My name is Caitlin Corsetti, and I’m a cheese addict.
It’s partially due to my Italian heritage, but also because cheese is delicious.
Don’t even get me started on the Parmigiano-Reggiano!
If there’s cheese on something, I’ll eat it.
You see, my struggle with acne spans nearly 12 years.
From two rounds of Accutane to countless at-home remedies, my 26-year-old face still breaks out on the reg.
My sweet dermatologistbless her heartwas at a loss for what to do next.
And thus, I embarked on a dairy-free life.
The first month was udderly (hehe) hellish.
Seriously, you would have thought I was actually going through withdrawals.
I found myself craving mac and cheese, grilled cheese sandwiches, fondue, and even whole milk.
Everywhere I looked, friends were offering me meals with dairy.
I mean, sure, youknowyogurt is dairy, but you probably never thought about it that much.
Ranch dressing, chocolate, batter…dairy stomping grounds.
Even items like sour cream and onion-flavored chips contain dairy!
Coconut milk isnotfor you, by the way, if you hate the taste of coconut.
It doesn’t taste like a pina colada or anything, but it does have a distinct flavor.
These are polysaccharides extracted from seaweed, and are used in the food industry for stability and thickening.
They’re found in a lot of products, but are extremely common in dairy alternatives.
I also swapped in coconut Greek yogurt and coconut milk ice cream.
I substituted in clarified butteror gheefor regular butter.
Everything tasted about the same as products with dairy.
There are tons of non-dairy options out there, but they are not all created equally.
There are even dairy-free cheeses, but they are honestly offensive to cheese.
Dairy substitutes taste a little different and cook differently as well.
Dairy nourishes our bodies with protein, vitamin D, calcium, and potassium.
Those nutrients are super important!
Won’t you die if you stop drinking milk and eating cheese?
No, you won’t.
Many people report weight loss after quitting dairy.
I didn’t lose weight, but that was never a goal of mine to begin with.
I can tell you that I felt less bloated and puffy.
Whenever I have a cheese relapse, I get an overall icky feeling.
I generally just feel better overall, skin aside.
Not one week after my no-dairy experiment, my face cleared up.
I also felt amazing.
I almost cried, I was so happy!
Except I was depressed because cheese.
The trauma set in: how was I supposed to live the rest of my years without cheese?
I can live on coconut milk forever, but cheese?
I thought I could maybe limit my intake and have it occasionally.
Another example: after an aggressive night of partying, my hungover self needed pizza.
I ate three slices drenched in ranch dressing and slept like a baby.
Again, I broke out the next day, badly.
Living dairy-free is one of the most difficult commitments I’ve ever made.
Physically, I feel 100 times better too.
My energy levels are up, and I no longer feel sluggish.
Missy Elliot once asked, “Is it worth it?”
And the answer, sadly, is yes.
