Surviving the Slope: Ditching Dairy

Author: Jacky Falkenberg

Jacky’s column Surviving the Slope is about finding the best kale, learning to love excruciating pain, and getting swole at Helen Newman. Whether your goal is to stay fit during the winter or simply avoid the freshman 15, Surviving the Slope will give you all the inside tips you need to build a healthier you.

What’s the deal with all the people ditching dairy? The new fad diet has swept the country, one crazed, health-conscious teen at a time, and has even crept onto Cornell’s campus. But for what reason? Why in the world would anyone give up deliciously rich ice cream or gallons upon gallons of refreshing milk?

 

 

To put it simply, most choose to go dairy free because it makes them feel better. Although statistics show that only 7 to 20 percent of Caucasian adults are actually lactose intolerant, a surprising number of people admit that their digestive systems function more effectively when they cut out milk products. This phenomenon occurs because the primary sugar found in milk, lactose, is extremely difficult to digest. When too much dairy is consumed, our bodies cannot produce enough enzymes to break down the milk sugars. The undigested lactose then moves into the colon, where it begins to ferment and produce gas that causes many people to experience cramping, bloating, gas, and other discomfort. Avoiding dairy can eliminate this pain and make you feel better overall.

Another reason people skip out on dairy is to lose weight. At 123 calories per cup of 2% milk, diary is relatively high on the caloric scale compared to other drinks. This fact also means that if you actually drank the three cups of milk a day that the government recommends, you would be consuming 369 calories of dairy alone. One study even found that children who drank the recommended amount of milk were 35% more likely to become overweight than those who drank minimal amounts.

 

 

Many doctors are also now recommending that teens reduce their dairy intake because it leads to hormone imbalances that trigger acne. Dairy causes insulin levels to rise to abnormal levels, which triggers the production of oil and sebum… aka the perfect habitat for those unwanted blemishes.

 

 

Of course, there are also those people who refrain from eating dairy because it’s not natural. They argue that no other animal drinks a different species’ milk, and humans should not be an exception. Plus, with all the milk’s added hormones, pesticides, and lost nutrients through pasteurization, those on the ethical side of the issue argue that commercial milk is a completely unnatural food to put into our bodies.

 

 

If you do decide to ditch dairy, make sure to find other ways to add calcium into your diet. Remember that though there are several reasons people have decided to go dairy free, there are still many arguments to keep you from saying no to milk. Ultimately, you have to make the judgement for yourself and decide what makes you feel best.

 

 

 

 

 

 

dairy, health, surviving the slope