Last year when we were in Colorado, I remember buying 2 economy sized tubs of cottage cheese every time I went to Costco for our weekly groceries. I ate so much Greek yogurt that I learned how to make my own at home. (Best yogurt I ever had, and you can read about it here and here.) Whey protein made its way into my oats or a smoothie daily, and I put bleu cheese crumbles on almost every salad. Dairy was a huge part of my life.
After struggling with lactose intolerance issues off and on since I was little, I decided to go dairy-free for the month of March due to some congestion issues. Those cleared up, and after reading Alisa Fleming’s Go Dairy Free a few weeks later, I began to wonder if my symptoms went beyond lactose intolerance. Perhaps I was allergic to whey and casein, the proteins found in dairy. Growing up, I constantly battled various infections from ear and throat to urinary tract infections, and I was always taking one antibiotic or another. After giving up milk when I lost weight, I noticed I rarely got sick any more, but I was still getting bladder infections. According to Alisa, milk allergies can weaken the immune system allowing infections to take hold. It is also possible that the hormones in milk (natural occurring and possibly synthetic) could somehow play a part too. So, in hopes of eliminating UTI’s from my life permanently, I decided to remain dairy free. You can read the post about my decision here.
6 months later, and I’m feeling great. Life without dairy is much easier than I thought it would be. Although I still take my coffee with cream, and I might have frozen yogurt once a month, there is no more yogurt, cottage cheese, or whey protein in my life (thank goodness for Jay Robb’s brown rice protein). More importantly, I’ve only had one bladder infection since March. Y’all don’t know how happy this makes me…I was finally able to take my urologist off speed dial. 
If you have questions concerning dairy, please check out the Go Dairy Free website, and I encourage all of you who think you might have problems digesting dairy to read Alisa’s book, Go Dairy Free. It changed my life.
I’ll leave you with a yummy lunch CD and I shared not too long ago…
Pizza. My half was all veggies and no cheese.
Once you pile on all the toppings, you really don’t miss the cheese. Promise!
{ 57 comments }
XOXOXOXOXOOXOXO
I love you, Heabs!! Yummy pizza and happy belly sans dairy. I still love cows, just not their milk.
I had kicked my dairy habit and it has slowly been creeping back up
not yogurt, not milk, not even Fro-yo
CHEESE
I am happy with substitues for emergencies…but some days a warm gooey quesedilla….. sigh
some days!
glad I am not alone in the universe!
I think I have reactions to dairy as well. I first notice it in my skin. When I eat a lot of dairy I break out like a 13 your old. Maybe I will try going dairy free for a week and see how it goes. Thanks for the update.
That is one, bad-ass pie!
i’m glad you figured that out and are feeling and doing better without it!
love the pizza
I quit dairy a long time ago when I realized it was responsible for my daily afternoon stomach aches. I’m always amazed when people ask me how I can live without it – it’s really very easy, especially now that coconut milk ice cream is widely available.
strangely, when I was living in Asia, milk wasn’t an issue. But once I moved back to Canada, I had to give them up.
Maybe it’s got to do with the cows being in different continents =p Though it was Australian (cow) milk I took in Asia…
SO glad that going more of less dairy free has been so beneficial to you! Do you take a calcium supp?
who needs dairy?! definitely not me. your half of the pizza looks way better than CD’s!
since going vegan, i’ve felt a lot of improvements. i attribute most of them to the absence of dairy.
-JB
http://cardiovegsular.wordpress.com
That’s so interesting about dairy…I think a lot of people are lactose intolerant and don’t even realize it. Good for you for going dairy free!!! And your pizza looks DIVINE.
Amen to that dairy free pizza- you really don’t miss the cheese. Delish!
Heather, I’m intolerant to dairy as well. Most people are not actually “lactose intolerant” which is not tolerating the milk sugar but rather intolerant to the protein, which it sounds like you realized that in your own self. I am also a very active member of a great yahoogroup for people with food allergies and intolerances (mine are dairy, soy, and gluten) for both themselves & their children. It’s very, very common for a person to crave their allergens, i.e. be addicted to them. Ironically, I have a pre-typed post on this subject that I am going to post within a week or so. Google casomorphins, it’s the opiod-effect in milk that you were addicted to, even though you were intolerant to it. Gliadophin is the wheat/gluten component that addicts people to gluten, which is why many who try to go GF end up craving bread, pastries, etc. Addiction. Anyway this is a really longass comment, sorry
But I have spent 3 years immersing myself in getting to the bottom of my food allergies and am pretty much All Good, bnd I know way too many little factoids 
Averie
Im so glad I dont have problems with dairy!!! Well, milk a little bit……but not yogurt or cheese at all!! Love the stuff!!
The pizza looks wonderful though, and I’m so glad your health has improved! Hurray for learning about our bodies!!!
Mucho Love HEABers!!
Love,
GC
Totally agree! I still have some parm occasionally, but I’m happier without dairy. It’s another thing that’s bad for my skin actually.
MMMM veggie pizza.
Thanks for the update Heather!! Luckily, dairy is good to me. But like most foods, TOO much dairy can do a number on my stomach. I’m happy you found the source of your troubles and was able to fix it
I love pizza without cheese too, but it’s gotta have red pepper flakes!
I know from experience that bladder infections are the WORST! Oh my gosh, I had 2 when I was little and it was so extremely painful. I’m so glad you don’t have to suffer through that anymore.
PIZZA!
the pizza looks good! and thanks for the update, i admire you for giving up all the dairy. i am sure it was hard but definitely worth it! if it meant no UTIs then DEFINITELY worth it, i know that much for sure.
Have been reading your blog “lurking” for a few weeks now. I too am dairy intolerant have been off that for over ten years now. Don’t miss it at all! Love reading about your food! Always looks great.
I’m so glad to hear that the no dairy thing is working so well for you! I have lactose intolerant issues too (though no allergy) and have my occasional froyo, cheese (not too often), and yogurt (very rare).
Pizza looks awesome! Mmmm, I’ve been obsessed with pizza ever since I started blogging
Too many gloriously yummy pictures!
I have mild lactose intolerance, but I can usually handle yogurt, which has less lactose than other dairy products due to intestinal bacterial conversion. To each her own.
That pizza looks amazing beyond amazing, Heather! Glad you’re enjoying your vacation time with CD!
I’ve been needing to do the same thing with wheat/gluten for a while now. Hopefully it’s not too TMI here, but the short story is I get major bloating and gas and I’m almost certain it’s a gluten allergy or reaction (though not celiac-level— I lived with a celiac, I know what that looks like). But it does get bad enough that I’ll often need pants two sizes larger by the end of the day. Anyway, that’s a great idea to commit to it for one month. I think that may need to be the next thing I tackle after this race.
Getting rid of dairy several years ago was life-changing for me. I never thought I really had issues with dairy, but without it, my body felt so clean and happy in a way it never had before!
Pizza!! Loves it
That’s one beautiful pizza! And I’m with you, I love veggie pizzas sans cheese. Yummy!
I don’t know that I could ever give up all dairy. I enjoy cottage cheese on occasion, the only protein I have is lean dessert whey because I apparently can’t get Jay Robb here???, and on occasion I will splash my coffee with milk, but rarely. But it’s not a large part of my diet. I can imagine the elimination process is a little easier when you know its affecting your body in a negative way. Glad to hear the change has made positive results for you!
Great to see you and CD today! Thanks for coming by!
See you Friday!
Pizza looks yummy!! Thought Id share – no sugar at all today!! Yeayy!! And I read somewhere that it takes 3 weeks to form a habit so I am going for 3 weeks, focusing on 3 weeks only. Hoping I can break the hold. Thanks!
Very interesting. Did you find that you had discomfort consistently after eating dairy. I have occasional problems with my stomach, but I have never been able to link them to particular foods. I wonder if I’d just benefit from trying to eliminate dairy…or wheat…or gluten – so many problematic foods.
So glad you are experiencing less of the UTIs…evil things.
That pizza looks awesome, and it is tempting me to try cheeseless!
So glad that you are feeling good as a result of cutting out dairy!! Go Dairy Free (the site and book) is such a great resource!! And pizza without cheese is still a yummy thing
hey! thanks for posting about going dairy-free. I’m considering making a similar switch and it’s wonderful that it’s worked out so well for you
Yummy ‘za! Your half looks awesome!
Funny, Uni-key just put out a new pea and brown rice protein powder. I think I’m gonna switch to that from the whey powder and see if I can feel the difference. It’s pretty much the only dairy I have on a daily basis.
Poor cows – they’re gonna be good for nothing but staring at now.
Oh wait – we still have to feed our hubbies.
Thanks for the post! I was just thinking today that I need to either cut out gluten or dairy (or both) and see which is giving me problems. I consistently have cramps after eating – sometimes within 10 minutes of finishing a meal! My mom was diagnosed with IBS and, poor thing, it took them 3 years to diagnose it! Thankfully I’ve cut out most processed foods and have much less to work with eliminating.
Wowzers, what a pizza! Makes me hungry…lol
Isn’t it funny how things change? How we think we can’t live without something and then, in the blink of an eye, we can’t remember even remember what cottage cheese tastes like?
Now pizza…that I remember. Drooool.
Typos galore. Sometimes we can’t remember to remember to remember to proofread.
The pizza looks good – liking the volume of olives
I gave up mainstream cow dairy last year but have continued to eat bits of sheep or goat dairy sporadically. I noticed such a huge different in my mind. Whilst I am not certain if there was anything I was specifically allergic to in milk, I didn’t feel as though I was digesting it as well as I did other foods. So I quit it, my mind became clearer and when I consider a latte now (over my americano) it is completely unappealing. I haven’t come across the site and book you mention here, but am off to check them out! I love to know the ins and outs for when my friends ask me all sorts of Q’s.
Thanks for sharing
I’m so glad dairy free is helping you! I don’t do dairy either and I really don’t miss it much. I will dip into some ice cream once in a blue moon, but I always regret it:) Makes me feel awful! That pizza looks yummy!
wowza, look at all those toppings!! yum
I haven’t eaten much dairy at all lately (the occasional organic Greek yogurt) but I notice I lack that nasty mucousy crap. It’s great that you figured out a way to make yourself feel much better! On another note, I’m drooling over your pizza…and I am not a pizza-for-breakfast kind of person. For that I could possibly make an exception.
I’m wondering why, when I post, my name isn’t highlighted with my blog link? Not that it matters….I’m just curious..
How interesting! My sister has a constant struggle with UTIs and I will definitely show her this post.
I totes agree HEAB! I notice differences, improvements in my health when I cut back on dairy. For me, I have less trouble with my sinuses when I cut back on dairy-especially when I cut back on straight up drinking milk. I used to consume about a gallon of milk per week, not including all the other ways I consumed dairy products. Now, I consume a 1/2 gallon every 2 weeks and I’ve def cut back on yogurt and icecream-though cheese is something I eat often being a vegetarian. Also, it’s interesting to note that diets for cancer patients drastically reduce consumption of animal proteins including dairy.
Glad to hear those infections have decreased, that is awesome!
I go back and forth with dairy. I have not cut it out completely but I don’t adhere to the “3 a day” thing anymore either. I just go with what I’m feeling.
I love lots of toppings and little or no cheese on pizza too
Love this post. I think it’s so neat how in tune with your body you are!
<3 jess
P.S That pizza looks fabulous!
Whoa, what a pizza! I don’t miss cheese on pizza.
Matt and I both went dairy free about 2 months ago. He is a full fledged vegetarian, and I only eat seafood on rare occasion so we didn’t feel comfortable supporting the beef and veal industries with our dairy consumption.
I use So Delicious coconut milk in my coffee, but if you don’t care for that…Mimicreme has just come out with a coffee creamer
http://mimiccreme.com/newsandupdates.html
I used regular unsweetened mimicreme on blackberry cobbler last night and it was delicious!
The biggest problem for the boyfriend is his love of cheese. For me it has been the Parmesan thing (which I fixed with my vegan parm recipe), kefir (haven’t seen the co delicious in stores here yet), and I had to give in and buy a box of homeopathic medicine that has a base of lactose. I spent an hour scouring the health store, but it seems some meds will force me to go to the dark side. At least it isn’t TOO much support
but still…
anyway, for whatever the reason, I am glad you went dairy free and glad you are feeling so much better!
wow that pizza looks absolutely incredible! yum!
I gave up dairy for the most part about a year ago. I still have my cheese cravings and cave, but I try very hard to avoid it. I too had the phlegm, throat clearing and hacking and attributed it to asthma. Well, I don’t use my inhaler and don’t have a problem with asthma unless I’m around a lot of dust or smoke, so dairy free has been wondrous!
I can’t wait to go to your links to MAKE greek yogurt! Thanks from those of us who can tolerate the regular stuff.
Have you tried Goat yogurt or milk? I have a friend who can’t tolerate milk’s milk, yogurt etc and her naturopath turned her onto goat’s stuff and it works for her.
Yes, your pizza looks amazing, but am I the only person who doesn’t get filled up on a normal “serving” of pizza? Grr.
So glad dairy-free seems to have eased your health woes! I’m pretty well tolerant of dairy myself (thankfully for my ice cream addiction), but since I’ve gradually cleaned up my diet (other than ice cream) over the past year, I notice different reactions to meals containing dairy vs. say, a vegan meal. Sunday, I had a great stir-fry for lunch (vegan), felt great, then had a chocolate shake a bit later. Toots galore! Not much mystery in that equation…
Got so much admiration for you quitting the dairy. I have no doubt that it does a number on me fairly often but I don’t know if I could give it up!
That pizza looks like an explosion of goodness! Hope you’re still having a wonderful time – I am still outrageously jealous!
6 months really? Has it been that long. Seems like just yesterday we were going dairy free. Did I start when you did? Man, my memory sucks!! Gosh, that pizza looks fab! Get you butt back here so we can go to Brixx and have hummus and pizza!!!
~Justine
I love cheese-free pizza… I always make mine that way. Delicious!
Hey Heather!
I have been reading through all of your blog posts these past two days and I absolutely love your blog! One: congrats on losing that weight years ago…and keeping it off! It makes you a beautiful person on the inside and out and not to mention very healthy too. I feel like I am in the same boat with you when you had mentioned that you felt like yoga just wasn’t enough. I went through an eating disorder and I sometimes still have thoughts about body image and exercise. But, your posts have given me inspiration! I love yoga, but sadly we don’t have any classes around where I live (the nearest is about 30 minutes away). I have been doing a DVD that I have, but I am tired of it…I want more variety! I found on our DVR we have fitness classes, so I have been doing some yoga from that. I have had one REAL LIVE class of yoga and nothing beats it. You really feel the movements and flow and you don’t get distracted. I wish I could take classes, but I will have to do with what I have. I am going to start trying to do yoga every morning and also some walks or bike rides (I hate running and I have asthma). This morning I woke at 6 am, did a 20 minute yoga session on DVD and then had a breakfast of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Oat Bran. I felt so energized all day! I can’t wait until tomorrow morning.
Well, I am rambling…Haha. Thanks again for the lovely words of wisdom and inspiration. I will keep reading your posts and I hope you check out mine as well.
Katie from Don’t Worry, Be Happy, Be Vegan
I usually don’t eat my pizza with cheese. I find it makes it feel lighter. However, that being said, the occasional soy cheese pizza is delicious.
Do you do anything to get the toppings to “stick” without cheese? How does that work?
Thanks for sharing more info about your decision to go dairy free, I have been toying with the idea myself, I think dairy could be at the root of some of my problems. Anyway,your pizza looks amazing without cheese, I have found that lots of foods don’t need cheese!
I too am dairy free – though I’ve found I can tolerate goat cheese! Only about once a month or so, as a treat, but it works out fabulously for pizza on a GF crust
Love your posts – you make us smile
Christina
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