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Milk: Is it Good or Bad for You? by Mark BunnDo you drink the type of milk that can lead to heart disease? We'll tell you what that is in a moment. Firstly, is milk actually good or bad for us? Should you drink it, or is it evil? There's a lot of experts out there telling us that milk is one of out greatest dietary dangers. If it's okay, which type is best... full cream, low fat, skim, soy, goats... etc etc? Let's take a look. Firstly, from the standpoint of the world's oldest & time-tested health science, Ayurveda, milk (when processed & digested properly), is definitely, 100%, unquestionably... good for us. The ancient Ayurvedic texts, praise milk, as one of the greatest nourishing and strengthening foods of all time. When 'digested properly', milk strengthens all the tissues, nourishes the emotions and balances the entire physiology. Most of the debate and arguments surrounding whether milk is healthy or not, stem from people 'not digesting' it properly. And one of the main reasons (not the only one) most people don't digest milk properly, is because they drink it 'cold'... straight from the fridge. Just as we know cold water is disastrous for our digestive fire, cold milk is even worse, because it's not only cold (in temperature and inherent quality), but it's also 'heavy' by nature. Cold milk is one of the single most worst things for digestion. And when milk is not digestive well, it easily leads to blockages, allergies, sinus problems, congestion etc etc - all the things commonly attributed to consuming milk/dairy. So what is the conventional advice? Milk is no good for us, you are lactose intolerant, milk creates allergies/congestion, milk is bad for 'weight loss' etc etc. People go off regular cow's milk or go onto skim milk, goats milk or soy milk etc, and bingo...they feel much much better. So the logical conclusion, regular 'cow's milk is 'B.A.D - bad'. The Reality though, is that milk (in essence) is extremely wholesome and health promoting. The way we treat our cow's (feeding them cancer causing growth hormones(BGH), antibiotics, high protein, soy-based feeds instead of green grass etc), the way we 'process' milk (pasteurising & homogenizing it etc) and the way we drink it ('cold' from the fridge), is what creates all the problems. * True lactose intolerance (where someone doesn't have the enzymes to digest milk) exists, but represents a fraction of the people actually diagnosed as lactose intolerant. Most of these people can consume milk/dairy, once their digestion is improved and milk is taken in a more easily digestable way - more below. So What About This Milk & Heart Disease Link? Remember, getting your milk delivered in glass bottles with all the cream at the top? That was milk in it's 'natural' state. The fat molecules were large enough to be properly digested by the body's enzymes. Just the way nature designed. Thanks to technology, and for 'purely cosmetic' & 'marketing' purposes, milk companies found they could mechanically(artificially) whip the milk, so that its fat molecules would separate from their 'natural' clumps and be spread throughout the water. Welcome to HOMOGENISED Milk. Looks good, tastes average, oh and by the way it might kill you!!! Homogenisation causes the fat globules in whole milk to become fragmented into tiny molecules that are too small to be digested by the body. They pass straight through our stomach/intestinal walls & into our bloodstreams...completely unaltered. It also takes the powerful enzyme 'xanthine oxidase (XO)' with it. According to the respected journal Atherosclerosis (1989;77:251-6), this enzyme ends up attacking the inner wall of whatever vessel it is in. This creates a wound. The wound triggers the arrival of patching plaster to seal off that wound. The patching plaster is cholesterol. Hardening of the arteries, heart disease, chest pain, heart attack is the result. Without wanting to bore you with science, in summary, research shows that the epidemic of hardening of the arteries (which leads to more deaths annually than cancer) is significantly (some would say 'directly', but I would suggest there's always multiple influences) attributable to homogenized milk. Homogenisation merely prevents the cream from separating from the milk. It is purely cosmetic and has nothing to do with improving the quality of the milk. * For more info on the connection between homogenisation and heart disease, see http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/sepp/2003/06/29/milk_and_vascular_disease.htm So What To Do? How do you get all the benefits of milk, without all the 'potential' dangers? * Many health experts recommend avoiding milk altogether, due to the harmful effects of hormones, homogenisation etc etc Follow this weeks tips. THIS WEEKS TIPS: 1. Buy ORGANIC: Like everything else these days, things can be good in theory (i.e milk is healthy'), but...! Unfortunately even regular cow's milk can be harmful due to the way we treat our cow's as mentioned above (growth hormones in their feed etc). So like always (but even more importantly with milk), get Organic. 2. Only Drink 'UNHOMOGENISED' Milk: Unfortunately, unhomogenised milk is harder to get, but keep asking your health shop/supermarket to get some in. They need to be educated. Feel free to cut the above text out and give it to them/post it on a noticeboard. * In Australia, St Pauls have a great Organic Unhomogenised milk. Avaialble in both regular & low fat versions. Available in most Coles supermarkets. It's the one I go for...when it's not sold out!! 3. Always BOIL your Milk: i) Unless it's the middle of summer and you have an extremely strong digestion or excess 'heat' in your stomach region (hyperacidity, acid stomach etc), always boil (not microwave) milk first. This 'lightens' the milk, making it easy to digest and reducing any problems associated with mucous etc. * When properly digested, milk doesn't create any problems relating to allergies, congestion etc. ii) Add a pinch or two of ginger and cardamom, to make it even easier to digest(and tastier!). iii) If still having trouble digesting it, add a pinch of ground black pepper or a cinnamon stick. * Note: You can let it cool down a little before drinking/ adding to cereal etc, if you don't like warm milk. 4. Make Warm Milk Tasty: Yes, I can see you screwing up your face thinking of drinking warm milk. Arghhhh!!! Try this little recipe as a stand-alone morning or pre-bed drink, on your cereal or cook your oat porridge with etc. In a saucepan (not microwave): 1 cup of milk, with 2 pinch ginger powder 2 pinch cardamom 1-2 pinch turmeric 3 pinch nutmeg - *don'take nutmeg during day or before driving etc as it can make drowsy in higher doses. 3-4 hairs of saffron *optional - not essential A little raw sugar if like. BOIL for 1-2 minutes 5. Drink 'REAL' MILK: With all the scare tactics re; real milk, and the problems with weight gain etc, from drinking cold, full cream milk, we've been brainwashed into thinking. many of the alternatives are actually healthier. Let's take a quick look at a few. SKIM Milk: Skim milk and powdered milks are simply not real milk. Sure it's got no(v.low) fat, and nutrients added (artificially) etc, but you miss out on all the real benefits of 'real' milk. It is actually good to 'enjoy' your food too ...to have some taste! Taste and a certain amount of fat, is what actually helps digestion & satisfaction levels...leading to less cravings & overeating etc. SOY Milk: The greatest marketing trick ever devised. Now I'm not saying soy milk is bad, but just realise it doesn't have anything to do with milk. It's of course from...'beans'. So if you like soy milk, no problem, have some artificially fortified beans - it's got some nutrition, but look to have at least one other serve of real milk each day. GOATS MILK: Lighter in quality and less cooling by nature, so a good alternative in certain situations. LOW FAT Milk: Almost 'real' milk...though obviously somewhat 'artificial' alteration. An okay option if your conscious of your weight (boiled of course). A Healthier Milk Alternative for the Weight Conscious: If you have trouble with milk or are 'weight-conscious' etc, use low-fat' milk or even better, use half regular milk & half water(or a 1/4 regular & 3/4 water, if super conscious). Remember, we don't just want to lose weight, we want to be healthy. And a certain amount of 'natural' fat in our diet is essential. Add to that, the many nourishing and strengthening benefits of properly prepared milk, and milk can and should be a healthy part of your overall diet. Laughter Medicine: Speaking of Milk: Mere Male Johnnie once heard that milk baths make you beautiful. He left a note for his milkman Bill to leave 15 gallons of milk. When Bill read the note, he felt there must be a mistake. He thought she probably meant 1.5 gallons, so he knocked on the door to clarify the order. Johnnie came to the door, and Bill said, "I found your note to leave 15 gallons of milk. Did you mean 15 gallons or 1.5 gallons?" Johnnie said, "I want 15 gallons. I'm going to fill my bathtub up with milk and take a milk bath." Bill asked, "Oh, no problem, would you like it pasteurized?" Johnnie replied, "No, just up to my waist." Enjoy. Mark Article written by Mark Bunn - guest speaker & writer of health speakers articles. FREE Subscription - Mark's ‘Natural Health & Wellbeing’ Monthly (1 minute) Newsletter Mark's Natural Health & Wellbeing Online Program For more articles, tips on 'Natural Health & Wellness Solutions' visit - www.healthspeaker.com.au/resources.php Would you like to REPRINT this article for your Newsletter/E-Zine or We are very happy for you to do this, provided you include the Article written by Mark Bunn - http://www.healthspeaker.com.au For more information or for a Free Subscription to Mark's 'Natural Health E-Tips, * Note: To reprint, the Links must be live. If you have any questions about using a tip/article, just drop us For more information on Maharishi Ayurveda, contact us on - info@healthspeaker.com.au
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