I like ice cream and cheese-a lot. Sadly, I'm also lactose intolerant. I was diagnosed at age 17, after a bout of severe stomach pain landed in the emergency room. But despite the diagnosis, I was never able to completely give up milk. Instead, I managed my symptoms by taking Lactaid pills and consuming dairy in small amounts (well, usually). For the most part, a little skim milk or butter here and there has not affected me too much.
But after a recent string of stomach cramps and bloating left me feeling awful, I started to wonder if my diet from my diet might actually be a good idea. After all, elimination diets are all the rage, and other people claim to have success with them. Supposedly, not only did the people feel better after cutting out milk, but many of them also have noticed improved complexions and a thinner waistline.
So I decided to give me milk for a whole month: yogurt, coffee creamer, pizza, everything. I admit I was hoping for a big change, but it was not exactly what I expected.
Week 1
I planned out my meals and stocked up on dairy-free groceries. That part was easy. What was not easy was the fact that while many restaurants have vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options, it was a lot harder to eat on a dairy-free diet. When I asked the servers which the meals contained milk, they would usually have to check with the chef, since nothing was labeled that way on the menu. And inevitably, most items would be prepared with at least a little butter.
As a result, within a day or two of giving up milk, I found myself loading up on carbs. I tried to choose whole grains, but I was also snacking on more chips than usual. I think I was compensating for the fact that many of the diet staples, such as Greek yogurt, were now off the table-and I was not as excited to replace those foods with veggies.
Week 2
I felt good. My stomach aches had to go away, and I was also less bloated. I figured out to go to the meals, like peanut butter instead of butter on toast, almond milk instead of half-and-half in coffee, avocado instead of mayo on my sandwich. (Later, I discovered that the mayo is a milk-free-mind blown.) My husband and I would not always cook with me before the experiment, so I did not notice much of a difference at dinnertime, but I did miss shredded cheese on taco night. Tacos are not the same without cheese, in case you were wondering.
Week 3
By this time, I had a handle on which foods were dairy-free, and I started getting a little more adventurous with my meals. I even made a dairy-free mug dessert, which has since become my go-to whenever I'm craving something sweet. I also noticed that my diet had become more balanced than when I first started the experiment, and I was consciously trying to replace the milk with healthy alternatives.
Week 4
Before I even hit the one-month mark, I had decided to continue a mostly dairy-free diet-something I did not see coming. What really convinced me was the fact that my stomach aches had disappeared. In fact, I did not have a single bout of nausea the whole month. I was also surprised to find I was craving fewer sweets, maybe since ice cream was off-limits.
What did not change? My skin, for one. My weight was exactly the same, too-I did not lose or gain a single pound. In that sense, eliminating milk was not the magic fix for everything I'd heard it might be. But I did not feel better. I've even been more motivated to hit the gym-I do not know if that's what to do with my dairy-free diet, but I'll take it.
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