Dear Diary, A Day in the Life of a Dairy Free Woman

Dear Diary…
A Day in the life of a Dairy Free Woman

7:00 am
Dear Diary,
Life of a Dairy Free Woman. Currently watching my husband eat 2 huge bowls of cereal with lots of milk poured on top this morning. I remember how much I love the taste of  milk, but I also remember long trips in the bathroom as my digestive system rebelled against it. This morning, I joined him and had my Crispix with my favorite, unsweetened almond milk. I actually am to the point where I don’t even notice that I’m not drinking milk! That is a miracle. Thought you’d want to know.
Love, me

10:00 am
Dear Diary,
I decided to share my grocery list with you this morning. It has changed so much in the past year. Here it is:

almond milk, cherries, salmon, dairy free cheese; shredded and slices, soy yogurt, oatmeal, rice, quinoa, pistachios, soy ice cream and napkins!
Pretty different from my old grocery lists which were filled with every form of dairy, huh?
Love, me

12:00 pm
Dear Diary,
Getting stuck at the store, there was a huge sale on ice cream today and the whole town showed up! I got so hungry and last year I would have grabbed a slice of pizza while I was out and then paid for it later with terrible stomach cramps. I’m glad I packed a baggie of nuts with me! My nuts tided me over until I got home.

Now I am sitting down to a big salad with spinach, romaine, purple cabbage, carrots, tomatoes, sunflower seeds, leftover salmon from last night and raspberry vinaigrette dressing. I’ll feel so much better with this power salad in my system!
Love, me

3:00 pm
Dear Diary,
After working in the garden all afternoon, I came into the house hot, thirsty and hungry. Last year I would have had a big glass of lemonade and then sat down to a bowl of ice cream.

Today, I came in and drank a big glass of water and made myself a smoothie. I used frozen strawberries, soy yogurt, almond milk and fresh raspberries. It was amazing! I feel refreshed and energized! I feel like I could tackle some laundry now, too. I wonder if being dairy free has given me more energy, too? I used to feel much more sluggish. Talk to you later!
Love, me

5:00 pm
Dear Diary,
Well, it’s time to make dinner. I’m glad I planned ahead and filled my pantry and fridge with lots of healthy, dairy free options. Tonight I’m going to sneak dairy free cheese into our main meal. I get tired of making special meals just for me. I think if I don’t tell my family it’s dairy free, they won’t even notice.

I’m going to make vegetarian chili with sides of cornbread and fresh fruit cups. My husband likes to put shredded cheese and sour cream on top of his chili, tonight I will serve the dairy free in dishes on the table, so he can’t see the packages. I hope everyone likes it! Don’t tell!
Love, me

7:00 pm
Dear Diary,
Would you believe that no one noticed my switch? I am shocked! Of course, I have tried many brands of dairy free foods and now buy the ones I think taste the best, so I shouldn’t really be so surprised, right?

My husband just gave the kids some money for the ice cream truck and they are bringing back an ice cream sandwich for Dad. I am content to eat my bowl of strawberries with dairy free whipped cream-yum! I never thought I could go dairy free, but it’s not as hard as I thought it would be. Thanks for being my sounding board, Diary, you’re the best!
Love, me

10:00 pm
Dear Diary,
Well, it’s that time to hit the sack! It feels good to go through a whole day without stomach cramps, rashes or acne break outs! I feel so much better than I did on dairy.

I can be pretty sure that I will not wake up with horrible cramping and have to run to the bathroom unless I catch a virus. When I focus on all the good foods I can eat, instead of things I can’t, I have a much better outlook. Choosing dairy free substitutes that I enjoy makes me feel like I am not missing out on anything! Good-night, Diary, until tomorrow.
Love, me