'Milking' away my allergies

In the second series of how I detected hidden allergens in foods I will focus on dairy products.  As I stated before I thought that I was eating carefully and taking the precautions of avoiding dairy and all of it's related products.  Unbeknownst to me; I was still ingesting dairy in unfamiliar forms and still suffering the effects from that.

Some people cannot drink milk because they lack the enzyme that breaks down lactose which is a sugar found in milk.  These people are known as lactose intolerant.  However, I like others cannot have dairy because it is highly mucous forming and causes asthma and allergy flare ups as well as breathing difficulties from the formed mucous in the body.

As I began to research, I discovered dairy comes in many forms that many are not aware of. I will list ingredients to to watch out for when reading labels.

Whey ( in all forms)
Whey protein hydrolysate is used for cider and wines
When solids
Curds
Milk solids
Lactalbumin
Caseinate, Casen
Sodium caseinate
Casein hydrolysate
Diaacetyl
Ghee
Lactalbumin, Lactalbumin phosphate
Lactose, Lactulose, Lactoferrin, Lactitol
Racaldent
Rennet casein
Milk in all forms including condensed, derivative, dry, evaporated, goat's milk and milk from other animals

Foods commonly containing dairy

Custard, puddings, yogurts
All cheese unless stated dairy free
Half and half
Hot chocolate mixes
Non dairy creamers
Spreads including artificial butter, butter, artificial butter flavor and many margarines (even though they state non-dairy on the label)
Boxed dinners, mashed potatoes, gravies, vegetables in sauces and creams or cheese
Canned pasta meals
Prepared meats including hot dogs, sausages and lunch meats
Salad dressings
Sherbet and some sorbets
Many kinds of chocolate (cocoa powder is dairy free)
Caramel candies, Nougat candy, Malted milk balls
Meal replacement drinks (like Slim Fast) and bars

After I discovered these ingredients, it made a world of difference in my health as I was taking in many of these ingredients.  Fortunately we are living in an age where there are so many dairy alternatives that are nutritious and delicious. Look for that post for these alternatives in my next blog.