What could you guys suggest as a protein supplement for those that are allergic to all milk products (including whey, casein, etc.)? Thanks in advance for a any help.
Rim
Are you allergic or intolerant to milk?
What reaction do you have, and how have you determined it is every component of milk that affects you?
I ask this for a reason: I have a problem with digesting casein. It gives me the runs and chucks if I eat enough of it over a week or so. At first I thought it was milk in general, but a dietitian I know suggested it may be casein (something to do with the body not being able to break down all the fractions, and the difference between Jersey milk and Friesan milk when the farmers changed cow types in the 50’s as Friesans produce more milk per head…). She then suggested that I confirm what I really could eat by experimentation…I have tried quite a few cheap and nasty whey supplements that had the same effect as full milk and skim milk (NOT pretty), but purchasing a much better supplement has caused me no ill effect at all. I have tried cottage cheese as a bedtime snack and every single time has ended in tears.
I have found the following to be acceptable to me, through trial and error:
*natural yoghurt - I think the bacteria help pre-digest the proteins into smaller fractions, not 100% sure though.
*quality whey supplements
*crumbly white cheeses such as fetta - I think these are more whey based and may even be made from goat’s milk, which I have been led to believe is the closest thing to human breast milk. Supposedly few people have a reaction to goats milk, it just tastes bad if you drink it straight.
I pretty much skip everything else. I recently tried a slow re-introduction of some dairy products as it has been roughly a year since I cut them out, but sadly spent Tuesday and Wednesday in bed (when not driving the ceramic bus).
If your reactions aren’t life threatening, you could put yourself through an extended testing regime of sampling ONE only product at a time for a period of two or three weeks. You are the best judge of whether it would be appropriate. It has allowed me to still eat some foods I really enjoy, that I had thought I would have to live without. Common sense prevails here though, if you have a reaction to something stop straight away. Wait a week or two with no dairy to clear your system and move onto the next product.
As for other alternatives, BACK AWAY FROM THE SOY COUNTER. It will ruin you life. I was stupid enough to use this stuff for a while before stumbling onto this site and learning a bit about it. I must say those few months were the worst training months I ever had. I felt better all day long simply by coming off the stuff.
As for other supplement recommendations, I really haven’t tried any as I tend to stick to whole foods except for the post workout shake.
Good luck with it.
I am currently supplementing with Rice Protein powder. As far as I know(someone correct me if I am wrong), it does not have the negatives that are associated with soy. Dr. Berardi mentioned it in “Gourmet Nutrition” as an altenative to whey and casein powders. I think the brand I purchased is Nutribiotics. The plain flavor is awful but the chocolate is not half bad.
Awesome advice/tips from everyone. Thanks. My particular problem is just an increase of mucous production after ingesting any whey/casein protein powder. This goes for Low-Carb Grow! and anything else. It’s actually not as bad with Low-Carb Grow! as it is with other products that I’ve used that were 100% protein.
For instance I’ve used a 50%/50% CFM Whey/Micellar Casein mix with no additional ingredients and was clearing my throat for hours afterward. The worst reaction I’ve had is when consuming straight whey. I do get most of my protein from whole foods but I’m trying to hit the 200-250gm mark every day and it’s a lot easier with a protein supplement.
Rim
On what scrooge said; Lactobacillus is the bacteria that will breakdown the lactose and allow it to be used by the body. This is naturally occuring in yogurt. For me I am able to tolerate suppliments such as whey, micellar casein, and the like much easier just simply by eating a yogurt a day. You may try this out. Otherwise maybe invest in some lactaid… Just my two cents
Eggs and egg whites could be a great option for you as well.
Call me a freak but I am a fan of pickled eggs. Make for an easy mobile snack as well.
The main problem with Whey, or any protein in powder form for that matter, is that it’s enzyme deficient. Without the enzymes, the body may not be able to break it down all the way. The leftover protein fragments in the blood get attacked by the body much like a virus and hence the allergic reaction. This can also happen with milk products that are pasteurized (killed). Udo Erasmus himself warned me of this but I didn’t want to hear it at the time becuase I liked the covnenience of my protein shake. A year later on Whey protein I had headaches and excess mucus. I got off the milk and the whey and the mucus and headaches went away immediately.
One thing you could do for more protein is eat more whole meals. I make like 20 meals at a time with big racks of chicken and fish in the oven and pots of whole grains on the stove. I put them in tupperware containers with different veggies and freeze. In this way, I make over a weeks worth of meals in a single 2 hour session.
The other thing to remember is theres a lot more to concentrate on than grams of protein in a day. Get those nutrients in you. Fill up your trunk at the market with as many fruits and veggies as you can and fire up the Jack Lalanne juicer! Growth and recovery is a big chemical picture and you need it all to make it happen and fully unilize the protein you do take in. Rock on and best of luck!
Have you tried enzymes with your meals? I use Lactaid, Beano, and a full spectrum called Fast Food Enzymes. They work for me.
Good luck.
[quote]Phill wrote:
Eggs and egg whites could be a great option for you as well.
Call me a freak but I am a fan of pickled eggs. Make for an easy mobile snack as well.[/quote]
Freak.
The mucus makes it sound very much like and allergy. Obviously it’s difficult to be sure without seeing someone in person but if it is a milk protein allergy (MPA) then all the lactase, bio cultures and enzymes in the world aren’t going to help much.
MPA more commonly seen with casein proteins but it can happen with whey to. There are a couple of things you can do?
Avoid milk, really go suggestions above regarding egg protein.
Use hydrolysed milk proteins such as those founf in Surge, these aren’t allergenic. There are many protein only hydrolysed products out there. Some are better than others on the degree of hyrolysis so do your homework!
Also if it is the lactoglobulins and/or lacalbumins that you are indeed allergic to, well boiled or evaporated milk will not cause a problem as then the protein is denatured. You could use this more to flavour your shakes if you are having problems the taste.
Don’t sweat it mate, whilst it’s a pain in the ass but if you look at people who know a lot about nutrition they tend not to rely of milk too heavily. Sure they are good for convenience but concentrate on the whole food intake.
As it’s not a perfect world you may not be getting as much/as higher quality protein due to these problems. Avoid the dairy and concentrate on getting your gut working as well as possible so you absorb efficiently the protein you do get.
sMorri,
Thankls hoping someone would do that. I do like to eat some oDD tghings. LOL
Ltr,
Phill
[quote]Drewsky wrote:
The mucus makes it sound very much like and allergy. Obviously it’s difficult to be sure without seeing someone in person but if it is a milk protein allergy (MPA) then all the lactase, bio cultures and enzymes in the world aren’t going to help much.
MPA more commonly seen with casein proteins but it can happen with whey to. There are a couple of things you can do?
Avoid milk, really go suggestions above regarding egg protein.
Use hydrolysed milk proteins such as those founf in Surge, these aren’t allergenic. There are many protein only hydrolysed products out there. Some are better than others on the degree of hyrolysis so do your homework!
Also if it is the lactoglobulins and/or lacalbumins that you are indeed allergic to, well boiled or evaporated milk will not cause a problem as then the protein is denatured. You could use this more to flavour your shakes if you are having problems the taste.
Don’t sweat it mate, whilst it’s a pain in the ass but if you look at people who know a lot about nutrition they tend not to rely of milk too heavily. Sure they are good for convenience but concentrate on the whole food intake.
As it’s not a perfect world you may not be getting as much/as higher quality protein due to these problems. Avoid the dairy and concentrate on getting your gut working as well as possible so you absorb efficiently the protein you do get.
[/quote]
Thanks a lot for the post. And you’re right, I don’t react this way when I consume hydrolyzed protein powders. I think I’ll just continue to focus on whole foods and maybe use a little egg protein to supplement.
Rim