I Ate Like An Italian Woman Every Day For A Week — And Never Felt Better

When it comes to health, European countries like France and Italy have always been a bit of a mystery to me. Many of the foods we're quick to deem "off limits" in the United States flow like water across the pond—you'd be hard-pressed to find a corner that doesn't have either a gelateria or a sweet-smelling pastry shop.

It could be their four to seven weeks of vacation per year, but most European women don't seem to be weighed down by their delicious, gluten and dairy-filled foods, and they're certainly not spending hours at the gym "working it off." Instead, they're full of energy and vibrancy.

From there, I would grab a whole-milk cappuccino from a nearby cafe (unlike in the United States, almond milk is hard to come by) and maybe have a second one before lunch. Lunch typically consisted of a sandwich on a baguette, followed by another cappuccino, and on most days a scoop of pistachio gelato. Dinner was the most decadent meal of them all, filled with at least one glass of red wine and pizza dripping with cheese.

I'd been told that the higher quality grains and dairy used in Europe leads to a less inflammatory reaction in most people's bodies, but I didn't quite believe it. Eating dairy more than once or twice a week typically hurts my stomach at home, and too much bread leaves me tired, irritable, and bloated.

Maybe it had to do with the hours spent walking in the sun and clearing my mind or the easy-breezy vacation mindset, but I never once felt bloated or low energy, except for a little jet lag here and there. I also intermittent fast and typically don't eat past 8:30 p.m. because going to bed with a full stomach keeps me up. I was worried late dinners would leave me sleepless for my entire trip, but I was wrong. In reality, I've never slept better.

If you have an Italian vacation planned and have mild problems with gluten and dairy, I'd recommend throwing caution to the wind for a bit. Not only will you have more fun—the food is part of the experience!—but you'll likely return to the States feeling better than ever.