Milk: It does the body... bad?

Brandon and I represent two sides of a coin when it comes to dairy. He was raised consuming a hefty amount of dairy products, and in my household, we hardly had any, save for a couple times a month when dad made biscuits and gravy, or mom sprinkled a little on a casserole.

My family was pretty aware that dairy products didn't really mesh well with our systems, so it wasn't something we guzzled down with breakfast, while it was fairly common for my husband's family to drink a large glass of milk each morning.

I knew dairy made my stomach all sorts of icky unless I kept it to a minimum. So I could have a cheesy enchilada one day, a small ice cream the next, and be okay, and by that I mean I wouldn't be running for the bathroom, stomach bubbling furiously and my gut letting me know it hated me with frantic, stabbing pains.  But, if I had just a little too much, you can bet I would be regretting it.  The richer the dairy product, the worse the effect. So I learned to choose my dairy-treats wisely.  I didn't go for cheese on a burger. I'd rather have chips and queso. I could pass up cheese cake because I'd prefer cream cheese stuffed jalapenos!.  I'd skip milk in my cereal because several spoonfuls of gravy running over fresh southern biscuits sounded much better.

Bacon wrapped cream cheese stuffed jalapenos. I could eat the whole plateful!

One thing about going on the Whole30 is that it separates you from foods you may have known caused issues, but you believed were okay as long as there was balance.  Dairy was one of those for me.  I mean, I like thick, rich creamer in my coffee. Even better, I like sweetened homemade whipped cream in my coffee! A tad here, a bit here, and I should be fine. No big deal.

So I decided to test it out yesterday with a small serving of icecream.  Ah, no tummy aches.  I felt pretty good. No real issues..... and then BAM.

Back pain.

I may have mentioned that, since taking the Whole30 challenge, my back pain has pretty much been nil. This is pretty amazing because I have suffered with back issues ever since I was really young.  My husband logged a lot of time massaging out knots and sore areas in my back.  There is one specific spot that frequently gave me trouble.  This spot in between my shoulder blades often sent stabbing pains through my body.  It would trigger my asthma and often make me feel like I was having a heart attack.  Sometimes the pain would be so bad I would hardly be able to breathe or move.  I also often had pain on the right side of my lower back/waist.  The muscle there was tender, and I also felt like my leg was out.  I had forgotten how bad the pain could be... until last night.  

As I crawled into bed, I could feel the tightening between my shoulder blades, and the pain in my lower back/side.  It was pretty miserable, and I knew it was due to dairy.  I never realized that my back pain was tied so closely to my dairy consumption.  It makes sense because as my diary consumption has increased over the years (being married to a cheese-lover and all), so has my back pain.

Back pain, migraines, rashes, and such are not normal.  These are warning signs.  After dealing with back pain for so long, I had just accepted it as a part of life, something I couldn't change but could only manage with chiropractic care and massages (which are great options, but not cures!).  Sure, changing your diet may not take away your every pain and woe, but your body doesn't hurt and break out in rashes or have a range of mild to severe reactions just because it enjoys playing such terrible games! 

This is your body's way of telling you something is wrong.  It's the alarm that says, "Intruder alert! Intruder alert!" or warns you that something needs fixing.  We can throw medicine down the hatch, or we can change what we throw down the hatch.  

I know some of you are thinking, "But I can't do without....."

I know some of you are major cheese addicts, much like my husband.  But, if Brandon can give it up, so can you!  The first few weeks of breaking an addiction are difficult. I'm not going to tell you that it will be easy, because it won't be, but you just might find it's worth it.  

Many foods cause inflammation- even some of the foods allowed on Whole30 may cause inflammation issues for you. But, the great thing about removing dairy, grains, and legumes is that the main inflammation culprits are taken out of the game!  If you are struggling from back pain, arthritis, migraines, or various forms of chronic pain, you may find some relief in removing these foods, just as many others have.

Another reminder- you can't just give it up for a few days or a week to see if "it works".  Your body requires time to cleanse your system and recover.  That is why the Whole30 challenge is so beneficial.  In 30 days, you can see a lot of changes and experience a good bit of healing.  For many, it will take even longer.  In 30 days, you might find a lot of food idols being broken down, and you will see that you can indeed live without the foods you thought you could never go without.

Some find that raw dairy suits them just fine, but, for many of us, the only dairy we can handle is butter.  And I love butter, so that's fine with me.

Taste The Rainbow: Six foods to rock your meal plans

I say To-may-to, you say To-mah-to. 

It really doesn't matter how you say it, tomatoes are good for you. The lycopene in tomatoes is a mood lifter which reduces inflammation and helps regulate energy levels and reduce stress.  Rich with antioxidants, these pretty fruits (or vegetables, whatever you like to think of them as) not only fight free radicals, but are also packed with awesome nutrients like Vitamin B6, Niacin, and Folate which help with cardiovascular health. Buy organic tomatoes, or, best of all, home-grown organic for the most nutrition and best flavor. 

Sweet on Sweet Potatoes.

More potassium than a banana, rich in Vitamin C.... it's a bird, it's a plane... no, no, it's a sweet potato! If you've scoped out the blogs, you may have noticed Sweet Potatoes are pretty popular among the Paleo community.  That's because these babies aren't just a bunch of starch like their regular white relatives.  No, these things are beautiful.   They are high in B6 which helps prevent degenerative diseases.  (Good for your heart!)  Sweet potatoes also contain iron, so Anemics- eat up!  Stressed?  Eat a sweet potato.  They contain magnesium which promotes relaxation.  Ahhhhh.

Positively Pineapple!

Pineapple aids in food digestion thanks to an enzyme called bromelian which is also known to have anti-cancer, anti-clotting, and anti-inflammatory properties. (Yay!)  Good news for those who have taken on the Whole30 challenge or Paleo diet due to inflammatory issues!  It's rich in vitamins and minerals (Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium, and much more!)

Eat your Brussel Spouts.

Seriously, eat them.  These little cabbage relatives are mean, green, fat-burning machines.  Brussel sprouts stimulate the production of adiponectin, a hormone that sends a message to your body to begin burning stored fat as fuel. They're full of anti-cancer agents, and, like pineapple and sweet potatoes, they offer plenty of fiber to keep your tummy satisfied and your digestive system running smoothly.

I love you Berry much.

Blackberries (and those in the blackberry family, like dewberries) are another inflammation reducer. As you may have heard, the antioxidants in blackberries destroy free radicals (which harm cells and lead to all sorts of health issues, including cancer). In addition, they are a great source of Vitamin K, a hard-working vitamin that aids in the absorption of calcium. Just one cup of blackberries contains 30% of the dietary fiber recommended (who says it's hard to get fiber without grains?). And ladies, it's said to help with PMS as well!

Co-co-co-co-coconut.

Does it seem like coconut products have become all the rage lately?  There's a reason! (Actually, many of them.)  Forget Sprite, Gatorade, and Pedialyte when your kiddo is sick! The "juice" from the coconut contains all five of the same electrolytes as human blood (calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, and phosphorous).  Electrolytes are necessary for proper muscle function and blood pressure control.  Electrolytes are most commonly depleted through sweating (so, drink up before and after a workout), but also through sickness (diarrhea, vomiting, etc).  You don't need a sugary, chemical-filled drink to replenish them. Coconut water will do much better!  That's not all, though. Coconuts are a healthy fat which contain a fat-fighting fat (True story!).  You see, these healthy fats increase the oxidation of fat which allows your body to burn fat more efficiently.  And, while coconut oil makes a great lotion, it also helps ward of viruses and bacteria (so cook with it!). Coconut oil can improve insulin use within the body, boost thyroid function, and assist with digestion (as well as absorption of fat-soluble vitamins).

Why can't you have beans and grains?

This is one of the most common questions people ask when they learn of the new restrictions we've placed upon ourselves. Most people understand why we cut out wheat, but all grains? Even "healthy whole grains"? But beans seems to be the one that surprises them most.  Aren't beans healthy for us?

Unfortunately, most of the time when I am faced with this question, I don't know what to say.  I'm not very technical and science-y, and I realize people often need something more official than, "Beans, beans, the magical fruit, the more you eat the more you...."

Usually, I say something like, "Well, they make us feel weighted down, bloated, and sluggish," and that's all true, but why is that the case?

As you may recall, our family was once vegetarian, so our diet was pretty heavy in legumes and grains.  After all, those are major staples in most people's diets, regardless of whether they are vegetarian or not. For years, even with drastic changes in our diets, we continued to struggle with body pain, sluggishness, and brain fog. We knew it had something to do with our diets (which is why we kept trying new things and searching for answers), but we just couldn't figure out what! We cut out gluten for a while and observed some changes, but still experienced many gut issues and lack of energy. And, of course, my husband, even on a whole food, vegetarian diet, couldn't seem to lose much weight! This was especially confusing.  What was the dealio?

Let's talk about something called lectins.  Lectins are proteins found in pretty much everything.  They're in you, me, and the plants we eat, especially legumes, grains, and even nuts and seeds.  Lectins are basically body guards. 

Mark from Mark's Daily Apple puts it well,

 "Before Monsanto, Mother Nature had her own pesticide strategy. (Humans being among the “pests” to be warded off.) In order to avoid being completely decimated by insects, foraging animals and Groks, plant species evolved assorted anti-nutrients that would make said pests regret their gorges with a variety of mostly digestive related ailments. Low grade toxins, in a sense. A workable balance developed between plants that were able to safeguard their species’ survival and the “pest” patrons that were able to benefit from the plants’ nutrition but learned to partake more sensibly from their supply. Given that our primal forefolk foraged widely and ate a surprisingly diverse diet, the system worked. Lectins are essentially carb-binding proteins universally present in plants (and animals). Just as they protect plant species from Grok-sized predators, lectins also support other immunological functions within plants and animals (against pathogense, parasites, etc.) They also assist in other functions like protein synthesis and delivery in animals. They’re relatively sticky molecules, which makes them effective in binding with their sought after sugars but undesirable for our digestion, in which their binding powers can lead them to attach to the intestinal lining and wreak havoc."

Lectins in our body support the human immune function, and the same goes for lectins in grains and legumes. Except, these lectins don't transfer over to protect our body.  These lectins protect the grain or legume, which leads to intestinal distress in the consumer.

On top of that, they hinder the absorption of nutrients our bodies desperately need, as well as severely alter the gut flora.  (One reason why most Americans struggle with yeast (candida) issues!)

But it doesn't stop there.  That sounds pretty bad all on it's own but, wait a minute, it gets worse.  You see, lectin crosses the border of your intestines. Antibodies are created as a response to these invaders.  Unfortunately, lectins are really good actors. They look a lot like other cells in your body, so the antibodies, in all their confusion, begin to war against your body.  The result often displays itself in autoimmune issues like Fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, celiac sprue, diabetes, Crohn's disease, thyroid issues, IBS, and even arthritis to name a few.

That's still not all. Do you know what Leaky Gut Syndrome is?  It doesn't sound fun, right? I mean, we don't really like things that leak.  Dripping water faucet? Annoying!

But many people who suffer from Leaky Gut don't know they have it. Just what is LG? Remember how I pointed out that lectin makes a run for the border and escapes your intestines? Well, those sneaky little boogers have to get out somehow.  Like a thief trying to break into a secure home, lectins first have to cut through the fencing. Not only does this provide an escape for lectin, but also allows other food particles to cross the intestinal barrier.  Nice, right?

Then your immune systems starts having all sorts of crazy issues, becomes overwhelmed, and starts firing at all sorts of things like a  trigger-happy mad man.

People with many food sensitivities would greatly benefit from cutting out legumes and grains, allowing their gut to heal and their immune system to finally get some relief, even those who believe they don't "have a problem with legumes and grains".

There's more to this lectin thing, but that's the basic run down. I encourage your to do some research. Our family has suffered from many of these issues (Fibromyalgia, IBS, Celiac Sprue, Asthma, etc), and probably many other things we had just deemed as our "normal".

It is really hard to avoid these things if you're not on a whole food diet. Grains and legumes (think soy!) are in  almost everything, and you're not even safe on the health food aisle.  (Soy is all sorts of bad for you, so it really bugs me when people think it's some fantastic health food. BAD BAD BAD.)  It's time to start reading the ingredient list, y'all. You may be shocked by what you find!  (And do your research on soaking beans- it does not do as much good as you would think!)

And just so you know. I really like grains and legumes, but I like a healthy body better.  (But man, refried beans and some corn chips sound great.  That's pretty much what I think about when I consider Paleo cheats.)