When I first cut dairy from my diet, I was hesitant that it would make any real difference in how I felt. No one in my family had ever had food intolerance issues, so why would I? I was in denial for close to a year before I got serious about honoring what my body had been telling me through feeling terrible on a day-to-day basis. When I committed to being dairy-free, I decided that in order to stay on track, I needed to know exactly what symptoms would come and go if I brought the dairy back. That way, I could remember how terrible I would feel if I gave in to my cheese craving. Here are the five things that happened when I gave up dairy for good: While they all helped somewhat for a short period, my skin was never as clear as it was when I cut dairy out of my diet. Looking back, I can see that in the times I ate the most dairy were the times I had the biggest flare-ups on my face. It was only after removing dairy did I see quick results in my bathroom trips. I was going regularly and having healthy poops. Another major thing I saw an improvement in was my chronic bloating. From just the reduced bloat alone, I’m sure I lost a pant size. After eliminating dairy, I experienced this sense of clarity that I hadn’t in years. I felt lighter, brighter, and more in tune with my body when I actually felt good in my skin. Without the dairy, I feel healthy. No more chronic aches and random pains, just at ease and content the majority of the time. In the year or two leading up to my dairy revelation, I had added some extra weight without really doing anything different in my diet and lifestyle. As a result of honoring my body by removing a food that was making me sick on a regular basis, I lost weight effortlessly and returned to my body’s natural weight. My body was no longer so inflamed and fighting the food that it didn’t know how to properly process. I’ve come to realize over time that even though I don’t get to enjoy cheese or butter like I once did, I’m so much better off without the dairy in my life. Honoring my body’s needs by listening to it’s signs and symptoms isn’t easy, but totally worth it to feel good every day and to be healthy from here on out. I don’t know about you, but I choose feeling healthy over cheese any day.
