Liv's Dairy Free Kitchen E-Book

My Dairy Free Journey

What seems worse as a 14-year-old girl than a face full of pimples? Honestly, not much. I started eating dairy free at the age of 14 when my hormonal acne was raging. I was seeking the care of a Chiropractor and Acupuncturist who specialized in muscle testing. Through a full food sensitivity assessment, he was able to determine that my body was extremely sensitive to dairy (along with some other foods), which was creating major skin irritation. He recommended I go off dairy completely for one month to see the results for myself. To give you an idea of what I was consuming back then, it looked a little something like this; a glass of milk in the morning with a cheese bagel & butter, a cheese and chicken quesadilla, fruit & mini yogurt for lunch, a glass of milk and homemade brownie for a snack and homemade lasagna, cheese bread and salad for supper. I was addicted to dairy.

At the time, I didn’t understand the link between certain foods and how they made me feel. What I did know was that I was a young adolescent girl who was extremely bloated, constipated, moody, cranky and the acne was affecting my confidence.

After the recommendation of my Chiropractor, my dear Mom and I went on a one-month dairy free eating protocol. Keep in mind, this was 14 years ago and back then there were not a lot of dairy free alternatives in the supermarket, let alone Pinterest to get ideas on what to make. I had a flip phone without a camera and we were still rocking the dial up internet. My Mom and I hit the drawing board with paper and pen. We started by making weekly meal plans, gathering ideas for suppers that could be used for school lunches too. Some of our favourites included garlic shrimp & rice, spaghetti squash & meat sauce, taco salad, omelets, souvlaki and burgers. I still have our meal plans to this day. Interesting thing is we did not make many meals that mimicked dairy, rather completely cut out the concept of dairy as we had no idea how to make an alternative.

One month of no dairy changed my life. I became way less puffy, my skin cleared up dramatically, I could actually focus on school, I didn’t feel dyslexic when reading, I had regular bowel movements and the overall inflammation and bloating decreased substantially. The results I saw in my skin were enough for me to realize that what I put into my body does impact the way my body feels and reacts. It gave me a great appreciation at a very young age for the body’s innate ability to communicate with us when we know how to listen.

Fast forward 14 years, with a food science degree, holistic nutrition diploma, thousands of hours in the kitchen and a food and wellness blog, I now specialize in transforming our favourite nourishing and comforting meals into dairy free meals. I will gladly take on the challenge anytime to turn something into a dairy free option that still fills the soul with the love and comfort of so many real dairy dishes.

The need for dairy alternatives sparked my passion and creativity in the kitchen with some of my first creations being my famous cashew cheese ball, spinach dip, carbonara and cheesecake. These are tried and true recipes that I will be sharing with you here so that you feel confident in making the transition to dairy free eating while also enjoying all your favourites that you don’t want to live without. Let me show you that there does not need to be a sacrifice.

What You Will Find in This Book

This book was written with the beginner in mind, to lay out step by step everything you need to know about transitioning to dairy free eating. Whether you know you are sensitive to dairy, have an assumption that you might be, curious to try eating dairy free as a self-experiment or feel ethically called to remove dairy, this book will guide you through all there is to know about the transition to dairy free.

The intention was to write a resource that would allow you to accept that you don’t have to sacrifice the foods that you love just because you are removing dairy. You can pick up this book without any previous knowledge of what dairy is, how it might be impacting your body, how to make the shift to eating dairy free and how to adapt your favorite recipes to be dairy free. This book will instruct and empower you to try eating dairy free for at least one month to see how you feel. I have compiled all that I have learned on my dairy free journey, as well as my staple recipes to get you started and confident in the kitchen. Along with all the recipes being dairy free, you will find gluten free, nut free and vegan options throughout the book as well. I want you to absolutely enjoy your food, dairy or no dairy.

Additional Bonuses with E-Book Purchase

You will also get access to 9 BONUS TUTORIAL VIDEOS and admission to a private Facebook group for additional recipes, videos, workshops, support and inspiration.