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.
Kathy says
It would be great if you could add a “low carb” section under the “special diets” section.
Elana says
Kathy, I’m working on it!!! :-)
Maureen says
Thank you Elana. Your post resonates especially on my recent tactic in my healing journey..addressing my emotional triggers.
My journey began with you and continues with you. It all started 5 five years ago when much of the family had reached a health breaking point. I was suffering from terrible brain fog. I won’t go into all the twists and turns, because there were many. I turned to your wisdom and recipes to find substitute foods for gluten free, commercial free eating. I succeeded on many levels and beat the brain fog back literally in 10 days. Overtime my tactics were starting to fail me. I was stuck. I was doing everything “right” and training to hike the Grand Canyon, yet not losing one single pound. I became sick and resentful of a perception that I was trapped in a Paleo, gluten free, restrictive new food religion with abundant rules and shaming if you did not do it right. This summer I turned to a new method in emotional healing using a tool to see the benefits of events in your life you may not have explored. It has not been easy or perfect in anyway either. I am, however, hopeful that with science, reason and communicating with people like you that the healing journey continues on our way, instead of in our way. I applaud your courage for getting real with us. Thank you very much for showing up on a facebook feed and that I was willing to click on it.
Elana says
Hi Maureen, thanks so much for your amazing comment. I’m glad we’re on this path together :-)
Christine says
Hi elana. I am your neighbor here in boulder and would love to know who you get your milk products from. I am considering putting dairy back in my diet and respect your opinions. Thanks so much.
Elana says
Hi Christine, the dairy items I regularly buy are Nancy’s organic full fat yogurt and organic cream cheese, as well as Organic Valley organic heavy cream and organic raw milk cheddar cheese. Those are the main dairy items I purchase and I get them at Alfalfa’s, Vitamin Cottage, and Ideal Market :-)
Christine says
Thanks elana. Have been eating some dairy without a problem lately after not having any for years. Thanks so much for the great idea !
Mandy says
I know you’re not concerned with a specific label, but the primal lifestyle, which is similar to paleo, does include full-fat organic dairy. My brother loves telling people that he regularly eats bacon and eggs for breakfast and puts actual cream in his coffee.
Wendy Hay says
I’m with you on the primal lifestyle, Mandy. I too, have bacon and eggs for breakfast and a great slug of cream in my coffee. Organic milk and cream is the best!
Connie says
Thanks for this post. I just wondered if you have read any of Dr. Terry Wahl’s book? Since you mentioned M.S………
I leave off dairy because I am celiac and had eczema so bad. I am afraid to put some back in. I love your recipes and they have helped me add to my “diet” also….. keep up the good work!
Elizabeth Agren says
Since going very low carb I experienced the same, needing something to savor while losing the little “sweet treats, mostly fruit based.
I have been mostly dairy free for 40 years. I do tolerate dairy much better on very low carb, but still have to take big breaks from
it and not get into a daily use habit or my intestines flair up. Wish I could use more of it than I cab.
Deb says
Way to go not putting yourself in a box. You give me hope that one day I’ll find the best diet for myself, too.
Suzanne says
Than you Elana for this very interesting post. I found it very interesting that you are able to tolerate dairy more so
now that you have given up fruit, i presume its to do with reducing the Fructose load enabling you to increase the Lactose load.
There are so many Elimination diets ( all different) out there i wonder which Elim diet you started with, Elaine Gottschall illegal/legal
list perhaps, or something else.
Kind Regards,
Suzanne.
Jane B. says
It’s such good news that you are learning what works best for your body! We are each biochemically unique, so any “ideal diet” we read about will fail some of us. Thanks for drawing attention to the need to listen to our bodies.
Anabella says
We need to do what is right for ourselves. I had a very restricted diet as well, no mead, no grains, no milk, no sugar, no gluten and just a few fruits. One day my doctor told me to introduce kefir (fermented milk) and I could not believe it. I was so allergic to milk that I thought he was joking. He said just try for two months and you will see the difference. I did it very slowly and I have been the happiest ever. I cannot wait to wake up and have a nice breakfast. My weight is normal now and I have not had bloating or cramps for the last three year. I love my fermented milk, it makes me feel so happy.