Update: We wrote this article about 3 years ago, and though the information in it still stands true, so many advancements have been made to dairy alternatives over the past 3 years, so we felt is was time to update the non dairy recommendations at the end of the article. If you haven’t yet read this one, enjoy as it’s really great info to know, or even a good refresher.
When I was about 2 years old, my parents found out I was Lactose Intolerant. That was back in the late 1980’s…. Without much knowledge on the topic, and no internet to turn to, my parents thought this meant I just couldn’t have milk, without even realizing that milk is in almost everything. So they swapped the gallon of milk in the fridge for that awful tasting stuff called Lactaid… Yuck!
As a teen to young adult I struggled with major digestive issues, stomach pains, fatigue, and I had some of the worst cystic acne on my face and neck. It wasn’t until I was in my late 20’s that I realized so many of my chronic issues were due to my nutritional lifestyle, specifically my dairy intake. The thought of going dairy free was daunting, who wants to give up pizza, lasagna, nachos, ice cream, etc…. I know I didn’t. Those are some of my FAVORITE foods!!! I had to do some major research to convince myself that a dairy free lifestyle was worth it. When I finally got disciplined with my diet and cut out dairy completely, my quality of life drastically improved, and that pesky cystic acne that I had dealt with for years, well it just disappeared.
Now this is just my story…. So why are Dairy Free alternatives on the rise? Most people are quick to lay claim that it is a new trend. But wait until you find out what I discovered during my research. Here’s 6 reasons why choosing to be Dairy Free is a Lifestyle choice rather than some trendy gimmick.
1. We are the only species that still consume milk after childhood. The reason we are only meant to consume milk as a child is due to the fact that as we go through different phases in our life we produce different enzymes and hormones to help us adapt. As infants and toddlers we produce an enzyme called Lactase, which breaks down the milk from our mothers. However we stop producing this enzyme as a young child. Therefore making majority of the world Lactose intolerant. This intolerance causes inflammation based issues.
2. Dairy causes us to develop a sensitivity to calcium. Yep you read that right!!! Although TV ads will have you believing otherwise. A lifelong intake of dairy actually increases your chance of having osteoporosis and here’s why: When we continue to consume something that we have a sensitivity to, the proteins from that food source (dairy) leak into the blood stream, this is known as leaky gut. When this happens, your body will stop absorbing nutrients from this source and instead will mark it as a virus, or infected cell and will remove the nutrients from your system. Therefore causing to us to not absorb calcium from dairy, vegetables, etc., and increasing your risk for osteoporosis, bone fractures, and so on.
3. You're consuming lots of hormones! This is true even if your milk and yogurt is organic. Because dairy cows are kept on sex hormones or pregnant for their entire lives in order to lactate for humans year-round, when you consume dairy, you're also taking in a significant amount of the sex hormones estrogen and progesterone. These hormones will affect your normal hormone cycles and cause thyroid issues, depression, anxiety, and other hormone related problems.
4. Dairy products are 50% of most people's Dioxin intake (toxins from processing). Our bodies cannot naturally detox from these toxins, and can eventually build to harmful levels that may affect the immune, reproductive, and the central nervous systems, and have also been linked to cancer.
5. Other contaminants often introduced during processing of milk products include melamine, which is also found in plastics, and negatively affects the kidneys and urinary tract due to its high nitrogen content, and carcinogenic toxins including aflatoxins. When farmers treat cows for conditions such as mastitis, an inflammation of the mammary glands that's incredibly common because of the constant milking cows suffer, antibiotics are used — which means you also might be drinking those.
6. As I discovered the hard way, consuming dairy is directly related to acne due to our bodies not being able to break down the sugars, and how high they are on the glycemic index.
I don’t blame you if those facts left you with a disgusted look on your face and contemplating that latte with skim milk that you had for breakfast. But what do you do about still being able to enjoy your favorite foods? Well luckily for us, it’s not 1980 anymore. There are so many dairy alternatives to choose from, and although I know some of them truly are horrible, I’ve put together a list of alternatives that won’t make you cringe.
Here's the dairy alternatives I recommend.
Cheese: Provolone, Cheddar, Cream Cheese, Mozzarella You can find these at most health Food stores (Natural Grocers, Sprouts, even City Market.) Whatever you do, stay away from the brand Daiya. This brand is known to cause digestive upset.
If you want to get crafty and make your own Mozzarella, here’s a great recipe Vegan Mozzarella or Shreddable Vegan Mozzarella
For non dairy milk we love MALK. Both the Oat and Almond milks are great. You can find them at City Market and Natural Grocers.
Yogurt: Forager Organic Dairy Free is what I would recommend (vanilla flavor), and they actually sell this one at City Market and Natural Grocers.
Cookies: I'm a fan of this brand, however I am still in search of some healthier options. Immaculate Honestly Delicious. Or you could just use a dairy free milk, and dairy free butter and make your own.
Ice Cream: Cado Ice Cream, I really enjoy the Vanilla Bean and the Deep dark chocolate.
Butter: Earth Balance is a fairly good brand. Some of theirs do have Natural Flavors in them, so just read the labels. You can find these at almost any store. Also, here's a recipe to make your own Vegan butter. It literally takes 5 minutes and is spreadable. Vegan Butter Recipe
If you want to make your own milk, here’s some great recipes. Vegan Milk Recipes
Here’s the recipe for my favorite Queso alternative. Vegan Queso
My daughter loves mac and cheese. So I make a quick little cheese sauce for her. Here’s the recipe. 1 cup cashews (soaked in hot water for 5 minutes then drained), 3/4 cup vegetable broth, 2 tablespoons Nutritional Yeast, 1 Teaspoon Chicken Bouillon (add more if you like your cheese more salty). Add all ingredients into blender and blend until smooth.
If you find some alternatives that you love, please share by leaving a comment below.