Dairy, dairy, quite contrary
The litany of controversy surrounding dairy includes the ethical treatment of dairy cows, hormone injections, lactose intolerance, etc. And if you happen to be descended of certain ethnic groups there’s the perspective that historically your people did not consume dairy and so neither should you. And we won’t even mention the views on blood typing.
Controversy aside, I’ve always found the taste of milk unpleasant. Forced to drink it during childhood, I sought out ways to make it palatable. My grandmother would mix in enough flavored syrup or powder to make the milk undetectable. My family probably should have owned stock in Hershey’s, Ovaltine and Nestle back then. Seriously. By 13, although I’d given up milk for good, I loved milk PRODUCTS – cheese, yogurt, puddings, shakes, you name it! And ice cream … well let’s just say that in my young adult life I enjoyed a 3-month phase where I ate a half gallon of Breyer’s Neapolitan every day. Yeah. I lived for ice cream.
Then in 2004 I developed excessive mucous that required me to constantly clear my throat. All the time. I visited a friend’s one day and both of us were both doing it – ahem, ahem, ahem. “What is that?”, she asked. “I don’t know”. We considered the possibilities: environmental pollutants, seasonal allergies, the eroding ozone layer, and foods. She had become aware, as had I, that the congestion seemed to occur after consuming milk products. Dairy. But unwilling to relinquish my cheese or ice cream, I brushed the observation aside. The problem worsened.
It was during my time in nutrition school that someone led me to research concerning the ’stickiness’ of egg whites in particular and dairy in general. I decided to godairy-free for two weeks. After 7 days, the mucous waned, the coughing ceased and the sinus congestion (I didn’t even know I had) disappeared. I’d literally forgotten what it was like to b-r-e-a-t-h-e fully and deeply. For the first time in years, my head, ears, nose and throat felt completely clear! Even with the stress of monthly the NY-to-Portland flights and poor travel food options, I sailed through spring and summer with no hay fever, congestion or colds.
These days I no longer eat yogurt, puddings, shakes or even ice cream. Every now and then I’ll have a little cheese or something with egg in it. Every time I do, the symptoms return for a day or two, like a gentle reminder. By experimenting I’ve learned a few amazing things:
Sauces, avocado and pesto make satisfying cheese substitutes
Given enough time, the craving for cheese does go away
My state of well being is directly impacted by the intake of foods I choose to eat
I can experiment by making new or different choices each and every day
At some point I know I’ll give up dairy altogether
Some of the best non-dairy sources of calcium and vitamin D are: almonds, blackstrap molasses. broccoli, enriched soy or rice milk, figs, dark leafy greens, salmon (with bones), soybeans, sardines and sunshine
We are all unique. I’m not condemning dairy or advocating that YOU should stop eating it, or even cut back. I’m just sharing my personal experience and fascination with the body’s intuitive ability to respond to the what we provide it in hopes of encouraging you to think about your health and be open to embracing new experiences. Notice what works and does not work – for you. Just you. If you choose to try something new (or already have), I hope you’ll share your personal reflections here. Be well!