*I was going to post this as a comment to a friend's blog but it got too long. The gist of it was that her daughter won't drink milk. So here you go, Kel :) *
So, I read a book called The China Study, and it talks a LOT about how the protein in milk, casein (and lots of animal products) is implicated by the way of lots of scientific studies in childhood diabetes, autoimmune disease, cancer, high blood pressure, lots of stuff. I don't want to start a riot or anything, so anyone who's curious is going to have to check out the book, but I would like to have some conversation about it if anyone has read it, is vegetarian, or vegan...I'm always interested as to why people make the switch.
Because there are lots of compelling scientific studies and reports...like how the highest milk consuming societies also have the highest instance of osteoperosis and hip fractures...I have since tossed our milk (to the dismay of my hubs, who woke to make cereal and had no milk...oops) and have started playing with milk alternatives like almond and hemp...I just bought the hemp chocolate milk and it's super delicious and has lots of good Omega-3 and Omega-6.
The question that plagues me is what I'll do when I have children. I've never really understood the concept of drinking another animal's milk. In nature, no other animal does it, and in lots of Eastern cuisine, no milk is used. You don't order Pho with cheese, right?
So then what about the calcium bonanza we are inundated with? The whole Got Milk? campaign and such? What about calcium and bone strength? Where the heck am I going to get it? Well, as mentioned above, studies I've read point to milk & milk products being a detriment in bone health (I know, it sounds sooo weird) and that human bodies tend to react negatively to it. I know I was allergic when I was a kid, so what's to say that even though I'm not outwardly intolerant like, I don't break out in hives, that my intestines aren't hating me? Part of me thinks about Fast Food Nation and my experiences with my mom battling tobacco companies, because I tend to not trust the dairy council when they're putting so much money into marketing. Of course they're going to say that milk is good for you. Just like the orange growers saying there's sooooo much vitamin C in orange juice. Well, there is, but you don't hear as much about how much more vitamin C is in bell peppers.
Good news though! You get a lot of calcium in leafy green veggies - I googled "calcium in vegetables" and found this site, and look at all the delicious veggies! Broccoli! Kale! OKRA!
Like I said, I'm just going off of what I've read in a couple books and studies, and I'm still trying to figure it out, and I don't want to be some crazy activist, especially if I don't have the information to back it up. Any thoughts out there?
6 comments:
Interesting. I've never really liked milk...will really only "drink" it in cereal. i'll have to check out that book.
check out chef Domenica Catelli (http://www.bemomalicious.com/) for some healthy recipies and tips. She's not so much veggie or vegan, but she is all organic and I bet you could find some vegan substitutes for some of the ingredients. Also, my friend Erin has taken a vegan cooking class and I'd be happy to get some cook books for you.
And then I'll eat some meat. :-)
Definitely going to check out that book. It is so hard as a mom to find the best choices for your kids. It is a struggle every day!!
Suz, you should check out the China Study as well - lots of information on how changing your diet can influence your diabetes, whether it's Type 1 or Type 2.
1. We're bigger, stronger and faster than those milk-free Asian cultures.
2. Chocolate hemp milk only tastes good because it is full of CHOCOLATE and sugar. Plain hemp milk tastes like corn starch and water.
3. A tip for Kelli, kids like candy.
are you still cranky about the no-milk-for-my-cereal incident? i thought the dry cereal bowl of guilt was the end of it :op
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