Sunday, May 15, 2016

Living a Dairy Free Life

One of my most favorite foods in the world is homemade macaroni and cheese. Next to that is pizza and ice-cream. Basically I enjoyed eating a lot of dairy filled foods. It wasn't until January of this year that I made the conscious decision to live a dairy free life. I decided to set aside my love for all things dairy and did it cold turkey. Trust me, this wasn't easy at all. Temptations lurked at every corner. It took everything in me to stick to my decision.


So, here are the top five reasons why I'm living a dairy free life.

Reason # 1
Like approximately 75% of Earth's population, i'm lactose intolerant. Yup, I'm unable to properly digest lactose leaving me all bloated, gassy and with an overall unpleasant feeling. Yes there are supplements and other things that can be taken to aide with this inability but I choose to embrace my body's natural rhythm. In fact, being lactose intolerant is the norm. Our bodies after infancy naturally loses it's ability to digest lactose. Therefore, I am no longer going to force my body to do something it is not naturally designed to do. My body has never been happier ever since I listened to it.

Reason # 2
On average, most people have about 2 - 3 colds a year. While eating dairy products does not cause you to get a cold it is a catalyst for the production of mucus which we all battle with when we are sick with a cold. Since changing my eating habits, i've enjoyed the benefit of having far less colds and flu per year. 

Reason # 3
Weight Control was purely a side effect of choosing to be dairy free. A side effect I can't be mad at. With less bloating, clothes fit much better and mama gat a little more pep in her step.

Reason # 4
Another amazing benefit of going dairy free is increased energy. I don't have that food coma feeling anymore after meals. Since incorporating more fruits and vegetables my energy have more than doubled. It's a wonderful feeling to be able to go all day without needing to take a power nap.

Reason # 5
Since changing my diet, i've seen a reduction of acne. I'm not aware of any correlation between dairy products and acne so I can't say for certain that the two are directly linked. However, my skin is smoother and it has a natural glow to it that is quite visible. I'm loving this new skin i'm in.