Well, Lauren, that's a good question. And before I start, let me be totally truthful: I was not dairy free on Days 4 & 5 in July. It was a holiday, and I was with the Lopes Family and they made us a carrot cake for our birthdays and I couldn't say no! However! I'm back on the path and feeling great!
It all started with a random comment from Laura Hughes, lovely vegan extraordinaire. She mentioned that she was so happy being dairy free and she really felt a difference, and it was one thing she didn't miss in her no-meat, no-dairy, no-fish diet. Huh. Really? But, doesn't milk do a body good?
Well, yes, when you're a baby. You're supposed to have milk! It's fortifying, full of fat, and delightful! Yet, who ever thought to drink it from another species?! WEIRD. And when you tumble the idea of milk around more, it gets weeeeirder. You're basically sloshing the mucus of another animal down your throat. Eeeew...And not to be TMI, but ever since I damaged my vocal cords in high school, I've had enough problems with my own coating of my throat, and have gone through periods of going dairy free anyway to try to maximize vocal clarity. (IE My voice sounds like poo sometimes because of humidity, seasons, or, yes, dairy intake. What kind of actor am I? Aiiee!)
Beyond the gross factor, I've been reading up on the website Go Dairy Free (www.godairyfree.org) and it seems that the ol' cheese & milk intake does indeed screw some people up. GDF says, "Milk protein allergies and lactose intolerance have been linked to a wide array of physical symptoms. For some, it is as simple as lethargy or weight gain, for others crippling migraines and "autoimmune" type symptoms are a lifestyle complication." Everyone in my family is officially lactose intolerant but me. Yet! I do however get funky 2 day headaches and stomaches sometimes at night. Could it be the dairy? Beats the crap out of me! I may as well try cutting it out for a little while.
Besides, I'm only trying it for a month. And it's been surprisingly easy so far! Sure, I can't eat carrot cake with cream cheese frosting whenever I want, but that's probably not a terrible thing. I figure I only need to do it til July 31st, and then the cow-world is my oyster! Or something...
But, if I like it I can always remain
yours truly,
Dairy Free
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2 comments:
i see reilly!
i dont know if i could really give up cheese though... and cream cheese... ummmmm......
I'm totally inspired... I haven't had a glass of milk since I was ten. I'm lactose intolerant but still eat cheese and yogurt- I'm finding the older I get, the sicker it makes me. I've even tried Lactaid (which is effective sometimes)...I definetiely notice the difference when I eat lactose free yogurt or soy cheese instead...you're convincing me to be dairy free.....
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