Why Milk does Not do a Body Good

Milk- it does a body good? While these claims might sound good on a commercial, this post will identify how dairy milk might actually be hurting your health.

Before we get started, I need to clear the air. I am a born and raised cheesehead from Wisconsin. As such, dairy milk was a regular in our household. Other than eggs, it was one of the staples that we *always* had.

And, when I say I’m a cheesehead, I mean I would rather eat a block of cheese than just about any other snack. In fact, this past year of reducing dairy has seen me struggling for snacks that aren’t cheese.

Yet, I have gone through a very personal path to embracing a dairy-free lifestyle this past year, and I wanted to share what I learned.

Let’s start with the research (in honor of National Nutrition Month).

Is milk actually healthy?

From dairy being a standard in every school lunch to being promoted as THE post-workout recovery drink of choice, it is hard to NOT imagine milk as healthy.

Medical News Today lists some of the key nutritional benefits of milk as:

• Great source of Vitamin D, calcium and potassium
• Strengthens our bones, brains and heart
• Fantastic source of protein

Milk has been heavily promoted to protect against osteoporosis, preservation of bone mineral density, assist with weight loss, and possibly even reduce symptoms of depression.

With all of these nutritional benefits, why NOT drink milk?

Unfortunately, Huffington Post outlined some bad reactions to milk (which you may have heard or experienced yourself):

• Can cause acne or eczema
• Could irritate your tummy with gas, bloating, or cramps (especially if you’re not white)
• Doesn’t protect against fractures (this is a complicated on-going debate about how much calcium is enough)

Realistically, this information is interesting. Yet, if you LOVE milk (like I do), why should you bother to change?

The truth is: Whether a food is healthy or not does not matter. What DOES matter is whether it’s healthy FOR YOU.

[bctt tweet=”Find out how a WI cheesehead quit #dairy, and which milk is best for YOU! #plantbased #weightloss” username=”@jegoswam”]

Why I quit my dairy addiction

I never really realized how big a role dairy played in my life until I started looking for it. Naturally, I knew that a glass of milk was not ok, but I had NO idea how many of my usual eating habits revolved around foods that included some form of dairy.

I had stumbled across passionate pleas about the evils of dairy from various vegan groups in my life, loved books like VB6 from best-selling author Mark Bittman, and even invited a local vegan blogger to write about her favorite restaurants, yet was not moved to change until this past year.

The reason why I changed had nothing to do with gut issues, and everything to do with respiratory issues.

There is a myth that dairy increases mucus and phlegm. Apparently, this is not entirely true.

Per this response on WebMD, dairy does NOT increase mucus, but may increase the thickness of mucus.

That was the reason I decided to avoid dairy (or at least milk).

You see, I have had some challenges with pneumonia, respiratory cough, and mucus for over a year now. And, being the diligent health coach I am, I sought out the experts.

I was tested for allergies and asthma (and told I may have pneumonia-induced asthma).

I saw a naturopath for supplements that could help with my symptoms (and assisting the bodily systems that are affected).

And, I changed my diet.

I firmly believe that the root of most of our problems can be addressed through diet. You may know this as “functional medicine”. Taking a pill or supplement is not helpful if you are continuously eating or drinking some item that aggravates your symptoms.

Therefore, I started with the basics.

I went gluten-free for a time, but gluten did not seem to impact my morning cough.

I identified some issues with nuts.

I went grain-free (low acid) for 6 weeks (the typical period for an elimination diet). This was a very challenging time in my life (you can watch my video observations here).

And, I continuously worked on reducing dairy.

Why not just cold turkey?

Yes, an elimination diet would have me go completely cold turkey, at least for several weeks. Yet, this approach has never worked for me.

Has it ever worked for you?

Not drinking a glass of milk or hot chocolate was easy. It was avoiding any sort of food that has dairy that was more challenging.

• My favorite snack is cottage cheese with nuts or Babybel.
• My preferred dinner involves some form of shredded cheese.
• Even some of my favorite desserts include milk (though I was less concerned about cooked milk).

I have never been interested in removing any foods entirely from my life, not when I was on my 100-pound weight loss journey, not when I was pregnant and nursing, and not now.

Finding the right substitutes

Knowing that complete elimination is a mental challenge for me, and also having open curiosity about different ways of eating, as well as supporting my clients’ different dietary concerns helped me find appropriate dairy substitutes for me.

Non-dairy milks:

Coconut– I did not care for coconut milk creamer in my coffee or coconut milk in my cereal. The texture is too thin, and the protein content too low. Plus, it left an unappealing froth on my coffee. However, I love baking and creating stir-fries with full fat canned coconut milk.

Almond/Cashew or Combo- I do not care for the taste of almond milk, which is rather bland. Cashew milk was pleasantly creamy. However, I have been limiting my nut consumption, as my grain-free exploration identified a reaction to nuts. I also loved baking with both (as well as cashew butter).

Rice/Hemp– I did not try either of these options, as both are extremely thin and lacking in any flavor. Even though my top milk needs involve a liquid vehicle for my cereal, neither of these made it to my shopping list.

Flax– this is my favorite option! The unsweetened version is perfectly creamy and surprisingly not heavy in plant smells. It is a great addition to my cereal bowl, and even my daughters liked it! Even better, there is a version which is pumped up with protein (which I incorporate as part of my weight maintenance). It is entirely plant-based, nut-free, and soy-free.

Here is an infographic, courtesy of Health News, that you can pin for easy reference (click image to pin).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whether you are approaching a dairy-free lifestyle for allergy, weight loss or other reasons, make sure the approach and process you take suits YOU.

If you need help with setting the right food and fitness goals, consider joining my 6 week group coaching program, Let it Go.

In this amazing 6 weeks, we drop elimination diets, crazy exercise schedules you can’t keep, and puts the focus where it belongs. On YOU.

When you join for only $297, you get:

• Weekly recorded training callas
• Weekly meal plans with a different dietary focus each week
• Weekly gym-free fitness tips (for any ability level)
• My personal commitment to your success

Previous clients lost up to 10 pounds (and gained so much more!)

The group will be limited to 10 people, and we start March 12. Click the button to get started below!