I have decided it’s time to do Paleo properly. Or at least more properly than I have been. This means cutting dairy. The Paleo I’ve been following is a sort of transitional Paleo, one made suitable for the modern age. Or as suitable as you can ever adapt a diet eaten by our ancestors.
Say goodbye to cheese
This means saying goodbye to cheese and I think that’s a very good idea. I eat far too much of the stuff. And while I know it’s high in protein and fat – so far so Paleo – it also has sugar in it. And it feels to me like a bit of a cheat. It has to go. Just as soon as I’ve cleared my current stock of delicious Babybels which fill a little hunger pang so perfectly.
Say goodbye to cream
I also need to cut cream out my diet. And creme fraiche. Always did think it bit odd that a diet based on Paleolithic times included such a modern food as creme fraiche and fresh cream. Combining cream or creme fraiche with strawberries and other berries is a lovely way to finish a meal and sate that sugar need. But I’ve been on Paleo a while now and I don’t need the hand-holding involved with the cream allowance.
Say goodbye to milk
I’ve been having milk in my tea and coffee and This Must Stop! It won’t be easy. It’ll be a huge challenge but it can’t be as hard as cutting bread, pasta, rice and potatoes. They went easily. Don’t miss them.
Say hello to easier weight loss!
So I’m saying goodbye to some much-loved foods and I will miss them terribly but… look at what I’ll be gaining! It’s far easier to lose weight if you cut dairy foods out, though not eggs and butter (THANK GOD!). This is because dairy products can inhibit weight loss, encourage inflammation and water retention.
Science bit
There’s some science around this which I will seek out for you and report back on. Suffice to say for now, this Tuesday when I was trying to eat only what I had in the house and I very nearly made it without feeling too hungry, there was no dairy. And I felt great! I am actually looking forward to going dairy-free, if only for a short while as an experiment to see if I can. And see if the weight comes tumbling off.
Calcium
Yes yes, I know I may be lacking in Calcium if I cut dairy but there is Calcium in eggs and butter and also broccoli and other dark green vegetables and leaves. I’ll have them instead. Plus they’re full of iron and absolutely dripping in other goodies. Oh how I love to eat healthily.
The next stone
The next stone (6 kilos/14 pounds) is going to be a LOT more difficult to shift than the first. And the third stone – no not Hendrix’s fabulous Third Stone from the Sun – will be even harder. But I’ll get there. Strange beautiful. Play it Jimi.
