The Healthy Fox was a dairy junkie. I loved milk, cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, ice cream… if it had cream, I wanted it.
Six years ago my husband stopped drinking milk and started drinking soy. He read online about the Bovine Growth Hormone commonly used in commercial dairies to increase milk production. This hormone has been linked to obesity in children and breast growth in teenage boys. In Europe, Bovine Growth Hormone is illegal, and in America, dairies do not even have to tell the consumer they are drinking milk laced with hormones.
Foxy Girls, I fought it. I didn’t want to give up milk. But one day, I ordered my latte with soy and it was good. Slowly, I weaned off milk, and something miraculous happened.
I was a vegetarian for over a year when I gave up milk. In less than six months off milk, my body changed. I became leaner and more muscular, and dropped a whole dress size, even though I maintained the same weight.
But this was only the beginning.
Throughout my life, I would eat a meal and about an hour after eating, I’d feel sick. Always. It wasn’t until I gave up milk that my intestines started liking me. Suddenly, no more intestinal drama: no pain, no icky gas, and no more irregularity.
No more milk.
And if you can’t give up milk, that’s fine for now, just make sure you are drinking organic milk, the ONLY milk without Bovine Growth Hormone.
But starting trying new milks: soy milk, almond milk, rice milk, oat milk…
There are a lot of new cow-milk-free options.
Do you want to be lean?
Do you want to make your digestive tract happy?
Do you want to give up feeling like a slow, fat, sluggish cow?
HEALTHY FOXES LISTEN TO THOSE WHO LOVE THEM & EMBRACE FEELING GOOD.
February 25, 2008 at 4:18 pm |
I only drink soy too. I can’t even imagine drinking regular milk now. Soy rules!
February 25, 2008 at 4:19 pm |
how incredibly cool you are! and tiny, too! go soy!
February 25, 2008 at 4:19 pm |
lol cool and tiny what a good combo i am drinking soy cream in my (dacaf) coffee as i write!
February 25, 2008 at 4:19 pm |
have you been to soy luck club in the village? everything is vegan, including vegan crepes! yummy!
February 25, 2008 at 4:20 pm |
I am also not a fan of consuming dairy products in the USA because the US gov’t does allow the use of bovine growth hormone (BGH). In Canada, our gov’t is very strict and does not allow for any hormonal use in cows here. The effects of BGH in humans are not clear because rigourous clinical testing has not been performed. In any case, though, I’d rather not ingest it.
Now with that being said, I must tell you: When I consume dairy products in ANY country, I end up with a gurbly tummy, nausea and I generally feel uncomfortable. You know why? It’s not because of hormones. It’s actually because of “Lactose Intolerance”.
See, lactose is a sugar molecule with a funny molecular structure. This means that it needs a special enzyme to be broken down. If you do not have this enzyme, the lactose doesn’t break down in your small intestine. Thus, it travels to your colon where the bacteria use it as fuel. These feasting bacteria create lots of carbon dioxide (a gas) in your gut which leads to lots of cramping, bloating, discomfort, nausea… sometimes diarrhea, even.
Lactose is basically only found in mammalian milk products (goat, cow, sheep, human), regardless of whether they are organic or not. Mammals (humans included) were designed to be able to break down lactose as children (mother’s milk!) then lose that ability over time but some people are lucky and can consume milk their whole lives.
Miss Fox, my dear, YOU and I are not lucky. We are simply lactose intolerant. It’s not a disease and it isn’t dangerous at all. It is simply that your body is not producing the enough of the enzyme (lactase) to break down lactose anymore.
The principle of parsimony basically states that the simplest explanation is usually the right one: Thus, my sweet Fox- you are unlikely the victim of bovine growth hormone, and more likely to be lactose intolerant. Regardless, it was very wise of you to switch to nut/rice/grain ‘milks’ which are naturally lactose free!! Plus, those ‘milks’ have less saturated fat which means that they are healthier than mammalian (aka cow) milk (BUT beware of coconut milk: It has very high saturated fat).
If you want to test my hypothesis about you being lactose intolerant: Go buy Lactaid milk (the lactose is pre-digested) and try drinking a glass OR consume some lactase enyzme pills (aka Lactaid caplets, etc) with some regular milk. If I am correct, you will not experience the nausea and bloating etc afterwards.
Just wanted to throw in my two cents. Having a Masters in Human Health and Nutritional Science (and also being diagnosed with lactose intolerance), I felt that I should speak up.
Ciao, bella! xo
April 20, 2009 at 10:55 pm |
Yes
VERY beautiful site .