Are you lactose intolerant?

We don’t recommend eating a lot of cheese, because it’s loaded with saturated fats and proteins that may cause changes in your gut microbiome and stimulate inflammation. But we also know that it’s a food that inspires passionate opinion based on texture, taste and smell. Apparently the author James Joyce was among those who find cheese to be, well, far too cheesy. He once said: “A corpse is meat gone bad ... and what’s cheese? Corpse of milk.” Highly lactose intolerant, you might say!

These days, as the population ages, more and more people are developing the condition. The sale of lactose-free products in the U.S. is expected to double from 2016 to 2020 and reach revenues of $700 million annually. “Lactose intolerance” means you’re unable to fully digest the sugar (lactose) in milk, and you end up with potentially severe diarrhea, gas and bloating. So cheese, yogurt and milk chocolate are off the menu.

If you suspect that you’re having gut problems after eating dairy, go on a five-day elimination diet. Ex out all dairy; make sure to read ingredient labels, as milk often is snuck into prepared foods. Then add a bit of dairy (low-fat, please) back into your diet to see when or if you have symptoms. If you turn out to be as intolerant as Mr. Joyce, you’ll stop eating dairy. Just look at it this way: You’re spared the heart-, brain- and gut-damaging effects of all that sat fat. And there are healthy dairy alternatives: almond and soymilk, and tofu.