THE DREADED POST

Oh....the dreaded post. I realize that what I am about to tell you will change your life...and I'm so sorry to have to be the bearer of bad news. But ignorance is not bliss in this case.
A couple years ago I read this book. It freaked (major emphasis on the word freaked) me out. It still haunts me. I do not recommend reading it. I wish someone could have warned me. Their whole tactic is to scare you into losing weight. They also believe in a vegan diet, which I do not...and I'll tell you why in another post. But, I did not eat any dairy or beef or poultry for a very very long time after reading that book...mostly because of the graphic images in my head regarding them. Other than those images that I'm super pissed about, I learned some very interesting things. It totally changed my whole opinion on.....drum roll.....milk.







The things I'm about to tell you might really upset you. When I discovered these things....i got the boyfriend- cheating -on -you feeling. I took a long break and then I started doing more research on milk, to make sure what I read was true. It was. Let me educate you. But I'll preface with this: I am not trying to put dairy farmers out of business or have a government bashing party, my only objective here is to educate.

Milk is the most consumed product in America. We grew up on it, I have probably had milk almost everyday. Cereal and milk are probably the #1 breakfast choice. Milk and cookies...everyones favorite....right?? That's why this is so hard...because milk has become a staple in our diets. Why? Well...it does a body good...right? It's the #1 source for calcium and vitamin D right?? Who hasn't heard...drink your milk so you can have strong bones and teeth??? The dairy industry spends millions of dollars just in advertisements every year. In 1996, they spent a whopping $216 million dollars. No wonder it’s embedded in our brains. Okay great, so they do a lot of advertising, smart, really. I mean it works, right?! Watch this.
Well, strap yourself down, cause it's about to get crazy. This is what gets me really pissed…..
The dairy industry spends about $5 million dollars a year on lobbyists and political candidates…including campaign money on certain government officials (US Senator for NV..Harry Reid—contributed $130,000 to his campaign)
In 2009, OUR government gave the dairy industry more than a billion dollars in subsidies. Don’t believe me, here’s the proof:
Okay, now I am pissed, but I’m about to get irate. We’ve been freaking lied to. Remember the food pyramid that you saw over and over and over in grade school and health class…..Yeah, get this... In 1999, the PCRM (Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine) filed a lawsuit against the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) claiming they promote the meat and dairy industry through their Dietary Guidelines and Food Pyramid. The PCRM won in December of 2000. Prior to the lawsuit the USDA refused to disclose such conflicts of interest to the general public. The USDA has a US Dietary Guideline Advisory committee made up of 11 members. SIX of those have financial ties to the meat, dairy, and egg industry.
The only reason that the official government food pyramid features dairy so prominently is because the USDA wants to promote the dairy industry.

I decided to take a look at the US Dietary Guideline Advisory Committee's newly issued (as of June 15th, 2010) Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Here’s what they had to say about milk. If I could enter swearwords, I would. Here’s the link, if you want to read the complete report:

http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/DGAs2010-DGACReport.htm


Currently, many children and adults are not consuming adequate amounts of milk and milk products. (do you mean calcium, protein, Vitamin A & D, magnesium and potassium?) NHANES 2005-2006 reported that the mean consumption of calcium does not meet the recommended Dietary Reference Intakes for any age group older than age 12. Research since 2004 shows that the under-consumption of milk and milk products may lead to an increase in cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, as well as an increased risk for poor bone health and related diseases.
Consumption of the recommended daily amounts of low-fat or fat-free milk and milk products (2 cups for children ages 2 to 8 years, 3 cups for those ages 9 years and older) should be promoted. (yet, low-fat and fat-free are hardest for our bodies to digest.)
It is especially important to establish milk drinking in young children, as those who consume milk as children are more likely to do so as adults. Those who choose not to consume milk and milk products should include other foods in the diet that contain the nutrients provided by the milk and milk products group, protein, calcium, potassium, magnesium, Vitamin D, and Vitamin A.
……
In addition to providing protein, milk and milk products are a source of many important nutrients, including calcium, potassium, magnesium, vitamin D, and vitamin A (DGAC, 2005; p. 183). This topic is further discussed in Part D. 2 Nutrient Adequacy. Previous research, as reviewed by the 2005 DGAC, has established the positive relationship between milk and milk products and bone mineral content or bone mineral density. Also milk product consumption has been linked with overall diet quality and the adequacy of many nutrients
Calcium maintains the strength and density of the bones, with 99 percent of the calcium in the body found in bones and teeth. Bone undergoes constant remodeling, a process in which existing bone is broken down and replaced with new bone. Without sufficient calcium in the diet, there is inadequate formation of new bone, resulting in osteoporosis or other bone disease. (IOM, 1997) When dietary intake of calcium is too low, the body will draw upon the calcium stored in the bones which can lead to low bone mass.
Some of the most bioavailable sources of calcium are in milk and milk products. Calcium also is found in dark green vegetables, whole grains, beans and soy protein, but it is not as well absorbed due to the oxalic or phytic acid found in these foods. Other foods may be fortified with calcium and numerous calcium supplements are available. However, calcium naturally occurring in foods is the recommended source. Absorption of calcium varies based on a number of factors, such as the amount consumed at any one time, the age of the individual, and other foods consumed including dietary fiber, phytic acid, and oxalic acid. Calcium status is also affected by the intake of vitamin D, phosphorus, and protein. Vitamin D is especially important in the absorption of calcium.


Take it how you want it. It makes me angry. I could spend hours and hours finding rebuttals against all the claims they make in just that section of the report. But I don't have enough time, and it really exhausts me emotionally.
I did however come across this blog that I LOVE LOVE LOVE about the best place to find your calcium:


Just when I thought I’d wrap this post up I found this information regarding a mom who called her school district to find out where the school lunch food came from:

The hot entrees (generally a protein and a veggie) are assembled in Berkley Ill., and made with USDA commodities. The district receives a "commodity credit" of about $700,000 annually because it participates in the National School Lunch Program. The commodities come from farms throughout the United States.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfmoms/category?cat=1680#ixzz13inDIyny

Also, the USDA requires all public schools to serve milk, and any milk alternative requires a note from a doctor. (I don't have any more words to say)

Can you seriously believe what is going on here??????????????????????????

(Take 10 deep breaths-cause I'm not done.)


Can I also mention that lactose in milk is sugar. A lot of trainers (including mine, and this trainer whose diet and fitness beliefs I like) will advise their clients to stay away from milk. On the flip side, some trainers put professional weight lifters on an increased milk intake diet to increase body mass.

ALSO: When we are born, our bodies are equipped with a lactase enzyme that is required to metabolize the milk sugar lactose. By the age of 5, for some unknown reason, our bodies have developed a partial or complete loss of this enzyme. Read more here.

EVERYTHING I have just told you is not even half of it. All the information I’m giving you mostly has come from here. Please read it. There is more you need to know, like exactly what happens to those cows on some of the farms out there. I am way too sensitive to post it. I am totally against animal cruelty. It will make you phyically sick. BUT YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON IN OUR COUNTRY. Because it affects YOU and your CHILDREN.

To sum this whole thing up… I am fed up with our government right now. (PS I LOVE AMERICA). I feel like I did after I watched Hotel Rwanda.... Just yearning to know how or what I could do to make it all better. I feel completely helpless, and that there is not enough I can do. I feel like my voice is smaller than a “Who” in “Whoville” on the little speck in the movie Horton Hears a Who.
But, you have to start somewhere right….please pass this information on and start raising your voice. We DESERVE what is best for us and our CHILDREN. Please educate yourself.
As far as milk intake goes….Do what you want, but only do it because you think it is best for you and your family, not because you’ve done it your whole life and think this is the way it has to be.

If you do decide to keep milk in your family diet.......research the facts of pasteurization and homogenization. Here's a start. I've heard that if milk is your thing....than raw milk is best, whole milk is better, and 2% is good. But don't take my word for it.....research research research.

For me and my family....we drink Almond milk. (not the added sugar kind) And we have no problem getting in or exceeding our protein, calcium, Vitamin A, Vitamin D, potassium, and magnesium. I do keep 1 gallon of milk in our home which we go through in about 2 weeks. I feel like I don't want to all of a sudden restrict it from my children's diets. I don't want it to become the thing they want because I won't let them have it. They actually ask for almond milk. Me and my husband feel like leading by example is the best approach, and our children are excellent eaters. (right mom and sisters?) I am also going to write a post on kids and eating healthy. Until then............
***Let me add, that I am not a pro, and I'm not telling you what you should or souldn't do...this is just information I have found to be very interesting, and I CHOOSE not to drink milk. Remember to decide and learn for yourself what you will CHOOSE to do. If you do decide that milk is not for you, then make sure you remember to get protein, calcium, Vitamin A&D, potassium, and magnesium from other adequate sources.
Eat Clean and Keep it Real my friends!