All parents know that they will sacrifice things that they never thought of for their children. One thing I have given up for about two years is all forms of dairy. When our daughter was just a few weeks old, we started realizing that she had a definite sensitivity to dairy. It is most likely something called Cows Milk Protein Intolerance or CMPI. Her symptoms don’t appear to fall on the CMPA or allergy side of things but she has always had terrible gas pain, stomach issues, sleep problems, and even skin problems when she has any form of dairy. This also includes being exposed to the protein through breastmilk. So, for about 2 years, both her and I have been completely dairy free including anything homemade or store-bought that includes any dairy ingredient cooked in and even any bit of butter.
It has not always been easy, but we have gotten pretty accustomed to eating this way. And when we started eating paleo, it meant cutting out grains, legumes, and sugar. But we already had the diary portion covered. This has become such a way of life for me, that it just occurred to me Saturday that I can actually eat dairy now since my daughter weaned two weeks ago! Now, I am still Paleo, so its not going to be a common occurrence in my diet and after not eating it for two years, I would probably need to be cautious in how much and how quickly I introduced it to myself anyways.
But….the timing of having this realization could not have been better! Anyone who’s known me for awhile, knows that I love Reese’s and especially love any of their holiday specific candies such as the Easter eggs. I even went shopping this week to find dairy free peanut butter cups to try and satisfy my craving and holiday tradition. I am still sad that my daughter does not yet get to try my favorite candies, but I am very excited to know that she can eat all of the dairy-free chocolate I bought, while I enjoy the mainstream candy brands.
I also want to take this time to add that while nutrition and eating whole, real foods is the goal, we are all human and most of us will be more likely to stick to a way of eating if we allow ourselves to occasionally eat the foods we really loved before. Moderation is key. Don’t let your cheat day become a cheat day and then a cheat month, but allow yourself to enjoy those foods every once in awhile.