Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Santa, Beware the Milk!

The Holidays are upon us. This means in the kitchen there is often something cooking and the entire house smells delightful.

However, when you are baking, often times you use milk. The stuff that comes from a cow. You've been drinking milk since you were born. It's human nature. Now if you are lactose intolerant, HOORAY! Avoid these next words until you see the word soy (or keep reading if you wish). However, if you are constantly by the gallon purchasing pasteurized or unpasteurized cow's milk, read carefully. Most mammals drink milk from their mother. In the same way, cow's milk was made for calves. A calve is usually born at about 100 punds and usually gain up to 700 more pounds. The nutrients in the milk are what calves need for their proper growth. Humans are the only species on the planet that drink milk from another animal. Strange? Yes. So how did this start? According to archaeological finds, this can be traced back as far as the Sumerian civilization. That was about 4,000 years ago. Yet, somehow we do not still mummify humans like the Egyptians did. Go figure. Another minus of cow's milk is the lie that people believe of cow's milk making bones strong.. Yes, the LIE! Cow's milk depletes calcium in the bones. (Gasp. Shocking I know.) Here's the proof: The animal proteins in the milk go into the body and raise the pH level in the body and the blood is more acidic. Then, the bones release calcium because of the acidity and the calcium goes away. A study done at Harvard showed that those who drank cow's milk were more likely to fracture bones than those who did not. If the milk is being depleted from your bones then that leads to osteoporosis, pain and costly prescriptions. So you think to switch to SOY milk. Goodness, NO! Soy is bad for your body. This is a recent proves study that the effects of soy on the brain can cause it to not function properly. Soy can also cause imbalanced hormone levels. Don't me a meanie cat! Rice milk has also been suggested as an alternative to milk, but the calcium level is low. So I recommend almond milk. the brand I buy has the 50% daily serving of calcium in 8 ounces. Almonds are good for the brain and packed full of antioxidants which are amazing for the skin. The other plus of almond milk is you can cook with it. You use the same amount called for. You can also make it yourself. However, that can become interestingly difficult. It's a little more expensive but you are saving your bones. it's so worth it. The flavors it comes in are awesome too.

So make the switch and save Santa! Merry Christmas!