A few months ago I decided to go Dairy free.  Not because I wanted to become a vegan. Not because I wanted to be on the next “fad diet”. But just to feel better in my daily routine. For a while I was feeling bloated constantly and I always feeling like, well you know, like I had to fart all the time! And lets be real, feeling like you have to pass gas is not a cute look! At first I went gluten free, it helped a little but I still got that awful bloated feeling sometimes.  One night a few months ago I had a lot of ice cream… heavy duty ice cream and I got the worst cramps of my life! So that is when I decided to try to take out lactose.  Now I thought it was just the lactose that made you feel this way and got the bad reputation but just because something is lactose free doesn’t mean its dairy free. So then I decided to go all in on the “dairy free” lifestyle… no not diet, lifestyle! I still eat lots of my favorite foods and indulge because lets be real, you should “Treat yo Self!”  There are many benefits to ditching dairy but I just want to talk about the three I have noticed already…

Number One, and most importantly, that awful boated feeling is gone!  It’s such an amazing feeling! Now, lactose intolerant or not, you can still get this feeling, the severity just differs from person to person. About 65 percent of the population suffers from lactose intolerance, a gastrointestinal condition in which the body is unable to easily digest lactose, a type of naturally occurring sugar in dairy. The reason: Most people actually stop producing lactose—the enzyme required to digest dairy—in adulthood. That may be part of our body’s natural defense system: People who are lactose intolerant have a lower risk of lung, breast and ovarian cancers, perhaps because they eat far less dairy, according to a 2014 study in the British Journal of Cancer. Yet countless Americans drink their milk and endure the resulting discomfort anyway. The problem can be even more pronounced for people who suffer from irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS.

Number Two, My skin looks and feels so much better! I have dealt with minor acne through the years and as I got older I thought it would go away… it didnt… turns out the biggest factor was the dairy.  I haven’t had any breakouts or irritations and my skin just has a natural glow to it now!  Instead of buying expensive products, the simple act of giving up dairy may quell skin flare-ups. Many dermatologists also recommend going dairy-free as a first course of action against skin conditions such as acne and eczema. Now everyone’s skin is different but if you’ve had skin problems for a while and eat a lot of dairy, try taking it out!

And number three, I feel more energetic!  The excess fat, cholesterol and hormones found in milk can leave you feeling tired and sluggish.  Since eliminating dairy, I feel more vibrant and energetic. I no longer get that mid-day slump around 2 or 3 in the afternoon. Which helps my workout tremendously and in reward, lose more fat!

Finally I want to mention one of my favorite substitutions since going dairy free! I have a major sweet tooth so giving up ice cream was very hard for me. But then I found SO Delicious Cashew milk snicker-doodle ice cream, Its better than regular ice cream! I also enjoy Trader Joe’s Chocolate coconut milk ice cream, but watch out, coconut milk is high in saturated fat, so the cashew milk is a better option.  If you have any questions or any recommendations you think I should try, comment or send me a message!