Diary of a Nutritionist

PART TWO of the MILK SERIES

Why milk and dairy products should be avoided and eliminated from the diet.

Look at yourself in the mirror.  I am hoping that what you see is a lovely human being, full of life and ready to take on 2010.  Maybe today is your day, or maybe you are having a bad hair day… Whatever your temporary mood or predicament, there is one thing that I can promise you in doing this little exercise:  you are most definitely not a cow.

Brilliant observation, right?  Of course not!  But if this simple fact is so blatantly apparent, why then do we drink milk that comes from a cow?

The milk we find so readily available at the market, is created by a mother cow for the sole purpose of feeding its own offspring. This milk is formulated to help the calf grow into a 1,000-2,000 pound adult cow.  The saying, “Milk builds strong bones” is true in the respect that, at birth, milk is the main (and only) source of nutrition their body receives.

“Cow’s milk is intended to double the weight of the calf in 6 to 8 weeks, whereas a child requires 6 to 7 months to double its weight.” –Dr. N.W. Walker (Last time I checked, it is not our goal to double our weight in a matter of weeks…)

Mothers (cows and other animals, included) produce milk naturally to nourish their offspring.  Once they reach a certain age, babies are weaned from their mother’s milk.  Have you ever watched Animal Planet?  This fact is true of all mammals that are allowed to follow Mother Nature’s intended course—lions, tigers and bears! Oh my! My point being, whether you are a human, cow or lion cub, there comes a time when relying on milk is no longer a necessity.  Milk is intended to build the skeletal structure of the offspring while the rest of the anatomy is being sufficiently developed. The offspring no longer needs its mother’s milk when its body is developed enough to absorb and assimilate the foods that nature intended (so if your a cow, grass).

We are, in fact, the only members of the animal kingdom that continue to use milk as a source of further nourishment, past infancy.

We are also the only mammals that drink the milk from another species.

A mother’s milk is specifically designed to nourish it’s own offspring.  In the previous article, we discussed casein.  Casein is a protein found in milk that is extremely difficult to digest.  A cow’s milk contains 300% more casein than a human mother’s milk, making it unfit for human consumption.

Think about it…

If adult cows no longer drink milk… why do we??

Cows Milk is created for cows.

But don’t panic yet…

There are plenty of milk alternatives…

Almond Milk (nut and seed milks) is a creamy and delicious beverage, it tastes fantastic in coffee, cereal, and many recipes…

So Delicious Coconut Milk, is a bit more processed than I like, but it is absolutely a step in the right direction!

Ice Cream: There are a few Coconut Ice Creams and yogurts too!  

Goat Milk beverages and products are also easier to digest because they lack the slow-digesting protein, casein…

Ice Cream: Laloo’s makes a delicious Goat’s Milk Ice Cream, in an assortment of flavors

Cheese: Raw Goat Milk Cheddar is incredible… don’t knock it until you try it! If you cannot find a raw goat cheese from a trusted source, pasteurized goat cheese is a better alternative too.  I personally like Alta Dena and Shiloh Farms.  

Cooking with a little organic butter will not hurt you but if you are a big dairy person, I suggest take the milk challenge and try a week without cow milk products (except butter)… I would be surprised if you did not notice an immediate difference.

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