Do you need MILK to be healthy?

I get asked a lot, “is it normal to dislike the taste of milk? Is it normal to have a reaction to anything with milk in it?” The answer may surprise you… YES! Yup, it is true. Here are some facts we don’t really think about…

1. Humans are the only species that continue to drink “milk” once weaned.
We do NOT need milk products to get our daily requirements of calcium and vitamin D.
It is ABNORMAL to be able to eat and drink milk products.
Babies classified as “colicky” may be lactose intolerant.
Most all people that are born lactose intolerant – are lactose tolerant during their formative growing stages (10 – 23) and then revert back to lactose intolerance.
Many cases of IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) are actually Lactose Intolerance.
Most cases of Lactose Intolerance can be attributed to milk pasteurization.

I am lactose intolerant – and didn’t know it until I had my second daughter. All during my pregnancy I had issues – and for a while I thought I was dying my discomfort and pain were so great. I didn’t know until my daughter was born (she is also lactose intolerant) and I was searching for answers to her colic that I found we were both lactose intolerant. Lactose Intolerance wasn’t formally designated / recognized until mid to late 1960s – up until then babies were just said to be colicky. My mom retells the stories of me crying constantly – and as a child I HATED milk… it has always tasted sour to me and is gross.

How do I know if I am lactose intolerant? There are many symptoms – upset stomach, heart burn, belching, stinky gas, stomach cramps, and diarrhea. And they appear in that order depending on how intolerant you are and how much you have consumed. The easy way to quickly determine your tolerance is to drink an 8 oz glass of milk. If you are lactose intolerant, you will know within 20 minutes. It will also give you a pretty good idea of HOW intolerant you are. The faster you go through that list of symptoms – and how long they last – will tell you very quickly how intolerant your body is.

If you are 100%, you are not even able to eat things with whey or powdered milk in them. For a while I was 100% intolerant – I couldn’t even eat pre-packaged tortillas because they had whey in them. For me soft processed cheeses (Velveeta), milk and ice cream were the worst.

So, what IS lactose intolerance? As a creature grows from breast milk to normal foods, they lose the ability to break down lactase, which is a complex sugar. As a result, that creature becomes lactose intolerant – and the taste of milk and milk products changes – becomes distasteful. Obviously, that is a simplified definition – but one you should easily be able to grasp.

We are told by all the big dairy companies, and doctors that we NEED milk. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Again, we are back to marketing… does milk provide you with calcium and vitamin D? yes. Is it the only way to get those nutrients? no. Mother’s breast milk provides a lot more than those two nutrients – but they are very necessary to an infant due to the rapid growth that they go through in that first year. Once we are weaned – our bodies aren’t growing anywhere near the speed of that first year and don’t need the amount of nutrients found in breast milk.

Foods that replace your need of calcium in milk include sesame seeds, spinach, rhubarb, collard greens, molasses, bok choy, broccoli, swiss chard, kale, brazil nuts, celery, almonds, papaya, flax seeds, and oranges – to name a few.

Foods / other things that replace your need of vitamin D in milk include fish (omega 3), orange juice, soya, mushrooms, spinach, potatoes, eggs and most importantly SUNSHINE!

If you’ve been taught to believe that calcium builds bones and you need to take it as a supplement, you couldn’t be further from the truth. Adding calcium supplements only increases the likelihood of arthritis. Magnesium and D3 are your true bone builders.

Now.. if I may get up on my soap box for a few. You know I am passionate about healthy eating and living. Certain things really disturb me and I can’t help but share the information I have and hope that you become passionate about these things too! The milk industry, like many others, has been corrupted and has become a big business. 100 years ago, there were no HUGE dairy farms where cows are squished into small spaces and fed things that aren’t good for them. Did you know that the taste of your milk directly relates to what the dairy cow has been fed? Did you know that our cattle are pumped with steroids and antibiotics which means it is in the milk you drink? Pasteurization destroys the enzymes in milk that your body needs to break down the lactase in milk.

As I have stated in previous posts, pasteurization is bad. It is the lazy way of managing the environment. Rather than ensure that the environment and the cattle are healthy, they pasteurize the milk. Which also means, a sick animal can be milked, and that infection, puss and other disgusting substances are transferred to the milk you drink. Take a look at the links below for some additional details. It is very disturbing.

More recommended reading: https://www.goldenruledairy.com/new-page-2

Check out some health food stores for raw milk, or better yet, find a small local dairy and get it from there. Don’t forget your cheeses and butter! Again, much better from a local source.

And if you are lactose intolerant like me, you may prefer nut / seed milks. They all have different flavors. Just ensure you aren’t purchasing any with added ingredients – preservatives, oils and the like. My favorites are coconut, oat and hemp.

Blessings – E

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Do you need MILK to be healthy?

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