An other question that is always asked during consultations in our Body Expert Studio and clinic is: is dairy bad for you? There is so much conflicting information out there and it all depends on who is funding the research to what the findings conclude.
Have you ever challenged the concept of why we drink milk? Is it healthy and do we need to consume it?
Do you know anyone who can’t consume milk or milk-based products? Maybe you have an intolerance to diary products but don’t realise it? Should we even be consuming dairy products?
In Paleolithic times, the only period a person would ever ingest lactose would be when they were infants getting milk from their mothers. During their adult lives milk was never consumed. Only with the invention of agriculture has milk become readily available to adults. Milk contains a number for hormones and antibodies from the animal… as with all milk the mother is passing on essential substances to their new born. Hormones that shouldn’t be circulating in the human body. However, the main focus of diary issues falls against lactose.
What causes lactose intolerance?
Lactose is the main carbohydrate or sugar found in milk, and in varying quantities in dairy products made from milk including yoghurt, ice cream, soft cheeses and butter. Lactose (milk sugar) intolerance results from an inability to digest lactose in the small intestine.
Lactose is digested in the small intestine by an enzyme called lactase. This enzyme allows the body to break down the lactose into two simple sugars, glucose and galactose. These are quickly absorbed by the intestine and provide energy for the body. The level of the lactase enzyme varies between individuals, as does the severity of the symptoms caused by lactose intolerance.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms of lactose intolerance range from mild abdominal discomfort, bloating and excessive wind to sever abdominal cramps and diarrhea. However, symptoms might be so mild you are unaware that you have an intolerance. The damage caused by elevated hormone levels have no symptoms.
Lactose, Hormones & Cancer
Lactose intolerance is real and it stops people from consuming dairy products – it’s an easy choice for these people to avoid diary. For others it needs to be a smart choice. When we consider the amount of hormones secreted by a mother into breast milk it should not come as a great surprise that current dairy products can be very harmful. The hormones are mainly Estrogens’ and it is easy to draw parallels to the damage caused by the use of anabolic steroids (however, in the west the computerisation involved in the milking process has almost eradicated the antibiotic problem… in other parts of the world the milking process might not be so advanced). The big issue for me are the hormones – these hormones survive digestion in the stomach and are linked to many aliments including cancer, autoimmune diseases and stubborn fat storage.
To cut diary out of your diet completely is a difficult task, as it is an ingredient in a lot of food products. However, choosing a better option for drinks, homemade cooking and meals is very easy.
The Power of Coconut Milk
Why risk consuming animal milk/hormones when there are great alternatives!
I personally (Coach Phil) am not a fan of most nut milks. The amount of nutrients that transfer from the nut into the milk is minimal, as well as it takes a long time to make. There is also a lot of waste, unless you then spend more time turning the “mush” of nuts into a nut flour. I don’t know about you but we like to spend our time on more important things outside of the kitchen.
NOTE: all nut milk I am referring to is homemade. Store bought nut milk almost always include vegetables oils, soy, some form of sugar or preservatives and is very expensive.
The healthiest, most nutrient packed milk you can make is from coconuts. Most nut milks are very expensive (as almonds, hazelnuts, etc are expensive) however coconuts are very cheap!! Plus you only need one to make approx. 400 – 500mls of milk. Furthermore, coconuts are highly nutritious; rich in fibre, vitamins C, E, B1, B3, B5 and B6 and minerals including iron, selenium, sodium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorous.
Coconuts contain significant amounts of fat, but unlike other nuts, they provide fat that is mostly in the form of medium chain saturated fatty acids (MCFAs) in particular, one called lauric acid. Lauric acid is converted into a highly beneficial compound called monolaurin in the body, an antiviral and antibacterial that destroys a wide variety of disease causing organisms. It is therefore now thought that consumption of coconut milk may help protect the body from infections and viruses. These MCFAs are rapidly metabolised into energy in the liver. It is thought that unlike other saturated fats, MCFAs are used up more quickly by the body and are less likely to be stored as fat. One of the many joys of living in Vietnam is the abundance of fresh coconuts.
Coconut milk is extremely easy and quick to make… it is a super easy choice for your health and wellbeing. As well as being incredibly tasty!
How to Make Coconut Milk:
Body Experts Systems coconut milk recipe is the simplest why to make this delicious and nutritious drink. One of the great things about living an Vietnam (Asia) is the seemingly endless supply of coconuts. Where in the west coconut milk has to be made from dried preserved coconut flesh we can simply scoop and blend for the freshest and one of the healthiest drinks and condiments available.
Ingredients:
– 1 fresh coconut
Method:
- Open the coconut and pour the water into a blender (or food processor)
- Scoop out the flesh from the coconut
- Add the flesh to the coconut water already in the blender
- Blend at a low speed
- BOOM! super fresh and healthy milk 🙂
All the Body Expert Systems coaches believe dairy should be minimised within human diets. There are much better and more tasty options available. If you want to get super lean and optimise your health you need to answer the question; is it dairy healthy and do I need to consume it?
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