As a girl whose favorite food is a grilled cheese, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I decided to go dairy free after completing the Clean Program. Before the cleanse, I noticed that I didn’t feel good after eating heavy servings of dairy, and when I reintroduced it post-cleanse, my stomach h-a-t-e-d me. And when I really thought about it, it makes total sense that my body has trouble processing something that’s really meant for another animal’s babies! Although it’s hard to resist certain dairy products (hiii cheese), I know that my body runs better without it. In case you’re thinking of making the change, here’s what I’ve noticed:
Health Benefits of Going Dairy Free:
Glowing skin
One of the biggest benefits you’ll likely see from cutting out dairy is an overall improvement in your skin’s health, especially if you have skin dryness, eczema or psoriasis. Although I didn’t have one of these specific skin issues, within a few weeks of going dairy free, I noticed my sporadic facial acne disappear, and I had a more bright, youthful glow. Since dairy can cause inflammation in your body, and acne is caused by inflammation, it’s no wonder my skin is happier.
Allergy relief
Apparently, dairy can wreck havoc on allergies—who knew? Turns out it’s because dairy contains ingredients that increase your phlegm and mucus production, which in turn increase all that sniffling and congestion. Milk, cream, and softer cheeses are the dairy products that affect allergies, so those are the ones to shy away from if you’re allergy prone.
Increased energy
This was an unexpected change for me to see, since I never thought eating dairy could impact my energy levels. Dairy products are naturally high in a certain amino acid (tryptophan), which actually promotes tiredness—again, who knew?! Since dairy is also harder to digest than other foods, it causes your body to use up more energy. Though it sucks at time, energy > cheese.
Less bloating
Dairy is acidic by nature, which means it disrupts your body’s acid-alkaline balance. When you remove dairy from your diet, your body will be more in balance, leading to better digestion and less bloating. This was one of the first things I noticed when I cut out dairy—I felt less puffy everywhere, and let’s just say my bathroom activities are a lot…easier.
Have you been thinking about going dairy free? If you’ve already gone dairy free, do you have any tips to make it easier?
10 comments
Glad to know this! I’ve been dairy free for the longest time, but I didn’t do it for any of these reasons. I just hated the taste of milk (even when I was a baby) and cheese. I can’t stand the smell of cheese! I never really liked yoghurt too, even though I despised it. And actually, after cutting it all out, my skin cleared up a lot!
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
http://charmainenyw.com
I think the one thing I notice the most whenever I go dairy free for an extended period of time is that my bloating disapeared! It’s really cool to read about your experience! I’m still too much of a cheese lover to go completely dairy free but I’ve really reduced my intake anyway, and that’s already something!
Lucie, xx
http://thefrenchpier.blogspot.com/
This is great info to know! I struggle heavily with ezcema and have never thought of this. I’m always looking for new ways to try and help my stubborn skin. Who knows.. this might be the cure all. Thanks for the info!
http://www.taylormanuian.com
Eliminating dairy will literally clear up allllll your ezcema! Be diligent though, they sneak milk into almost everything (if when its totally not necessary) so be sure you read labels to be sure you are really cutting out all dairy… Give it 2 weeks and I promise you will notice a difference.
Healthy food and habits are really important. I feel full of energy and my skin looks better!
xx
I’ve been thinking about it, and honestly I just need to stop goofing off and just do it already. 🙂 Glad to hear it’s working well for you!
Although I haven’t completely eliminated it, I’ve been trying to reduce my dairy intake and I’ve definitely noticed a difference. My bloating has gone down and my skin has looked so gloomy lately!
Mia | http://www.verymuchmia.com
YES!!! DAIRY FREE IS THE FREAKIN’ WAY TO BE!
I’ve recently TOTALLY changed my diet to a 100% plant based diet.. no dairy, no eggs and no meat… and let me tell you, EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED for THE BETTER!
I have tons more energy, wake up easier (like my eyes actually open lol), have less cravings for naughty food, feel less bloated… the list goes on and on.
Watch “Dairy is Scary” for more reasons to CUT OUT DAIRY!
Tough one…. I don’t think I’ll ever go completely dairy free, because for me food has a big cultural aspect (making pizza with family, gelato on holiday, sharing a cheese board and wine with girlfriends etc) and I’m also a big fan of greek yoghurt, halloumi, and kefir, among other things that are dairy based. But I’m also trying to be very conscious now of where my food comes from, the love that went into making it, and how present and appreciative I am when I eat it. I think this makes a big difference to how my body receives the food, dairy or otherwise. Having said that I am interested in experimenting with a 30-day dairy free challenge just to see what happens!