Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Dairy Free: Day 1

I'm doing the Dairy Free Challenge.   The site says:
"What is the worst that could happen? Absolutely nothing…you have no reaction, no change, you go back to your cheesy habits. What is the best that could happen? Your migraines subside, your cholesterol plummets, your energy increases, your body seems lighter, your stomach calms down, you just FEEL BETTER." 
And, they're right… It is comprised of a 10 day dairy-free diet.  The first seven days are the initial dairy break where all of the dairy enzymes are being eliminated from your body.  The beginning includes documenting your feelings, physically and emotionally… after the 10th day, you can reintroduce dairy.   And for the next three days you once again document your feelings.  The idea is that you'll feel overwhelmingly better on the days that you are not eating dairy. 

Many people who have taken the challenge - whether officially, or on their own, have reported reduced joint pains, aches, migraines, bloating and better sleep.  With that information, I've set a couple of goals for myself in the hopes of linking some of my chronic problems with my diet.  The initial and ongoing journal assessments list categories to measure and monitor changes in your health.  You rate various details of your digestive, respiratory and integumentary (skin) systems, as well as sleep and psychological factors.  Interestingly enough, I have chronic symptoms in each of these categories. Therefore, I've chosen to list a goal in each:
  1. Decrease congestion.  For nearly six months, I've had congested sinuses.  I saw an ENT, had a scope, and all looks good. I've also been wheezing occasionally - which is new for me.   I have an epi inhaler for emergencies, and have been prescribed some nasal sprays and Singulair (which I stopped taking).  I've opted for more holistic solutions like a Neti pot, saline spray, sinus massaging, a humidifier and increasing my fluid intake.  I haven't seen any progress, so I wonder if the dairy consumption has anything to do w/ this...
  2. Healthier digestion.  It's pretty much a norm for me to feel full until I'm starving.  I have a disorder called gastroparesis - which literally means "slow stomach."  I don't know if it's all connected, as my gastroenterologist didn't seem to bothered by it, but I also have acid reflux and not so healthy or consistent "emptying" if you know what I mean.  
  3. Clearer skin. While I've never really had acne, I do get MASSIVE pimples.  Usually one or two at a time.. but always those giant ones that I end up trying to pop way too early, which leads to weeks of red spots.  I never learn. 
  4. Improved sleep.   Lately, I've had poor sleep.  I think it's related to the fact that I can't really breath.  But, last night I woke up in a cold sweat... it's happened a couple of times in the last month.  I think this could be related to stress, but maybe not. 
  5. Reduce aches.  I carry my tension in between my shoulder blades.  My knees ache sometimes and my headaches never ease. I'm hoping removing something that may be toxic to my body will help.
    And so begins day one.   Coffee w/ soy creamer and some Nature's Path Organic Flax Plus Maple Pecan Crunch w/ Blue Diamond Vanilla Almond Breeze.

    And the very TMI stats for my pre-dairy-free day 1 (yesterday).


    Don't Say "Cheese!"

    Grumble….gurgle…blerghhhhh.   Ahh the sound of dairy + me.  Like everyone else, I am, to a degree, lactose intolerant.   That really puts a damper on my cheese eating, I tell ya.  Well, no it doesn't.  And therein lies the problem.  

    I'm Italian.  I could - and pretty much do - live on a diet of cheese, bread and wine.  Sadly, my body doesn't agree to this regimen.   I can't handle the dairy.  Oh, and I have a gluten intolerance to boot.  Well, a girl can't live on wine alone….

    A few years back, when I first learned about this gluten issue, I tried to go gluten free.  You know what sucks?  Gluten free bread products.  Disorders like Celiac Disease can be quite dangerous, if gluten isn't avoided.  Luckily I do not have Celiac, but an intolerance.  It's mostly just uncomfortable.  Sometime debilitating.  But, not dangerous.  So, after a few weeks without gluten, I just gave up.  The quality of life was just not worth it.  Opportunity cost and all that…

    Over the years, I've gotten much healthier in my eating.   But, I still partake in dairy and gluten.  I would actually rather give up gluten than dairy.   I can eat cheese by itself, you know…. I love me some Chobani.  And sometimes a girl just needs some chocolate milk.  I don't drink a lot of milk, and what I do in my home is lactose-free.  Cheese, on the other hand… and yogurt.  I think yogurt's bacterial flora helps to balance things out, mostly, but not entirely.  (gurgle)

    I'm trying to pay better attention to my body. I'm not feeling so hot.  My weight is stagnant.  And I'm overly tired.  So, I'm gonna try to get rid of the dairy.  I purchased some Blue Diamond Almond Breeze for cereal and cooking and stuff.  I got some Silk creamer for my coffee.  I'm ignoring the fact that I just bought a twelve-pack of Chobani at Costco, and that cheese drawer doesn't exist. 

    I think, in the past, I've focused on too many eliminations at once.  I've done South Beach/Atkins where I eliminated or greatly reduced my carb intake.  That means no bread, no cereal, no oatmeal, no rice, no grains, no potatoes….. not for me.  I've tried to go vegan, before taking a step to go veg.  It's just too much.  Focusing on dairy only should give me a good balance.  Now, instead of cheese and crackers, maybe I'll go for some hummus.   My coffee's fine this morning - in fact, I prefer soy milk in my coffee anyway.  

    I came across the website www.godairyfree.org.  Many people are opting for this lifestyle change as a means to overall better heath.  It's not just about lactose, but dairy in general.  While there's little convincing research that links dairy definitively to cancers, there have been some connections.   So what's to lose?