Hey there, Happy Weekend.

Mark's Daily Apple has been around for a long time. Since I'm constantly researching, my stance on different foods is always evolving. 

Once upon a time, I said that all legumes were off-limits. Now, I'm less dogmatic about them. I'll have a few bites of bean dip if it looks good to me in the moment, and I wrote this week that I'm a fan of peanut butter. 

Back in the day, I swore off sugar. Now I have a teaspoon every day in my coffee. I'm no worse for wear. 

Dairy is another one. When I started out with the ancestral way of eating, I shunned dairy. My stance on dairy has softened a little. Here's how I would rank them

1. Occasional raw, fermented, full-fat dairy milk, yogurt, and cheeses.

Fermentation takes care of most of the lactose, and some posit that it may even positively alter the structure, function, and safety of casein.

2. Raw, high-fat dairy products. 

Raw butter and cream are minimally processed sources of quality saturated fat. They’re free of most lactose and casein, and let’s face it: butter and cream just make everything taste better. 

3. Organic, hormone and antibiotic-free dairy (full fat, of course).

This is where you might start crossing into digestive upset and signs of intolerance, even if you can tolerate the others. 

4. Conventional dairy products. 

Stay away from these. Too much chemical alteration: hormones, antibiotics, etc. 

It's highly individual. Some people can handle beans, small amounts of sugar, or a few bites of properly fermented sourdough bread, even. Some people learn the hard way that they have to stay away from certain foods. 

My (non-medical) opinion is, if you're not sure, eliminate all dairy for a few weeks, then bring back (highly ranked) dairy foods one at a time, in small amounts, given you're not allergic. See how your body responds. 

If you can't tolerate dairy, don't worry. You can get your calcium from canned sardines, collard greens, and kale.

And, I made sure to exclude dairy from the line of Primal Kitchen® dressings, sauces, and condiments so that everyone can enjoy them. 

Two of my favorites: 

Buffalo sauce. Most bottled buffalo sauces contain butter or dairy-based thickeners. We use cashew cream to make our buffalo sauce creamy and thick enough to hold up to your chicken wings, cauliflower bites, and hot chicken sandwiches. 

Ranch dressing. So many people write in telling me that our Ranch gave them a part of their life back. (Now thicker! You'll never know there's no dairy.)

I prefer to have them both on hand. No matter how your body handles dairy, we've got you covered. 

This weekend only, you can SAVE 25% on all of your Primal Kitchen favorites! Use the code STRIKEGOLD at checkout. 

Have a great weekend!

*To redeem, select items from Primalkitchen.com and enter coupon code STRIKEGOLD at checkout. Offer expires 3/15/2021 at midnight PST. Cannot be combined with any other offers. 

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