To milk or not to milk, that clearly is a huge question.

And my answer? Um, well, it does in fact fit in your mouth, but is it adding health? Honestly you tell me.

Over the many years of treating people I have noticed a common denominator…

It matters what you eat.

Shocker I know.

And yet, so many of us are unconscious about it, don’t want to be told what to put in our mouth and or fight tooth and nail to justify “earning” the cookie (or the box) in the end of a hard work day.

So what gives?

Whelp, the bottom line is this:

PAY ATTENTION TO HOW YOU FEEL WHEN YOU EAT

Kk, now that that’s outta the way lets talk about dairy.

Dairy is a funny one to me for a lot of reasons.

1. We are the only species who voluntarily drinks another species milk
2. We USED to consume it raw (and some of us still do) and yet now we think it’s a super good idea to blow massive high heat through it to kill bacteria (aka pasteurization) and then we think we are getting the nutrients?? Um, hate to bursts any bubbles here but nope, we don’t really get a dang thing.
3. And its one of the food groups that I find people are SUPER resistant to giving up…um, hello, cheese is the bomb.

Also, try this on for size:

If you think about this, a cow will give birth to a calf that weighs what…say 80 lbs? and that mothers milk nutrient profile is DESIGNED by nature to grow that calf to be a 800-1200 pound steer.

Um, we’re drinking that.

Ok, then try this on. A GOAT gives birth to a 5-7 pound kid and her milk profile is designed by nature to grow that kid to be a 100-200 pound goat (depending on the breed I understand).

And then we milk sheep too which fall more into the goat category.

Can you see how if you’re gonna choose to consume dairy that goat and sheep are more in alignment with US?

Kk. also, I HIGHLY recommend AVOIDING ALL dairy products for at least, I really mean at LEAST 30 days. Then introduce it and tell me how you feel.

What counts as dairy you ask?

• Milk from cows goats or sheep
• Cheese from cows goats or sheep
• Yogurt
• Ice cream
• Cottage cheese
• Sour cream
• Creamers

What does NOT count as dairy?

• EGGS

What’s the deal with BUUTER?

Butter is one of my favorite foods. And yes, it is still dairy. And it has a bad (unwarranted) wrap.

So what’s the deal?

The TWO components of dairy products that people typically have an immune issue with is the SUGAR (lactose) and the PROTEIN (casein).

But not the FAT component.

And butter is mostly what?

Right, FAT.

There still is a tiny amount of lactose and casein in butter so if this is a problem for you eat Ghee which is clarified butter and has a fabulous nutty flavor.

Butter made from milk fat coming from cows raised out on grass in one of the greatest sources of the fat soluble vitamins (which means you fat has to be present for you to properly absorb it).

Vitamins A, D, E and K.

Butter is also high in butyric acid, a potent anti-inflammatory. Its also very high in conjugated linoleic acid which supports the immune system and helps with disease prevention.

I tend to get on a soapbox with butter, its one of my must haves for food items.

Make sure you get the good stuff from pasture raised cows.

And the ingredients should say this:

• CREAM

And if you get the salted variety they should say this:

• CREAM, SALT.

That’s it.

What’s a good substitute for dairy?

• For milk use either almond, rice or coconut milk NOT SOY

• For ice cream use Luna and Larry’s coconut ice cream, it’s the bomb

• For yogurt use So Delicious Coconut

• Creamers you can use coconut versions

• And for you cheese lovers I am so so sorry to say there is NOT (at least I haven’t found) a good substitute for cheese

Bottom line is to pay attention to how it makes you feel.

Buy from local sources.

Buy raw when you can.

And enjoy.