5 Benefits of Eating Dairy-Free
Dairy-free is all the rage lately, but is making the switch really worth it? In the past, eliminating dairy from your diet would mean missing out on your favorite desserts. Thankfully, that’s no longer a concern thanks to dairy-free desserts from Bougie Bakes.
Do We Really Need to Consume Dairy?
If you grew up in the 80s and 90s, the idea that milk was a major and necessary food group was drilled into your head with lessons about the food pyramid and the ubiquitous “Got Milk?” campaigns. Decades later, we’re left wondering if we really need to consume dairy after all.
As it turns out, we actually don’t. While dairy does provide nutritional benefits thanks to components like protein, calcium, potassium, magnesium, zinc, Vitamin A, and Vitamin B12, it’s certainly not the only source of these nutrients. With a proper diet, these nutrients can be obtained through non-dairy sources. This means that you can reduce or even eliminate your consumption of dairy products without worrying about negatively impacting your health.
5 Benefits of Eating Dairy-Free
In fact, eliminating dairy from your diet and exclusively eating dairy-free can actually improve your health thanks to these five benefits:
1. Better Skin
If you struggle with stubborn acne, you may find that eating dairy-free could actually reduce breakouts and improve your skin. This is because dairy products contain hormones that tend to trigger breakouts, especially for women whose hormones already fluctuate throughout their cycles. Dairy products also contain sugar, which is another known contributor to acne breakouts.
While cutting out dairy can certainly help your skin, it may not cure it on its own or overnight. It takes time to get the hormones from dairy out of your system, so be patient while waiting for results. Also, keep in mind that acne often has multiple contributing factors, so while dairy may be one of them, other food items, skincare products, and even environmental factors could also be contributing.
2. Improved Digestion
If you constantly struggle with gastrointestinal issues including stomach cramps, bloating, gas, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea after eating milk, you may be lactose intolerant. Such a fact would not be far-fetched as 65% of the adult population will experience some form of lactose intolerance as they age. In the United States, it’s estimated that anywhere from 30 million to 50 million people are lactose intolerant.
Interestingly enough, certain ethnic groups are more prone to lactose intolerance than others. For example, 75% of African Americans, 75% of American Indians, and 90% of Asian Americans are lactose intolerant.
So if you frequently experience painful and unpleasant gastrointestinal symptoms 30 minutes to two hours after consuming dairy products, you may in fact be lactose intolerant. And if that’s the case, you could definitely benefit from eliminating dairy from your diet and giving your gastrointestinal system a much-needed reprieve.
3. Easier Weight Loss
If you’re struggling with achieving your weight loss goals no matter how much you work out or how many salads you eat, you may want to consider eliminating dairy from your diet. Dairy products often contain high amounts of sugar and fat — think ice cream, chocolate, cheese, etc. By cutting out dairy from your diet, you can cut down on your sugar and fat intake and lose more weight when combined with a healthy diet and exercise plan.
4. Fewer Hormones and Antibiotics
When you consume dairy products, you could be unknowingly consuming antibiotics and hormones. Cows are often given antibiotics to prevent them from developing infections. They’re also given hormones like rBGH to boost milk production. So if you want to avoid consuming unnecessary hormones and antibiotics, then you should highly consider eliminating dairy products with these components in favor of organic or dairy-free alternatives.
5. Better for the Environment
You can add eliminating dairy to your list of environmentally-conscious practices like recycling, reusing items, and reducing waste. This is because the dairy industry has a substantial environmental impact thanks to the greenhouse gasses it emits through the production process. Furthermore, raising cows also takes a ton of natural resources, that then release methane — a problematic greenhouse gas — into the air.
What Are the Alternatives to Dairy?
Even if you love the taste of milk and can’t live without dairy products like yogurt, chocolate, and ice cream, there are dairy-free alternatives out there for you to try. For instance, almond milk, cashew milk, coconut milk, hazelnut milk, macadamia nut milk, and oat milk are all plant-based milk alternatives that taste similar to milk without any of the problematic qualities. So feel free to try out some of these alternatives to dairy and find one that you enjoy.
How to Make the Switch to Dairy-Free?
Even if you’re able to find a suitable alternative to dairy, making the switch may not be easy. It’s always a good idea to start by eliminating the most obvious sources of milk — especially whole milk. For example, if you like to add whole milk to your coffee in the morning, try using oat milk or almond milk instead. From there, you can switch out your cheeses, yogurts, and desserts for dairy-free alternatives.
If you’re struggling with the prospect of cutting out your favorite dairy-based desserts from your diet, you should know that there are delicious dairy-free desserts that you can enjoy instead. For example, Bougie Bakes has tons of dairy-free cookies, brownies, and mini muffins that taste just as good as the versions with dairy but with none of the negative side effects.
Bougie Bakes: Dairy-Free and Delicious
Bougie Bakes makes it easy for you to make the switch to dairy-free. In addition, all of our products are gluten-free, sugar-free, soy-free, and non-GMO. We even have vegan desserts available for those who take it a step further by eliminating all animal-derived products from their diets. So check out some of our Bougie Bundles today — your stomach and skin will definitely thank you!
Sources:
Is Cow's Milk Essential for Human Health? | The Pursuit
Dairy-Free Benefits: Top 10 Reasons People Go Dairy Free | Go Dairy Free
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