It has become almost a fad diet to nix all things wheat and dairy, but why? Unless you’ve done some extensive research or experimented with it yourself, chances are you’re confused why all of a sudden whole wheat bread and Greek yogurt are things people are avoiding. Gosh, what information can you rely on anymore? Like any “diet,” though, there is evidence and there are success stories, and if you are so inclined, you might give this nutrition plan a try!
Reasons to say goodbye to gluten:
-You have celiac disease, the obvious one affecting about 3 million Americans, or autism (which can be alleviated by eliminating wheat products)
-Gluten has been linked to causing some depression. Thus, you may think bready comfort food makes you produce happy hormones, but it actually could be the other way around!
-Digestive issues: The lining of your small intestine has an immune reaction when exposed to gluten, which causes some unpleasant digestion-related side effects.
-Brain fog: You can’t think clearly, and you get frequent migraines. College students can’t afford this!
-General inflammation: You have acne or eczema that no amount of Proactiv or X Out can cure.
-You’ve read celebrity diet testimonies about it.
-You just want to see what all the fuss is about. Plus you like gluten free cookies, so it can’t be that bad.
Why you would dare to ditch dairy (especially considering that you love froyo):
-You are lactose intolerant, and you’re sick of getting sick every time you have milk products.
-There was been some evidence (Food Inc, Forks Over Knives, among others) tied to dairy not giving us the benefits we think it does and the hormones in milk hindering our health.
-You are an animal rights advocate and want to boycott any and all animal products.
-You want to lose weight, and this seems like a way to limit your consumption of rich foods.
If you resonated with any of those reasons or have some original motives of your own, you may be now asking how you go about this.
The experiment works best when you carry it out for 2-3 weeks, because 1. it takes about that long to remove all traces of gluten and dairy from your system and 2. forming a habit is said to take about 21 days, so if you want to continue on afterwards, you will have more self-control to do so.
This does not have to be self-deprivation, though.
You can make this as fun and familiar as you would like! It’s all about the “swapportunities,” as those yogurt commercials say. (I know, ironic that I would reference yogurt when discussing going dairy free.) Consider the tips below for some ideas on how to go on this cleanse.
1. Swap milk for almond, soy, coconut or rice milk. See what flavor you like best, and start to substitute it in when you eat cereal.
2. Go to Starbucks and order your old standby with soy instead of regular. Also, they sell flourless cookies and dairy-free gluten-free Evolution energy bars, if you’re looking for a little snack. Also while you’re at LaFun, Subway salads and taco salads from Taco Bell are viable fast food options.
3. Still go to all the free food events on campus! Let’s say your dorm is having a cookout. In that case you would get the usual burger but just eat it without the bun. When they’re giving out ice cream bars, see if you can find a fruit juice popsicle.
4. Keep your room stocked with a few go-to power snacks. Some ideas are trail mixes, fruit (dried or fresh), hummus and carrots, almonds, sunflower seeds, KiND bars, natural peanut butter, gluten free cereal, and gluten free pretzels.
5. Become a creative customer in the dining hall. For one, you can put anything on quinoa to enhance its flavor. Plus you still have a fair shot at any vegetables, rice, eggs, fish, poultry, and even red meat. Consider yourself lucky that all this gluten and dairy free food is premade for you!
6. What about your sweet tooth? Have some dark chocolate (not milk chocolate), real fruit, a chocolaty KiND bar, or a rice krispie treat. This is probably the category you’ll find the hardest if you are a die-hard dessert eater. If that’s the case, find some dairy and gluten free sweets at Whole Foods or Martin’s or Meijer.
7. For those of age, yes, I realize that beer has gluten in it. There is no way around this unless you’re willing to pay extra and sacrifice taste for gluten free beer or cider.
8. Add just one (gluten or dairy, but not both) back in when you’re done. If you only change one control, you will be able to see the independent variable causing your symptoms. Thanks science!
What happens if you get the worst-case scenario? You find out you have neither gluten sensitivity nor lactose intolerance, you didn’t get any inflammatory relief, and you didn’t lose any weight. First of all, give yourself a pat on the back for the crazy amount of discipline you exerted! And second, well, you did it, and now you know that you can eat dairy and gluten safely with no side effects. If you hadn’t tried, you wouldn’t know!
More common, though, is that you will see some kind of change after the dairy free gluten free challenge. Some examples:
-You sleep the same amount as you used to, but now you have more energy during the day. Now that you’ve gotten rid of the brain fog and extra energy spent on soothing your digestion, you have a little extra gas in the tank that makes all the difference.
-You feel lighter and less bloated, and your skin has cleared up. Who knew?
-You finally got over “the plague” going around campus because your mucus membranes can finally breathe without the inflammatory response to your food.
-You developed such self-discipline that now you don’t need the sweets or junk food you always craved. It’s the beginning of a new lifestyle.
-You tried new healthy things and found you really enjoyed them. Translation: more options to eat well!
It’s really up to you, after having success on the gluten free dairy free cleanse, whether you want to continue like this. If you’ve identified that just one of the two trigger your digestive system, then you can take the just dairy free or just gluten free route.
However, if this is going to become your lifestyle, be careful to make sure you can get your calcium and vitamins from another source. Usually fruits, vegetables, alternate grains, and lean meats will suffice, but supplements never hurt.
To all of you trying out eating the gluten and dairy free way, best of luck, and have fun! And to those uninterested, that’s fine too; yet if ever you’re finding your day-to-day health to be suffering, this may be a way to cure yourself without medicine.
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