybe I'll get a Cheesecake Factory cheesecake sampler from Costco...

Today's dosages are:
Breakfast - 16.25 cc of Lactagen mixed with grape juice
Dinner - 20 cc of Lacatgen mixed with grape juice

As for food I've eaten today:

Clif Bar
Danon yogurt
Khashi black bean and mango
Clif Bar
Apple
Orange Chicken with rice
Saltines

If you're new to reading this blog, and this is the first page you're reading, this is the Lactagen program. It's designed to train you large intestines to produce micro flora that will break down lactose, since your smaller intestines are no longer producing the lactase enzyme effectively. The great question is, will it cure my lactose intolerance?

Day 30 of the Lactose Intolerance Cure

One week from today will be my last day of the Lactagen program. I will have to drink two 12 oz glasses of fully loaded lactose milk that day. I'm crossing my fingers... and anything else I can cross as I hope this will really work.

Today's Dosages are:
Breakfast - 15 cc of Lactagen mixed with grape juice
Dinner - 20 cc of Lactagen mixed with grape juice

Frosted mini wheats and Lactaid lactose free milk
Clif Bar
Roast beef, potatoes, green salad with raspberry vinaigrette
Clif Bar
Pasta with red sauce and beef sausage

If you're new to reading this blog, and this is the first page you're reading, this is the Lactagen program. It's designed to train you large intestines to produce micro flora that will break down lactose, since your smaller intestines are no longer producing the lactase enzyme effectively. The great question is, will it cure my lactose intolerance?

Day 29 of the Lactose Intolerance Cure

I'm feeling just fine today... well, ok. To be perfectly truthful, I'm feeling a little bit bloated and gassy. Yes, I'm sure you're glad you came here to read that. The question is, what's causing the gas. I'm doing very well avoiding lactose in everything I eat, so the only lactose I'm ingesting is the lactose that's part of the Lactagen mix. Now, the Lactobacillus acidophilus in the mix should be countering that just fine, and by now I would think my stomach is producing some of its own Lactobacillus acidophilus.

Today's dosages are:
Breakfast - 13.75 cc of Lactagen mixed with apple juice
Dinner - 20 cc of Lactagen mixed with grape juice

As far as food I've eaten today:

Total with cranberries and Lactaid milk
Cliff bar
Progresso beef and barley soup
German apple pancakes (these are sooo good)

If you're new to reading this blog, and this is the first page you're reading, this is the Lactagen program. It's designed to train you large intestines to produce micro flora that will break down lactose, since your smaller intestines are no longer producing the lactase enzyme effectively. The great question is, will it cure my lactose intolerance?

Day 28 of the Lactose Intolerance Cure

Hmm... this is the last Monday I'll be taking the Lactagen mix. Next Monday the Lactagen mix will be replaced with two 8oz glasses of lactose-laiden milk. One for breakfast and one for dinner. This really has gone by quickly, and I have to say, I'm a bit nervous about next Monday.

Today's dosages are:
Breakfast - 12.5 cc with Apple juice
Dinner - 20 cc with Apple juice

As far as food I ate today:
Oatmeal
Clif bar
Peanut butter and jelly sandwich
Yogurt
General Tso's chicken with rice


If you're new to reading this blog, and this is the first page you're reading, this is the Lactagen program. It's designed to train you large intestines to produce micro flora that will break down lactose, since your smaller intestines are no longer producing the lactase enzyme effectively. The great question is, will it cure my lactose intolerance?

Day 27 of the Lactose Intolerance Cure

It's Sunday. Going to church today, so I'm glad I feel fine.

Today's dosage is:
Breakfast - 11.25 cc of the Lactagen mix with apple juice
Dinner - 20 cc of the Lactagen mix with apple juice.

As far as food today, I ate:
Frosted Mini Wheats with Lactaid lactose free milk
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich
Rotisserie chicken

If you're new to reading this blog, and this is the first page you're reading, this is the Lactagen program. It's designed to train you large intestines to produce micro flora that will break down lactose, since your smaller intestines are no longer producing the lactase enzyme effectively. The great question is, will it cure my lactose intolerance?

Day 26 of the Lactose Intolerance Cure

Feeling fine today. It's a Saturday, and I get to spend the morning playing with one of my kids while the other one is off at a birthday party. Nothing to do with stopping lactose intolerance, but I wanted to give you something to read.

Today's dosage is:
Breakfast - 10 cc of the Lactagen mix with apple juice
Dinner - 20 cc of the Lactagen mix with apple juice.

As far as food today, I ate:

Oatmeal
Rotisserie chicken
Stretch Island fruit leather - raspberry
Spanish rice with beef sausage and black beans
Clif bar

If you're new to reading this blog, and this is the first page you're reading, this is the Lactagen program. It's designed to train you large intestines to produce micro flora that will break down lactose, since your smaller intestines are no longer producing the lactase enzyme effectively. The great question is, will it cure my lactose intolerance?

Day 25 of the Lactose Intolerance Cure

I've been feeling fine since the middle of the day yesterday, so whatever was bothering my stomach seems to have passed. Again, I tend not to think it was the Lactagen, otherwise I would expect a more consistent problem.

Today's dosage is:
Breakfast - 8.75 cc of the Lactagen mix with apple juice
Dinner - 20 cc of the Lactagen mix with apple cider.

As far as food today, I ate:

Post Trail Mix Crunch cereal with Dairy Ease lactose free milk
Clif Bar
Chicken soup
Low fat blueberry yogurt
Stretch Island fruit leather - apricot
Nature Valley pecan crunch granola bar
Pulled pork barbecue with yeast rolls and RiceWorks salsa rice chips

If you're new to reading this blog, and this is the first page you're reading, this is the Lactagen program. It's designed to train you large intestines to produce micro flora that will break down lactose, since your smaller intestines are no longer producing the lactase enzyme effectively. The great question is, will it cure my lactose intolerance?

Day 24 of the Lactose Intolerance Cure

My stomach felt a bit better than yesterday, but not great. This evening, I haven't had any issues.

Today's dosage is:
Breakfast - 7.5 cc of the Lactagen mix with apple juice
Dinner - 20 cc of the Lactagen mix with Chick-fil-a diet lemonade. I couldn't even tell it was in there.

As far as food today, I ate:

Khashi dark chocolate granola with Dairy Easy lactose free milk
Clif Bar
Lean Cuisine Fruit Fusion beef with pineapple teriyaki
Yoplait fat free yogurt
Clif Bar
Granny Smith apple
Chick-fil-a grilled chicken sandwich. (I switched out the bun for some milk free bread)

If you're new to reading this blog, and this is the first page you're reading, this is the Lactagen program. It's designed to train you large intestines to produce micro flora that will break down lactose, since your smaller intestines are no longer producing the lactase enzyme effectively. The great question is, will it cure my lactose intolerance?

Day 23 of the Lactose Intolerance Cure

My stomach was bothering me a bit this morning. It kind of felt like lactose intolerance, but I can't think of what might have brought it on. I haven't had a problem with the Lactagen mix up to this point, so we'll just have to see how it goes over the next few days.

Today's dosage is:
Breakfast - 6.25 cc of the Lactagen mix
Dinner - 20 cc of the Lactagen mix

As far as food today, I ate:

Khashi dark chocolate granola with Dairy Easy lactose free milk
Some Lean Cuisine veggie egg roll with rice
Clif Bar
Banana
Rotisserie chicken, Yeast rolls, Corn and Green beans
Bowl of Total with Cranberries cereal with Dairy Easy lactose free milk
Lemon sorbet

If you're new to reading this blog, and this is the first page you're reading, this is the Lactagen program. It's designed to train you large intestines to produce micro flora that will break down lactose, since your smaller intestines are no longer producing the lactase enzyme effectively. The great question is, will it cure my lactose intolerance?

Day 22 of the Lactose Intolerance Cure

One nice thing about doing this Lactagen program is I have to avoid lactose, which makes it easier to avoid overeating during holiday weekends. Labor day weekend was actually pretty easy to get through. Today, Tuesday, everything is back to normal, and I'm feeling fine and feeling good about not gorging myself over the past few days.

Today's dosage is:
5 cc (1 large scoop) of the Lactagen mix at breakfast.
20 cc (4 large scoops) of the Lactagen mix at dinner.

As far as food today, I ate:

Post Trail Mix Crunch with Dairy Easy lactose free milk
Some Lean Cuisine meal. I don't remember which one
Clif Bar
Green grapes
Pasta with meat sauce
Bowl of Total with cranberries cereal with Dairy Easy lactose free milk

If you're new to reading this blog, and this is the first page you're reading, this is the Lactagen program. It's designed to train you large intestines to produce micro flora that will break down lactose, since your smaller intestines are no longer producing the lactase enzyme effectively. The great question is, will it cure my lactose intolerance?

Day 21 of the Lactose Intolerance Cure

At breakfast time, I struggle to know what to eat with the Lactagen mix. Although the Lactagen program does not say I can't have yogurt or lactose free milk for breakfast, I almost feel like that is cheating. I suppose I can always call the toll free number and check with them if I am really concerned.

Today's dosages
Breakfast - 3.75 cc of Lactagen mix with 6 ounces of apple juice
Dinner - 20 cc of Lactagen mix with 6 ounces of white grape, peach, apple juice. The mix almost seemed to sweeten that up a bit to the point where it was sweeter than I prefer. I'll have to try it with cranberry juice one of these days.

As far as food today, I ate:

Whole wheat pancakes
BBQ Chicken Chunks
Fresh Raspberries
Chicken Strips (yes, it was a chicken-heavy day)
Green grapes
Peach sorbet

If you're new to reading this blog, and this is the first page you're reading, this is the Lactagen program. It's designed to train you large intestines to produce micro flora that will break down lactose, since your smaller intestines are no longer producing the lactase enzyme effectively. The great question is, will it cure my lactose intolerance?

Day 20 of the Lactose Intolerance Cure

Today is Sunday... Aside from feeling healthy (minus the splitting headache), nothing much to note.

Today's dosage:
At Breakfast - 2.5 cc of Lactagen mixed with orange juice
At Dinner - 20 cc of Lactagen mixed with Apple juice

As far as food today, I ate:
Bowl of frosted mini wheats with Daisy Ease lactose free milk
Great Value BBQ Chicken Chunks (unfortunate name, but taste pretty good)
Whole wheat pancakes
Chicken breast wrapped in a flatbread

If you're new to reading this blog, and this is the first page you're reading, this is the Lactagen program. It's designed to train you large intestines to produce micro flora that will break down lactose, since your smaller intestines are no longer producing the lactase enzyme effectively. The great question is, will it cure my lactose intolerance?

Day 19 of the Lactose Intolerance Cure

Gave blood today. It has nothing to do with the Lactagen, but it's mildly eventful.

Well, today is the first day where I take the Lactagen mix both at breakfast and at dinner. With breakfast I mixed the 1.25 cc of Lactagen with Apple Juice. For dinner I also mixed the 20 cc of Lactagen with Apple Juice. It tasted pretty good. So, it appears Lactagen mixes well with at least 3 different juices now.

As far as food today, I ate:
Bowl of frosted mini wheats with Daisy Ease lactose free milk
Toast with homemade blueberry strawberry jam
Clif bar
Lane peanut butter crackers and small OJ (post giving blood)
1 hot dog, no bun
Couple of ounces of whole bean chili
Cinnamon wheat bread
Pulled pork bbq plate from Cook Out (can't wait til I can have their milkshakes again)
Edy's strawberry fruit bar

If you're new to reading this blog, and this is the first page you're reading, this is the Lactagen program. It's designed to train you large intestines to produce micro flora that will break down lactose, since your smaller intestines are no longer producing the lactase enzyme effectively. The great question is, will it cure my lactose intolerance?

Day 18 of the Lactose Intolerance Cure

Felt fine today.

Today's a special day... sort of. I'm about half way through the program. The dosage for today is 20 cc of the Lactagen mix. That's the maxium dosage you take with a meal. After today, I'll take 20 cc of the mix with every dinner, and I'll start building up the dosage with breakfast. When I reach 20 cc of the mix with breakfast, the next step will be actual, lactose-laiden milk for 3 days. I'm still skeptical, but I believe it will work too. Why both? Well, you have to have hope, right? I just don't know that I can eliminate all of the doubt until I get there.

As far as food today, I ate:
8 oz strawberry yogurt with Post Trail Mix crunch cereal. The yogurt, of course, has Lactobacillus acidophilus
Clif bar
Lean Cuisine Cafe Steamers Sweet and Sour Chicken with Orange Zest. (sounds fancy, I know)
Clif bar
Soft Tacos with Chicken, black beans, corn, spinach and salsa
Popcorn

If you're new to reading this blog, and this is the first page you're reading, this is the Lactagen program. It's designed to train you large intestines to produce micro flora that will break down lactose, since your smaller intestines are no longer producing the lactase enzyme effectively. The great question is, will it cure my lactose intolerance?

Day 17 of the Lactose Intolerance Cure

Nothing out of the ordinary about today. Since Monday of this week, I've been eating suboptimally, because my wife and kids have been out of town, and ... I'm lazy when it comes to maknig myself food. I'm be eating better since they came back today.

Tonight's dosage is 18.75 cc of the mix. Again, I went with the orange juice to for maximum drinkibility.

As far as food today, I ate:
Bowl of frosted mini wheats with Dairy Ease milk
Clif bar
Chic-Fil-A spicy chicken wrap with no cheese. Added honey bbq sauce to it.
Bowl of frosted mini wheats with Dairy Ease milk (yes, for dinner too)
6 oz orange juice with Lactagen mix
Green grapes
Blue corn tortilla chips and salsa

If you're new to reading this blog, and this is the first page you're reading, this is the Lactagen program. It's designed to train you large intestines to produce micro flora that will break down lactose, since your smaller intestines are no longer producing the lactase enzyme effectively. The great question is, will it cure my lactose intolerance?

Day 16 of the Lactose Intolerance Cure

Oh, the temptations today. First of all, it was ice cream day at work. Then one of my coworkers brought in Hershey's Special Dark Nuggets with Almonds. First, I thought, "I'm just not even going to look at those."... ... Then later in the day I thought, "Hey, it's dark chocolate. It shouldn't even have any milk in it... if it's any good, that is." Well, I looked at the ingredients on the bag... Lactose. Yes, Hershey's saw fit to intentionally add Lactose to the dark chocolate. Why? Why for the sake of all that's sacred and holy do you add lactose to dark chocolate? It's as if they're saying, "You can't handle real dark chocolate, so we'll dumb it down for you." Long story short, I avoided both the ice cream and the dark chocolate.

Today's dosage is 17.50 cc of the Lactagen mix. I decided to use orange juice tonight. Adding that much of the mix to only 6 ounces of orange juice made the orange juice smooth. Kind of nice.

As far as food today, I ate:
Bowl of frosted mini wheats with Dairy Ease milk
Clif bar
Turkey patty with mushrooms, avocado, tomato lettuce. Ok, it was a turkey burger without the bun
Great Value breaded chicken chunks
1 Peach
6 oz orange juice


If you're new to reading this blog, and this is the first page you're reading, this is the Lactagen program. It's designed to train you large intestines to produce micro flora that will break down lactose, since your smaller intestines are no longer producing the lactase enzyme effectively. The great question is, will it cure my lactose intolerance?

Day 15 of the Lactose Intolerance Cure

No surprises here. I felt just fine today.

The dosage today is 16.25 cc of the mix. I liked it with juice yesterday, so... I used juice again today. I actually measured out the juice exactly to 6 ounces, and I realized... 6 ounces is less than I thought. Up to this point, I've probably been using closer to 8 to 10 ounces of water each day. From this point forward, I'll make sure I keep it at 6 ounces, since the directions say, "Mix with 4 to 6 ounces of water or juice". I'm not sure it really matters that much, but I'll stick to the directions precisely as possible to reduce variances.



As far as food today, I ate:
8 oz strawberry yogurt with Post Trail Mix crunch cereal. The yogurt, of course, has Lactobacillus acidophilus
Lean Cuisine Cafe Steamers Cajun Chicken and Shrimp
1 Peach
Clif bar
Great Value breaded chicken chunks
Green grapes
6 oz v8 fusion blueberry pomegranate juice
Hummus on flatbread



If you're new to reading this blog, and this is the first page you're reading, this is the Lactagen program. It's designed to train you large intestines to produce micro flora that will break down lactose, since your smaller intestines are no longer producing the lactase enzyme effectively. The great question is, will it cure my lactose intolerance?

Day 14 of the Lactose Intolerance Cure

Aside from being a little sleepy, I felt fine today. The lactose problem that harassed me on Saturday seems to be gone. Again, I'm going to have to attribute my stomach issue to what I ate and not to the Lactagen.

That brings me to another point. I should be keeping a daily food diary as well to help make this a little more ... scientific. Or perhaps it will just be another thing to fill the space. When I list out foods, I'll let you know if they contain lactose. I don't anticipate having any, but there was that Kung Pao chicken last Saturday.

I got a little crazy tonight and tried mixing the dosage with juice instead of water. I know, stand back! It almost too exciting to handle. Well, full blown sarcasm aside...
It worked great.

I've reached the point where I'm adding enough of the Lactagen mix to my drink, that's it's noticeable with water. Again, it's not disgusting, but it's not delicious either. Mixing it with juice this time completely hid the flavor. I suppose it depends on what kind of juice you choose. I went with V8 Fusion Blueberry Pomegranate.

As far as food today, I ate:
8 oz strawberry yogurt with Post Trail Mix crunch cereal. The yogurt, of course, has lactobacillus and acidopholus
Lean Cuisine Cafe Steamers Sweet Sesame Chicken
Green grapes
Clif bar
Great Value breaded barbecue chicken
6 oz v8 fusion blueberry pomegranate juice
Organic Hummus with All Bran crackers
Bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios with Dairy Ease milk


If you're new to reading this blog, and this is the first page you're reading, this is the Lactagen program. It's designed to train you large intestines to produce micro flora that will break down lactose, since your smaller intestines are no longer producing the lactase enzyme effectively. The great question is, will it cure my lactose intolerance?

Day 13 of the Lactose Intolerance Cure

Ok, as an update from yesterday... I feel fine today. That tells me I can blame the sickness yesterday on that crappy Kung Pao chicken. It's a little more reassuring to know that the Lactagen medicine in not making me sick.

Today's dosage is 13.75 cc or 2 large scoops and 3 small scoop. I think I might start mixing it with juice to mask the flavor. Although not offensive, it's not delectable either.

If you're new to reading this blog, and this is the first page you're reading, this is the Lactagen program. It's designed to train you large intestines to produce micro flora that will break down lactose, since your smaller intestines are no longer producing the lactase enzyme effectively. The great question is, will it cure my lactose intolerance?

Day 12 of the Lactose Intolerance Cure

Wow, I'm 1/3 of the way through the program. It seems to be going by quickly.

Today, however, was has been a rough day. I've been trying to avoid lactose completely while on this program. Usually, it's not that hard when I'm eating food from home. It's a bit more difficult when eating out. I'm visiting family this weekend, and we stopped by a food court for a quick lunch. I chose a fast food Chinese place, because I figured I could find something without any dairy.

I asked them if they had nutritional info for their foods, and they said they didn't have it at the store. I went ahead and chose Kung Pao Chicken over white rice. It seemed to be a clear sauce, and the chicken is not breaded, so I figured it was ok. Well, within an hour or so, I wasn't feeling so hot. It felt very similar to how I've felt oh so many times before when suffering from lactose intolerance.

Well, this evening I went to the website of this quick serve Chinese food place and checked the nutritional and allergy information. Guess what? Their Kung Pao chicken has milk in it! The irony is their Orange, which is breaded, has no milk in it. So, I gambled, and I lost. It's probably worth pointing out that I have not experienced any lactose reactions on any other day of the program, so I feel confident that the upset stomach today is due to the Kung Pao chicken.

So, having done the program for only 12 days so far (only 11 doses completed by this afternoon) has not yielded enough results to help me through a lunch. It doesn't claim to either. The first 18 days of the program are only supposed to help calm your stomach. Still, it would have been nice not to have had to suffer any ill effects of lactose. Now, while you are supposed to avoid all lactose while on the program, they say a little dairy will not affect the outcome.

Well, tonight's dosage is 12.50 cc of the mix.

If you're new to reading this blog, and this is the first page you're reading, this is the Lactagen program. It's designed to train you large intestines to produce micro flora that will break down lactose, since your smaller intestines are no longer producing the lactase enzyme effectively. The great question is, will it cure my lactose intolerance?

Day 11 of the Lactose Intolerance Cure

The dosage today is 11.25 cc (2 large scoops and 1 small scoop). I mixed it with about 4 ounces of water. There's a noticeable, albeit very light, flavor. If it starts to bother me, I'll just add a little more water.

The only thing that made today stand out is not being at home. I'm going to be traveling for a few days. Fortunately, I remembered to bring the bottle of Lactagen mix with me.

The Lactagen program says if you miss a day, you should just pick up where you left off the next day. If you miss more than 5 days, you are supposed to call their toll free support line to get some guidance.

If you're new to reading this blog, and this is the first page you're reading, this is the Lactagen program. It's designed to train you large intestines to produce micro flora that will break down lactose, since your smaller intestines are no longer producing the lactase enzyme effectively. The great question is, will it cure my lactose intolerance?

Day 10 of the Lactose Intolerance Cure

Another day, feeling like any other day. No surprises.

Today is a big day... dosage-wise. The dose this evening is 10 cc of the mix.

So, what does 10 cc look like mixed with water? It starts like this... Well, 2 scoops of this.

It's a very fine powder, as you can see when it enters the water.

And 10 cc mixed into the water makes it pretty cloudy.

As fine as the powder is, however, it never seems to completely dissolve. I find I have to continue to stir it between sips.

If you're new to reading this blog, and this is the first page you're reading, this is the Lactagen program. It's designed to train you large intestines to produce micro flora that will break down lactose, since your smaller intestines are no longer producing the lactase enzyme effectively. The great question is, will it cure my lactose intolerance?

Day 9 of the Lactose Intolerance Cure

Today the dosage was upped to 8.75cc of the mixture (3 small scoops and 1 large scoop). It was definitely noticeable in 4-6 ounces of water. Nothing unpleasant, just ... there.

Tomorrow's dosage will be 2 large scoops, or for those of you who prefer the metric measurement, 10 cc.

I'm not sure if some of you readers are expecting some really exciting occurrences during this trial, but unless my body just decides to revolt, I expect this to remain fairly uneventful. Sorry to let people down. I could add photos or videos of stirring up the mix with water and drinking it... Sounds like entertainment at its finest.

If you're new to reading this blog, and this is the first page you're reading, this is the Lactagen program. It's designed to train you large intestines to produce micro flora that will break down lactose, since your smaller intestines are no longer producing the lactase enzyme effectively. The great question is, will it cure my lactose intolerance?

Day 8 of the Lactose Intolerance Cure

Today was.... normal. Were you expecting anything else? So far being on this program has not seemed to cause any lactose intolerance discomfort. Maybe I've been lucky up to this point. Or perhaps the program is designed to ease you into it to avoid discomfort.

The dosage tonight was 7.50 cc of the mix. Mixing it with water made it seem noticeably smoother and slightly sweet; certainly nothing that I can see causing any problem. Of course, as I reach 20cc, I may feel differently. I don't see the water getting chunky or anything; perhaps it will be a little like milk.

If you're new to reading this blog, and this is the first page you're reading, this is the Lactagen program. The great question is, will it cure my lactose intolerance?

Day 7 of the Lactose Intolerance Cure

So, how did I feel? Well, actually a little bloated this morning. I felt better by early afternoon. I have no idea if it was related to the medicine. I could have been dinner. I did not, however, have any other symptoms of lactose intolerance. Of course, aside from the mixture used in the program, I've been completely avoiding lactose.

Today's dosage was 6.25 cc of the mix. 1 large scoop and 1 small scoop. I used about 4 ounces of water to see if I could taste the mix this time. I could... almost taste it. It seemed to smooth out the water and give it a slightly sweet taste. Overall, not bad... hardly perceptible and not bad.

If you're new to reading this blog, and this is the first page you're reading, this is the Lactagen program. The great question is, will it cure my lactose intolerance?

Day 6 of the Lactose Intolerance Cure

Today was pretty uneventful, but in a good way. I felt just fine.

The only difficult thing about this program so far is avoiding lactose during these 37 days.

Tonight's dosage seemed like a lot, a whole 5 cc of the mix. It turned the water cloudy, but I still really couldn't taste it.

What I really like about this program is it is clear about what you should do each day, and it gives you a clean, simple chart to help you track your dosages.

If you're new to reading this blog, and this is the first page you're reading, this is the Lactagen program. The great question is, will it cure my lactose intolerance?

Day 5 of the Lactose Intolerance Cure

Aside from moving up in dosage, day 5 has been pretty uneventful. I still feel just... normal. Not lactose-sick normal... just normal.

Today's dosage is 3 small scoops of the mixture. 1.25x3 = 3.75cc.

Day six will move up to the larger yellow scoop, which is 5cc. By the end of the first 18 days, I'll be up to 20cc and by the end second 16 days, I'll be up to 40cc of the mixture. It sure sounds like a lot, but I'm excited... and nervous to see if it works. Again, the straight glasses of milk on day 34 is what really has me nervous.

I still have a ways to go, so ... time will tell.

If you're new to reading this blog, and this is the first page you're reading, this is the Lactagen program. The great question is, will it cure my lactose intolerance?

Day 4 of the Lactose Intolerance Cure

So far, this is waaaayyyy too easy. Felt fine today as well.

Tonight I doubled the dosage, from 1 scoop... to 2 scoops. So more specifically from 1.25cc to 2.5 cc of the mixture. I mixed it with about 4 ounces of water, and it was still pretty imperceptible.

Tomorrow, the dosage goes up to 3 scoops. Eventually the program will require using the larger scoop, which is 5cc and then multiples of that one. You also move up to taking the mixture 2 times a day. You get the idea.

I still have to ask if this will actually cure my lactose intolerance. I want to believe it. I've seen it work for my father... so why not me? I just have this concern that perhaps my case will be different. I guess I'm just jaded from so many years of having this problem. Again, time will tell. On day 34 I actually have to drink 8 ounces of milk. I'd say that will be a pretty good test.

If you're new to reading this blog, and this is the first page you're reading, this is the Lactagen program. The great question is, will it cure my lactose intolerance?

Day 3 of the Lactose Intolerance Cure

I've been taking Lactagen for 3 days now out of the 37 day program. Well, I haven't died yet. That's usually a good sign. Actually, today felt pretty much like any other day.

Tonight the dosage is the same as day 1 and day 2. 1 small scoop mixed with 4 to 6 ounces of water or juice. I chose water again tonight. This night is different, because I'm not taking a yogurt with it.

From here on out, the dosages will increase each day.

The program allows you to eat dairy during the program as long as it is 100% lactose free. So starting the day with a bowl of cereal and lactose free milk felt... normal. The program also recommends you eat a few servings of yogurt each week, so I obliged today with a yogurt for a snack to replace the protein bar I usually eat. I still have another 34 days of the program, but it feels like it will go by quickly.

If you're new to reading this blog, and this is the first page you're reading, this is the Lactagen program. The great question is, will it cure my lactose intolerance?

Day 2 of the Lactose Intolerance Cure

I felt just fine today. Avoiding dairy all day was a little tough, as there are always so many temptations. I usually eat a Zone bar (peanut butter or fudge graham, both covered with milk chocolate) for a mid morning snack about an hour before working out each weekday. I'll have to find an alternative protein source for my snack time for the next 36 days.

The day 2 dosage is the same as the first day. With dinner, you take one small scoop (1.25cc) of powder, mix it with 4-6 oz of water or juice and drink it. You're also supposed to eat 8 ounces of yogurt at the same time. The Yogurt is supposed to help, since it has the Lactobacillus Acidophilus in it.

I chose to mix it with water again tonight, but used a little less water this time. I'm not positive, but there might have been a very slight sweet taste to it.

I took it a couple of hours ago, and again I feel fine.

Day 3 will be the same dosage but from this point forward, they don't ask you to take any yogurt with the dosages.

If you're new to reading this blog, and this is the first page you're reading, this is the Lactagen program. The great question is, will it cure my lactose intolerance?

Day 1 of the Lactose Intolerance Cure

Simple. With dinner, you take one small scoop (1.25cc) of powder, mix it with water or juice and drink it. You're also supposed to eat 8 ounces of yogurt at the same time. The Yogurt is supposed to help, since it has the Lactobacillus Acidophilus in it.

I chose to mix it with water. There was such a small amount, I couldn't even taste it.

I took it a couple of hours ago, and I feel fine... so far.

If you're new to reading this blog, and this is the first page you're reading, this is the Lactagen program. The great question is, will it cure my lactose intolerance?

My Path to End Lactose Intolerance... and to bring peace to the world

So, I'm starting a lactose intolerance cure. After 20 years of having this problem, a cure sounds about as feasible as world peace..., but equally desirable. A few weeks ago, I thought Lactagen was just a lame informercial. But, here I am, getting ready to start the Lactagen program.

I will start the program tonight and track my progress through the program for whoever this may help. It's probably just for my own satisfaction, but if it helps someone else... great. No, fantastic! I mean, if I've been hoping for a cure to lactose intolerance for so long, I'm sure other people have been desperate for help too. Again, no guarantees. We'll just have to see, so stick with me and find out what happens.

First of all, what is Lactagen? (This information comes right from their documentation)
"Lactagen is a one-time, 38 day program that helps the body recondition itself to digest dairy products without the painful and embarrassing symptoms of gas, diarrhea and cramps.

How Lactagen Works

1st - The Lactagen program works to calm you digestive system enabling the reconditioning process to take place.

2nd - Lactagen gradually reconditions the body by specifically training the micro-flora to better handle breaking down lactose.

3rd - The Lactagen Program re-introduces dairy into the diet comfortably & painlessly, so that the micro-flora has the ability to consistently break down the dairy products on its own."

Micro-flora? You got that? The site explains it as the naturally occurring bacteria in your stomach that breaks down food. This is same time of bacteria that breaks down the lactose in yogurt. What's interesting is that this program does not train your body to produce more lactase. Apparently, that's not possible. Fine with me. As long as it works, I'm good with that.

They claim that once you complete the program, you won't ever need to take dietary supplements, like lactase enzyme pills, anymore. Well, that's exactly what I'm hoping for.

Ok, great. So, what IS the program? Well, I recived the package, and it's a bottle and some instructions. Inside the bottle are 2 different size scoops and some fine white powder. The powder is a blend of Lactose, Calcium Phosphate Tribasic, Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Fructooligosaccharides (FOS), Microcrystalline Cellulose and Silica. Basically, you consume the mix over the period of the program.

Here's the Lactagen bottle. Along with the instructions, this is the whole program.

2 Scoops of flavor... It comes with a 1.25 cc scoop and a 5 cc scoop.

The program is broken down into 3 stages.

Days 1 to 18 - Designed to calm your stomach.

Days 19 to 34 - Trains your large intestines to make the micro-flora more helpful in breaking down lactose

Days 35 to 38 - Reintroduce dairy into your diet.


Let's get started!

Ready for a Change

After living with lactose intolerance for 20 years, I'm actually taking the plunge and trying a lactose intolerance cure. I say "trying", because, frankly,... I'm skeptical. It seems too much to ask to be able to able to once again each any dairy I wish without ending up with bloating, horribly uncomfortable gas, and cramping and diarrhea that almost makes you wish you were dead. Yes, I'm ready to leave that all behind, so I'm willing to try this program that promises to cure me from my lactose woes.

The program is called Lactagen. I've seen it before and been too skeptical to try it, because it's not cheap, and the advertising... frankly feels like a cheesy (pun intended) infomercial. But my father surprised me the other day by letting me know he just completed the program. He was here visiting, and while here, he successfully ate pizza and key lime pie with no dietary supplements. And he said since then he's also eaten cheesecake and other milk laiden foods without any problems. That's all I needed to hear. His own experience, so far, gave credibility to the claims and testimonials made on the Lactagen website.

I went ahead and ordered the program, kit, whatever you want to call it, last Thursday, and it arrived today, Monday. That was fast!

This is a 37 day program, and I'm going to document each day of the experience for myself, and whoever else cares to follow along. Of course, the real proof will be seeing how I do after I complete the program... We'll just have to see.

The Safe Foods and the Not So Safe Foods

Lactose intolerance brings a certain sadness with it as you realize that your life (well, at least your diet) has to change dramatically to avoid getting sick all the time. Then even when you think you're doing well avoiding certain foods, you still seem to get sick, which only adds to the frustration.

I learned to scan food labels within seconds to know if they contained any of the dangerous ingredients, such as milk, lactose, whey. Nowadays, food labels have "Contains: Milk" at the end of ingredients, which makes things a whole lot easier.

I was so excited when I found out that I could eat yogurt and not get sick. That was also the first time I found out that there were live bacteria cultures in yogurt. But who cares? I was willing to let little bacteria swim around in my stomach if it meant I could eat some more dairy products.

There are many foods out there that are made from milk, but are safe to eat for the lactose intolerant. There are also many foods that have lactose hidden within them.

Safe Foods:

• Yogurts (with lactobacillus and acidopholus). - Really pretty much any yogurt. This does not include yogurt covered raisins and such.
• Frozen Yogurts. I recommend Edy's or Dreyer's (same product just different names in different parts of the country. This brand has the texture, consistency and flavor of regular ice cream.
• Sorbets and Italian Ices - Yes, dairy free.
• Gelato - Many gelatos are made without any milk. Others do have milk. Just have to ask.
  
• Butter - Butter is almost entirely lactose-free. Many labels can be misleading about this. They say "Contains: Milk"... which is partially correct. It's a milk related product, but has only traces of lactose at most. This wouldn't affect most people unless you ate tons of butter, ... and then you'd be sick for other reasons. It's only dangerous for people who have a milk allergy, because of the milk protein.
  
• Hard Cheeses - The harder the cheese, the less lactose. You may be able to get by without a pill if your don't eat much.
• Dark Chocolate - You do want to check, of course. Some dark chocolates have milk added to smooth it out, but other are lactose free. The cocoa butter is not a milk product at all.

Not So Safe Foods:
You know to watch for milk, but did you know that whey (a by-product of cheese production) has lactose in it as well? Well, milk, whey, and even straight lactose are added to all sorts of foods... Make sure you read the labels.

• Sherbet - Yes, it's made with milk.
• Chewable Vitamin C. Yes, you read that correctly. At least one brand I know of uses lactose in their chewable vitamin C tablets... at least in the bottle of orange flavored ones.
  
• Cookies - More cookies than not have milk in them. Maybe not enough to make you sick immediately, but it does build up.
  
• Crackers - It's not just the cheese ones that have milk in them.
  
• Chips - Sure, sour cream, cheese, or ranch have milk, but so do some salt and vinegar chips and others.
  
• Breads - Many breads have milk in them, so make sure to read those labels.
• Margarine - Although made from vegetable oils, many margarines are mixed with milk and do contain lactose.
  
• Sauces - Not just the cheese sauces, you also may find cheese in red pasta sauce, pesto sauce, etc.
• Soups - Watch for the cheeses and milk in there.
  
• Candy - Did you know that sour straws have straight lactose in them? So do some other candies that wouldn't seem obvious to have dairy.
  
• And more - Trust me, you'll find lactose in the most surprising of foods.

So, what's the take-away? READ the labels. Know your limits. Sure, you can get away with a cookie or two, but how about 2 cookies, a few chips, and some pasta sauce. Is that enough to send you running to the bathroom when you least expect it? The build up is the hardest to deal with, because it seems to sneak up on you.

Is Lactose Intolerance a Milk Allergy?

In a word, "No".

Many people confuse lactose intolerance with an allergy to milk products, but these are fundamentally different issues.

In both cases, your body doesn't do well will dairy products, but it's for different reasons.

With lactose intolerance, your body can't break down the milk sugar lactose, and you feel sick as your body does whatever it takes to get rid of the lactose.

With a milk allergy, lactose is not the issue. You actually have an allergy to the protein structure of milk. You can take lactase enzyme pills all day long, but it wont stop your allergic reaction to dairy products.

What is Lactose and Why is it a Problem?

Here's the simple answer. Lactose is milk sugar. It's a naturally occurring sugar just like fructose is a naturally occurring sugar found in fruit.

Lactose becomes a problem for people when their body can no longer break down the milk sugar. The body can't break it down and use it, so it has to get rid of it. Your body first retains water since the lactose can't be absorbed into your blood. This creates bloating, gas and eventually the 'D' word... yes, diarrhea. Unfortunately for us lactose intolerant... and also for all around us, this is an unpleasant event.

So, why does your body stop breaking down lactose? Well, your stomach contains enzymes that help break down many different foods. Lactase is the enzyme that breaks down Lactose. For some people, their body begins producing less and less lactase over the years. This is one reason why lactose intolerance comes later in life for a lot of people. This is also why it gets worse for some people as they get older.

Many people, myself included, have asked if it's possible to make your body start producing lactase enzymes again. Unfortunatley, no one seems to have figured out how to make that happen yet. There have been some attempts, however, to find alternate ways to digest lactose that don't require lactase. For example, lactobacillus is a naturally occuring bacteria that breaks down milk sugar. So, can you get your body to break down milk this way? That's the big question some companies are trying to answer.

You can always take the lactase enzyme pills as you eat dairy products to aid your body to break down the lactose. Depending on the severity of your lactose intolerance, the success of taking thes pills ranges from great to... "oh, I shouldn't have eaten that."

Living with Lactose for 20 years now

Back in 1988, I started getting sick a lot during my senior year of high school. Not fever sick, but rather uncomfortable sick accompanied by gas and the dreaded 'D' word... My stomach would cramp up with intense pain, and I had to find a bathroom quick. Not exactly the way one wants to spend their days at school, or anywhere, for that matter.

When visiting the family physician, he told me to lay off the milk products and see if that made a difference. Sure enough, I began to notice that my sick spells seemed to coincide with drinking milk or eating dairy products like cheese. That's when I found out I was Lactose Intolerant... NOOOOO!!!

What was I going to do? I liked, no... LOVED milk products... far too much to keep away from them. They were part of my daily diet each and every day. I used to drink about 2 glasses of milk a day, 3 if you include the milk in my cereal each morning. I loved the cool smooth sensation and flavor of ice cream as if slid down my throat. I loved the ways cheese improved just about any food it touched. My life was ruined. I was doomed.

I soon discovered there were pills, "magic pills" I called them, that would allow me to still consume dairy products. All I had to do was take one or two of these pills before eating any milk, cheese, ice cream, etc, and I would be ok... well, mostly ok. Even with these pills, I learned that there was such a thing as too much dairy. I would still get sick, just not quite as often. Nonetheless, the pills allowed me to still enjoy some dairy in my diet.

Over the years, my lactose intolerance has become worse. My body doesn't just not tolerate lactose, it loathes it, and it lets me know that frequently. I find I need to take pills more often, and they don't always help me like I hope they would.

Fortunatley, over the years these pills have improved. Mainly they've just upped the active ingredient of each pill, and made them work more quickly. I've also learned what foods I can eat safely, and which one have lactose hidden within them. This has helped me to adjust and endure over the years.

Well, I'm tired of this problem. Not just because getting sick makes me tired and gives me dark circles under my eyes, but rather, tired of dealing with this life disrupting problem. I'm looking for freedom from the trouble that lactose has given me for the last 20 years.