A neighbour said to me, have you thought of having your allergies tested? I had never thought of that, nor had my doctor suggested it.

I soon discovered I had many food and environmental allergies. I found out that I was allergic to dairy and eggs. I also had sensitivities to wheat, yeast,  corn, sugar, and soy. Years later, I also found out I was Celiac, which meant I had to avoid gluten in my diet as well.

What a learning curve it was. Most of the foods I ate on a daily basis were no longer an option. Morning cereal, toast and peanut butter, and sandwiches were gone. What the heck was I going to eat now?

First I did a little research online, then, I went to my local health food store. They were so happy to help and give me suggestions and alternatives to eat. I tired a few new foods and with trial and error I was able to come up with tasty, alternatives to the foods I could no longer eat.

I was amazed at all the dairy-free options that were available to me. Rice flax, hemp, coconut milk, oat and almond milk were all products that I could use. It was simply a matter of trying them out and seeing which ones I liked. To my astonishment I liked all of them! Some worked better in baking and coconut milk became a favourite when I made smoothies.

What started to happen was that I no longer ate food out of a box, can or package. I started to cook again and thoroughly enjoyed it. I made up a weekly menu plan for myself which helped me when I went grocery shopping. This way of eating meant I didn’t eat the same thing night after night. Fruits and vegetables became the bulk of my meals along with organic meats, nuts and seeds, therefore I knew I was improving my health. I no longer felt bloated and ill most of the time and those very embarrassing, smelly toots were a thing of the past.

I learned that dairy was very acidic to the body. Once I started to incorporate more greens into my diet, it helped my body to be more alkaline, I noticed that my eczema started to improve.. Keeping the body alkaline by eating more alkaline foods like kale, spinach, and avocados, and removing acidic foods like dairy, and sugar is a great way to ward off disease.

Dairy seemed to be the cause of many of my health issues. Once I started to avoid it and changed my diet it became clear that it was the cause of some of my health issues. Isn’t it amazing how you think some things are such a pain, but end up being a blessing?

If you think dairy might be playing a role in your health, why not give it up for a month and just see if some of your symptoms disappear.

Remember to read all labels as dairy can be hidden in some pre-packaged products.

For more help or to learn how you can go dairy free, connect with me, as I am here to help.