About Milk and Dairy Products

Milk

Mother’s milk is the perfect food for a newborn. milk is richly nourishing, soothing for the body and mind, and carries the warmth of life that will help a child develop its own ability for warmth and love. Because of this, milk in general has come to be associated with good nourishment.

But what happens when grown ups drink milk of another animal?

Fresh, raw, unpasteurized milk from healthy cows or goats used in small amounts is a fine food for children or adults who are accustomed to digesting milk and are in need for the type of nourishment milk provides; cooling, moistening, soothing and building tissue, for those who tend to debility associated with emaciation. since fresh, raw unpasteurized milk is not commonly available, second best option would be organic milk, from grass fed animals, hopefully non homogenized.

Milk and Dairy products

Dairy in general is heavy, sweet, sticky, oily and difficult to digest. When good quality dairy is consumed in moderation, and if dairy is digested well, it may serve healing purposes and could be regarded very beneficial. Excess consumption of  low quality dairy or the inability to digest dairy creates heaviness in the body and cloudy thoughts, bloating, abdominal pain, gas and either diarrhea or constipation for many. It provokes weight gain, mucus and associated illness such as asthma, allergies, strep throat, tonsillitis, ear infections, pimples, acne, female reproductive disorders and overweight. these conditions and many others tend to improve when dairy products are removed from the diet. Although adult humans have adapted to milk, lactose intolerance may be quite a natural condition.

Cheese and sour cream

Soft, hard or in between, cheese or sour cream of good quality, eaten in moderation by those who are accustomed to them and are in need of the type of nourishment that cheese and cream have to offer, are a suitable food recommendation. A good-quality unpasteurized aged cheese or high quality sour cream could be added to dinner for those in need of extra protein and fat, or may be served as a pleasant party food that makes the atmosphere jolly. 

Lactose Intolerances & Allergies

Difficult to digest foods often cause intolerances and allergies. Since dairy is difficult to digest and sticky, it often provokes stagnation, indigestion, and fermentation in the digestive tract, which can lead to general mucus signs, puffiness and inflammation as well. 

Often, those with allergies are sensitive to even small amounts of dairy, such as a single sip of milk. Those with only intolerance to dairy can enjoy a taste of milk without symptoms. An allergy test can positively confirm whether or not you have a an allergy or intolerance.

Changes in diet, lifestyle and restoring digestive capacity can lessen the severity of both intolerance and allergy. By temporarily adhering to a dairy free diet, while restoring digestive strength and cleansing the liver from mucus stagnation, eventually a well thought out quantity and quality of dairy may be added back to the diet, with no negative reactions. 

A dairy free diet can be achieved by the use use of soy, almond, oat, or rice milk as a substitute. 

Smart consumption

Milk is best consumed after it was brought to a boil. Drinking unboiled milk is equivalent to eating a raw egg, meaning the protein is still raw. After boil protein is coagulated and easier to breakdown and digest.

Milk is best digested on its own, as a beverage. Add spices to milk such as cinnamon and cardamom to improve its digestion. For those accustomed to milk, it can be cooked with grains, such as oats or rice or wheat, into porridge. Read more on milk here.

Yogurt is best digested when added to a warm vegetarian meal, as customary in India. Yogurt on its own could be eaten in moderate portions on an empty stomach, between meals or as breakfast, with the addition of either Ghee (clarified butter) or raw honey. Combining yogurt with fruit and/or granola is usually not recommended since the combination is hard to digest. As with milk, yogurt should be of good quality. Read more on yogurt here.

Yogurt and fermented milks, such as kefir or buttermilk, are easy to assimilate (the lactose has been broken by the fermentation process) and can be a tasty, refreshing treat during the summer and the beginning of autumn, when the climate is still warm but going dry.