Cows, like all mammals, are much the same. Their bodies produce milk only when they give birth and contrary to popular belief, they do not need to be milked - ever! Their udders, like women's breasts, exist even when there is no milk in them. BUT there is one difference. Cows milk is meant to grow a 90-pound calf into a 2,000-pound cow over the course of two years. Sounds even more fattening than human milk - it is, and it should be. Cows are bigger than us, and their inner bodies are completely different than ours which they should be.. they are cows... we are humans. Duh.
Mammals need the enzyme lactase to digest lactose (the sugar found in dairy). However, between the ages of 18 months an 4 years, we lose 90 - 95% of this enzyme. The undigested lactose and the acidic nature of pasteurized milk encourage growth of bacteria in our intestines. All of this contributes to a greater risk of cancer because cancer cells thrive in acidic conditions.
Got mucus? Dairy products produce mucus, and often, the body will develop a cold or "allergies" to fight the dairy invasion.
Mother Nature is no fool. All species, including ours, have just what we need to get by. She did not intend for grownups to suck their mothers' breasts. We don't need our mothers milk as adults, just like grown cows don't need their mothers milk anymore. We are the only species on the planet that drinks milk as adults. We are the only species on the planet that drinks the milk of another species. We could be putting gorilla milk on our cereal, or having zebra milk and cookies... why cows milk? Using the animal that produces the largest quantity of milk but is more easily housed than an elephant means more money for farmers. It has NOTHING to do with health or nutrition. It all comes back to money.
Researchers at Harvard, Yale, Penn State and the National Institutes of Health have studied the effects dairy intake has on bones. Not one of these studies found dairy to be a deterrent to osteoporosis. On the contrary, a study funded by the National Diary Council itself revealed that the high protein content of diary actually leeches calcium from the body. Dairy has been linked to other problems too, including acne, anemia, anxiety, arthritis, attention deficit disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, fibromyalgia, headaches, heartburn, indigestion, irritable bowel syndrome, joint pain, poor immune function, allergies, ear infections, colic, obesity, heart disease, diabetes, autism, Crohn's disease, breast and prostate cancer, and ovarian cancer.
Let's pretend for a moment that cows' milk is healthy for the human body. Even if it were, by the time factory farms were done with it, it wouldn't be. Remember.... for factory farms, higher production means bigger profits. When you consume dairy products, you are ingesting the same antibiotics, pesticides, steroids, and hormones you would if you ate meat directly. Cows are injected with bovine growth hormone. Their udders, under normal conditions, would supply about ten pounds of milk a day. Greedy farmers have their cows producing up to a hundred pounds of milk a day! There is no gentle farmer milking cows with a bucket between his feet. Cows are milked by machine; metal clamps are attached to the cows sensitive udders. The udders become sore and infected. Pus forms. But the machines keep on milking, sucking the dead white blood cells into the milk. How freaking gross is that?
We do not need dairy in our lives, and would be better off without it. Luckily as the demand for healthy, yummy, animal-free, dairy-free products grows, more companies will supply them. And you will be amazed at how much weight you actually lose while not eating dairy products.
Products that I can recommend for calcium:
Rainbow Light: Calcium Just Once
- Convenient one-per-day
- Food-Based, Bioavailable
- Gentle on the stomach
- Contains no sugar, lactose/dairy, wheat, gluten or yeast
Price: $13.00
Rainbow Light: Everyday Calcium
- Food-Based formula
- Enzymes & Botanicals
- 1,200 mg Calcium & Magnesium
- 1,000 IU Vitamin D
- Contains no sugar, lactose/dairy, wheat, gluten, or yeast
Price: $20.00
Rainbow Light Certified Organics: PhytoKinetic Calcium
- Made with Organic Marine Algae
- Bone Strength, Energy, Perfomance
- Free of Gluten, Yeast, Milk, Eggs, Soy, Nuts and Fish/Shellfish
Price: $40.00
As always, mention this Blog and receive an additional 10% discount.
***Some information obtained from Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin
