I used to tell my kids to forget everything I’ve taught them about healthy eating and let me eat what I want when I get old. I determined that after a lifetime of healthy eating I would live my last days eating cheesecake for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It would have enough protein, especially if the crust were made with nuts, and it would never get boring, as I could change up the flavor depending on my mood. Sweet potato cheesecake for breakfast, chocolate cheesecake with strawberries for lunch, and for dinner maybe a savory cheesecake made with goat cheese and asparagus.
But alas my plans for living the good life have been foiled!
After going on the Elimination Diet and getting profoundly sick the day I tested dairy, staying sick for two weeks after, and then getting laryngitis when I went back to eating even small amounts of dairy full time, I have determined that dairy may be a problem for me. However, because I’m a bit stubborn and admitting that one of my very favorite foods is something that I should cut out of my life, I again eliminated dairy and re-tested.
After making myself so bloated and sick that I couldn’t even look at a bite of dairy without becoming nauseous, I admitted defeat. Dairy and I had a long “It’s not you, it’s me” talk and we are officially through. That is for three months….
One thing I know for sure is that we can all heal from gut imbalances. Allergies are not a lifetime sentence. They are a warning that something is amiss. Getting to the root of the problem is the hardest part.
In addition to taking probiotics and drinking nourishing bone broth soups, I’m taking homeopathic drops over the next 3 months that are supposed to help my body tolerate milk again. These drops actually contain minute amounts of dairy (the ingredients list all of the things I’d like to eat: brie cheese, ricotta, parmesan, cream) that will help my body quit creating antibodies to milk.
Biker Bars and Your Gut
You see, when your body decides that something is toxic (could be bacteria, mold, or something we eat) it has a system in place to get rid of that toxicity. The immune system produces something called antigens to guard the cell wall. Think of antigens as basically a bouncer at a club. An antibody sidles up to the bar and starts slipping ruphies in your drink. The Antigen says “Not so fast sucka!” and snatches that derelict antibody up and escorts it to the door.
You can imagine that if the club were filled up with all sorts of antigens and antibodies that no one would be dancing. Pretty soon the club would be so filled with antigens and antibodies that the customers would all disappear and the once brightly lit, thumping hum would turn into one of those dank biker bars that only ex-cons and loose women associate themselves with.
This is your gut, on dairy, eggs, gluten- whatever it is that your body sees as toxic (and for many of you this may be nothing).
Breaking Up Is Hard To Do
Giving up cheese is not difficult. I’d love to have a little parmesan cheese on my salads here and there but it’s not a deal breaker. Butter is something I dearly love, but after having substituted coconut oil for butter for the last 2 months, I actually prefer coconut oil. It’s weird but butter has almost lost it’s flavor for me. It just doesn’t taste like it used to.
Ice cream isn’t hard to give up because it makes me sick so fast that I no longer even want it. Plus, the vegan frozen chocolate banana ice cream has that same creamy texture that satisfies any cravings for ice cream.
Yogurt and cottage cheese are foods I miss. These are fast foods for me. I can eat a quarter cup of cottage cheese and be filled up for a good two hours. Yogurt is the same. Plus, they go great in smoothies.
What I miss the most is cream. I don’t mean whipping cream, I mean cream in my coffee. I have tried everything and nothing tastes like cream in coffee. Soy is the closest I can get and it’s really not good for you. Especially the kind with added sugar and Vitamin A Palmitate (the synthetic version of vitamin A). Plus, I’m not fond of the taste. I’ve tried almond milk, rice milk, coconut milk, I’ve even tried non-dairy creamers in desperation. The coconut, almond and cashew creamers all contain some starch to thicken them (oh, did I forget to mention I’m off grains too?). None of them are even in the same realm as cream.
More Dairy Free Recipes Posted!
The good news for all of you is that I’ll be posting more dairy free recipes. You’ll know when I’m struggling if you see a cheesecake recipe pop up. If, and when this happens, I will be expecting you all to send me your favorite dairy free recipes to bolster my spirits.
I would love to hear from any of you that have gone through a similar protocol where you eliminate something and can eat that food later.