The Gluten & Dairy Gossip: are they really THAT bad for you??
We’ve all heard the rumor. That gluten and dairy are “bad” for us. We’ve all sat next to someone at a restaurant who asked their waitress from the gluten free menu and then proceeded to order their salad with no cheese. Is going gluten and dairy free just another fad craze by health nuts or is there some real substance behind this movement?
Just a few years ago I had stated to a friend, “I don’t believe any food group is bad and think it’s all a hype.” About two months after that, I received confirmation I had autoimmune disease and going gluten & dairy free were the first interventions on my care plan. “NO ICE CREAM ARE YOU KIDDING ME!?” I could not believe it, but was so miserable I was willing to try about anything. Just two weeks into the lifestyle change I had dropped 9 pounds and had so much energy I felt like I might pass out. The inflammation and weight were just falling away from my body. I was confronted with my former limited mindset and began to explore further what these foods were doing to my body previously.
So what do gluten and dairy actually DO in your body?
Let’s start with this question..
Raise your hand if you have ever been personally victimized by a sinus infection or strep throat? (If you have not seen Mean Girls please go watch so you can catch that reference and be enlightened)
So basically every one of us has caught one of these bugs. I would like to further suggest that we acquired that infection and were not able to fight it off on our own due to our current state of health and diet at that time. Just like anyone else, we went to our neighborhood medical doctor and were given an antibiotic. A few days and several pills later we were back to feeling normal again. However, what then was not normal was our imbalanced gut flora affected by that antibiotic we took. That antibiotic also strengthened viruses in our system and fed other pathogens by depositing heavy metal byproduct into our organs. So while we felt better, internal chaos ensued and pathogens were thriving. Then as we continued to eat bread, baked goods, milk, butter, cheese, etc. we were allowing these pathogens inside of us to FLOURISH. Especially the newly non beneficial bacteria in our GI tract. Our body then detects these pathogens, our immune system kicks into overdrive and we are now toxic, inflamed and experiencing nagging symptoms.
Just a bite of cake.
Just a taste of chocolate milk.
Just one whey protein shake a day.
Just a little bit of rat poison, but it’s still rat poison. Catch my drift here?
Any in small amount these foods are feeding the very pathogens in our bodies our immune system is working so hard 24/7 to eradicate. We’re literally giving food to the enemy.
It is just as important to remove the pathogen feeding foods as it is to bring in the life-changing, healing foods into our diets. The good news is we CAN win this war going on inside our bodies. Every time you eliminate the unproductive foods and being in the healing, living foods you are boosting your immune army, lowering your inflammation and allowing your body to heal itself. Do this day in and day out, and over time you will watch your symptoms dissipate and your body feel Ah-mazing!
On another note, while I support the dairy and wheat farmers for the beautiful work they do tending to the animals and land, I have to respect the truth that these substances are not honoring to my body. I come from a long line of farmers so this topic has not always gone over easy at thanksgiving dinner but is necessary to discuss for the health of our families. While I am not aiming to indoctrinate you or myself with the paleo dogma, if you think about the history of our diets, gluten and dairy were man made foods that began as government subsidies after the war. We did not evolve consuming these products. Does it make a little more sense now why you’re not hearing this information on my food pyramid website or taught in schools? This is not to demonize anyone or any industry, rather to bring to light the truth we all so desperately need to heal our bodies and get our freaking LIFE back.
I do not know one single person with perfect health and not a pathogen inside their body. Whether we all know it or not, these pathogen feeding foods we consume are affecting our health. With that said some individuals may be consuming these foods and not be experiencing drastic symptoms.
I can guarantee that if they were to remove these two from their diet they would experience substantial changes in their health for the better. They would have even more energy, nearly flawless digestion, absent joint/body stiffness, an incredibly quick and clear brain and infrequent acute illness such as colds or stomach flu. You do not have to be chronically ill to benefit from a gluten free and dairy free lifestyle. Do you have enough body niggles and scratchy throats that this lifestyle change is appealing to you? Or do you feel just fine and do not feel the need to supercharge your health? The tipping point is yours to judge.
Here is an interesting statistic—
“75% of Americans live with symptoms of chronic illness, the remaining 25% will develop symptoms if they do not change their current trajectory.”
Cleaning up your diet can be the SINGLE best thing you do for your health! Had I read the above information before I got so sick I probably would have made a change and not missed out on so much life.
Eliminate foods that feed your pathogens, and you will eliminate your symptoms. Once you stop feeding the junk in your body that is sending your immune system into over drive and causing your body to inflame you will get your body back. The body that moves well, thinks well, and can love well.
Don’t just take my word for it, try it. Go GF/DF for one week. Just one week! And see how amazing it feels.
As always, I am here to work with you and support you on this healing journey. If you are interested in how I can guide you through an incredible life change to get your health and your life back, message me. I am just a direct message away. I would love to chat with you and hear about the ways in which you wish to improve your quality of life.
Love & Blessings,
Jen