Cut out diary? But my cheeeese! I know it’s hard. Any new habit can be difficult but try it for 30 days. Just 30 days, be strict with yourself. Yes, even the small amount of cream you put in your coffee has an affect. A few bites of your kiddos ice cream will do it. Be consistent. Substitute a dairy free creamer or try a plant based milk if you want to enjoy a coffee or tea. There are so many products available now for you to try this experiment. Perhaps in 30 days your stomach can finally have some relief. Maybe the seasonal allergies you have been experiencing are gone, your skin radiates like never before and your stomach is flat! This could change your life! Still not convinced? Keep on reading for more reasons to cut out dairy.
My Strict Gluten Free Diet isn’t working?
I am not a doctor but from my understanding of intraepithelial lymphocytosis the inner lining of your intestinal cells have a high white blood count meaning your body has CHRONIC inflammation. So if you are still struggling with managing your Celiac Disease you are not alone. Perhaps Celiac patients really need to consider making other changes in their diets. Try to cut out dairy and it might be the simple fix to improve your health.
1. Casein Protein found in Dairy ‘Mimics’ Gluten Protein
What is Casein? It is the protein found in milk. Researchers have found certain foods like Casein look very similar in structure to the gluten protein and therefore cause a similar reaction to the immune systems of Celiac’s. Casein’s “mimic” gluten proteins and the body has a more difficult time distinguishing between the two. You can check out the research here. The researchers found 50% of Celiac patients have a mucosal inflammatory response similar to gluten. Yikes! If dairy is going to give you Celiac-like symptoms this could be why your not getting better following a strict ‘gluten free’ diet.
2. You could be Lactose Intolerant?
Lactose intolerance is the body’s inability to absorb or digest lactose which is the sugar found in milk. A quick google search finds 65-70 % of the world population has a lactose intolerance. In newly diagnosed Celiac patients researchers have found patients were missing lactase, the enzyme needed to digest the milk sugars according to BeyondCeliac.org. Many of the symptoms of lactose intolerance are similar to Celiac Disease as well such as gas, bloating, diarrhea and stomach pain. If a high percentage of the population are lactose intolerant and you have a damaged intestinal tract, dairy could be the cause of your troubles.
3. Healthy Bones Don’t Need Dairy
Remember those marketing campaigns like “Got Milk?” or “Milk-Does the body good” ? These campaigns have convinclinly portrayed milk as the calcium hero. We have been indoctrinated with the belief dairy will give us healthy bones and prevent Osteoporosis. Here to save the day! However, calcium is a tricky mineral because what we eat can either cause calcium to leach from our bones or be absorbed. Foods that contain high amounts of calcium like dairy are not fully absorbed by the body in the amount we are lead to believe.
For example, 1 cup of milk contains about 300 mg of calcium. But only about 30% of it (90 mg) is actually absorbable, and thus bioavailable(available to our bodies).
forksoverknives.com
Therefore, we need to focus more on eating foods with a higher level of calcium absorption rather than just foods marketed to us as ‘calcium rich’ foods.
When we look into plant foods, most people know soy products such as Tofu are calcium rich. Tofu is pretty comparable to a glass of milk with a similar absorbable calcium (31 percent) for 1/2 cup. However, I feel like most people are unaware of how much absorbable calcium is in our leafy green plant matter.
One cup of bok choy, 1½ cups of kale, or 2 cups of broccoli contain the same amount of calcium as a glass of milk, due to their much better calcium absorption rate (in the 50–60% range! )
forksoverknives
We also need to account for factors that contribute to calcium loss.
- Low vitamin D levels(which Celiac people need to monitor closely)
- Age (older people tend to have lower levels)
- Protein (fish, meat and eggs)
- Sodium
- Drinking too much caffeine
- Alchohol
4. Cut Out Dairy And Reduce Cancer Risk
In Canada, Cancer is currently the leading cause of death so I think it’s important to mention researchers have found links between cancer and dairy consumption. As Colin T. Campbell points out in his book the China Study, dairy products have been linked to an increased risk of cancer. Other studies have shown dairy foods can increase IGF-1 (Insulin-like Growth Factor). These hormones can in turn promote cancer growth in lung, prostrate and breast cancers. When you think about it, milk can only be taken from a cow that is either pregnant or has just given birth. A dairy cow, will in turn, have high amounts of estrogen which in turn go into the milk you are consuming. As Dr. Brooke Goldner mentions in her book Good-bye Lupus, increased estrogen levels can increase your risk for certain types of cancer.
5. Auto-immune Disease And Links to Dairy Consumption
There are over 80 different auto-immune diseases and scientists believe there is no one cause for there development. However, as Theresa Houghton states
Eating other pro-inflammatory foods like meat, dairy, and processed vegetable oils puts additional stress on the immune system and may make autoimmune diseases worse.
nutritionstudies.org
In the China Study, Dr Campbell points out undigested and/or partially digested dairy proteins can leak out from our permeable intestinal walls and into the bloodstream. These proteins can then grow or develop malignancies and cause autoimmune diseases. If you have stomach issues, you may be experiencing ‘leaky gut’ . Perhaps ditching the dairy can really help you achieve optimal health and wellness.
6. Got Acne? Cut Out Dairy
I suffered from horrible cystic acne. As a teenager it was exceptionally bad and I still have scars. It blows my mind that some doctors and dermatologists are still saying diet has nothing to do with acne. Why do western countries have a prevalence of acne as high as 80 percent? In this meta-analysis of 14 studies, they looked at 79,000 people and found
any dairy, such as milk, yogurt, and cheese, was associated with [..] increased acne in individuals aged 7–30 years
Dairy Intake and Acne Vulgaris: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of 78,529 Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults.
Diary has hormones in it from pregnant and lactating cows. Acne can be associated with out of whack hormones and inflammation. By ditching our dairy habits we can balance our hormones and clear up our skin for good. Take a look at Dr. John McDougall’s newsletters and website for more information on acne. He points out the connections between not only acne and dairy but also meat and too much fat in our western diets. These industries are contributing to acne and skin problems. Switching to a plant based diet can make miraculous changes to not only our health but to our skin.
Another resource which really helped my skin recover was The Clear Skin Diet by Nina and Randa Nelson. In the book the Nelson twins not only point out a low fat vegan diet will help clear up your skin but also to look into our skin and hair care products. I found keeping oils out of my skincare and especially hair care products were the reason for occasional flare-ups after following an oil-free vegan diet.
7. Cut Out Dairy; Harm to cows
Let’s talk harm to cows. I feel like a lot of people who drink milk or consume dairy products are unaware of the cruel practices behind the dairy industry. When cows give birth to their calves they are taken away from their mothers within 24 hours and fed milk replacers as this article explains. Let’s think about that for a minute. As a mother I can’t imagine anyone taking my baby away from me and never letting me see it again. The mothers often pine for their young for days bellowing away.
Male calves are sent to slaughter because the dairy industry only needs the females. Cows live for about 20 years and can produce milk for 8-9 years but due to stressful living conditions, disease, lameness and reproductive problems the cows are useless after 5 years. To learn more about the treatment of animals check out the humane league website.
I can’t imagine living my life being hooked up to a machine to pump milk, have my calf taken away from me after each birth and then after years of this torture be sent to slaughter. I know this is a topic most people don’t like to discuss but I think it’s important to reconnect with our food and where it comes from. Do you want to eat food that has been subjected to this cruel, abusive treatment? We make choices everyday about what industries and companies we support. Lets choose compassionate ones.
Let’s Find Our Jam to Good Health
I never remember really loving milk. It always seemed kind of gross to me. Yogurt and cheese on the other hand were my jam! I loved them so much and could never get past the idea of giving them up forever. But when you are done with being sick and never feeling well you are willing to try anything! One of the best decisions I made regarding my health was to cut dairy out of my diet.
Hopefully you will find your path towards feeling good. Life is too short to be in pain and misery all the time. Let’s get out there and get our jam on! There are tonnes of plants that will give your bones calcium, make your skin glow and feel proud of your body! Check out my green smoothie recipe. Let me know how you feel about dairy? Feel free to leave a comment below.
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