Why I’m Dairy Free
- June 8, 2020
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The Dairy-Free Diet is a diet that has been gaining popularity in the last few years. It is a diet that excludes all dairy products and instead focuses on the consumption of foods like eggs, nuts, seeds, beans, legumes and vegetables.
This diet has helped many people lose weight and improve their health. It also helps with weight loss for women who are struggling to lose weight around their midsection.
When I first start making recommendations for clients to move towards an elimination diet, one of the first suggestions that I make is to remove dairy.
We all know that dairy is not good for us, but just how bad is it? It turns out that dairy can be really hard on our bodies. Dairy contains a lot of hormones that can be detrimental to our health. Plus, it contains a lot of lactose which can cause digestive problems like gas or bloating.
There are so many reasons why going dairy free can be beneficial to your health:
- It can raise insulin
- Creates an inflammatory response in the body (say hello to belly bloat)
- Exposes us to synthetic versions of bovine growth hormone (rBGH)
- Also, exposes us to antibiotics that are given to cows
- Raises IGF-1
- Its morphine like compounds are addictive
What happens during digestion when we consume dairy?
During digestion, a milk protein, called casein, can be broken down into casomorphins (a casein derived morphine-like protein) that crosses the blood-brain barrier and contributes to the release of dopamine. Dopamine is that reward/pleasure chemical in our body that encourages us to continue the behavior. This is why researchers have referred to dairy products as “dairy crack.”
How impactful can the removal of dairy be?
For myself, I had been consuming some raw dairy and occasional ice cream and not much else for many years. My dairy consumption was already pretty minimal. However, removing it entirely from my diet meant I lost the elusive last 5+ lbs of perimenopause weight I had been wanting to lose for about two years. The first few weeks were tough, but I can honestly say, now that I don’t consume it, it makes my life so much easier. I will occasionally use high-quality grass-fed butter and ghee, but otherwise am 2+ years blissfully not missing dairy at all!
Our bodies are wired to burn fat during fasting periods, especially when going for a full 24 hours. This is why intermittent fasting helps women with weight loss and provides many health benefits like reducing stress and boosting metabolism. My transition to the dairy-free diet has improved my health in many ways such as calming down my skin, increasing metabolism, and giving me more energy throughout the day.
In my opinion, dairy is very addictive and difficult to portion control.
Other commonly found inflammatory foods include gluten, processed sugars, grains, alcohol….. there’s a bit of trial and error with nutrition and elimination diets. You should do what works for YOU.
Click to read this additional resource: https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-8646/the-dangers-of-dairy.html
What do you think? Are you willing to go dairy-free? Let me know in the comments below.
