For the past few months, I kept coming across information concerning a dairy-free diet. The first few times I didn’t pay much attention to it. The idea intrigued me, but I felt my diet was restricted enough already since I don’t eat sugar, flour, wheat, caffeine, and a host of other things. As time has gone on, I’ve seen more and more references to a dairy-free way of life and it suddenly occurred to me that it wasn’t just a coincidence so I decided to educate myself.
I’m almost sorry I read everything I did because it was all so disturbing. The more I read about the effects of consuming dairy, the more I want to never ever consume another ounce of dairy in my life. This stuff is vile! It’s almost as bad as sugar, which is saying quite a lot.
As of today, I’m officially giving up dairy. I have 5 containers of my (formerly) beloved Greek yogurt in my refrigerator that need to find a home, because I will not be eating them. A few people have asked me why I’m making this change, and I get a little overwhelmed trying to explain because there are just so many reasons. I’m going to document them here, and hopefully this list will help me to answer people who are curious about my latest dietary change.
Here are some symptoms/ailments that have been linked to dairy consumption:
- Migraines
- Breast cancer
- Diabetes (both types)
- Obesity
- High Cholesterol
- Heart disease
- Irregular bowel movements
- Sinus/Allergy problems
- Colds/Sore Throats
- PMS/Emotional problems
- Acne/Problem skin
Although all this dairy stuff has been disturbing, it didn’t cause me to lose my sense of humor. During my lunch hour today, I went to a local health food store, Trader Joes, and Whole Foods to find dairy replacements. Specifically I was looking for some unsweetened plain soy yogurt. I purchased quite a few things, and I had to laugh at myself as I was walking up the driveway with my grocery store bags in hand. Here I was replacing three basic food items on my food plan: milk, yogurt, and powdered milk. And in my hand were three full grocery bags of assorted items to take their place. Did I really need 6 boxes of assorted flavors of unsweetened soy milk? It’s apparent that this change is stirring up a little bit of fear and a need to control, as most change does for me. Still funny, though!
One other note - I wasn’t able to find a yogurt or powdered milk alternative, so I bought two types of soy cheese, tempeh and tofu as well. I don’t believe there is a soy yogurt alternative that has no sugar in it, so looks like I’m going to learn to live without it. I might try silken tofu blended with fruit to take its place, but I’m not sure. My diet now has a whole lot of soy in it, and I don’t want to go too far overboard in that direction, either.
In my travels studying the problems with dairy, I also read quite a few things about animal products in general. I have a feeling I might turn into a full-fledged vegan, but that is for another day. Today, I address the dairy.
Here are some more resources if you’re interested:
Not Milk
Go Dairy Free Challenge
The Dangers of Cow’s Milk
Say No to Milk
Milk Sucks
