A Beginner’s Guide to Going Dairy-Free

The Inflammatory Truth About Going Dairy-Free

Can’t lose weight no matter how hard you try? Have you been feeling bloated? Super gassy? How about constipated, but with that lovely bout of random diarrhea? Stomach making all kinds of noises? Do you have acid reflux and live on antacids? What about those skin issues like dandruff, eczema, and psoriasis? Do you have sleep apnea?

Or maybe you’ve recently jumped on to the ‘healthy’ bandwagon and decided to make some changes to lose that weight you’ve been carrying around. Be it postpartum weight, the COVID 15, hormonal/menopausal, stress, emotional, or even that “I’m in love and happy let’s celebrate love” kind of happy fat.

Does this desperation get you thinking of going on a traditional keto diet? Trust me this is NOT your answer!

You need to give up the dairy.

If you took a hard look at your diet, I bet you dairy products make up a large portion of what you consume daily. Coffee creamer and drinks, cheese, yogurt, sour cream, cream cheese, ice cream, pudding, salad dressings, and just drinking milk.

Even done occasionally, consuming dairy is HIGHLY INFLAMMATORY!

Dairy is Addictive

Fun fact, cheese is just like an opioid. Did you know that studies and research show that milk products (cheese) are addictive like an opioid? Dairy products trigger the brain’s opioid receptors. Did you know that β-Casomorphine-7 is the naturally occurring product in cow’s milk? And it doesn’t matter if it’s organic, raw, or the lowest-end grocery store kind. It all affects everyone the same! So no, drinking ‘raw’ milk is not good for you either.

But I can’t live without my cheese!

I’m here to tell you YES, you can! Sure, you will look at it longingly and mourn its loss just like any good drug addict trying to detox from the powerlessness and unmanageability of their drug of choice. But once you give up the dairy and see the results you will never go back!

Dairy Contains Casein and Lactose

Casein is the protein found in milk. A casein allergy occurs when your body’s immune system mistakenly thinks the protein is an invader and doesn’t know any better, so it does its job to protect you by producing allergic IgE antibodies for protection. A release of histamines will be your immune response and could include mucous membranes inflammation (including the gut), red skin, itching, swelling, and even anaphylaxis! The reaction is usually within a few minutes of the exposure and makes it easier to give up the offending food.

It’s that IgG response that gets tricky. The production of IgG antibodies releases inflammatory mediators causing those chronic inflammatory ailments like constipation, Crohn’s disease, diarrhea, eczema, nasty gas, IBS, migraines, obesity, and psoriasis.

Lactose and Sugar

Let’s break it down a little more. Some people think, “Well I’m drinking lactose-free milk, or organic, or even raw milk, that’s fine, right?” Nope. It still contains casein.

Lactose is the natural sugar found in products made with milk. If you are lactose intolerant, then you really shouldn’t be doing sugar AT ALL. (Join me for the 3rd part of this series about going sugar-free) EVERYONE needs to ditch the sugar!

It’s not just the sugar, but the casein that has been show in studies to grow and metastasize cancer. Check out The China Study: Revised and Expanded Edition: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss, and Long-Term Health.

It will blow your mind how poisonous dairy products really are to our bodies!

Remember NO ONE NEEDS SUGAR!

If you are an O blood type, no wheat, gluten, OR DAIRY!

Celiac Disease? No wheat, gluten, OR DAIRY!

Have, or have had any form of cancer? No wheat, gluten, OR DAIRY!

Are you trying to really lose weight and kick the brain fog? No wheat, gluten, OR DAIRY!

Do you have special superpowers? (Not sure book a session and I’ll uncover them for you) No wheat, gluten, OR DAIRY!

Did I also mention NO SUGAR?

You can have the GOOD butter!

Here’s some good news! Butter, specifically Kerrygold (grass-fed Irish) butter is okay! Yes, it’s a dairy product and contains trace amounts of casein and lactose but it is a fat. There isn’t enough casein or lactose to really trigger symptoms if you are lactose intolerant or celiac.

Sensitives can consume up to 14 grams (1TBS) without symptoms. Ghee is totally safe; it has the casein removed.

Why not just use margarine? Read the label. I’ll leave it at that! Even Earth Balance vegan buttery spread has gone off the deep end with the soy, palm, safflower, and canola oils. Choose your fats carefully.

Sometimes a 1TBS of good ol’ butter is just fine in my book. As a celiac, I have had no problem consuming Kerrygold butter. I still use Earth Balance for baking, but for the most part, I must pick my battles.

Better Dairy-Free Alternatives

Milk

• Almond
• Coconut
• Hemp
• Oat (Trader Joe’s in the refrigerated section has been my favorite replacement for baking/cooking)
• Flax

Cheese

• Miyoko’s (all flavors). My current favorite is their mozzarella.
• The Cultured Kitchen
• Trader Joe’s
• Whole Foods 365 brand. Watch for wheat in the ingredients.
• Follow Your Heart (soy-based)
• Daiya (rice based)

Ice Cream

• Oatly
• NadaMoo!
• Cosmic Bliss
• Trader Joe’s
• Sorbets

Be mindful that while there are plenty of dairy-free options here, you still need to be sure to read your labels and make informed decisions. Not all products are going to be sugar-free or gluten/wheat-free even if they are ‘vegan’ or dairy-free.

Wheat, gluten, dairy, and sugar products are pretty much at the core problem of all things. Follow my blog series to learn more about these inflammatory antagonists that have you packing around about 8lbs of extra weight. Want to get right to the solution? Get in for a session and let’s get you on the right path for YOU, no fads, or gimmicks. If you would like to get your personal nutritional blueprint, book your session today!