Avoiding Dairy

Hi All, after reading all 17 pages, I'm surprised no one has posted the food/dairy connection.

This is a natural solution that I discovered after trying different combos. It's worked for the last 10 years.

First, I'm 100% Asian. Second, I get the same side effects.

To beat Asian flush, do NOT eat anything dairy when drinking. Even the slightest ounce of anything dairy will make you redder than a baboon's arse.

Second, this is the worst but has always been 100% effective for me:
Don't eat anything 4 to 5 hours before you eat. 4 hours is pushing it, but 5 is ideal. I know that sucks, but the best thing to do is eat a huge breakfast and lunch if you know you'll be drinking later. For insurance, avoid dairy for the day, although for the most part you'll be fine. Just brush your teeth soon after to make sure there is no dairy in your mouth. Even that slight bit will cause redness. There are other things that may bring redness when consuming, such as certain candies that I've noticed, but I've generally been ok. If you ARE going to eat while drinking, stick to meats. For the most part, I've been ok with chicken or beef, but be careful that they don't have any dairy flavorings, sauce, marinade, etc.

Try it and you'll see. What sucks is that once you start eating after you drink, the redness will come back. At that point, you'll be done for the night, right? Probably not, but  be sure to eat later so your hangover is not as bad.

Summary for a foolproof plan: Eat heavy in the AM hours. Eat nothing (not even candy or brushing teeth) 5 hrs before drinking. Don't eat while drinking. After first few sips of alcohol or a beer (avoid mixed drinks), take eyedrops. Clear Eyes works way better than Visine. Always carry eyedrops when drinking. Eat before going to bed to lessen hangover.  Works like a charm.

Hi,  the avoiding dairy really works?? So does just avoiding dairy while drinking work? Or do you have to have several hrs of no diary first? Often I have a wine in the afternoon - inbetween meals and I still get the pink heat :(

I had noticed that if I have a big meal after taking pepcid, the effect of the pills is less and I go red.

And why do you take eyedrops? Is this just to avoid the glassy-eye look?

And not eating at all for 4-5 hrs prior to drinking is not really that practical. Especially if you're out for dinner and just want a couple of drinks with your food...

However this is an interesting natural solution! anyone else tried this??

If you have to eat, avoid anything with dairy. The natural solution is really more for going out, not worrying about dinner. But, if you are going to eat, avoid the dairy (all day if possible). If I am going to eath while drinking, I typically will eat Asian food such as Vietnamese, which hardly has any dairy. I've noticed the effects are much less with that type of food, sometimes non-existent - especially if you eat light. The caveat is if you eat anything and feel full (regardless of if it's dairy-free), chances are you'll get the flush. So really, if you have to eat, eat light.

Eyedrops are because my eyes always get red once I start drinking, but a few drops takes care of the whole night. I noticed red eyes with lots of Asians and non-Asians. My point is that if you have Asian flush or not, the red eye look will still make you look bad.

Oh yeah, more tips on what to eat: If you're eating Mexican, order fajitas and just eat the meat...salsa is ok too, but forget any chips that are buttery. For Italian, you're typically out of luck, due to all the dairy they use, so look for antipasta...calamari...marina sauce, steamed veggies, etc.  Avoid pizza like the plague. American: ribs, chili, barbeque type foods.

PS. I'm trying the Pepcid AC Max..one pill, 20 grams. I had lots of cheese earlier, so I'm curious as to the results. I waited about 45 minutes before I started my first beer. I'll post results later.
I'll be eating some dairy, but a light amount, just to test.