Beat the Lactose Battle

I have a digestive problem with all dairy products, including milk and ice cream. At least those are the two I love most and should not eat. I am lactose intolerant, and should eat dairy in very small portions, if any. Then one day, I was shopping for groceries, and there it was, soy milk. Although I had heard about it, I had never known how it tasted or what it would be like to drink. This particular soy milk was called "Silk," and it came in vanilla and chocolate. I decided to try the chocolate, as I figured nothing chocolate could taste bad. It is even fortified with calcium, so one gets the main nutrient found in milk. I bought a quart, and I liked it so much, I was back to get a half-gallon the next day.

I have never tried the vanilla Silk, but it would be a good way for me to eat cereal instead of limiting myself to only a couple spoonfuls of milk. Now I drink either one large glass of chocolate Silk or at least two smaller glasses each day. It tends to give me a kind of pick-me-up in the middle of the morning or afternoon.

My weight is not what I would like it to be. No, I am not too heavy but I do need to gain a few pounds. The soy milk is not overloaded with calories, but it is something I enjoy and can drink as much as I want.

I tried Ensure, but it did not help me to gain an ounce, and I drank a generic equivalent of it for quite some time. Then the pharmacist told me one would have to drink an enormous amount of the Ensure or its generic equivalent to gain any weight.

They also have light 'silk' for people who do not want to gain weight, or may even be dieting. I have checked out soy milk on a couple of websites, and found no negative side effects, except that some people are allergic to soy. Also, soy has been touted as a good remedy for night sweats and hot flashes. The night one is my problem, and I was actually taking lecithin, which is made from soy. So, this delicious drink may help cure that also if I keep drinking it. I now buy at least one half-gallon each week.

It feels so good to be able to drink what tastes almost exactly like chocolate milk, or even better, and not get any bad side effects. If anyone out there is looking for a good nutritious drink without lactose, try some chocolate Silk.

Sources:

http://hubpages.com/hub/soy-protein
Personal experience