> I do not eat grains, sugars or processed foods at all.  The nonpaleo
> foods I eat are raw milk butter sometimes, cheese sometimes, a daily 
> cup of coffee.
> 
> I think the beginning of my bunions has more to do with my age.  I ate
> a SAD for 43 years - that is a lot of cumulative damage.

Yes, that's true of course. It could be that the dietary changes were too
late to stop the progression of the bunions. Still, I can't rule out
possible continued exacerbation from dairy consumption (because dairy
consumption is connected to bunions--see below), depending on how much you
consumed. Coffee doesn't seem like it would be a high risk food for bunions
(unless it contained cream or milk and was consumed regularly, I suppose).

Since dairy is not considered Paleo and is instead considered one of the
worst offenders by the scientists who developed the Paleolithic theory of
nutrition, including significant amounts of dairy products probably would
make a diet closer to a traditional pastoral diet than a Paleo diet. So if
your consumption of dairy products is significant, for clarity we could say
that your bunions became noticeable after starting a traditional pastoral
diet, rather than a Paleo diet. But it sounds like your dairy consumption is
occasional, which would make your diet essentially Paleo and dairy less of a
possible culprit in your bunions.

You are of course free to eat whatever you choose, but there does appear to
be a connection between bunions and dairy products (and some people are more
sensitive to negative health effects from dairy products than others): 

Cow's have fibroblast growth factor 2 in their mammary tissue. (Plath A. et
al, Expression and localization of members of the fibroblast growth factor
family in the bovine mammary gland,
http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=1610913)

Not surprisingly, cow's milk contains fibroblast growth factors. (Dairy
Proteins: a reservoir of bioactive molecules,
http://www.advitech.com/en/technologies.php)

Fibroblast growth factor 2 ("a common mediator of inflammatory processes")
stimulates the cells in the soft tissues of the bursa sac in a hallux valgus
bunion that overlies the affected big-toe joint to proliferate and change
into bone, forming an osseous (bony) deformity that bulges out to the side
of the joint. (D Robinson et al, Mesenchymal cells and growth factors in
bunions. Foot Ankle Int (1999) 20: 727-32.
http://www.growth-factors.net/showabstract.php?pmid=10582849) 

Fibroblast growth factors have been connected to other health problems:

> Fibroblast growth factor is a causative or aggravating factor in 
> rheumatoid arthritis. (What causes rheumatoid arthritis? 
> http://bone-muscle.health-cares.net/rheumatoid-arthritis-causes.php)

> Fibroblast growth factor 2 was found to promote prostate cancer tumor 
> progression in a laboratory experiment (Proteomics, Fibroblast growth
factor-2 promotes tumor progression in a prostate cancer model. Health &
Medicine Week, November 17th, 2003,
http://www.newsrx.com/newsletters/Health-and-Medicine-Week/2003-11-17/111720
033338205W.html)

> Fibroblast growth factor 8 has been found in breast cancer tissues. 
> (Zammit C. et al, Fibroblast growth factor 8 is expressed at higher 
> levels in lactating human breast and in breast cancer, 
> http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=13835961)

The evidence against dairy is really building up. There are a lot more
problems with it than just lactose (such as casein, whey, betacellulin,
epidermal growth factor, platelet-derived growth factor, insulin-like growth
factors, fibroblast growth factors, transforming growth factors, etc.). From
what I've read, dairy seems to be one of the biggest sources of problems
after gluten and refined grains. Probably in part because dairy is a staple
food in the U.S. and Europe.

> I do not think I have a serious case of bunions.  I do have knots at
> both large toe joints.  No toe overlap or pushing in.  As long as I 
> wear supportive shoes and avoid high heels I feel fine.  I can stand 
> and work on my feet all day long without any problem.

That's good to hear, Paula. I hope it doesn't progress any more. Good luck
with it.