People have asked my advice about how they should eat when
they have a certain health challenge--diabetes,
diverticulitis, fibromyalgia, arthritis and Crohn's disease
to name a few.
One question that never fails to amaze me is when people
ask what to do if you're lactose intolerant and can't drink
milk.
So let me clarify a critically important point: EVERYONE
is lactose intolerant to some degree. It just causes more
severe symptoms in some people than others.
I say that because the enzymes necessary to digest cow's
milk (renin and lactase) are basically non-existent in most
humans over the age of three.
That means that we should not drink it. Never. Not if
you want to be as healthy as possible.
Cow's milk was designed for one animal only: Baby cows.
We're not meant to drink cow's milk -- because we're
humans.
Humans are the only species on the planet that drinks the
milk of another animal. You never see a cat nursing off a
dog or a giraffe nursing off a horse.
But you see humans nursing off cows all the time. I
realize the "dirty work" is done for us and we don't have
to nuzzle up to a cow's udder, but when we pour ourselves a
cold glass of milk from the carton in the refrigerator,
that's essentially what we're doing.
Cow's milk is designed to take an animal that weighs
between 80-100 pounds at birth to about a 550-pound weaned
calf within 6-10 months. I don't know anyone who wants to
get that big, but I've seen some who are dangerously close.
Cow's milk has 300 times more casein than human milk.
Casein is a thick, gooey substance that helps form huge cow
bones. It also is the base for one of the strongest wood
glues in existence.
Inside a human, however, casein wreaks havoc. It's nearly
impossible to digest and creates a tremendous amount of
acid in the stomach. Interesting to note that milk used to
be recommended for people with ulcers. It isn't any more.
Because it contributes to them.
Casein passes out of the stomach and hardens along the
walls of the intestines, which prevents the proper
absorption of nutrients. (Milk as a "good for you" calcium
food? Fact is, the calcium in the milk can't even be
absorbed. That is why Americans (the biggest drinkers of
milk in the world) also have the highest incidence of
arthritis. Interesting, huh?
The by-products of milk digestion leave a lot of mucous in
the body. Notice yourself clearing your throat after
eating ice cream? Or do you have a child that's stuffed up
or has ear infections all the time? Get them off of cow's
milk and I guarantee you'll see a huge difference.
Now I realize many people love dairy products and it may
be next to impossible to remove ALL dairy from your diet.
(I myself eat cheese once in a while and enjoy it.)
There are some delicious milk alternatives--rice milk, soy
milk and almond milk, to name a few--and they come in
various flavors (plain, vanilla, chocolate). Many of the
soy cheeses taste just like cow's milk cheese. Crumbled
tofu can be used instead of ricotta cheese.
People concerned about calcium will get all they need from
broccoli, leafy greens, nuts, oats, prunes, seafood, tofu,
asparagus, sesame seeds and cabbage.
If you choose to continue to eat milk products, the
important thing is to strive to minimize the amount of them
you eat, and eat them in connection with the right other
foods to counteract their harm to the body.
PS: My radio show will be premiering next month, and I'll
be looking for customers who have told us about their
success with Great Taste No Pain to interview on my show.
So keep the success stories coming in and you just might
hear from me!
