How To Cure A Dairy Allergy or Sensitivity With the GAPS Diet?
For the Love of Cheese
As a born and raised Wisconsinite who loves cheese, I wanted to know how to cure a dairy allergy; I did, using the GAPS Diet! I grew up eating a lot of dairy, and I suffered from bloating, IBS, acne, and a slew of other issues. I had no idea of the cause at the time, and when I did realize, it was REALLY hard to break my dairy habit. My husband, who grew up with repeat ear infections and ear tubes, recovered his hearing when he eliminated dairy as an adult…crazy!
Why So Many Food Allergies?
Why are we experiencing the seemingly “sudden” onslaught of allergies, especially amongst children? The way we eat, live, exercise, spend time, partake in medical practices, and our exposures to bacteria, animals, and nature have evolved over time. Some of these evolutions have wrecked havoc on our immune systems (gut lining, in particular), and when this assault on our digestive and immune systems happens for prolonged time periods (even several generations in a row), we start to see a break down in health.
So what are we cheese lovers to do?
The GAPS diet.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor and this is not medical advice. Always check with your doctor before introducing a new diet. This post shares information that helped our family overcome dairy sensitivities and allergies, but should not be used to diagnose or treat anyone else’s specific situation.
Dairy Allergies and Sensitivities
Many people who come to the GAPS diet are sensitive or allergic to dairy. Why? Milk and milk products contain lactase, which cannot be digested by 25-90% of the world’s population, depending which source you read. Casein, a milk protein, is also problematic for many people when it converts into casomorphins (peptides with an opiate structure). Casomorphins are a product of mis-disgested casein, and cross the blood-brain barrier which affects brain function. This is thought to be one reason why, when dairy is removed from the diet of people with autism or schizophrenia, their clinical conditions show improvement. Dairy is also the main cause of infantile colic, even in breastfed babies where the mother consumes dairy (source: Gut and Psychology Syndrome, page 119).
How to Cure a Dairy Allergy or Sensitivity?
The challenges listed above that are associated with consuming dairy products describes how most people consume them: in their commercial form. However, when dairy products undergo the home-fermentation process, a large percentage of problematic proteins, immunoglobins, and lactose are pre-digested or broken down by fermenting microbes. The resulting product is not only is easier to digest, but it contains lactic acid, which has a healing and soothing effect on the gut lining. Lactic acid also contains many B vitamins, biotin, vitamin K2 and active enzymes. Generally commercially fermented dairy products are not fermented long enough, and therefore it is recommended to ferment them at home, in people who are sensitive to dairy (source: Gut and Psychology Syndrome, page 120).
Our family cured our dairy sensitivities and allergies by following these steps:
- Removing all dairy from our diet
- Following the GAPS diet
- Re-introducing fermented dairy, like milk kefir
- Re-introducing commercial dairy in slow amounts. (We still remain conscious of how much dairy we are having in a given week.)
Recovering from Dairy Sensitivities and Allergies
It is possible to recover from food allergies, like dairy, after a period of gut healing takes place, especially on the GAPS diet. Our own family has recovered from dairy, egg, nut, banana, watermelon, tomato, gluten and other sensitivities and allergies after following the GAPS diet protocol. This diet has been such a blessing to our family! We can now enjoy a larger variety of foods without unpleasant symptoms, and learning how to properly ferment foods and cook from scratch recipes has been a huge part of our healing process.
A word of caution:
After gut healing has taken place, I do not recommend going back to a “standard American diet”, as this will cause regression back to previous issues or create new ones! In our home, we still eat a good portion of GAPS diet foods as everyday staples, but we do enjoy “off the menu” treats more regularly than we used to on strict GAPS. While the GAPS diet is not meant to be a permanent diet, nourishing foods will always have a place on our table. If, at any point, I notice any signs of compromised immune function in our family (eczema, rashes, aching joints, ear aches, congestion, repeat illness, constipation/diarrhea, a series of larger than “normal” emotional outbursts..) I know we need to go back to the basics of more strict GAPS eating. This generally resolves symptoms within just a few days to a week.
How to Help Picky Eaters Eliminate Problematic Foods?
We have 5 children who have done the GAPS diet, and we are keenly aware of the challenges that can come from introducing new foods, removing foods a child is used to eating, and the general outbursts that can come from toddlers or young children not getting their way. If it is not a matter of health emergency, I recommend implementing the GAPS diet “backward” over a series of steps. See my short, free, e-book here for 10 Steps to an Easier Diet Overhaul – A How To Guide For Families With Picky Eaters.
Dairy Food Allergy or “Die-off”/Detox?
Sometimes introducing fermented foods can create a “die-off” or detox reaction. In the case of probiotic foods, such as yogurt and kefir, many times reactions are “die-off”. Reactions might include: rashes, change in stool, discomfort, regressive behaviors in children, sleep disturbances, etc.
Why does this happen? Beneficial microbes in the probiotic food kill gut pathogens, and when these pathogens die, they release toxins which cause unpleasant symptoms – a “die-off reaction”.
Food Allergy or Intolerance:
Another reason unpleasant symptoms may arise is a continued sensitivity or allergy to the food, due to “leaky gut”. A damaged gut wall allows partially digested foods to pass through into the blood stream, which causes reactions, or similar unpleasant symptoms listed above. When discerning whether any unpleasant symptoms are coming from die-off/detox, rather than a food sensitivity or allergy, a general guideline to follow is:
- Introduce fermented foods VERY slowly and in very small amounts- generally start with 1 drop-1tsp and increase by the same amount every few days
- Following a reaction to a food introduction, avoid that food for few weeks, then try again in a tiny amount.
- If a reaction still occurs, wait again for a few weeks and try again.
- Be encouraged! The introduction of fermented foods and previous allergenic foods is very individual. Some people breeze through, while others take a very long time while healing is continuing to take place.
Favorite Fermented Food Recipes
Here are a few of our family favorite fermented foods and recipes (picky eater and toddler approved!) I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
Resources
Posts
What is the GAPS Diet? An Easier Explanation
How to Make Milk Kefir?
GAPS Diet Fermented Foods
Free E-book: 10 Steps to an Easier Diet Overhaul – A How To Guide For Families With Picky Eaters
Favorite book
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