8 Benefits to Eating Dairy Free

     

     As many people already may know, my husband and I are both on a very strict dairy free diet.  For him, it is less of a choice than anyone would prefer, as he has quite the dairy allergy, more than a lactose intolerance. For me, I just like the idea of being able to kiss my husband without watching him be sick for a whole day or more. (Yes, it's happened).  That said, the benefits to being dairy free for my husband and I are pretty straight forward, but the benefits are not just for those with an allergy.  For him, it's that he doesn't have to deal with the varying types of serious allergic reactions, for me, well, I get to kiss him whenever I please! For others?  Well, here are just a few.

1.) Better Digestion 

     Interestingly enough, according to godairyfree.org, "around 70% of the world's population has some sort of lactose intolerance."  What's interesting about that, is that many of whom have this intolerance don't even know it.  Crazy right? But that being said, it makes sense that a benefit might be better digestion.

2.) Curing Medical Mysteries

     This is another one I found while reading on godairyfree.org.  I found this was especially interesting, and when I read it, it was like a light bulb had just gone off in my head.  There's this wonderful (not really) thing called narcolepsy... basically, a person with narcolepsy tends to fall asleep... a lot... and more often than not it happens not at the best of times.  And to make it even better, at night when that person is suppose to be sleeping, they are not. Great, right?  Well that person is me. So, when I read this: "Whether backed by research or thousands of personal success stories, many people are squashing daily headaches, migraines, rashes, stuffy sinuses, chronic infections, arthritis pain, and even narcolepsy when they cut out all dairy foods," it walk like, DING DING DING!! Makes sense!  It took a few months, but after those first few months of being completely dairy free, I noticed myself falling asleep less during the day, even in the quiet moments when in the past I would have been immediately asleep for sure.  I can't say that I don't notice it anymore at all, but those moments are so few and far between that I feel this to definitely be true.  

3.) Stronger Bones
     I've been hearing this one for a long time, especially from my dad who is actually a dietitian.  I love having a dietitian in the family, because I get to learn all sorts of new things!  Apparently, dairy can actually weaken the bones.  Sure, milk is known to contain calcium and magnesium and other such minerals, but our bodies absorb them better through other means, especially raw greens.  To understand more about why this is, watch this YouTube video by Dr. John McDougal.  Search "Dairy Products Damage Your Bones Dr. John McDougal.  (Thanks Dad, for showing me this.)  Or copy and paste: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwKUvlypQOM

4.) Stronger Immune System
     Your body has an immune system to protect it from things like bacteria, virus, and other foreign substances and microorganisms.  Believe it or not, people were never meant to consume a cow's milk; that was meant for baby cows, not people.  Still, milk has been a very good thing to people in many ways, but that doesn't change the fact that the human body is not well equipped to digest dairy products.  Because of this, for many people, the body will actually attack the dairy put into the body, bringing the focus of the immune system away from more important things like germs, and viruses, and things that make us sick. Because of this, those who consume dairy products have tendency to have a weaker immune system than those who don't. I can attest to this one, as I rarely get sick anymore, and when I do it's maybe for a day and that's it.  I LOVE IT.  

5.) Weight Loss
     Who can argue with that!? Seriously!? Yes, seriously!  There have been countless stories, over and over, of women going dairy and losing weight just like that.  Many even go as far to say that is just, "melts right off."  Personally, I did not experience this benefit, but I went dairy free the minute I married my husband, and what I can say, is that I did not gain weight.  Weight gain is a common thing among newly weds, and I can honestly say I did not experience any gain in first few months of my marriage.  (I did gain about five pounds after I changed jobs from teaching Tae Kwon Do to being a receptionist, but that was almost a year after the diet change, and unfortunately, because of the job change, my level of physical activity plummeted there for a while). 

6.) Weight Gain
     Weight gain, a benefit?  Well to some, yes.  Without many of the harmful things that come with most dairy products, the body is able to process and absorb better the vitamins and nutrients it needs to be healthy, so for many people who struggle with gaining healthy weight, going dairy free can be a big positive.  I can't say that I have experienced this one myself, as I have never had any trouble gaining weight, but I've heard this enough that I am sure it has been good for someone. 

7.) Clearer Sinuses 
     This is especially true to anyone with a previously unknown allergy or intolerance.  Dairy is a huge contributor to congestion issues, just as any other allergen.  What's cool, is that even those who haven't shown any symptoms of a dairy allergy have noticed big difference.  

8.) Clearer Skin  
     Milk, both organic and not, contains growth hormones, sugars, and fats, which can inflame the skin.  It can take up to six months for the skin to fully heal, but one should be able to see a change to start to happen sooner than that.  

Deciding to Go Dairy Free? Follow this link: http://blog.allthingstristen.com/2018/03/so-youve-decided-to-go-dairy-freenow.html
For more Health and Fitness, visit http://blog.allthingstristen.com/search/label/Health%20%26%20Fitness