Umm – yes. You can. That’s all. Thanks for reading!
Just kidding, just kidding. But seriously, you can. It’s happened to me… and to multiple people I know, and it stinks. But it’s not the end of the world. So here’s my story, how I found out I was lactose intolerant, then what happened when I started drinking lactose free milk instead of regular milk.
‘Twas a brisk fall day and I was in 8th grade. Ah the glory days… don't get me started. I was sleeping over at my buddy Mick’s house and we convinced his sister to drive us to Wendy’s. I didn’t just want a Double Cheeseburger, I NEEDED one. So we get to the drive thru lane and I take a look at the beautiful, well-lit, ever-so-shiny outdoor menu. The next thing I know, we’re driving home and on my lap is a Triple Cheeseburger, a large shake, a large order of fries, and more ranch dressing than any single customer has ever received. Nothing, not even a drop of ranch, survived the evening.
So about a week later I go to the hospital. I was fine, don’t get me wrong. But my stomach just felt… broken. I felt off ever since the meal – mostly just after eating a meal. After some testing, I’m was informed I’m lactose intolerant (and probably will be forever). My doctor said one meal that’s just loaded with lactose can actually cause an intolerance. Crazy, right?
Ok so I’m thinking… alright, I’ll just take it easy on the cheesecake. But no, no, no. Doc says I need to actually change the type of milk I’m drinking (I was deleting chocolate milks by the half gallon) and try to stay from all other milk products for a little while – unless labeled 100% lactose free. This is the only way we’ll know if I’m really lactose intolerant. So after some complaining and whining to my parents, I did as told.
And let me tell you, I felt SO MUCH BETTER. Ever since then, the Wendy Debacle aka Wendy’sGate 2004, I’ve been lactose intolerant, and only drink lactose free milk. Now, I actually prefer the taste. And lactose free chocolate milk - in my clearly biased but genuinely honest opinion - tastes better than chocolate milk with lactose.
Since then, both of my brothers, my current business partner, and thousands if not millions of individuals all over the world have suddenly become lactose intolerant later in life. Mine came from an individual meal, others may be from lack of lactose in their diet to maintain the proper enzymes in the stomach, while others may just be your body evolving. But to answer the question we get often: Can you just become lactose intolerant ‘all of a sudden’? The answer is yes. Yes, yes, yes.
So if you find yourself getting tummy aches after meals, or regular milk is making you feel ‘off’, give lactose free milk a try. It just might change your life.
Cheers,
The Slate Milk Squad
Written by Manny Lubin, Co-Founder at Slate Milk
