Hey, some Mardi Pants! Guess where I am! Did you say a restaurant? Great guess! I'm at

a local diner with my friend, Gia. Hey, Smarty Pants! How's it going?

We just ordered a ton of our favorite lunch foods, cheeseburgers with cheese fries, mac and

cheese, and two large vanilla milkshakes. Am I forgetting something? I feel like I forgot

something. Nachos! Ah, yes, of course! Nachos! With extra queso! Of course! Extra queso!

Which in case you don't know is melted cheese sauce with chili peppers. Yum! Double yum!

Oh look! Here it comes! Whoa! Ah, that was so good! I'm stuffed. I can't eat another

bite. Me neither. Well, maybe one more. Okay, now I'm done. Well, except for dessert.

Ooh, I know. Let's get cheesecake! Great idea! Waiter! Um, what was that? Oh boy. I don't

feel so good. Gia, are you okay? Ugh, my stomach really hurts. I feel bloated and a little.

Sorry, trust in aerator. I don't know what's going on. Lately, I've been getting a tummy

ache whenever I eat lots of dairy. Hmm, it sounds like you might be lactose intolerant.

Lactose intolerant? What's that? Smarty Pants, do you know what lactose intolerant

says? It sounds like a big word or two big words, but lactose intolerant simply refers

to your body's inability to break down lactose, a type of natural sugar found in dairy products

like milk, cheese, and yogurt. Or cheeseburgers, cheese fries, mac and cheese, milk shakes,

queso, and... Okay, who's ready for our famous cheesecake? I'm ready for the bathroom,

BRB. Poor kid. But the good news is, we can help Gia learn more about lactose intolerance

and answer all her lactose intolerance questions. Like, what happens in your body when you're

lactose intolerant? Are there alternatives to dairy products for people with lactose intolerance?

And is there any way for a lactose intolerant person to still enjoy favorite foods like pizza,

cheeseburgers, and queso without feeling sick? Okay, I'm back. No, I'm not.

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