Dairy Free & Loving It
No, my life doesn't suck without dairy. And no, dairy isn't essential for healthy bones
Cow’s milk contains over 25 different molecules, which have the potential to elicit an allergic reaction. No wonder milk is repeatedly ranked among the top eight offenders for food allergies! In fact, many doctors, scientists, and health specialists recommend going dairy free as an initial test when a food allergy is suspected.
Why I Ditched Dairy:
- I was ALWAYS sick - regular sinusitis, mucus build up, a weak immune system and puffy eyes ( people thought I was sad all the time :/)
- Constipation and feeling bloated - Milk and cheese have no fiber. Milk and other dairy products contain a sugar called lactose, which can be difficult for your digestive tract to process if your body doesn't have enough of the enzyme lactase. Cheese, ice cream, and milk all contain lactose, and may cause excessive gas in people.
- The antibiotics and hormones in dairy. The mass production of milk requires cows being stressed to unnatural levels. This stress results in mastitis in the cows, which requires antibiotics, which make their way into the milk in our markets. As well, synthetic hormones such as recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH) are commonly used in dairy cows to increase the production of milk.
- Animal cruelty. Female calves are slaughtered or kept alive to produce milk, male calves are taken, chained in tiny stalls and raised for veal. And, since is unprofitable to keep dairy cows alive once their milk production declines, they are usually killed at 5 to 6 years of age (though their normal life span exceeds 20).
- Heart Disease. All that cheese and milk (and other dairy products) pack a wallop of cholesterol and saturated fat to one’s diet. A low-fat plant-based diet has been shown not only to prevent heart disease, but also reverse it. And, before you think low-fat dairy is okay, it has been linked not only to increases in allergies, but also type 1 diabetes.
- Plant - Based Calcium. Food for thought and as per science - Kale contains more calcium than milk and is better absorbed by the body than dairy. Other plant-foods boosting calcium include: beans, nuts like almonds and seeds like sesame, broccoli, collards, whole-grains, and tofu. I love my leafy greens
- Cancer Prevention. Prostate, breast, and ovarian cancers have been linked to dairy consumption. And, if you’ve read The China Study, you’re aware of the link between casein (the main protein in milk) and cancer. If not, READ it! Dr. T. Colin Campbell, professor emeritus of nutritional biochemistry at Cornell University and author of The China Study
What Exactly Is A Milk Allergy?
Although they are often muddled together in conversation, dairy allergies and lactose intolerance are quite different. A food allergy is identified as an abnormal and heightened response of the immune system to certain components (most notably proteins) within a food. In milk, the two leading allergy offenders are the milk proteins known as casein and whey. Casein is the curd that forms when milk is left to sour. Whey is the watery part that is left after the curd is removed. A food intolerance is when you develop symptoms after eating a food that your body can’t cope with effectively, but it does not involve an immune response.
How Common Are Milk Allergies?
It was previously thought that milk allergies occurred only in infants, and that the problem subsided prior to adulthood. Unfortunately, for many of us this just isn’t so. The numbers are all over the board, but it is estimated that anywhere from 2 to 7.5% of infants have an allergy to cow’s milk. Studies show that approximately 60% of infants allergic to cow’s milk will “outgrow” the allergy by the age of 4, 80% by the age of 6.
To complicate things further, it seems that it is possible for adults to develop a milk allergy with no childhood history of allergies. Another interesting fact, symptoms associated with milk allergy have the potential to morph over time.
What Are The Symptoms of Milk Allergies?
Similar to other food allergies, the majority of milk allergy symptoms can be lumped into three “reaction” categories:
Skin: Itchy, Red Rash; Eczema; Hives; “Shiners” or Black Eyes; Aphthous Ulcers (canker sores) Swelling of the Lips, Mouth, Tongue, Face, or Throat.
Digestive: Abdominal Pain; Abdominal Cramps; Abdominal Bloating; Diarrhea; Gas; Nausea; Vomiting.
What Are My Symptoms of Milk Allergies?
Respiratory: Runny Nose / Congestion; Sneezing; Watery Eyes; Itchy Eyes; Coughing; Wheezing; Shortness of Breath; Recurrent “colds”; Sinusitis.
(As noted above, these symptoms may be mild or severe and life threatening depending on your milk intake).
How Do You Know If You Have A Milk Allergy?
There are many different types of clinical allergy tests available, all with varying levels of effectiveness, but many doctors are moving towards elimination diets. An elimination diet can easily identify a negative effect to a food, whether it is an allergy, intolerance, or a pure mystery, regardless of what the individual test results say. Doctors and patients are often pleased with this method as it is simple, free, highly effective, and tailored to the individual.
My Alternatives:
Milks: Coconut milks, Almond Milks, Rice Milks, Soy milks (always organic, please), Hemp, Flax, Oat, and blends like Almond-Coconut.
Yogurts: Coconut yogurts and greek yogurts, Organic Soy, Almond.
Ice Creams: Coconut ice creams Delicious, Rice ice creams. soy ice creams, and then many nut and seed based ice creams like almond creams, hemp, and cashew. Or, make your own with my “Dreena Dazs” recipes!
& Vegan Cheeses
My Go To Restaurants in Cape Town:
- Plant
- The Hungry Herbivore
- Col'Cacchio pizzeria
- Simply Asia
http://www.simplyasia.co.za/
- Punjab Wok
- Scheckter’s Raw
http://schecktersraw.com/homepage/
Your dairy free friend
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References:
Allergy Society of South Africa, Dr M. Groenewald
Food Allergies & Other Food Sensitivities; A Publication of the Institute of Food Technologists; Expert Panel on Food Safety and Nutrition Story: Milk Allergy Can Persist After Infancy
Clinical and Experimental Allergy 1998;28:817-823; study by Dr. A. Carroccio and colleagues, of the University of Palermo http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/park/gfm11/
Milk Allergy – An Immune System’s Response to Milk Proteins, by Judy Tidwell