Jamie Pappanastos, Contributor
Recently, a lot of people have asked why I gave up dairy. There are many reasons why I wanted to write a blog post that discusses the main reasons that led me to give up dairy.
Let me preface, you can drink milk and eat dairy and still lose weight. But I could write you a whole diet where you only eat Twinkies and if you were eating fewer calories than you burn, you will lose weight. We all know that wouldn’t be the best diet, It’s not about what food you can eat and still lose weight. It’s about your overall health.
So, let’s get started
Humans are the only species to drink milk from another species. We stop drinking milk from our mothers because we no longer need it. So why drink it as humans… especially from another animal. Are you willing to drink chimpanzee milk? Or giraffe milk? Even cows don’t drink milk once they’ve grown up. They wean themselves naturally.
Cow milk is designed to turn a calf into a 400-pound cow. Clearly that milk is making us fat. Cow milk is made for babies, and all we ask from babies is to get nice and fat. Frozen yogurt is high in protein and fat and low in carbs and fiber. Fro-yo is specifically designed to turn you into a fat, slow, docile cow.
3. Dairy milk is pumped with chemicals when the cow is alive and when the milk is pasteurized. Milking cows are pumped with extra estrogen to make them lactate. In a study comparing the cancer rates of 42 countries, milk and cheese consumption were strongly linked to the incidence of testicular cancer. The cancer rates are highest in Sweden and Denmark, where cheese is a national food, and lowest in Algeria and other countries with lower dairy consumption according to Debra Wood, RN.
Milk does not prevent Osteoporosis. Does cow’s milk contain calcium? Yes. Calcium is vital for strong bones, but there’s more to the picture. Although milk offers calcium, it causes the body to release even more of it. It’s like someone giving you $1,000 but driving away in your car. No matter how much you’re getting, you’re actually losing. Butter has 20 milligrams of calcium per 100 gram serving, milk at 118, and almonds at 234. Needless to say there are so many more ways to get calcium.
The way dairy cows are treated is disgusting. And if you don’t believe me, watch the free YouTube documentary: “Earthlings.” If you don’t want to watch it, here’s the skinny. Cows don’t produce milk all the time, no different than humans, they only produce milk to feed their calves. Cows are kept pregnant constantly in order to keep them lactating constantly. Male calves are sent away for veal after 6 months. And once baby is gone, mom is injected with hormones to produce up to 20 times more milk than she naturally would. This puts tremendous strain on her udders, which causes the need for more antibiotics. Normal cows should live 20 to 25 years. Dairy cows live on average, two to seven. And once she has been used up, she is sent to slaughter, not a retirement home.
If you give up dairy, even for 3 weeks, I promise you will feel different. Bloating should decrease, your skin will clear up, and you should have more energy. Just try it! There are dairy free alternatives for everything now!
Simply put, milk is horrid for you. You can get more than enough calcium through veggies. Almond milk and dairy free ice cream tastes so much better too!