Reasons why you should ignore your lactose intolerance and eat some cheese, girl!

You are stronger than your dairy-induced stomach ache

Lactose intolerance is a serious challenge thousands of dairy lovers must overcome on a daily basis. It takes courage to fight the all-consuming cravings of delicious foods like ice cream, butter and cheese. Not to mention the weight of paying extra for milk alternatives at your local coffee shop — lactose intolerance is no joke.

While some suggest taking Lactaid pills — a supplement that helps the body digest dairy — is an easy fix to lactose intolerance, I believe these are unnecessary. Don’t worry about that silly lactose intolerance!

The first reason you should start ignoring your lactose intolerance is because it allows you to build up a tolerance. With every piece of cheese eaten and every stomach ache battled, a step is made toward your body's ability to resist the effects of dairy. Within a few months — or years — of disregarding your lactose intolerance, you might even be able to make your intolerance completely disappear!

Another reason for ignoring your lactose intolerance is that it creates the always available excuse to skip that night out. Imagine planning a hang-out with friends, but on the day of, you suddenly no longer want to go. There’s no need to fret, as your lunch of various artisan cheeses from around the world have caused quite the stir in your stomach — a perfect excuse to get out of that night out.

A third reason to overlook your lactose intolerance is because it will help you get more steps in. With the increase of dairy in your daily meal intake, the amount of trips to the bathroom will increase as well. Many times, the walk to the restroom might even have to be at a swift pace. This rise of restroom usage calls for an increase of daily steps — an overall health benefit.

The final reason for ignoring your lactose intolerance is because cheese is yummy, and dairy-free cheese is disgusting. In fact, this goes for most dairy products. With plentiful options, dairy is a delicious food source while dairy-free alternatives can often fall short. By sidelining your lactose intolerance and indulging in some cheese or other delectable dairy products, the quality of your food will be much more satiating.

The addition of cheese in your diet can allow your lactose intolerant body to develop a tolerance, have a constant excuse to skip the function, increase daily steps and even indulge in a yummy snack. With such an abundance of positives, there is no doubt that you should ignore your lactose intolerance and eat some cheese, girl!

Written by: Vriti Shah — features@theaggie.org