Healthy Bite 018 - Dairy Dairy Quite Contrary

Welcome to the Super Simple Healthy Podcast! This is Christina Moyes. Got Milk? Got Cheese? Got disease? It has been touted as healthy and one of the essential food groups, necessary for developing strong bones and teeth and preventing osteoporosis. But, there are many who say that dairy does more harm than good. Can consuming dairy products lead to serious health problems? That’s what I’ll be talking about in today’s episode. Dairy, Dairy, Quite Contrary Dairy has been listed as one of the major food groups on the USDA food pyramid for as long as I can remember. So HOW could anyone say it’s not good for you? First, we’ll examine the purpose of dairy, then some of the concerns around it, what steps you can take to decide if it’s right for you and finally how to really build strong bones. Let’s start by examining cow’s milk as that is the basis for most dairy products we consume in the U.S. The purpose of any animal’s milk, human or otherwise, is to help their babies grow bigger. Cow’s milk is intended to help a baby calf grow from 90lbs at birth to a 1000lb heifer in just two years! Compare that to humans who are 6-8 lbs at birth and take 20 years to grow to full maturity at 100-200lbs. Milk is a medium for transporting insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), which is strongly implicated in prostate cancer, colorectal cancer, premenopausal breast cancer and lung cancer. In nine separate studies, the most consistent dietary factor linked with prostate cancer was a high consumption of milk or dairy products. Other studies have proven that dairy products are a leading cause in problems like irritable bowel syndrome, obesity, mineral, nutrient, and amino acid deficiencies. And even more studies have shown that, in countries that consume little or no dairy, rates of osteoporosis are much lower than here in the U.S.! As this is a 5-minute healthy bite – there are many more details around this subject in my latest newsletter. Feel free to hop on and subscribe at www.supersimplehealthy.com. Did I ever mention that when I was a kid, I was the best milk-drinker in my house? I also started having bad acne at the age of 9 that didn’t stop until I was almost 30yrs old. And that’s because I started on a new skin care system that managed the symptoms of the acne, but didn’t heal the source of the problem. Up until about 5yrs ago, I ate dairy on a regular basis. I ate everything from milk twice a day to cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, cream cheese and sour cream. I also suffered congestion every morning and chronic fatigue. By themselves, these symptoms may not seem like a big deal. But these are indications of inflammation within the body. When you have a cold or a skin problem – a rash, rosacea, acne, psoriasis that is your body trying to expel toxins! When we suppress these symptoms with over the counter drugs we are literally pushing them back into our system. Take the hint and play detective. Look at your diet and lifestyle and make some adjustments. To determine whether dairy is something you personally want to avoid, try taking it out of your diet for 2 weeks. You will need to take out ALL dairy products, not just milk. After 2 weeks, try having a glass of milk with a meal or a cheeseburger, but don’t overdue. You may not have an immediate reaction. Symptoms of dairy sensitivity can show up anywhere from an hour to 72 hours later. For a complete list of symptoms to watch for, visit my website at www.supersimplehealthy.com/downloads. The good news is, a food sensitivity CAN be healed over time. It does not mean you can NEVER enjoy dairy again. For additional support around this or other health related issues, visit my website and click on “schedule now” to set up an appointment either in person or over the phone. And last but not least, to build strong bones, focus on these 4 Simple things: Don’t smoke, avoid excessive alcohol, limit caffeine and increase exercise! Until next time: Keep it simple. Be Healthy.