I've experienced benefits from eliminating dairy, and my achilles heel with dairy is cheese. I can eat it occasionally, but I have a tendency to over consume, and it does cause inflammation over time for me. My normal day used to be one cup of coffee with HWC, and I might have a heavy pour in this case.

Currently, I'm going through a period of dairy elimination and the benefits have been positive, so I'll continue to treat dairy as a very occasional (holiday cheese servings, etc.) thing. Everyone is a bit different in their dairy response. Note that I never drink milk and haven't since I was very young, and cheese, HWC, sour cream are really the only dairy products I consume. Elimination makes a positive difference in my blood lipid test results and my inflammation markers (CRP) are at an all-time low when I'm in elimination. Also, weight starts to go down during elimination, so for me, dairy is something I've learned to avoid due to my positive responses to elimination.

Just adding my thoughts on the coconut milk nondairy creamer as a substitute for cream in my coffee. Of course everyone's tastes are different, but this is a thumbs down for me. As with most substitutions, I find that I would rather find something completely different than something that tries to fill a spot and doesn't make the grade. For me and my taste the coconut milk was a disappointment as a creamer for coffee. On its own, it tasted great. However, I noticed that it has cane sugar listed as the third ingredient. It claims less than 1 g of carbs per serving, but ia serving is 1 tablespoon. Draw your own conclusions from that

I haven't eaten any dairy for about 7 years. Relatively recently I did start using ghee occasionally but that's about it. I got used to drinking coffee black. Way back when I would add cream and sugar but that's a long time ago. I've tried adding coconut oil or coconut milk but I find I prefer black coffee. I believe that the elimination of dairy helps control the progression of arthritis in my fingers. It also helps keep my digestive tract happy.

Jean

I ditched dairy for a couple months many years ago. I was thrilled that I didn't feel any different, so I brought the cheese back
Of course, as others said, many do find it difficult. We all just have to experiment with ourselves.
Also, I am very fair skinned and probably come from a long line of people who have been eating dairy for much longer than people who are from closer to the equator. I also eat a lot less fat than most low carvers, because I strongly prefer chicken breast or shrimp to say beef or sausage. I also do very well with an oz or two of nuts per day, so I think I am the strange one here

Congrats on the loss and hope the medical issue is resolved!

I spent years without dairy, thanks to a misdiagnosis. Put cheese back when I started Atkins, and never saw any difference. But I agree with Robin: I am also pale and from a long line of herding people.

A great book discussing the link between the best foods for our genetic profile and what our ancestors ate is Death by Food Pyramid.

I don't know if I could give up cream. Black coffee Sometimes things are toooo hard.

I can't do black coffee either. But some people just love coconut cream or even frothing it up with coconut oil with an immersion blender.

I think it's the smooth mouth feel as much as the taste. See what works for you.

I have moved coffee to the "rare treat" category and adore high quality teas (Like Yogi energy teas in tangerine or raspberry; amino acids and herbs along with green and black teas) and with a big spoonful of coconut oil, that's all I need to start my day.

Same here- black coffee kills my stomach.

I love this tea from whole foods- I always forget the brand, but the can has a big bumble bee on it and says "feel the buzz." Per cup, it is 1.5 times the caffeine of coffee, and a much less jittery buzz. Plus, it is easy on the tummy.
The cinnamon is my favorite.

Also, Starbucks makes a refrigerated coffee concentrate that you are to mix with equal part milk- I use cashew milk, and it's great.

I spent my early life and a lot of my adulthood avoiding dairy because it clearly didn't agree with me. In my 50's I learned I had celiac disease and that by eating gluten grains, I was destroying the intestinal villi (tips) that helped digest milk proteins. Later I got a test that said I could not tolerate casein (dairy proteins) either and therefore should not eat it. For a year I avoided both gluten grains and dairy, and that allowed healing of the villi. When I carefully tried sporadic dairy again, I found I was OK with it in very limited, occasional amounts, but I still wasn't OK with all of it. In the recent past, milk (such as with cereal) killed me, and most dairy does bother me including my beloved Greek yogurt that I used to make myself (using half and half and whole milk). It's what it is.

Now on Atkins I just have at most, a small cappuccino with whipped cream or half and half (and in a small amount), and I can get away with that—it doesn't bother me and I don't bloat from it. In the past when I'd have much cheese, or yogurt, or ice cream etc. I would definitely bloat up and get stomach aches. Dairy is a tough one. Right now I'm losing weight at a good clip with just the coffee cream and an occasional bit of cheese here and there (not that often, though). I don't actually miss the larger amount of dairy I ate in the past.

Carole- at whole foods (only), there is a yogurt made from almond milk by kite hill. The plain has 5 Carbs and it tastes great!

For people who miss cheese, you might try goat cheese. A lot of lactose intolerant people are fine with goat's milk, and many are fine with butter or hard cheeses.
Honestly, I think cheese is certainly a problem for many, but it's been exaggerated. As others said, a sensitivity to gluten can masquerade as lactose intolerance, and of course dose is key. Especially as low carbers, I think it's easy to really go overboard on dairy. That is why I am religious about measuring it. And I sub things like almond, cashew or locknut milk for cooking/soups/coffee/smoothies.....

It isn't lactose intolerance that gets me, it is casein or something else in dairy products. First comes the sinus issues and zits, then the constipation, then the body aches...

Love dairy products, but they don't love me.

It took me a couple of weeks to learn to tolerate black coffee. If the coffee is tasty, it isn't an issue at all. Cream covers up bad coffee.

It's the casein, the protein in milk, that's the problem for me too.

Jean

Some health food stores carry yogurt made from goat or sheep's milk. LOVE me some goat cheese!

I stick to high fat & organically sourced. Make it count.

Oh yes, Nancy and Jean- I meant when many low carb folks say dairy is a staller or gut irritant (for non GF) people, I think it's a bit demonized.
In terms of sinus issues, inflammation, etc.... I certainly agree.

Yeah, I could not live without dairy. I love cheese and cream and butter.
I understand some people have to give it up for medical issues but if you don't have to, why would you?