Milk is for babies. When you grow up you have to drink beer

My blood test results were waiting today upon my return from Mount Juliet. No real surprises. My foods to avoid are wheat, cows’ milk, gluten, coconut and mustard. It’s a shorter list than I had forecast, and interestingly there is no mention of my beloved orange juice.

Bread and gluten are challenges I can face. Milk is the surprise on the list. Alternatives? Perhaps soya milk or rice milk. The journey continues…

I did notice that my favourite coconut “Bounty Bar” (coconut & chocolate), although lovely, seemed to sit in my tummy, and certainly did not agree with me. This one will not be a problem at all.

On Monday next I will complete the testing process by scheduling an appointment with the York Test nutritionist, from whom I will get some further advice to enable me to successfully adapt my food intake.

I did some googling and found these:

• Physicians say that coffee without cream is more wholesome, particularly for persons of weak digestion. There seems to be some element in the coffee which combined with the milk, forms a leathery coating on the stomach, and impairs digestion.” The Buckeye Cookbook’ (1883)

• “Milk is for babies. When you grow up you have to drink beer.” Arnold Schwarzenegger (1975)