Do You Do Dairy?

When my daughter was 14 months old, she had her first milkshake.  It wasn't actually her own, but her fair share of her father's "home-made," double-thick chocolate peanut butter  shake at little soda shop in Cape Cod.  While some of you might be appalled that a nutrition-conscious mom would feed her barely-toddling little one a commercial dairy and white sugar frappe, others ask, "Why'd she wait so long?  Milkshakes are a God-given American right!"  Still others will identify when I say that I felt both ways about my first child's initial exposure to the joys (and potential consequences) of going out for shakes. 

When we enjoy a conventional milkshake we experience the guilty pleasure of instant gratification, a Zen-like rush of creamy flavor and thick, satisfying sweetness.  However, just as with all other junk food, when we slurp on that straw we're putting lots of calories carrying very little nutrition into our bodies.  For me, the occasional dietary digression prevents me from feeling deprived and actually helps motivate my healthy eating.  But we have to be selective about splurging; since you're reading this post, you probably don't use a milkshake as a daily source of calories - why would you since you're privy to multiple, more nutritious options?

Do you use milk (or milk products) as a source of nutrition? What kind? (Don't say chocolate) Why?

We've been taught to expect that cow's milk and its products can deliver us three important nutritional components:  Calcium, vitamin D3, and protein.  These nutrients, along with any antibiotics, hormones, and/or pesticides the cows were exposed to, are present in fresh, raw milk.  The milk we buy in stores has been pasteurized and homogenized.  This processing keeps the calories, but alters the milk so that the very nutrients we need (the reason we're drinking it) become indigestible and unusable in our bodies. Pasteurization also kills all of the good bacteria and enzymes that would help us digest the milk.  Many people who have been diagnosed as lactose intolerant can consume raw milk and its products without problems.  Products like yogurt and cottage cheese (anything made from pasteurized milk) suffer as well.  Due to pasteurization's corruption of milk's nutrients, commercial milk is fortified with vitamins A and D2.  However, vitamin D3 (the nutrient we get from sunlight) is what we need in order to absorb calcium.  We've also been conditioned to avoid milk fat, but the fat is the vehicle for milk's vitamins and minerals.

So:

Fresh (raw) milk = Milk fat - good fat calories, calcium, vitamin D3 (to absorb calcium)

                            Protein - casein and whey

                            Sugar - lactose

                            Enzymes like lactase to break down lactose                           
                            Good bacteria to aid digestion

We need to unlock energy from our food to survive, but we might not give much thought to how our bodies access that energy.  We eat, we poop, we move on.  Most of us are happy just to poop once a day, and we only fret when our morning potty routine is put off by stress, illness, or indigestion.

Digestion: A substance goes into our mouth, is broken down in our stomach and intestines, and comes out as poop without causing us distress.

Assimilation or absorption:  A substance's nutrients (made available through digestion) are carried to and used by our organs. 

Now ask yourself again if you use milk as a source of nutrition, keeping in mind:

1) If you can't digest it, you can't absorb it. 

2) Just because you can chew, swallow, and poop out the remains of a substance (digest), doesn't mean you've absorbed any nutrients (I am debating printing this post as a word-find activity for my four and five year old to see who can count all the times I've written "poop").

My children and husband, like many westerners, love cow's milk by the glass and in cereal.  We're lucky enough to have a raw milk cooperative program at a farm in the vicinity where we get fresh organic milk each week.  If raw milk is not a choice for your family, the next best dairy option for nutrition and digestibility is organic vat pasteurized milk (available at select establishments like Five Points Bakery in Buffalo). 

If you mainly use milk as a vehicle for your smoothie, then coconut milk is a great choice.  It contains little phytic acid (i.e. it doesn't prevent you from assimilating nutrients) and has some good calories from the fat.  Steer clear of those with carrageenan, which can cause problems in your gut after a while.  Almond milk is a second choice because it is mostly water and contains phytic acid (unless it's made from sprouted almonds), and many almond milks contain additives like carrageenan.  A coconut or almond milk smoothie with kale or spinach and a drop of cod liver oil will give you calcium and the D3 you need to absorb it.

I know that many of us rely on Greek yogurt for an easy, protein rich breakfast or snack, but it carries the same inabsorbability problems as pasteurized milk.  Yogurt does contain live cultures (probiotics) to aid in digestion, but we still can't break down the protein that has been compromised in pasteurization.  Greek yogurt can be really satisfying (it takes a long time to get through your system), and some brands taste so creamy, they're reminiscent of a milkshake, but we're sacrificing the very nutrition for which we thought we were choosing the yogurt to begin with.  There are various raw, sprouted-grain protein powders on the market that are highly absorbable, and mix easily into your liquid of choice (for about $1 a serving).  I mix up what I think I'll need for the week and leave it in the fridge to have handy after a run.

Just as those who have problems with wheat, individuals who have negative symptoms from dairy can use Total Body Analysis to pinpoint and antidote the cause of the intolerance or allergy, rather than eliminating the aggravating food group and the inconveniences that arise with such avoidance.

Please leave a comment if I've left anything out or you'd like further explanation.  I've struggled with all of the research and data to make this post as straightforward and unconfusing as possible. Let me know if I've done my job!