The Dairy Blues: How Dairy Affected My Waistline

Look in the mirror before my shower and wonder why my stomach is distended. Despite the angle-the side right, the side left, the front, the back with my head over the shoulder (the best view)-I only see a belly resembling Buddha. A couple of rubs and I resemble a pregnant woman in the third month of pregnancy (a man is allowed to exaggerate his frustrations too!). How could this happen? I perform 300 crunches, run, and carefully select my food each day.

I sense something is different, but I can't figure it out. Since January, I take Tums for indigestion nearly every day. Is spicy food the cause of discomfort? Unfortunately, I love spicy food but will sacrifice it. To my dismay and grateful surprise, this sacrifice doesn't change my daily symptoms, though.

It is the end of June and I am carefully observing my body and placing it through a dietary "trial and error" program. I analyze my blood pressure and find a high reading. Am I drinking too much coffee or not running long enough? These are possible causes for my problem, but don't decrease the symptoms. Nevertheless, I continue my research until I learn the true nature of my belly fate.
After a night of pizza with mushrooms and green peppers, my face is flush and a rush of acid reflux is felt in my throat. I notice the pregnant belly in the mirror once again. Dreams of cheese, pizza, ice cream, and low fat milk suddenly crash down. My body rejects dairy.

Soon, I realize that the consumption of dairy leads to a sneeze as well. Ironically, I've taken an allergy pill for each sneeze for the last five years. I now realize that dairy-not seasonal allergies-causes this sneeze. Within days, my indigestion, sneezing, and Buddha belly disappear. Despite my efforts to believe otherwise, repeated tests consuming dairy lead to the same result.

Can we blame food allergies and
intolerances for all of our oversized waistlines? We most likely can't. Nevertheless, we must examine the effects of our diet on our bodies. If you notice that your efforts in the gym are fruitless, a dietary reaction may be the underlying cause. Observe your reactions to food and record any physical differences, including, but not limited to, an increase in blood pressure, indigestion, itchy eyes, abdominal pain or bloating, shortness of breath, and sneezing.

Although I find myself staring at other
people enjoying ice cream, I remind myself of the resulting discomfort from these foods. I'll gladly keep my flat stomach instead.

With this being said, please eat your pizza in another room.

1. Prev:The Truth About Cleansing Diets: What You Should Know Before Trying One
2. Next:Which Abdominal Exercises Burn The Belly Fat