Some foods are downright demonized. At one point, fat was bad. And then, sugar. And of course, gluten and dairy are demonized, too. This makes many people choose to go dairy-free. But is it a good idea to cut out dairy from your diet, or are you simply following another food trend? Keep reading to find out.

Minna Lee is a fitness and nutrition coach, and while she herself follows a dairy-free diet, she doesn’t blindly advise other people to do the same. Unless, of course, they have good reasons to do so.

That’s because everyone has such individual nutritional needs. And there’s no such thing as a one size fits all diet. Some individuals can enjoy and tolerate dairy without any issues, but that isn’t the case for everyone.

So, Lee offers three guidelines for when it’s a good idea to move to a dairy-free diet

Digestive symptoms

If you have dairy and then experience bloating, pain, unusual bowl movements, or any other uncomfortable digestive symptoms, this can be a good indication that dairy is a problem food for you.

Psychological symptoms

After dairy, do you feel sluggish, or struggle with focus and brain fog? This could be a sign that your experiencing an allergic reaction to dairy.

Cystic acne

Dairy can lead to skin problems, including acne. And even know pimples don’t seem like a big deal, they’re your body’s way of signaling a problem. And it’s good idea to catch it when the problem is still on the surface. Otherwise, it can go deeper and cause deeper health problems.

When you think about the key components of a healthy lifestyle, your mind probably jumps straight to fitness and diet. You know – the things we do, the decisions we make and the actions we take. 

But in all of our busy efforts to stay healthy, we forget about one major pillar of health: sleep. Sleep isn’t just good for us. Sleep is the single most effective thing we can do to reset the brain and body every single day. And all we have to do is sleep. But most Americans aren’t sleeping enough. The question is: Are you?

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