Recently I’ve been posting photos of food made with dairy products on my Instagram page. That’s because lately I’ve been eating my fair share of this amazing food. And since I’ve received quite a few questions about why I’m eating dairy again, I thought it would make sense to discuss it here on the blog!
Now, when I say a food is “amazing,” I mean that it is amazing for me. As I’ve mentioned before, I believe we are all biochemical individuals with different and varying bodily and dietary needs. In fact, I was happily dairy-free for a very long time. Most of the recipes on this site are dairy-free and all of the recipes in my third book, Paleo Cooking from Elana’s Pantry, are dairy-free as well. So why am I eating dairy again? Well, there are three basic reasons:
- Calories –I wanted more high fat calories and less high carb calories
- Emotional –I did not want to give up another food group without getting one back
- Coconut –I was eating too much coconut and was showing a slight allergy to it on some bloodwork
The first reason I chose to bring dairy back into my diet was for the calories! I started a very low carb diet (VLCD) in 2014 and found that I functioned much better mentally and had a brighter outlook on things overall. In eating lower carb I gave up another food group –most fruit and desserts. Sure, I still make dessert for my family, but I rarely eat it myself, and when I do it’s something that is very lightly sweetened and high in fat, like this Chocolate Chia Pudding recipe, sweetened with stevia, or a square of 90% dark chocolate.
The second reason I added dairy back into my diet was emotional. I did not want to feel deprived. Swapping sugar (even natural sugar) for dairy has worked out very well for me. I feel much better maintaining a diet that is low-carb and high-fat. I’ve followed a strict grain-free diet since 2001. I haven’t had a bite of quinoa, rice, or potato since then. No joke. I follow this diet for health reasons so maintaining it is very important for me. It allows me to be on the lowest possible doses of various drugs and have a very high quality of life while living with the following diagnoses:
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Hashimotos Autoimmune Thyroiditis
- Celiac Disease
- BRCA
There are other health issues, but I will leave that for another place and time! I don’t follow the grain-free diet halfway. I don’t eat a piece of gluten-free bread now and then. I bake all of my own grain-free bread from scratch. When we grab dinner at our friend Thomas’ amazing burger joint, Larkburger, I get mine with a lettuce “bun” and skip the fries. I’ve given up loads of foods, but I have a very high ROI by following an incredibly strict grain-free diet. When I went on a VLCD in 2014 my dietary gains increased once again.
Emotionally though, I was not feeling super happy about giving up more food groups. Enter dairy. Now that I’m mostly sugar-free I don’t experience any issues with consuming dairy. I do stick to organic dairy. I love splashing heavy cream in my Dandelion Coffee, I find full fat yogurt absolutely delicious, and I am enjoying eating cheese again –by the way, have you seen my Pizza Muffin recipe?!
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The third reason for bringing dairy back? Coconut. I was eating far too much coconut, more than my body could handle and it was simply time to give my body a rest from it. I’ve brought it back slowly. I do not eat it every day and seem to be doing ok with it.
So there you have it folks. My dietary habits. I urge you all to eat whatever makes you feel best. I initially figured out which foods work and which don’t by doing an elimination diet and I highly recommend it if you’re stumped in assessing which foods you have trouble assimilating. The elimination diet is as good as any blood test you could ever get, and it’s free!
I imagine that some will want to know if I think dairy is Paleo. For this question, I will provide the answer that my older son (now 17) has given for the last few years. When this subject arises in our house, he says, “Mom, do you think cavemen ran around after wild yaks trying to milk them? No!” Frankly, I’m not super concerned with what a food is called, or which category it falls into. I’m more interested in how it makes me feel when I eat it. That’s enough of a barometer for me.
Wren says
I think dairy has gotten a bad rap in the past few years because most dairy is crap. It is from sick cows, pumped with antibiotics and growth hormones. As long as you are getting your dairy from grass-fed cows, who are not given these unnatural things in their diet, then I believe dairy is fine for you. Again, it depends on each person and their tolerance. I also prefer that my dairy products be non-homogenized, since the homogenization process separates the fats in a way that is unnatural and our bodies don’t recognize the good fats in the milk anymore because they’ve been split apart. This causes an immune response/increased blood sugar/inflammation, etc. Also, if you can get raw milk, that’s the very best and the closest to nature you can get. If you can’t find raw, then low-heat pasteurization is preferred.
Hope says
I’m with you on the LCHF diet. I keep certain dairy products in my diet so that I can enjoy life, lol.
Wendi says
Good for you… I agree our bodies are constantly changing I’m thinking maybe why the worry is because many do have allergies to dairy. I have the wheat allergy as well as the dairy(cannot digest the casein ) . You know your body and what it needs to feel healthy. Thanks for your posts.
Cathy says
I really appreciate your discussing this subject. It’s a timely topic for me as I’m trying to figure out if I should or should not be consuming dairy. I seem to do better with it when I’m taking probiotics or a drop of oregano oil in the morning. I’d be interested to hear if anyone else has had any experience in this area.
Kathy says
I was at a workshop given by naturopath Dr. Nelson Narciso about probiotics and he said if you want to try reintroducing a food you were previously intolerant of — take a tiny bit of that food with a probiotic. The probiotic will sooth your body’s immune response. If you continue to add a tiny bit more of the food slowly with a probiotic over time, you may find eventually you can enjoy the food again. I also agree with the individual body chemistry aspect of eating — this approach may not work for everyone but it can work for some.
Christine says
Thank you so very much for this post. I too have recently be put on a more restrictive diet and feel like I can’t take another food loss. You have got me thinking that dairy might be something I can put back in a low oxolate / paleo / candida diet. Your are the best.
Lisa says
A well written and thoughtful commentary on your decision to reintroduce dairy to your diet. I appreciate your emphasis on reminding us we are all unique biochemical individuals who are experts in knowing what works best for our own bodies…. and that it can and likely will change over time. Please keep sharing your journey with us!
Sami says
Totally agree with you! Do what your body asks! I don’t drink milk because it makes me feel “full and nauseous” but I can eat cheese and yogurt and cream without a problem.
Wendy Hay says
Nice call Elana, that is why I take my paleo with dairy and blog this at paleowithcream.com!
In the end we all have to find what works for our own bodies and not follow a rigid template. Which is why this lifestyle is so sustainable and not a “fad diet” (gosh I hate that phrase).
I really enjoy your recipes and your blog, you are always an inspiration, so looking forward to more dairy ones :)
Helen says
Nice call Wendy. I agree wholeheartedly – we are all different. Therefore different strokes for different folks. Good on you Elena for talking about it on your blog. It’s good to not be scared of change and by stating what you’ve done you are showing you don’t “wear your diet” like some sort of straightedged political stance, and that you can embrace change.
Lori says
Excellent explanation! Mental happiness is as important as gut health! There is a gut/brain connection! Enjoy the dairy! For me, it still triggers break outs and asthma symptoms. ?
Lynn says
Dairy still effects my asthma also, along with getting severe ear aches and nasal congestion….
Food elimination cleanse gave me clear answers to what foods were causing problems. I am hoping as I heal I can also reintroduce foods back in my diet.
Judy says
Isn’t it wonderful you have healed your digestive system enough that you can enjoy more variety in your diet?