My usual Dunkin Donuts order was always a medium iced caramel coffee with just cream. Now, it’s a medium iced caramel coffee with just almond milk, and it is life-changing. This past summer I chose to cut dairy out of my life, and it was one of the best choices I’ve ever made.
Becoming dairy-free was just a health choice for me. I’ve already been a pescatarian for about 9 years now, but cheese was always something I thought I could never give up. I would eat cheese every day, always putting it on everything and anything I was eating. How could I just cut it out for good? It was a lot easier than I thought, and I still get that cheesy taste by eating dairy-free cheese or using nutritional yeast when I cook.
I had always heard that eating dairy wasn’t good for you and how there were many benefits that followed along with being dairy-free. Ever since I stopped eating dairy products my body has felt a lot healthier. According to godairyfree.org, about “70 percent of the world’s population has some sort of lactose intolerance.” I can now go throughout the day without feeling gross and bloated, and I also feel more energized. It has also been proven that not eating dairy improves digestion and helps clear up skin.
Being dairy-free doesn’t mean you don’t ever get to eat your favorite foods again. There are non-dairy versions of pretty much everything. In fact, Ben & Jerry’s even now sells dairy-free flavors and honestly they are the bomb. Although I am not vegan, the vegan lifestyle is becoming a huge fad these days which causes a higher demand for these dairy-free alternatives. I still eat ice cream, pizza, nachos and all my other favorite foods but I just don’t feel like crap afterward.
After about two months of consuming absolutely no dairy products, there was one weekend where I cheated and I immediately regretted it. I was at a tailgate for my school’s football game and I just could not resist the delicious, creamy crab dip although I knew it was loaded with cheese and sour cream. Let’s just say my body was not happy with me, and I went right back to strictly no dairy products…for good this time.
I have never been happier with my eating habits, and I am the healthiest I have ever been. Being a college student and constantly living on a tight budget might make it tough to be living the healthy lifestyle you want, but I promise it’s not impossible.
Being dairy-free might also not be for everyone, which is totally fine. If you are planning on trying to call it quits on the dairy products, then just start out slowly. Maybe next time you go out to eat, just end your order with “no cheese, please.”