Q: Hi Tom. I read your entire web page and a lot of these FAQ's and I'm really interested, but I have one concern: I'm lactose intolerant so I can't eat (or drink) any dairy products. I'm not happy about this, because I love skim milk, yogurt and cottage cheese, but when I eat them, my stomach is even unhappier! Will your program still work for me, even though I'm lactose intolerant?

A: Lactose intolerance is actually very common, especially among certain ethnic groups. According to Whitney and Rolfes, in the textbook, "Understanding Nutrition," the incidence of lactose intolerance is as high as 80% in Asian and African Americans, and 50% in Hispanics. (Only 10%-20% of caucasians and Northern Europeans are lactose intolerant).

It's a bummer if you have severe lactose intolerance and you can't eat some of your favorite dairy foods, but for a fat loss program, it's not difficult to work around (it's also fairly easy to work around wheat or gluten intolerance which is also common).

In fact, it's not all bad news. Some people believe that a diet which contains as few simple sugars as possible - even natural sugars like the lactose sugar in dairy products - might make fat loss easier. However, the real reason dairy is often eliminated on a fat loss program is not because it is "fattening" per se, (eating too many calories is what adds body fat), but because dairy products can cause bloating, water retention or abdominal distention in people who are even mildly lactose intolerant.

When muscular definition is your goal, it goes without saying that anything that can cause bloating is best eliminated (even though it's "bloat" we're talking about, not "fat.")

One potential problem with cutting out dairy products long term is because they are such a good source of certain nutrients such as riboflavin, vitamin D and of course, calcium. However, you can get all the nutrients you need from other food sources or from supplements.

If you are severely lactose intolerant and you can't eat any dairy whatsoever, then it's especially important that you increase your intake of other calcium-rich foods such as green vegetables. It's also wise to take a daily multi-vitamin/mineral supplement for "nutritional insurance." At the advice of a physician, Registered Dietician or Clinical nutritionist, you may be advised to take an additional calcium supplement, particularly if you are a post menopausal female.

Incidentally, wheat (and gluten) intolerance or allergy is also very common. This too, can be easily worked around. so if you have either a lactose or gluten/wheat intolerance, you can still use the Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle program, you'll simply have to make a few minor adjustments.

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