When someone finds out that I’m lactose intolerant (unable to properly digest dairy milk products), I often hear, “How terrible/That sounds awful/You poor thing/You can’t eat anything!” In reality, being lactose intolerant is actually beneficial to my health. Dairy milk and all of its products are linked to weight gain, which is no surprise since cow’s milk is designed to make a calf grow quickly into a large, fat animal. So why would we expect milk to affect us any different? (For more information on why you shouldn’t consume dairy products, follow this link). Don’t feel bad for me for not being able to eat dairy, I really don’t mind not gaining weight!
Not being able to consume these products is an excellent thing for my health, and it’s not terrible or awful at all. I love it. I remember when I used to eat dairy products, how gross I would feel afterwards and how badly my skin would break out in acne. When I stopped, my acne significantly improved, and I no longer had as bad of a sluggish feeling after eating. Not to mention the state of my stomach, which thanked me greatly. Don’t feel bad for me, I love reduced acne!
If you think I can’t eat anything, then you haven’t considered a vegan diet (just kidding, vegans eat tons of food daily). There are plenty of foods I can eat. Anyone that knows me also knows that I likely have snack foods nearby, am usually eating at any given time and coworkers know I’ll most likely talk about dishes I plan on making when I get home at some point (or multiple times) during the work day. I love food. And when I cut out dairy products, food loved me back (for the most part, meat still didn’t love me). In addition to cutting out many foods I once loved, it allowed more room for healthier choices like fruits, vegetables and grains, none of which I have to eat in moderation. Don’t feel bad for me, I love eating!
Dairy products aren’t actually linked to any health benefits that I am aware of. Any that I’ve seen have also been debunked with science. Consuming dairy doesn’t benefit your bones as much as we’re taught; there are actually more cases of osteoporosis among dairy consumers than those who don’t consume any dairy. Our bodies need calcium, yes, but our bodies don’t need the foreign animal proteins that come with it. Dairy products are also linked to heart disease, prostate cancer, decreased testosterone levels and irritable bowel syndrome (check out this page for more information). So please, don’t feel bad for me, I love being healthy!