ONE IDEA

Check yourself for lactose intolerance.

THE WHY

Approximately 65% of the human population has a reduced ability to digest lactose after birth (U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2020).

MY THOUGHTS/ PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Pretty much my entire life has been dedicated to health, fitness, and performance. I have always taken pride in being one step ahead of everyone else, and I have been well aware of the prevalence of lactose intolerance for a long time. Having said that, I have had some struggles with my gut over the last few years. It has always felt good, but not perfect. I always attributed the imperfection to the intense training demands I was putting myself under.

Just by chance this year, I asked my doctor to add lactose intolerance to a series of routine blood work we were doing. It came back positive meaning I was lactose intolerant (and probably shouldn’t have crushed that 2L of milk the night before).

I got rid of lactose from my diet, and I basically had 10% more energy within a week. It’s still a fine balance, but it did wonders to my overall health. I think, given the statistical prevalence in the world for this digestive issue, it is absolutely worth getting it tested.

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE

“Food is the cause and food is the cure of most disease.”

Dr. Mark Hyman

References

U.S. National Library of Medicine. (2020). Retrieved from https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/lactose-intolerance