For those that have lactose intolerance learning to live with their condition means learning to monitor the amount of lactose their body is able to digest. For some people this may be none at all, others may be able to consume very small amounts of lactose without adverse reaction. Learning to find your threshold of tolerance is key to learning to live with your lactose intolerance.

The types of dairy you consume can also impact your lactose tolerance. Some people cannot drink milk but have no symptoms after consuming aged cheeses or ice cream. Since most lactose intolerant people produce at least some lactase, the enzyme responsible for breaking down lactose, the amount and type  of lactose they will be able to consume will be dependent upon how much lactase their body produces.

Keeping a food diary can aid you in finding your threshold of tolerance. Write everything you eat in your diary for two weeks, noting which days you have symptoms and what symptoms you have.  After 2 weeks you should start to see a pattern, and be able to alter your lactose intake accordingly.

Experiment with different types of dairy, and products containing dairy by-products such as whey or curds, note which ones affect you and the manner in which they affect you. By the time you are done with your trial you should have a good idea of what your body can tolerate and what it cannot. If your symptoms are severe, you may want to try a trial with smaller tests, eating only very small amounts of different types of dairy or dairy by-products, to determine what your tolerance to them is.

If you are highly sensitive to any form of lactose there are lactase enzymes available that will help you digest foods that might contain small amounts of lactose. These enzymes are especially helpful when you are in situations where checking the lactose content in foods is not possible, or where you may have trouble limiting your lactose intake such as when you are eating out, at events, or traveling.  Lactase enzymes are also available in a liquid that you can add to milk, or other liquids making it more digestible for those with lactose intolerance.

Finally take advantage of lactose reduced milk, and other lactose free products.  These products are the same as the regular ones only with the lactose reduced or removed entirely, giving you plenty of options and making lactose intolerance easy to manage.