5 Alternatives to Drinking milk
There are astonishing milk alternatives!
"You don't have to eat dairy to get the benefits you think it has." Nutritious Yogi
Don't cry over spilled, (hormone-laden, pasteurized, allergy-producing) MILK! There are alternatives
Ok, so what’s the deal with dairy products? Should we avoid them or embrace them? Well the short answer is, it depends on you and how well you digest things like milk, yogurt, cheese... ice-cream, etc. In my experience, dairy intolerance is a sliding scale with some clients being severely allergic, to some who do just fine. The best way to find out is to keep a food journal, and record how you feel after eating them. I often take my clients on what’s called a rotation diet after eating clean for a few weeks and discover if they have sensitivities to things like gluten, dairy, soy products, or other foods that can potentially cause inflammation. The bottom line is, if you choose to eat dairy in the 21st century, you must be smart about it (unless you’d like to feast on some delicious growth hormones and a side of cow pus for the road) ;)
To use myself as a personal example, I find certain dairy products, ie, organic yogurt & kefir to be healthy additions to my meal plan and I feel good when I have them. I also enjoy small amounts of cheese here and there in a salad or with a glass of wine before dinner. It’s important to note that even if you tolerate it well, dairy should always be purchased organic.
About 4 times per year, or when I feel my body needs to get clean, (after traveling, or holidays), I head back over to my base line eating plan where I omit certain foods (dairy being one) and it gets me back on track. On a day to day basis though, if you’re positive you don’t have allergies or sensitivities, it should be okay to consume dairy in small amounts.
Here are a few tips to help you ease up:
*Allow yourself no more than one serving of dairy per day. ie- 6oz organic yogurt, kefir, 1 oz cheese, or small ice cream splurge now and then.
Try a few alternatives:
*Goats or raw milk products- Some folks who are sensitive to dairy find goat’s milk to be tolerated fine, since it’s more easily digested. Goat cheese is delicious in a large salad full of fresh veggies, and raw milk has not been pasteurized, so it contains nutrition from a whole food source and hasn’t been tampered with. If you’re interested in raw milk, be sure you’re purchasing from a local, reputable source.
*Almond milk- The main ingredient=almonds which makes it a great Vitamin E source. Almond milk is a lifesaver if you’re vegan since it can be used wherever a recipe calls for milk.
*Hemp milk is made from soaked hemp seeds. This is a great source of omega 3 fats. I love this one in my smoothies!
*Coconut milk- is becoming increasingly popular. Made from yep.. my favorite superfood, le coconut!
*Soymilk- is one of the highest non dairy sources of protein, just be sure to purchase organic and be careful of consuming too much soy, unless it's fermented (and always organic).
*Rice milk- probably my least favorite since it’s often high in sugar, and not much nutrition. If you’re going to purchase, be sure to get unsweetened.
*If you wish to escape the unnecessary ingredients and fillers in the packaged brands, you can MAKE YOUR OWN! I've been experimenting with a delicious almond/coconut combo which gives you benefits of both nuts! Check out the recipe here.
~karen