Dairy or No Dairy?
abetterluke
Posts: 625 Member
I'm starting Paleo today and plan to try it for 30 days to see what happens. All of the research I've done has been relatively consistent except for dairy. Some people say dairy is fine and some say you should avoid it at all costs. Can anyone shed some light on both sides of the arguement for me?
To my knowledge I'm not lactose intolerant so there's no real benefit for me there.
To my knowledge I'm not lactose intolerant so there's no real benefit for me there.
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I myself am lactose intolerant so I do avoid dairy, but I would suggest reading www.robbwolf.com for a paleo viewpoint and www.marksdailyapple.com for the primal angle of this lifestyle. Primal allows for dairy. It's biggest premise is grain free and higher fats, unlike paleo which isn't as focused on the fats.
I think you yourself have to make the decision of what works for you. A combination of the two similar lifestyles is what works for me. I feel better than I have in years the longer I stick to this lifestyle.0 -
I think you yourself have to make the decision of what works for you. A combination of the two similar lifestyles is what works for me. I feel better than I have in years the longer I stick to this lifestyle.
That's exactly what I'm hoping for. Can you tell me a little more about how you've combined them?0 -
If you're doing a 30 day paleo test run, why not eliminate dairy for that time frame too and see what happens. You don't think you're lactose intolerant, but how will you know if you never break from eating it? Maybe dairy is affecting you in ways you'd not expected.
I'm halfway through my first Whole 30 and not consuming dairy (as well as sugar, alcohol, grains, legumes) and I've learned a lot in that short time about my eating habits, as well as the effects that different foods (and feeding times) have on me. For example, I learned I have a sensitivity to eggs. I had no idea.
I think self-experiementaion is the best way to learn what does and doesn't work for us. If you're wondering about dairy, try going dairy free for a bit and see what happens.0 -
I'm starting Paleo today and plan to try it for 30 days to see what happens. All of the research I've done has been relatively consistent except for dairy. Some people say dairy is fine and some say you should avoid it at all costs. Can anyone shed some light on both sides of the arguement for me?
To my knowledge I'm not lactose intolerant so there's no real benefit for me there.
Hey Luke,
You may have also seen people suggesting to others to hold off on dairy for the first 30 days, just so you get the full benefit. After that, see if adding it back in affects you negatively. We can say a lot of things don't affect us negatively, but just because our bodies are so used to the sickness or inflammation, it doesn't mean we've overcome the negative effects. Just something to think about.
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Boy, if you think you can pull off no dairy for 30 days in addition to being good in the other departments - go for it.
All dairy does include IGF-1 which can inhibit fat loss.
If you are going to do a 30 day - I'd recommend whole30 (by whole9). The book is worth it.
I did primal at first and did quite well, but it isn't a 30 day thing, it is an everyday thing.
I hit a plateau and am effectively a whole30 now for the next couple months.
(no dairy, sugars (at all), wine, nuts)0 -
It's probably best to take yourself off all kinds of dairy just as a trial. I thought the same - I've never been told I'm lactose intolerant - but as soon as I pulled back on my dairy and tried it again, I knew it was a no-go for me. Several of my friends have said the same thing - "I won't give up dairy because my body digests it fine" - only to give it up for a Whole30 or some other reason and find out the same thing. My friend's husband said he could never give up cheese or milk and didn't think it would problematic...until he stopped consuming both for just 2 weeks. He readily admits that dairy was NOT doing his body good!
It's possible you could do fine with it but at least give yourself a chance to "clean the slate" and test it out.0 -
When I first started, I eliminated dairy for a full month (per my doctor) - I have since begun adding SMALL amounts. For example, Greek yogurt every now and then and maybe a little bit of cheese on a salad. That's about it, and that has been working well for me. I think it depends on how dairy sensitive you are, but if you eat dairy it seems moderation is key.0
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For the most part, I only have milk.
I'll have hard cheeses, like pecorino romano or parmesan.
Maybe one day I'll try the whole30 thing, but for now, I LOVE mixing protein shakes with milk, and having parmesan on my salads.
Oh I'm trying to be primal, I'm about 80% there.0 -
I'm on my first week and the only dairy we consume is occasional butter on veg if I don't feel like eating it plain (I think only done it once, i like plain veg) and occasionally will add like 1/2 oz of sharp cheddar to an omelet. We don't eat milk because my boyfriend is lactose intolerant so we use Almond milk when we do want some kind of milk.0
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I agree with Chaotic Mum and I would also suggest reading It Starts With Food.This is a great book that suggests you go off everything for 30 days.The belief that a lot of people have a dairy issue that they don't know about,after the 30 days there is a re-introduction phase.
When I went back to eating dairy it triggered a very bad sugar response.I never connected the 2 before.
Personally,I don't do cheese and if I do,I do it with goat.Also,try to do ghee rather than butter.0 -
Agree with the 30 day elimination deal a la Robb Wolf. I did a month of just gluten & added sugar free to get some buy-in. Then a month of NOTHING that is a common irritant, no dairy, nuts, seeds, nightshades, yadda, yadda, yadda.
Then introduce ONE food (heavily, I recommend) for a week and see the results.0 -
here's a good article that I found about it: http://paleodietlifestyle.com/fatty-meat-potatoes-dairy-and-paleo-2-0/ ... it may be worth it to try going without it for a while, but if you're a big dairy consumer, cutting that out right off the bat with all the grains and sugars too may be difficult to stick to, just make sure if you consume them that they are full fat versions, raw or organic if you can.0
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I was struggling with many health issues and ended up going on an elimination diet. It turned out I was allergic to dairy and it changed my life. So I guess I am biased on the whole dairy issue..lol. But I agree with the others that cutting it out to start and then introducing it back in is a good way to see if has any affect on you or not.0
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I do primal, so I do allow dairy. That said, I'm not a milk drinker so all my dairy is usually cheese or butter and I use it sparingly. I will occasionally get a latte as a treat or add cream/whole milk to a quiche instead of coconut milk. Aside from the Starbucks, all the dairy I use is from grass-fed cows. We get low-temp pasteurized, local, grass-fed whole milk for my daughter and that is what I use if I need a bit for a recipe.0
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I agree with mostly everybody here - try to eliminate it for the first month. I LOVE dairy (ALL cheese, milk, cream, yogurt, cottage cheese, gosh I could go on). And I’m in the middle of my first 30 days of going Paleo without dairy as well. I have not had any problems giving it up! I do think about many of the things I used to put dairy in (coffee, salads, eggs, ANYTHING!) and have substituted my fruit smoothies with coconut milk and my coffee cream with almond milk. I know I will be slowly adding it back into my diet after the 30 days though can’t wait to make caulifredo sauce with parmesan in it! 0
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I personally decided to at least TRY it without dairy, and I've realized that I consumed a TON of fat and calories through dairy (mostly cheese!) and since I'm trying to lose weight, it's been super beneficial.0
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I haven't read all the responses
but
Primal is basically Paleo with the addition to dairy products
I consider myself Primal because I do use coffee creamer, half and half, cheese, taziki and greek yogurt. That being said - I use the coffee creamer and half and half pretty much on a daily basis (but you are talking about a tbls of each per day) - cheese and greek yogurt are depending on the week - some weeks I may have 1-2 servings of each, other weeks none - even when i do it usually isn't a full serving - i.e. a sprinkle of cheese on top of chili or 1/4 cup of greek yogurt
I do do strict Paleo every once in a while and during those periods I do cut out all dairy...and usually really limit my fruit/nuts/high carb veggies0
