Got (the right) MILK?
Why do we drink milk?
I think the most popular answer would be CALCIUM! The mineral is well-known for its key role in bone health. Calcium also helps maintain heart rhythm, muscle function, and more. Because of its health benefits, calcium is one of the best-selling supplements in the U.S.
There was a time in our past that dairy milk was considered a super-food and was recommended as part of our daily dietary routine. Currently, Wikipedia describes milk as “a nutrient-rich, white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for infant mammals (including humans who are breastfed) before they are able to digest other types of food. The fact that non-dairy options are not being publicized as “real milk” presents a popular misconception that if it didn’t come from the cow, then it is not milk. Just like everything else we buy for consumption, we try to arm ourselves with knowledge so that we can make an informed decision. The pros should always outpace the cons and when it comes to food, that is especially important. Why consume something for a singular benefit only to be faced by a litany of problems down the road?!
Food can be our best friend or it can be our greatest enemy. Having the right knowledge of what you consume will help you make an informed decision the next time you are in the grocery store. When you get to the dairy section, ask yourself...do you have equal knowledge of the choices presented to you? When you say milk, the thought leans towards that which comes from cows (in most cases). Now, let’s look at its inherent risks. Perhaps one of the most well-known effects of cow’s milk in humans caused by its primary protein, casein, is its promotion of cancer. The T Colin Campbell Centre for Nutrition studies has deemed casein (cows’ milk protein) to be a carcinogen(a substance capable of causing cancer in living tissue.). Using standard FDA methodology for environmental toxins, different levels of casein were recorded along with levels of illness.
Quoting Campbell, “In our experiments over 25+ years, and published extensively, we showed that casein increased experimental cancer at levels within the range of human experience — with no need to estimate low-level response in humans, from a high-level response in rats — and we know also know how it works! This suggested casein (and likely most other animal proteins) is a far more relevant carcinogen than any pesticide, herbicide, food additive or other noxious chemicals ever tested.
https://www.canceractive.com/article/casein-or-milk-protein-measured-as-a-carcinogen
“Our genes are a predisposition, but our genes are not usually our fate. We also found that changing lifestyle actually changes your genes—these lifestyle changes turn off (down-regulate) hundreds of oncogenes that promote prostate cancer, breast cancer and colon cancer in only three months. In a recent study of men and women at high genetic risk of heart disease, a favourable lifestyle was associated with nearly 50% lower relative risk of coronary artery disease than was an unfavourable lifestyle. Good lifestyle overcomes bad genes.”
Now let’s just say that milk doesn’t promote cancer, make your allergies worse, make you constipated, give you acne or just upset your stomach because you can’t digest it, let’s look at the fat you are ingesting. Better yet, let’s do a comparison with plant-based kinds of milk.
AMOUNT PER CUP
As you can see here, dairy milk tops the rest of the field with fat,cholesterol and calories. Now we all know the ramifications of repeated consumption of foods high in fat.
Making an informed decision about your nutrition is the best thing that you can ever do for yourself. There’s nothing that affects the human body more than the food that goes into it. Now in the coming weeks, I will release a blog mostly of testimonials from people who were severely ill and had to endure years of pain and anguish. As soon as they changed their mindset about food, their lives changed drastically for the better.
Plant-based milks are great because you can use them in so many ways. If you are trying to put on or maintain weight then soy might be the option you go with. Oat-milk is a great thickener and I use it all the time when I’m making lentil curries or when I just want a nice thick hot chocolate. It is also my go to for recovery smoothies with my favourite protein, ZEN FUZE.
As you can see from the chart above, if you are trying to lose weight then your best bet is almond milk. There are those who want to put on weight; e.g increase muscle mass or bring their BMI to a healthy level if it is below the recommended threshold. In this case you are going for oat or soy milk. I personally keep almond and oat milks in the fridge at all times. So the next time you are shopping for milk, think about the after effects and you health goals. The severity of my seasonal allergies has drastically decreased since I eliminated dairy products from diet and lifestyle. The mucus build-up in my throat (exacerbated by cycling) that I would have clear regularly is gone. I am a better athlete now.
“First, it is important to recognise that the relationship between food and pleasure has been complicated by the environment in which most of us live, with its overabundance of highly processed food and the majority of people around you condoning their consumption as normal. Second, it helps to remember that any kind of change is a process that takes time. Understanding the dynamics of this process, and the stages through which you will pass can give you the patience and motivation to stick with it for long enough to reap the rewards.”
