What About Yogurt?

Is yogurt OK on The Kaufmann Diet? Like all dairy products, the answer is more nuanced than yes or no. 

Dairy products are both loved and reviled, depending on which diet guru you listen on which day of the week. Some people think dairy products can be an excellent source of calcium, vitamin D, and healthy fats, some insist that dairy products clog your arteries and are a sure way to gain weight and generally be unhealthy. 

The Kaufmann Diet takes a slightly more nuanced position, because not all dairy products are made equally. 

Instead of outright banning dairy products the way some diets do, The Kaufmann Diet carefully chooses which should be included, and which should be excluded. 

Milk, itself, is excluded, for a couple reasons. First, milk is high in lactose, or milk sugar. With the aim of cutting as much sugar from the diet as possible, the Kaufmann Diet excludes milk. Most cheeses are excluded as well, particularly cheeses made with mold, like bleu, gorgonzola, etc. This eliminates many forms of dairy products which most people are used to including in their diet. 

It is worth noting that that dairy products have some other issues. They are mucus-producing foods, and can be addictive. There is a reason restaurants load up the cheese on so many dishes. Particularly if you feel like you have an addiction to cheese or dairy, it should be something you should think about eliminating entirely on The Kaufmann Diet. 

(As a side note, many of the dairy substitutes, such as margarine or non dairy creamers should also be avoided.) 

Many dairy products, however, are permitted on the diet: 

• • Generally speaking, butter and ghee are a great source of healthy fats that are high in CLA (conjugated linoleic acid). 
  • Cream cheese is mostly fat and is permitted. 
  • Heavy cream and whipped heavy cream (sans sugar or other sweeteners) are also permitted. 

What About Yogurt?

Yogurt can be a beneficial food while you are on the Kaufmann Diet, but like anything else, it is more nuanced than whether it is allowed or not. Many of the yogurt products people enjoy on a regular basis are loaded with added sugar, dyes, preservatives and are sorely lacking in the beneficial bacteria inherent in real yogurt. So there are a few things to look for if you want to include yogurt in your diet.  

• • As a general rule, yogurt with live, active bacterial cultures is critical. These are the beneficial bacteria that are good for your digestive system. 
  • Always look for plain, non-sweetened, non-flavored varieties of yogurt. If you must sweeten your yogurt, try adding fresh, Kaufmann-diet approved fruit, like berries, and stevia or xylitol. 
  • High fat varieties are best. They are higher in calories, yes, but The Kaufmann Diet does not require counting calories. These varieties will have less lactose and are more filling. 
  • Goat yogurt is encouraged over cow’s milk yogurt. The lactose content is lower. This applies to other dairy products, as well. 
  • When possible, shop for organic, preferably grass-fed varieties of yogurt. This is not a hard and fast rule, but when availability and cost permit, organic is best. 

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Still have questions?

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