Avoid dairy (yes really), gluten and soy products.

To really feel your best you should avoid dairy, gluten and soy products.

Here’s why:

Lactose intolerance happens when the small intestine does not make enough of the enzyme lactase. Babies’ bodies make this enzyme so they can digest milk, including breast milk. Before humans became dairy farmers, most people did not continue to drink milk, so their bodies did not make lactase after early childhood.
Dairy products contain a naturally occurring sugar called lactose. Most people are allergic to it, albeit with varying degrees. Some minor symptoms could be a simple as increased mucus production, such as a runny nose or phlegm in your throat. In many of these cases the person who is lactose intolerant may not even be aware that they are experiencing these symptoms. But once you eliminate dairy from your diet you’ll notice how much better you feel. Here is a list of the symptoms of lactose intolerance.

1. Abdominal bloating
2. Abdominal cramps
3. Diarrhea
4. Floating stools
5. Foul-smelling stools
6. Gas (flatulence)
7. Malnutrition
8. Nausea
9. Slow growth
10. Weight loss

These symptoms will occur after you eat or drink milk products, and are often relieved by not eating or drinking milk products. Large doses of milk products may cause worse symptoms.

Treatment

Removing milk products from the diet usually improves the symptoms. You will need to replace calcium, vitamin D, riboflavin, and protein from cutting down dairy products in your diet. Add other sources of calcium to the diet when you remove milk products.

Here is a list of calcium rich alternatives

Leafy green vegetables
Broccoli
Kale
Spinach

Fruits
Oranges
Orange Juice

Beans and peas
Peanuts
Peas
Black beans
Baked beans

Fish
Salmon
Sardines
Oysters
Shrimp

Miscellaneous
Sesame seeds
Corn tortillas
Almonds

Or take calcium supplements

These milk products may be easier to digest:
Fermented milk products, such as yogurt
Aged or hard cheeses

OK here’s the deal. No species, including humans, needs to nurse past maturity. Cow’s milk is designed to make a calf a cow. We don’t need to drink the milk of another species to become or stay an adult human. It isn’t physiologically necessary for good health. We aren’t designed to drink milk as adults for good health. We don’t need the nutrients in cow’s milk to be healthy. In fact our digestive system is intolerant to it. Yes we need calcium, but we can get it from other sources. Stop drinking milk.

Replace milk with either almond or rice milk.

Avoid Gluten

Gluten allergies are relatively common. Studies indicate that people with gastrointestinal distress/discomfort, 3.3% were found to have gluten allergies. Gluten is a class of proteins found in many grains (i.e. wheat). Someone suffering from a gluten allergy is allergic to one or more types of gluten protein. Wheat gluten consists largely of two specific proteins: gliadin and glutenin. Together, they make up 80% of the total protein content in wheat. Gluten is also found in grains such as rye, and barley.

Gluten allergy symptoms may be similar to the symptoms for celiac disease. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms I recommend that you get a test for celiac to rule out this disease.

Symptoms of a Gluten Allergy
Upper repository tract problems
Fatigue
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Mouth ulcers
Anemia
Iron-deficiency anemia
Osteoporosis
Weight loss
Short stature in children
Diarrhea
Constipation
Abdominal bloating
Crohn’s disease
Diverticulitis
Depression
Attention and behavioral problems
Skin problems
Asthma
Irritability

Individual symptoms can vary tremendously. Someone with a gluten allergy will probably not have all of these symptoms, and may have other symptoms not listed here. Although yes, some symptoms seem contradictory, it is possible to alternate between one symptom and another, for example between diarrhea and constipation. And just because someone has one, some, or all of these symptoms, does not necessarily mean that they have a gluten allergy. Other causes are possible.

Eliminate wheat, rye, and barley, or in other words “gluten”, from your diet. Just try this for eight weeks and see if you notice and increase in energy and a decrease in some of the symptoms listed above. Frankly you don’t need these things in your diet anyways. Losing bread from your diet can also mean losing weight. If eliminating gluten from your diet makes you feel better, and you find it is worth the effort, then that is enough reason to stop eating wheat, barley and rye.

Avoid Soy

Most of you have heard me talk about this one a lot and I’m a big believer in it. Here’s why. Soy and Soy protein have gotten a lot of publicity about being a complete and healthy protein source. The truth is, it isn’t a complete protein, soy beans are deficient in amino acids methionine and cystine. In addition, modern processing denatures the fragile amino acid lysine.

There are many components of soy that are not good for you.

Soy has high levels of phytic acid which reduces the assimilation of calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc. Soy can cause deficiencies in calcium and vitamin D, both needed for healthy bones. Soy increases the body’s requirement for vitamin D. Phytic acid in soy is not neutralized by ordinary preparation methods such as soaking, sprouting and long, slow cooking. High phytate diets have caused growth problems in children. A lot of baby formulas that once used soy protein, no longer use soy protein and this is one of the reasons.

Trypsin inhibitors in soy interfere with protein digestion and may cause pancreatic disorders.

If the above isn’t enough, here is one of the biggest reasons to avoid soy. Soy phytoestrogens disrupt endocrine function and have the potential to cause infertility and to promote breast cancer in adult women, in addition to causing gynecomastia in men (think man boobs). Soy phytoestrogens are also a potent antithyroid agent that cause hypothyroidism and may cause thyroid cancer. In infants, consumption of soy formula has been linked to autoimmune thyroid disease.

The compound that resembles vitamin B12 in soy cannot be used by the human body; in fact, soy causes the body to require more B12.

Processing of soy protein results in the formation of toxic lysinoalanine and highly carcinogenic nitrosamines.

Free glutamic acid or MSG, a potent neurotoxin, is formed during soy food processing and added to many soy foods.

Soy foods contain high levels of aluminum which is toxic to the nervous system and the kidneys.

Soy isoflavones are phyto-endocrine disrupters. At dietary levels, they can prevent ovulation and stimulate the growth of cancer cells. Eating as little as 30 grams (about 4 tablespoons) of soy per day can result in hypothyroidism with symptoms of lethargy, constipation, weight gain and fatigue.

Soy can stimulate the growth of estrogen-dependent tumors and cause thyroid problems. Low thyroid function is associated with difficulties in menopause.

Eliminate Soy from your diet. Most soy is also Genetically Modified (GMO) and you also want to avoid all GMO foods. But that’s a discussion for later. Be especially aware of soy protein in baby formula. Because of the phytoestrogens in soy, baby boys can be prevented from developing fully and properly. Soy protein is also common in meal replacement bars. Read the label. Whey is best, but if you’re looking for plant based proteins: rice, pea, artichoke, hemp, and chia are great sources.

Get rid of, dairy, gluten and soy. Your body will be leaner, stronger and healthier because of it….and after all you don’t need it!