A Question of Dairy

Hello World!
Back in the fall--2013, I gave a talk/presentation on the most requested subject...Dairy! I am including the handout/notes here for your perusal and enjoyment.

“ I would call milk perhaps the most unhealthful vehicle for calcium that one could possibly imagine, which is the only thing people really drink it for, but whenever you challenge existing dogma…people are resistant.”

Neal Barnard, M.D.

Ailments & Diseases Linked to Dairy Consumption:

Allergies

Anemia

Arthritis

Colic

Congestion/Mucus

Diabetes

Diarrhea

Eczema

Gastric upset

Heart disease

High cholesterol levels

Hormonal imbalances

Intestinal bleeding

Multiple Sclerosis

Osteoporosis

And the list continues…

Commercial Milk Contains:

Fat

Sugar

Protein

Various minerals & vitamins

High cholesterol content

Veterinary drugs

Pesticides & Fertilizers

Antibiotics

High levels of growth hormones

Bacteria & viruses

Blood & pus

Worried about calcium? Osteoporosis?

 ...Just remember beans & greens.

Green vegetables and beans have large amounts of absorbable calcium; both contain fiber, which is necessary to control cholesterol.

                         

“Your glass of milk, even low-fat, is awash in fat (the equivalent of three slices of bacon), cholesterol, antibiotics, bacteria, and—the most distasteful ingredient—pus.”

Jane Heimlich (in her foreword for "Milk- The Deadly Poison" by Robert Cohen)

Why does the medical community still tout milk? Dairy is big business--and they can afford to advertise and promote and educate about their products. A doctor, like anyone else, only knows what he has been taught.

Everything about this picture says American Lunch...right down to the white bread (that's a whole other subject). Milk does not do a body good.

Did you know that milk avoidance can help clear up eczema, arthritis, colic, asthma, iron deficiency in infants, musculo-skeletal  pain (growing pains), and lower cholesterol?

Here is who a cow's milk is meant for--we're actually taking it from him--cow's need to have babies to produce milk, just like the rest of us mammals. This little guy won't get to stay with mom, he'll be sent to the veal farm more than likely. Males are not needed on dairy farms.

Some Shocking Numbers

21.2 lbs. milk = 1 lb. butter

2.1 lb. milk = 1 lb. evaporated milk

10 lbs. milk = 1 lb. hard cheese

12 lbs. milk = 1 lb. ice cream

Better "milk" choices

Hemp milk

Almond milk

Soy milk

Rice Milk

Hazelnut milk

Coconut milk

Quinoa milk

*Go to the tab (above) labeled "Dairy-Free Recipes". 

Premium Sources of Calcium

Kale

Collard greens

Turnips

Swiss chard

Mustard greens

Kidney beans

Broccoli

Soy beans

Almonds

*Calcium is an abundant mineral in greens, all beans, grains, nuts, seeds, veggies, and sea veggies, lentils, and legumes of all kinds.

Experiment...play...try different cuisines! Life is an adventure!

This is a big topic and we've only scratched the surface: Further health studies and dietary facts, the environmental impact from dairy farming (and factory farming for meat consumption), cost and natural resources consumed to support the industry, and last, but not least, the terrible treatment, storage, and killing of sentient beings we call food. Dairy cows get "used up" and become low-grade meat products, female calves replace other dairy cows, male calves become veal. 

Q & A (Health -- Reducing Eggs in the Diet)

This week's question is from B. in RI...

BDunhamJ   July 20, 2012
How do I remove eggs from a diet so that I am eating as few of them as possible? Also, can you recommend a good tasting gluten free bread?

Hi B.,

Reducing and/or replacing eggs in the diet is fairly easy. Unless you can’t imagine life without an omelette or sunny-side eggs, you can substitute them in just about everything…with great success.

How you change your diet depends on how you buy and cook your food. Do you eat out a lot, does someone else do your cooking, or do you like to cook? Those answers will provide the correct path.

If you are not the one shopping and cooking you will need that person to understand what you want to achieve, and help he/she to provide the appropriate foods (teaching what to buy and how to prepare it). If you are responsible solely for your food preparation you will be astounded how easy the change can be. Either way, you need to start with what to buy and how to use it. Only you know what you enjoy eating, but when you change your diet a little, you’ll find you are more open to new types of foods and seasonings and flavors.

The primary uses for eggs in the diet are as breakfast staples (fried, poached, scrambled, French toast, etc.), and for egg salad, hard boiled eggs in salads, quiches, custards, casseroles, baked goods, mayonnaise, and even pickled eggs. Let’s see how to substitute these standards…Recipes in tab above: Egg-Free Recipes  

As for your question about good-tasting, gluten-free bread, I suggest trying the different brands in the freezer section at Whole Foods or Stop & Shop (natural foods area). Keep the loaves frozen and remove the slices as you use them. Gluten-free bread tends to dry out quickly and become more crumbly. Thawing as needed gives you the best chance of tasty bread. I do not suggest raw, sprouted breads for sandwiches—too dense.

Another way to have a great-tasting sandwich is to use lettuce leaves as a wrap for your fillings. You can have just about any kind of sandwich in a lettuce wrap…trying different types of wide-leaf lettuces will give you more options. 

Why not try to replace eggs with…

Breakfast Staples:
Scrambled tofu with onions and peppers
Pan-fried baked tofu with soy sausage
French toast stuffed with fresh fruit (or preserves) and soy cream cheese

Salads:
Faux egg salad
Tips on how to add eggyness to green salads & potato/pasta salads

Quiches, Custards, Casseroles:
Spinach, Onion, Tomato Quiche
Coconut Custard or buy prepared custard and pudding mixes which can made with soy or nut milks
Broccoli & Rice Casserole

Baked Goods:
The function of the egg in the recipe dictates the substitute.
Eggs are used as binders in brownies and cookies; muffins and cakes get their leavening (partially) from eggs.

A recipe calling for one egg will usually work fine without the egg or a substitute (3 tablespoons of water or other fluid will compensate for the lost liquid).

Binding Agent:

• ·         Grind 1 tablespoon flax seeds into a powder; blend with ¼ cup water (allow to gel 5 mins.) = Replaces 1 egg
• ·         One small, sweet or white potato, mashed = Replaces 1 egg (also adds moisture)
• ·         ½ cup mashed banana or applesauce= Replaces 1 egg (also adds moisture)
• ·         ¼ cup silken tofu (processed in a blender)= Replaces 1 egg (also adds moisture)
• ·         1 cup yogurt (dairy or soy)=Replaces 1-2 eggs (also adds moisture)

Leavening and Binding Agent:

• ·         Ener-G Egg Replacer— use as directed (available in most health food stores and Whole Foods markets)
• ·         One teaspoon baking powder (additionally to recipe)
• ·         1 tsp. baking powder, 1 T. water, 1 T. white vinegar (whisk together)= 1 egg

Mayonnaise:
Mayonnaise is pretty easy to make at home, but it’s easily available in health food stores and in many markets besides Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. Nayonaise and Veganaise are both good choices—it’s a matter of taste.

Pickled Eggs:
I can’t help you on this one! Pickled tofu would be the closest, but wow! Yuck! It would be so soggy. I say go for pickled veggies and call it a day.