<p>Ok so I found out today I am allergic to cow’s milk, egg whites and cod fish. I am ok living without the fish and for eggs I can buy egg substitutes but I m a little iffy on the milk alternatives. I know there is rich milk, silk and almond milk but I am scared to try them. Anyone here ever tried any of them and which is more of a milk like taste?</p>
<p>On a side note I hate when a doctor runs tests and never tells you they are adding things in. In this case it kinda works out because I have been having stomach issues and it is nice to know why and maybe avoiding the above mentioned things will help. However, I had n idea they were running this test. I came in with another issue (female in nature) and they were supposed to just be checking my hormone levels and according to the doctor they must have accidentally check this box when sending in the paperwork.</p>
<p>We love refrigerated “Silk”, a soymilk that comes in a regular half gallon milk-carton in the dairy case. The regular/original version in the red carton is our preference, but there are many varieties. If you want something a little sweeter, try Silk “vanilla” in the blue carton. Silk is available at all of our neighborhood groceries and even the closest Target! Our Costco has been carrying the vanilla flavor (3-pack of half gallons). I prefer the soymilks in the refrigerated case to those that are shelf-stable and come in aseptic packaging, though I keep a couple of those on hand in case we run out of the fresh stuff.</p>
<p>Oh, RebelCats, that’s too bad - it is such a hassle to look for replacements of everyday products… You say you are allergic to eggs. If you like mayo, the best eggless mayo I’ve ever tasted is Vegenaise. I’m not vegan or even vegetarian, but I like the taste of it!</p>
<p>Some people that are allergic to milk and eggs tolerate organic milk and organic eggs. Some people tolerate whole fat milk better than skim (me included). Some people that are allergic to cows milk gain a lot of benefit from using lactase enzymes. Some tolerate goats milk (smaller animal, smaller peptides).</p>
<p>Both D & H have recently discovered that they are lactose intolerant. H has to avoid milk, cheese, and yogurt. He uses Lactaid before eating things with dairy (when he really wants to eat something like that). D can eat yogurt & cheese, but has to avoid milk. She had to stop eating ice cream, drinking lattes, etc. She uses almond milk sometimes & likes it.</p>
<p>We like soy & rice milk. We are fine with the cases from Costco with the packaging with very long shelf lives that don’t need refrigeration. Hubby prefers the rice milk over the soy and it’s better for him (folks with thyroid issues need to be more careful with soy products). I think that drinking soy milk has helped make my menopause symptoms nearly non-existent, for which I’m very grateful.</p>
<p>We are even able to cook with soy & rice milk & it turns out OK. It does take some adjustment to avoid milk & milk products. Depending on your sensitivity/allergy, reading the labels can be quite tedious as well. We can take all consume at least small quantities, so we don’t have to THAT careful about reading the labels.</p>
<p>Good luck! Eggs are a bit of a challenge to avoid, but labelling requirements are getting more stringent since so many are allergic these days.</p>
<p>I love almond milk. I think the original flavor is probably the closest approximation I have found to cow’s milk (a bit less of its own flavor than soy). Almond is a bit less fatty too. I would compare soy to full fat, almond to 1 or 2% and rice to skim. There’s also a milk alternative based off of coconut milk which does not really taste like cocnut and is actually pretty good (very neutral/milky flavor).</p>
<p>I am lactose intolerant (came on in my 40s :(). I like light vanilla soy milk, it has fewer calories than regular soy or vanilla soy. I will buy Silk, but there may be other brands available. Our grocery store puts Silk in the natural food section, but there is another brand (cheaper!) with the milk. I just buy whichever is cheaper, they taste the same to me. Neither is organic.</p>
<p>I actually don’t drink it by the glass, but I put it on cereal and make smoothies with it (fruit - fresh or frozen, silk, oj, and and a teaspoon of sugar in the blender or food processor).</p>
<p>Don’t be too squeamish about trying different things. It is $3-4 per container, so just buy some different ones and try them out. If you hate it, dump it…</p>
<p>I have also found that I can eat some dairy without consequence (some cheese, some sour cream, a bit of cream on oatmeal). I can’t drink a glass of milk or have a lot of diary, but small amounts are okay.</p>
<p>I have also developed a taste for soy yogurt, especially lemon. The first couple of times I tried it it tasted a little watery to me. But I have gotten past that, and really like it now.</p>
<p>As Post #8 says- allergy to milk and lactose intolerance are two different things. If you were having gas, cramps, stomach ache you could very well have lactose intolerance and using Lactaid milk would reduce your symptoms. Many can eat yogurt, cheese and even cooked milk without problems. Others are more sensitive, need to avoid all dairy. </p>
<p>Blood tests for food allergies are sometimes done, but are not very reliable. Skin testing is more reliable, but you would go to an allergist for that. I would be suspicious of a blood test showing allergy to cod, eggs and milk. See an allergist if you want to know for sure.</p>
<p>Yea, try soy milk or rice/almond/hemp milk on a bowl of cereal with fruit and it will be fine. Try different brands and you will find the one/s you like best.</p>
<p>I agree that blood tests (and skin tests) for food allergies are quite unreliable. I have had several performed on me & my kids over the years. We had them done several times in HI & also at National Jewish, which is known for their treatment of respiratory disease and allergies. The docs at NJ admitted candidly that the blood tests and skin tests are not accurate for food allergies, which continue to be somewhat of a mystery to docs.</p>
<p>It is nice that there are more products available these days that have a wide variety of flavors (as well as prices) so that people can have choices. Hubby was delighted to learn that sorbets/sorbettos do NOT have any milk product, so he can enjoy them. There are some other non-dairy desserts that he has come to enjoy, in the freezer section of stores and while out at various dessert places.</p>
<p>I think you should see an allergist. My son’s food allergies did not play out as ‘stomach issues’. </p>
<p>Lactose intolerance does manifest as stomach/intestinal issues, but allergy treatments won’t do anything for it. I have to stay away from milk and ice cream, but yogurt is fine, and cheese is OK as long as I don’t overdo it.</p>
<p>As others have said, the tests for food allergies are not very reliable. Don’t change your diet on the basis of a single blood test that wasn’t done under the orders of a specialist.</p>
<p>Even done under the orders & supervision of specialists, there is just a whole lot that is not understood about food allergies. I got this directly from many allergists & specialists (we saw a total of 5-6 for me and each of the kids. Some folks DO notice a huge improvement in health symptoms when they eliminate varying forms of dairy, but it’s important (especially for growing kids) to be sure that all essential nutrients remain in the diet.</p>
<p>Good luck in sorting all of this out. It was a real struggle for our family, but important.</p>
<p>RebelCats, I have a number of food allergies, including eggs and milk. They were diagnosed by an allergist using blood tests and elimination tests ( the most reliable for food allergies). There is a real difference between allergies and intolerances. If you are allergic as opposed to intolerant, milk in any form will cause a reaction, this includes cheese, yogurt, butter. Eggs will cause a reaction cooked or raw. Organic makes no difference. It can be difficult because sometime it seems that you can eat small amounts of certain foods without any reaction. Then the next day day you will eat the same thing and have a reaction. According to my doctor this is common with all kinds of allergies, not just food allergies. Food allergies are hard to diagnose and hard to deal with, particularly in adults. They can present as skin rashes, as gastrointestinal issues, as upper respiratory or as joint pain, just to name a few. </p>
<p>My advice is avoid them as much as you can, find a doctor who you are comfortable with and trust. Be careful in taking advice from the internet, other people, etc. until you reach a place that you are comfortable with you diagnosis.</p>
<p>I’m another lactose intolerant person (since my late teens), and a couple of my kids are, too. I put soy milk (plain–I don’t like the vanilla flavored one) in my tea. I like it, and if I ever taste cows milk now, that tastes yucky. I’ve also tried goat milk, which is OK, (I can tolerate it, it doesn’t make me sick) but it has that “goaty” taste (unless it is super fresh and super cold). It is something I could get used to, but I prefer the soy milk. I can eat yogurt and sharp cheddar cheese. Sometimes I’ll use lactaid pills if I have pizza, etc. Now someone told me not to use soy milk because it causes cancer(?) I’ve been using it for many years (only about a cup or so a day), so I wonder if I should stop. Anyone heard of this? I don’t really eat any other soy products. </p>
<p>My neighbors are gluten intolerant–I feel so sorry for those kids! That would be a hard diet for me to follow.</p>
<p>I told my husband last night that for awhile i will eliminate, as best I can, milk and eggs from my diet and see if I see any improvements. I did a little research and neither the skin test or the blood test is 100% accurate and eliminating the suspected food and looking for improvements and then adding it back is the best way to check for allergies to a certain food.</p>
<p>I also went and did some of research and it does say depending on how allergic one is to milk it can show as digestive issues.</p>
<p>We are the only species on the planet which continues to consume milk after weaning. Many people become lactose intolerant as time goes on. We don’t really need milk, so unless you just like it, there is really no need to try to find a substitute in soy milks or almond milks, etc. There are other sources of calcium if that’s a concern.</p>