Eleven Reasons to Stop Eating Dairy

By Michelle Schoffro Cook
Care2

Milk and dairy products are not the health foods we’ve been told they are. Here are 11 reasons to stop consuming them:

1. Cow’s milk is intended for baby cows. We’re the only species (other than those we are domesticating) that drinks milk after infancy. And, we’re definitely the only ones drinking the milk of a different species.

2. Hormones. Not only are the naturally-present hormones in cow’s milk stronger than human hormones, the animals are routinely given steroids and other hormones to plump them up and increase milk production. These hormones can negatively impact humans’ delicate hormonal balance.

3. Most cows are fed inappropriate food. Commercial feed for cows contains all sorts of ingredients that include: genetically-modified (GM) corn, GM soy, animal products, chicken manure, cottonseed, pesticides, and antibiotics.

4. Dairy products, when metabolized, are acid-forming. Our bodies are constantly striving for biochemical balance to keep our blood at 7.365 pH. Eating excessive acid-forming products can cause our bodies to overuse some of its acid-balancing mechanisms, one of which is the bones. Alkaline calcium is stored in the bones and released to combat excessive acidity in the body. Over time, bones can become fragile.

5. Research shows that the countries whose citizens consume the most dairy products have the HIGHEST incidence of osteoporosis.

6. Most dairy cows live in confined, inhumane conditions, never seeing the pastures of green grass they were intended to eat.

7. Most dairy products are pasteurized to kill potentially-harmful bacteria. During the pasteurization process, vitamins, proteins, and enzymes are destroyed. Enzymes assist with the digestion process. When they are destroyed through pasteurization, milk becomes harder to digest, therefore putting a strain on our bodies’ enzyme systems.

8. Dairy products are mucous-forming. They can contribute to respiratory disorders. When I remove dairy and sugar from the diets of my clients, they stop experiencing hay fever and seasonal allergies.

9. Research links dairy products with arthritis. In one study on rabbits, scientist Richard Panush was able to PRODUCE inflamed joints in the animals by switching their water to milk. In another study, scientists observed more than a 50% reduction in the pain and swelling of arthritis when participants eliminated milk and dairy products from their diet.

10 Most milk is homogenized, which denatures the milk’s proteins, making it harder to digest. Many peoples’ bodies react to these proteins as though they are “foreign invaders” causing their immune systems to overreact. Research also links homogenized milk to heart disease.

11. Pesticides in cow feed find their way into milk and dairy products that we consume.

Check out my Dairy-Free Soft Cheese recipe for a delicious alternative to dairy cheese.

Dairy-Free Soft Cheese
This cheese is so delicious no one will know it’s a healthy, dairy-free option. This recipe offers all the benefits of yogurt and helps to balance your bowel flora. While it requires time for fermentation, it only takes about 5 to 10 minutes of preparation time.

Ingredients
2 cups of raw, unsalted cashews, soaked overnight or about 10 to 12 hours
1 teaspoon probiotics powder or 2 capsules of probiotics opened (available in most health food stores and is sometimes called L. acidophilus or flora) and dissolved in 1 cup of pure water
1 teaspoon of Celtic sea salt or Himalayan crystal salt (or more to taste if desired)
1 to 2 teaspoons of onion powder
1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg

In a blender or food processor, blend the soaked cashews with the probiotic powder and water mixture. Place in a glass bowl, covered with a clean cloth and let rest for 10 to 14 hours to ferment. Then stir in the salt, onion powder, and nutmeg until well mixed. Form the cheese into a ball or press in a spring form pan and serve with crackers, pita bread, or vegetable crudite.

Options
You can add a teaspoon or two of herbs like herbes du Provence to flavor the cheese once it has fermented or to coat the outside of a cheeseball.
You can serve the cheese coated with ground or chopped nuts like hazelnuts.
You can serve drizzled with a balsamic vinegar reduction.