I Gave Up Gluten and Dairy for 30 Days…and Here’s What Happened

If you had told me a few months ago that I would even think of going 30 days with gluten or dairy, I would’ve laughed my head off. Give up bread, cheese curds and pizza?! I don’t think so!

Yet, here I am on Day 35 and going strong…so what happened?

Many of you know from previous posts that I had cancer a few years back. While I’m incredibly grateful to be four years cancer free, sometimes I still face side effects from the treatment. In 2016, I got sick, really sick. All of the medication had taken a toll on my gut health and my body wasn’t processing food the way it’s supposed to. After a few miserable days, I finally went to the doctor where they were able to diagnose me. Unfortunately, the diagnosis also came with strict instructions to eat nothing but bland foods like plain rice, unseasoned chicken breasts and broth (this was before I gave up eating meat). This combined with adding probiotics and foods with healthy bacteria like yogurt and kefir kept my stomach happy for a few more years.

Since that time, I noticed I had developed an increasing intolerance to dairy but I was still able to handle it in small doses. Then, about two months ago, my gut health took another huge turn for the worse. It seems like every time I ate, no matter what I ate, I would get sick. This was clearly beyond substituting regular milk for almond milk in my lattes as a solution.

I decided that the first thing I needed to do was find out what my newly-sensitive stomach was sensitive to. I reached out to a friend of a friend who had been through something similar and had amazing results. I was a little skeptical at first…give up gluten, dairy, soy, sugar and coffee? What the heck would I eat or drink?! But really, what did I have to lose by trying?

By the second day without these things, I felt SO MUCH BETTER. Yes, it was an all caps worthy difference! I hadn’t been sick once which that alone, made it worth it.

I’m a huge coffee lover so before the #30DaysToHealthyLiving detox/elimination diet, it wasn’t uncommon for me to have 2-3 cups of coffee a day. I started the program on a Thursday and had some real coffee withdrawal headaches on Friday night/Saturday but they were completely cleared up by Sunday. After clearing that hurdle, things just kept getting better!

I mentioned that food was my primary concern as I can be a picky eater and I felt like I was eliminating a lot. I’m also not a meal prep person which can make any sort of meal plan more of a challenge for me. I would love to be the kind of person who plans and preps her meals on Sundays but I’m just not. I find that it doesn’t really fit my schedule well and it works better for me to just plan the night before. I’m also a bit of a grazer so the key for me is to have healthy snacks on hand. Knowing this, I stocked up on veggies, hummus, brown rice cakes and almond butter in advance. I also did some research for healthy recipes and fell in love with this Buddha Bowl! It’s so quick and easy, plus the possibilities are endless so you don’t get tired of it quickly!!

Another food concern I had was eating out. During the time I was giving up gluten and dairy, I was also traveling to Chicago for a wedding and to Milwaukee for a birthday tailgate and Brewers game. This is where Arbonne was truly a game changer! I reached out to Gaby who was coaching me through the 30 days for suggestions because travel and dietary restrictions don’t exactly go together easily. She had some amazing breakfast suggestions that were travel friendly and her biggest piece of advice was to avoid gluten at all cost. Did you know it takes TEN DAYS for our bodies to process gluten?! Mind blown! That sounds like a really uncomfortable 10 days if you’re gluten sensitive. Instead of having a different time finding things to eat, I ended up trying new foods I never would have and loving them! I also found a few easy to make, go to recipes that are actually healthy too.

I wasn’t the only one who noticed a difference. My mom told me I was acting healthier and had more energy. She also asked if I had lost some weight. I could tell my clothing fit looser but I wasn’t eliminating allergens to lose weight so I hadn’t stepped on a scale since I started. On Day 30, I thought I’d see how much I had lost and I was down TWENTY FOUR POUNDS!

I feel so much better that I’ve decided to keep eating a mainly gluten and dairy free diet. I have more energy which means I also find I’m more motivated, my stomach issues have completely cleared up and I don’t crave junk food like I used to! Sure, I still treat myself but I’m making healthier versions of my favorites most of the time and following an 80/20 lifestyle.

Have you ever had food allergies? Could you give up gluten and/or dairy for 30 days?

How to order your own 30 Day: 

 www.arbonne.com –> Click “register” in green top right –> start saving –> enter info  + “Jenn Schultz” as your consultant –> $29 to becoming a preferred client (this gets you free shipping and 20-40% off) –> click Nutrition ASVP –> check out –> DONE! 

Let me know if you sign up so I can add you to our group and get you access to all the recipes and grocery lists, etc! You also get full access to me as your coach, answering any questions you might have and encouraging you along the way!

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