Yesterday, I was sick. My stomach was on fire, my head hurt and to be completely honest, I think I may have spent more time in the bathroom than not. (TMI?? Eh, maybe, but it serves a point.)

If you visit here much then you know I’m a flexitarian … meaning most of what I eat is derived from plants. But, I do occasionally eat some very selective seafood and—like I’ve said a gazillion times, put a piece of French brie on an apple slice and I usually can’t turn it down. Anyway … this past weekend I had a function to attend and while it was absolutely lovely, I ended up eating more dairy than I have in eons and I paid for it the next day. 

I was bloated and felt like I was going to explode for nearly 24 hours. I didn’t sleep well. I started sweating during the night. And I couldn’t get enough water to satiate my thirst.

Being as sick as I was, was a pain in the ass physically (literally and figuratively) but mentally, it was (perhaps) even worse. I spent hours belittling myself for eating what I knew would make me sick, just to appease the host. Over and over again, internally, I screamed at myself. I didn’t tell anyone. Who could I tell? My guy, ummm, probably … but I was just too damn pissed off to talk about it. Of course he’ll know now, if he reads this … and yes, I know, I know, i know part of being with someone is trusting them enough to confide in them when you need to … but regardless, I choose to suffer in silence, in and out of the bathroom for the most of the day.

I even gained 5 pounds!

Caveat, yes, I had some wine. Yes, I ate 2-3 ounces of seafood. Yes, I ate an entire head of roasted garlic. And yes, everything combined could have been more than my system was used to, but, I know my body and I know that it’s dairy that sends it into overload. Literally.

June is National Dairy Alternative month. June first (yesterday) was National Dairy Day. And though my influence might not quite have the Oprah effect (yet … remember the whole Texas beef thing?), I truly believe we should all steer clear of dairy as much as possible.

• Nearly 70 percent of Americans have some type of lactose intolerance (hence the stomach pains, digestive issues, and overall blah feelings)
• Dairy products contribute more saturated fat to the American diet than any other food(s)
• And saturated fat leads to heart disease, Alzheimer’s, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer
• More reasons not to eat dairy

Moving on, I am not sick (physically) anymore and the five pounds are gone. But truthfully, I’m still a little lot disappointed in myself, which I know is a whole nother topic for another day. So … just remember this peeps, never apologize for choosing to live and eat in a way that’s healthy for your body. And if you have some killer plant-based cheese recipes, send them my way. I’d love to share ; )

To learn more about the “Almost Vegan, Plan-Based Diet and Lifestyle Boot Camp,” we’ve launched, download the media kit as a PDF or open the “About” page from the menu and select “Media Kit” to view it in its entirety. Questions? Press@ShaunaNosler.com  |  Press@Gastro-Licious.com