Vegan Ben & Jerry's??

Yes, yes, yes.... You did read that correctly. Ben & Jerry's has announced a new product line to tempt even the most strict dietary eaters.  The new line will feature non-dairy frozen treats in similar flavors to mimic the very popular ice creams already offered by the company.

Personally, I am a bit excited about this announcement and can't wait to get my hands on a carton. For many years, I have struggled with the consumption of ice cream and other dairy products. I now know that my reaction to eating these products is connected to my fibromyalgia. I have been considering going vegan or vegetarian, at least for a short period of time, to help regulate my health and perhaps lose some weight. With that in mind this new product line would be a welcomed treat. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/glamour/is-ben--jerrys-new-vegan_b_9190144.html

My illness' effects are huge in my digestion, slow bowl movement to not at all, urgent diarrhea, gas, bloating, and heart burn. My other symptoms are painful and irritating but this set of problems is the worst for me. As a chef, I work with food, especially pastry, and how I am forced to be a picky dinner to control my symptoms. I have become one of the customers I usually didn't like, asking a million questions about how the meal is prepped and being careful to explain that I can eat this or that. I am not eating out as much as I want to because avoiding dairy and gluten can be very hard when trying to eat out in Chicago.

This news about a non-dairy frozen treat is about as exciting as a the day I found Snyder's Gluten-Free pretzels!!!! Being gluten-free means a lack of a lot of the crunchy things I love to eat and has resulted in me having dreams of eating toast and jam. But lately, the medication has gotten me to a point where cereal and milk is okay so I have been diving into bowls of Cheerios and Chex with bananas. I have been able to enjoy that since about the 3rd grade without symptoms.

So it's "hats off" to Ben & Jerry's for putting in some work to be able to please the audience of consumers that have stood by and watched others enjoy items that we were not supposed to consume. I often ate ice cream anyway.... I just didn't in public. LOL.