First it's carbs, now dairy too? I'm keeping an open mind.

CrossFitters say to eat a Paleo diet. This got me VERY excited, and further fueled my excitement about the program. Sounds like these folks don't just tow the line of the masses when it comes to diet and exercise. This is right up my alley. Hooray!

Back in the 90's I first discovered low-carb eating. I read about all of the health benefits from reading books like Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution and Protein Power. I tried LC eating and did ok, but didn't follow it properly and didn't really see measurable benefits.

Recently I've gone through another couple of rounds of LC, but this time consuming more vegetables adding much more variety. It's better this time around, and the benefits are nothing short of amazing.

It's so frustrating to see the USDA continue to follow the same food pyramid they have for years - and I'm starting to really see now why people argue that the grain and dairy lobbies are partially to blame. But that's another story.

This weekend I went out to read up on the Paleo diet. Seems that their plan is pretty low in carbs - there's no grains, breads, or other simple carbs on the plan. They also add in what seems to be more fruit. But the kicker is: They take out [drum-roll.....] dairy. Dairy. Dairy. DAIRY.

Ouch.

I've always suspected that my chronic throat clearing was due to dairy consumption. And I've noticed that the few times that I've tried to cut back, there was an improvement. But I've been reading more about dairy, and it's not looking good. It's not just about a little nuisance cough any more. It seems to be about consuming things our bodies are not designed to handle, and that ends up causing systemic health issues.

I've learned long ago that I do not know very much about anything. And if I let my emotions control my beliefs about food, I would still be eating Otis Spunkmeyer Chocolate Chip Muffins for breakfast with a box of chocolate milk. However - I realize that just because I love the way a food tastes, does not mean that it is good for me. EVEN if it is natural.

So, today I will be doing some more research on dairy, and getting myself prepared to remove it from my diet. At least for a week - to see how it feels. And although it feels like I won't be able to carry on without milk, creamer in my coffee, my daily Greek yogurt breakfast, ice cream, and cheese -- I have GOT to keep an open mind and not allow my emotions to tell me what I should and should not have.