Got Milk?

Well, if you are like most Americans, you probably do have milk somewhere inside your refrigerator.
Either in the form of milk or cheese, yogurt, sour cream, whipped cream or some other milk based products. The truth is that for most of us, milk is a part of our daily diets without even realizing it!

Think about this for a second. Do you know of any other mammal in the planet that drinks milk in their adulthood?

If you couldn't come up with another mammal besides "HUMAN", you are absolutely right, because there is no other mammal in this planet that drinks milk in their adulthood, only Humans!

An interesting fact here is that ALL animal products turn ACIDIC once ingested! And just like all animal products, milk also becomes ACIDIC once inside our bodies!

When the pH levels in our body change and become either too acidic or alkaline, our body finds the best possible ways to regulate the pH levels in our bodies, in the case of milk or dairy consumption, the calcium known to be found in milk is indigestible to humans, (due to the fact that often times it comes from a cow and is not designed for human consumption, but rather a calf.)  This of course causes the body to seek the most abundant neutralizing buffer in the body, which happens to be calcium.  Calcium is then taken from our bones to help neutralize this acidic liquid we know as milk.

So we are actually loosing calcium when we drink Milk?
Well, that's ironic!  This whole time I thought milk helped us build strong bones, however milk does more damage than helping! 

(So vegetarians also beware! Milk,Cheese and other dairy products are not safe to have in every single meal!)

We also need to be mindful of what is happening to the makers of milk, COWS.  The Dairy Industry is mainly concerned about profits.  This means cows making milk faster in the cheapest ways possible.  This also means that cows are being injected with growth hormones, being fed food that is cheapest (hard to digest, or sickening for them), being given antibiotics when they get sick and being packed in tight spaces where they stand in their own dung all day, all of these hormones, antibiotics, and sometimes blood from the cows end up in our milk, because the pasteurization process does not eliminate them.  Need I also mention that some of the cows are treated in the most inhumane way.  Feel free to watch the video below, it is very graphic, so please view with discretion.

 With that said, please try to be mindful of the things happening in our world and in our bodies.  We as consumers have the power to change the world, we can choose whether to continue to buy harmful products or buy healthier alternatives.  Only we can change our habits, and educating our selves is a good start!

Remember if you must buy milk or dairy products, shop ORGANIC! it is a little more expensive, but remember you are paying for quality.

However, if you are touched by all this dairy madness and want to eliminate dairy products from your life all-together, here are a few foods you should incorporate in your diet, there are of course many many more, but these are good for getting started!  Remember to shop Organic!

Vegetables: dark leafy greens, collard greens, bok choi, spinach, kale, broccoli, soybeans, and garlic.

Fruits: dried fruits (raisins, cranberries, apricots, Medjool dates), and fresh oranges are very good too

Nuts and Seeds: almonds, sesame seeds, chia seeds, and flax seeds are also a good source
Dried herbs are also very good!

You can also drink calcium fortified organic milk alternatives such as soy, almond, coconut or hemp milks. There are also vegan cheese options available in many markets now that carry products like soy cheeses or Daiya cheese, these taste delicious and are all dairy free!

Don't shun these alternatives, they are all very delicious, you just have to give them a chance.  Before you know it, you wont miss dairy at all. Not to mention you will feel and look great! Good Luck on your new life change and thanks for reading!