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Low Carb diet and Lactose intolerance

Royjk

Well-Known Member
Messages
89
Location
Prague
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Insulin
So, simple question how do lactose intolerant T2 diabetics deal with low carb diets.

Royjk
 
So, simple question how do lactose intolerant T2 diabetics deal with low carb diets.

Royjk
Almond milk is much lower in carbs than dairy milk. I don't think it would be too hard these days for lactose intolerant low carbers with a lot of lacto free products available.

My daughter is lactose intolerant and she just has to read labels very carefully. Most of the processed foods that you might avoid when low carbing also contain a lot of milk products such as skimmed milk powder etc.

I do not appear to be lactose intolerant, but I use almond milk and always have lacto-free products in for her, but would only eat things like cheese or cream due to the carb issue anyway. Dairy milk, lacto-free or otherwise will raise my blood sugar a lot.
 
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So, simple question how do lactose intolerant T2 diabetics deal with low carb diets.

Royjk
I'm thankfully not lactose intolerant, but I have a friend who is and I take this into account when eating together. Which is not the same as living it every day of course.
If I cook for her, I make sure to not use cream, milk, yoghurt or soft cheeses. I usually cook from scratch but I double check any ready made products I may use for lactose.

For proteins, there is still all the meat, eggs, fish, hard cheeses, tofu type products. All veggies are good to go too of course. And there are quite a few LC vegan substitutes nowadays if you have a recipe needing cream or milk, although I've never used them.
 
I'm not lactose intolerant, but my usual keto diet would accommodate it if I left out yoghurt, cheese and butter. So - protein sources meat fish and eggs, any green vegetables, would all be okay.
 
If I was lactose intolerant (I'm not) I'd just exclude cream, butter and soft cheese that I currently eat. That leaves meat/fish/veg, so still plenty of natural fats and proteins.
 
I too was just reflecting that if I was lactose intolerant a few small alterations would be all that was required.
Every week or so I use a small amount of milk in a dessert, but it would be easy enough to add another egg for instance.
 
I’m not lactose intolerant but I try to avoid too much dairy as it affects my weight. Instead of cream, yogurt etc I use coconut cream, don’t use much butter, although butter is fine for lacto intolerance, but I use good oils like EVOO, avocado oil, coconut oil. Dressings for salads with oils & vinegars. A good homemade mayo is great for all sorts of dressings on both hot & cold food, mashed avocado mixed with mayo is a fab dressing, I do use hard cheeses like Parmesan & Pecorino & Manchego.

I think low carb & lactose intolerance is very doable

I don’t drink milks at all but unsweetened almond milk & coconut milk are good, just make sure they are unsweetened. Avoid oat milk & rice milk as they are very high in carbs. Processed foods tend to have dairy products in also so best avoided, but that also applies to low carbing too.
 
Hello @Antje77, so my neurologist put me on prednisone 5 years ago, and told me I will need to be under a diabetic doctor as my BG will be all over the place. The hypo's came by strict low carb carb diet, and close BG control with insulin. I was very ill with a hypo, then insulin stopped working, my doctor put me on a very low dose, which was too high. That all resolved after 5 months, with a two week hospitalisation with antibiotics and IVIg. Since then weight went back up, to normal, bread and potatoes came back on the plate, and insulin was adjusted for higher BG levels. But my last A1c was still 38. I am type 2. I feel I need the low carb diet but am not sure it is a good idea anymore.
Royjk
You probably already know about all these things, but in case they can be of any help to you, here what helps me.
You can find lactose free milk, cream, various types of cheese etc. Also some cheeses are naturally lactose free, eg cheddar. Lactose is a type of sugar, so cheese with 0 sugar should have no lactose. There are also enzymes called lactase that can help digest lactose.
 
Hello @Deemedi, thanks for your reply. I was in my 60's when I found out about lactose free alternatives for milk products. So after living without anything that looked or smelt like cheese, butter, margerine or milk, I found I was too set in my ways to let them in. So I like coconut, and almonds, but not enough to take them as a milk alternative. The real problem starts with cakes, and things like gateaux. Instead of butter i cook with things like, flour, sugar, dried fruit, eggs, and suet. Tastes very nice, but the flour, and sugar are bad for diabetes and the suet is not good for cholesterol. Dried fruit omelet does not work. So with diabetes I cut out the only cake I like. I know low carb means no cake, bread and potatoes, But I am on low fat, low protein, and if I do continue to do low carb, I end up with very little to eat. So i am searching for alternatives. There was a Canadian guy Dr Fung on you tube who suggested that the higher glycemic index foods were ok in moderation eaten in the later half of the meal.
Royjk
 
I’m not lactose intolerant but I try to avoid too much dairy as it affects my weight. Instead of cream, yogurt etc I use coconut cream, don’t use much butter, although butter is fine for lacto intolerance, but I use good oils like EVOO, avocado oil, coconut oil. Dressings for salads with oils & vinegars. A good homemade mayo is great for all sorts of dressings on both hot & cold food, mashed avocado mixed with mayo is a fab dressing, I do use hard cheeses like Parmesan & Pecorino & Manchego.

I think low carb & lactose intolerance is very doable

I don’t drink milks at all but unsweetened almond milk & coconut milk are good, just make sure they are unsweetened. Avoid oat milk & rice milk as they are very high in carbs. Processed foods tend to have dairy products in also so best avoided, but that also applies to low carbing too.
Saying that ‘butter is fine for lacto intolerance’ is WRONG! The smallest amount plays havoc for me. But thank you for the other suggestions, especially the warning about oat milk being high in carbs.
 
So, simple question how do lactose intolerant T2 diabetics deal with low carb diets.

Royjk
Hard cheese virtually no lactose couple of tiny slices or grated on homemade burgers Buckwheat low carb's.
Wholemeal wraps instead of bread
Honestly look into low GI absolute headache but points you in the right direction changes how you see carb's.
Try to eat what you like but substitute.
Try different oat milks there is a difference.
Fake cheese violife seems OK but honestly I'd prefer a tiny bit hard cheese.
So, simple question how do lactose intolerant T2 diabetics deal with low carb diets.

Royjk
 
@Royjk I’m in agreement with @Moony , hard cheese has low lactose levels.

I am lactose intolerant. I tested positive for lactose intolerance in my early 40’s by my gastroenterologist .

I can cope with very small amounts of regular milk, like what I put in my tea . If I have 3-4 teas with regular milk then it triggers IBS. I can also cope with very small amounts of regular cream too. Butter, I have no problems with nor do I have a reaction to Greek yoghurt in small quantities.
What you can tolerate varies from person to person. I can have very small amounts of lactose. If I over indulge the lactose will trigger IBS.
I know of one person who cannot tolerate any lactose what-so-ever, else she’s doubled up in pain. Thankfully I can have small amounts of lactose.

So it depends on what your tolerance level is for lactose, if you can tolerate some then know your limit. If you cannot tolerate any stay off dairy or you can choose lactose free cream/butter and milk.

Ed spelling
 
My sister is lactose intolerant and uses lactose free milk, butter etc. but also carries lactase tablets for when she eats out or doesn’t have a supply of lactose free items available.
 
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