Got Milk? No Thanks!

by Christina Vittas, Sexy Soul Guest Blogger

Most people never think about what they are actually eating and drinking, and this is certainly true of milk. Cow’s milk is the lactation fluid of a cow, meaning that a pregnant cow produces breast milk to feed to her baby so that it can grow, but instead of the little calf drinking the milk, humans do.

We artificially impregnate cows and then take their milk and consume it.  Not only is the whole practice very cruel, but it is incredibly unnatural. (It is made even more so by the fact that many farmers shoot up these cows with hormones and steroids and antibiotics–all of which you then consume when you drink their milk.)

Humans are the only other animal in the world that drink the milk of an entirely different animal. Moreover, humans are the only other animal in the world that drink milk past the time that they are infants.

The dairy industry has spent billions of dollars advertising, lobbying, and paying for political campaigns in a (successful) effort to make us believe that the consumption of dairy is a requisite for a healthy diet. It isn’t. The problems with dairy are aplenty, and they stem from the fact that dairy is very difficult for the body to digest.

This makes sense: Our GI tract is not designed to break down the milk of another animal, and certainly not when we are adults and no longer supposed to be consuming even our own mothers’ milk. Years and years of studies have shown that milk and cheese contribute to digestive problems, heart disease, and skin inflammation, among other things. Dairy is extremely mucus-forming, and contributes greatly to allergies and congestion.

Studies examining the link between dairy consumption and cancer revealed that breast cancer was almost nonexistent in countries where dairy was not consumed.  Why don’t you hear about these studies? Because the mammoth that is the dairy industry is so effective at promoting what it wants the public to hear.

Something we all associate with milk is calcium and having strong bones. While it is true that dairy contains calcium, it does NOT promote strong bones. This is just brilliant marketing on the part of the dairy industry. Countries that consume the least amount of dairy have the lowest rates of osteoporosis. Our bodies cannot really assimilate the calcium in milk and other dairy products; in fact, they leach calcium out of your bones. Your best sources of calcium are green leafy vegetables, broccoli, tofu, sea vegetables, and legumes. Your body will easily absorb the calcium (and all the other wonderful and plentiful nutrients) in these vegetables.

If you remove dairy from your diet, you will almost immediately notice benefits, namely less congestion, better digestion, fewer allergies, and better skin. Your body will thank you, and so will the environment (and the cows!). I completely understand that it can seem overwhelming to part with dairy, especially given that it is a staple in many people’s diets; if this is the case, you can try cutting back on your consumption each week until you reach your goal. Know that as you change the way you eat, your taste buds adapt.

If you are eating dairy, it is very important that it be organic because at least then you’re avoiding the hormones, steroids, and antibiotics, but don’t be fooled into thinking that organic dairy is good for you. It’s just less horrible.

Below are some alternatives to the traditional cow’s milk and cheese and yogurt. Experiment!

Alternatives to cow’s milk: almond milk, coconut milk, rice milk, hemp milk, all other kinds of nut milk, soy milk

Alternatives to cheese: nut cheeses, soy cheeses, nutritional yeast (this is not the same thing as baker’s yeast), goat cheese (Goat cheese is easier to digest. Ideally you would eat only vegan cheeses, but for those who really feel they can’t give up cheese, goat cheese is a much better choice. As for vegan cheese, I really love the brand Daiya.)

Alternatives to yogurt: coconut yogurt, almond milk yogurt, soy yogurt

Alternatives to dairy ice cream: coconut milk ice cream, almond milk ice cream, soy ice cream

Christina (http://healthycosmos.com/) runs a holistic nutrition and health coaching practice and studies at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition  (http://www.integrativenutrition.com/). Christina graduated summa cum laude from New York University (NYU) and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa in 2011. She is also a graduate of the Ann Wigmore Natural Health Institute. She believes in supporting the body’s natural ability to heal itself, and has spent a great deal of time traveling the world, throughout more than 40 countries, in order to learn about the different natural modalities used to heal in various cultures.