Dairy, Acid Reflux, and Great Speakers Coming to Austin (Yes, They Are Related)

These upcoming Engine2 Diet talks here in Austin look amazing, if you have the time and, oh, $550 laying around. One of the speakers is Mark Bittman of The New York Times. His columns, which are sometimes vegan friendly, can be infuriating, but there are a couple columns that I highly recommend. They deal with the connection between dairy and acid reflux and Bittman's long struggle with the problem. In lieu of the medication he was taking, he cut out dairy, and his acid reflux went away. This blew my mind because I had reached my own conclusion about dairy years ago. I used to get acid reflux, too, even after I went vegetarian. I remember this gourmet pizza place in Salado that would make the acid reflux flair up big time. I would kneel over in pain. Of course, like everyone else, I loved my cheese and didn't want to give it up. When I went vegan, the acid reflux went away entirely. I haven't had any issues in a decade. That is one reason why I do not get overly excited about the new vegan cheeses on the market. Here are the two Bittman columns:

• Got Milk? You Don’t Need It
• More on Milk