To Dairy or Not to Dairy – That is the Question.

 My Dairy Free Month of June

All I have to say is THANK GOD it is July and I can eat dairy again!  Yessss!  Wahoo!  Weeee!  Wha wha!  I’m clearly happy to be back on the dairy train (at least temporarily).

During the month of June I did a little experiment on myself and went dairy free.  I’ve always been resistant to giving up dairy as I am a big believer in simply eating a balanced diet and generally avoiding processed foods.  That being said, I do admittedly understand the logic behind WHY many nutritionists and fad diets are anti-dairy: we are the only species in the world that continues to consume milk-based products post the breast-feeding stage.  When you think about it – it’s kind of weird.  And with everyone touting how much better they feel going anti-dairy, and me being the competitive person that I am, I decided to give it a go.
Aside from the fact that I LOVE my cheese (and honestly, “love” may be an UNDERstatement…), dairy has been a really critical source of protein for me.  I put Greek yogurt in my oatmeal in the mornings, I eat cottage cheese a lot of times for lunch, and I roll a slice of deli meat and cheese together for mid-day snacks.  I do drink protein drinks, but I don’t really like relying on those as my KEY source of protein, and typically try to limit my shake-ness to 2-3 times per week.

So…how did it go?!?! – I am sure you are all wondering.

Actually giving up dairy was a lot easier than I expected it to be.  I didn’t crave it like the way I crave red meat and vegetables.  I found I felt better and did genuinely feel like my body was a bit less swollen.

However, I also found it really really super duper ridiculously crazy difficult to find a natural protein source that could replace my dairy-based, protein-filled snacks throughout the day.  I’m a big grazer, so in place of dairy I was constantly munching on nuts, beans, vegetables, nut butters smeared on bananas and rice cakes as well as a boat load of hard boiled eggs.

But none of these snacks were able to curb my hunger or my cravings in the way my dairy delights do.  Because I wasn’t getting enough protein, my cravings were through the roof.  Under my normal diet, I felt like I really striking a wonderful balance  – I rarely had cravings for carbs, and I just felt like I was providing my body with what it needed – most of the time.  During DFJ (“Dairy Free June”), the only thing I wanted..all the time… was sweets and starches.  My overall hunger went way up, and my feeling of being satiated – even after I had stuffed my face with food – went way down.  I couldn’t find the balance I had been able to achieve in months prior, and it was very frustrating for me.

The net net is that for ME dairy is a significant and important component of my diet.  That doesn’t mean I am not wary of trying to limit its consumption (for example I drink almond milk in place of regular milk), but my body clearly needs a lot of protein, and dairy provides the goods.  Sure I saw some benefits in eliminating it, but I think the actually negative overall effect on my dietary balance was more significant that any positive benefits gained.

Today (Tuesday, July 3^rd) I am going to begin working with a new nutritionist here in LA.  I know he is anti-dairy, So, I am going to have to do my best to convince him that diet with dairy = happy Sarah, and hopefully he will let me stay on the dairy train.

I’ll let you know how everything goes, but rest assured – I am Pro Dairy all the way!

Mooooooooooo.

Until next time.  Don’t Dream It.  Be It.

Xxx

S-