Milk Substitute – What’s Wrong with Dairy?

The National Dairy Council says that 3 servings a day of low-fat or fat-free dairy foods will “Build Stronger Bones for Life.” At the same time modern medical research and many traditional health disciplines say that dairy products are toxic to your body and cause disease.

We believe in bioindividuality - meaning one person’s food can be another person’s poison. But recent studies have exposed such strong evidence about the health problems associated with dairy, that we believe consuming modern dairy products is unsafe for most people. Due to the vested interests of the dairy industry, this information has not been properly voiced to the public.

We share some of this information with you below to help you understand why we consider dairy to be toxic. All of our recipes and recommendations are dairy free and we present lots of ideas for a healthy milk substitute.

Milk is Fattening

Humans are the only species on the planet that drink milk past infancy. The dairy products that modern people eat are mostly derived from cow’s milk. That means they are specifically designed to fatten a 90 pound calf into a 2,000 pound cow in two year’s time. You don’t need that kind of growth, do you?

In answer to concerns about milk being fattening, the FDA (Food & Drug Administration) and the NDC (National Dairy Council) have suggested the use of low-fat or non-fat dairy products and do not recommend a milk substitute. Denaturing milk by removing its fat causes other, more serious, problems. Low fat dairy products inhibit the absorption and utilization of the fat soluble vitamins A and D. This absorption issue, causes calcium to be deposited into soft tissues rather than bones when people eat low fat dairy products.

Milk Causes Disease…including Osteoporosis

In addition to weakening your bones, dairy can cause digestive disorders and allergies. Most adults are unable to properly digest milk sugar (lactose). The enzymes needed to digest lactose typically phase out of the human body around age seven, when they would no longer be needed in nature. Your body responds to undigested lactose with mucous and inflammation.

Excess mucous in your system will clog up your digestive and respiratory tracts. The common results are frequent colds, asthma, allergies, sinus problems, tumors, cysts, constipation, colon trouble, Candidiasis, and excess weight. People suffering from these conditions often experience “miraculous” recovery when they eliminate dairy from their diet or find a healthy milk substitute.

Eating dairy products also contributes to an acidic condition in your body. An acidic body is the perfect environment for a wide variety of diseases. Regular dairy consumption has been linked to each of the following diseases:

• Acne
• Anemia
• Arthritis
• ADD
• Atherosclerosis
• Fibromyalgia
• Headaches
• Osteoporosis
• Low Immune
• Allergies
• Ear infections
• Colic
• Obesity
• Heart Disease
• Diabetes
• Crohn’s disease
• Breast, prostate and ovarian cancers
• Sinus infections

The Modern Milk Dilemma

Modern milk products come from factory farms with practices aimed at increasing profit. The bottom line is more important than public health. To optimize production, cows are given large amounts of antibiotics, steroids and growth hormones. The toxins from these medications are transmitted to the milk in concentrated doses. The cows are milked throughout their pregnancies and pushed to their limit of milk production, stimulating the release of stress and sex hormones into the milk. The presence of these hormones has been linked to the early onset of puberty of young girls in industrialized countries as well as the development of hormone related cancers (breast, prostate and ovarian). This is true, albeit to a lesser extent, of commercial organic milk as well.

Cows on factory farms are exposed to high levels of environmental toxins from their feed, water and surroundings. The cow’s body naturally protects itself by storing these toxins in its fatty tissues and milk. Consequently, high levels of concentrated dioxins, pesticides and other toxins wind up in the commercial milk supply. When tested, modern milk shows a 400% higher pesticide level than an equivalent sample of grains.

In addition to this contamination, all commercial milk is pasteurized and homogenized. Pasteurization is designed to kill harmful bacteria. It also destroys nutrients and the vital enzymes needed to digest the milk.

Homogenization breaks apart the fat molecules so the cream and milk no longer separate. This practice has serious health repercussions. Homogenization allows the enzyme Xanthine Oxidase (XO) to enter the bloodstream instead of being excreted as it normally would. This XO enzyme passes easily through the intestinal lining. There it acts as little knives inside your veins and arteries, cutting away at the artery walls. Your body makes cholesterol to repair these wounds. This process leads to atherosclerosis, high cholesterol and heart disease. These diseases are now being discovered even in the bodies of very young children and homogenized milk is suspected as the cause.

It’s common knowledge in the medical research field that commercial dairy products are linked to many of the serious diseases of our modern society. It is also well known among researchers, holistic nutritionists, and traditional healers that with a healthy milk substitute there are much safer and healthier ways to get adequate calcium and build healthy bones. The dairy industry and the National Dairy Council are well aware of these facts. It’s time for you to be aware as well. This is only a small sampling of the research and evidence that warns against the dangers of modern milk. If you want to know more, we encourage you to look into this topic further.

Living Without Milk...

The good news is that these nutrients are readily available in healthy, detoxifying whole foods. Dark leafy greens not only provide lots of absorbable calcium but many of the other micronutrients needed for building healthy bones, as well. Sesame seeds and tahini are exceptionally high in calcium. Seaweeds, quinoa, raw almonds and beans are other plant based sources of calcium and the nutrients that support its assimilation. Eating these foods on a regular basis during your detox will help reduce dairy cravings by giving your body the nutrients it truly needs.

Replacing your dairy habits with a healthy milk substitute is another important aspect of living without dairy.

Nut milks, rice milk and hemp milk provide a healthful milk substitute that you can purchase at the store or make at home. These milks can be used in place of cow milk for cereals, beverages, and baking. You can use coconut milk for baking if there’s a need for a thick and creamy milk substitute or to replace heavy cream in recipes.

Avoid using soy milk (and its byproducts). Soy products are the most popular dairy substitutes on the market and the least healthy. Soy is only healthy when it is traditionally prepared and fermented. Modern processed soy products are linked to hormonal issues including hormonal cancers, PMS and menopause complications.

Cheese is the hardest dairy product for most people to give up. It’s easy to fall in love with its gooey, sticky, fatty, creamy texture. Unfortunately what is delicious in your mouth is not always good for your gut. The sticky gooiness of cheese increases the mucous forming effect of the dairy. Natural dopamines are released in your system when you eat cheese, making it physically addictive.

The good news is that once you get over it, you’ll never miss it. You’d be surprised how you can live without cheese. Burritos are just as good without it. Pile on the avocado, beans, salsa and veggies. If you get a pizza just ask them to load it up with veggies and sauce. But better yet, when you prepare healthy yummy whole meals at home you find that they don’t even need the cheese.

Our Lemon Tahini Dressing can fill the place of a soft cheese, cheese spread or sour cream in many dishes while providing high quality calcium to satisfy your body. Avoid using fake cheeses made with soy or other highly processed ingredients. Your body will be much happier if you just focus on the whole foods.

Yes, ice cream! It’s made from milk too. Regular ice cream isn’t only full of heavy cream and refined sugar, but also includes a host of chemical ingredients.

There’s good news here too! Lots of delicious ice creams using a milk substitute are available at health food stores now. And they come in all sorts of wonderful flavors. Thank goodness!! Good alternatives include sorbet, Luna & Larry's Coconut Bliss (made with coconut milk), Rice Dream (made with rice milk) and HempScream (made with hemp milk). There are soy alternatives as well, but we caution against them.

You can make your own creamy frozen treats at home too. Pureed frozen fruit is the most simple you can get and heavenly! Freeze bananas, strawberries, apricots, etc., then process into creamy sorbet using a juicer with the solid plate attachment. Make popsicles by freezing your fruit smoothies or juice. Also try our recipes for Milkshakes and homemade ice “cream” - these are refreshing treats to have on hand.

We use coconut oil as our main butter replacement for baking and cooking. It is stable for high heat cooking and provides a similar mouth feel to butter. It is a high fat food and should be used sparingly if you’re trying to lose weight.

Vegan Cooking

All the recipes on this site are vegan and delicious. Have fun trying them out and learning how to cook without dairy!

Recipes that use a milk substitute:

• Almond Milk
• Sunflower Milk
• Hemp Milk
• Cherry Ginger Almond Milkshake
• Cacao Shake
• Carrot Cake with Cashew Frosting
• Ice Cream Recipes
• Cookie Recipes
• Chai Tea