Dr. Mom Online

In our practice, I hear a lot of confusion and misunderstanding surrounding the issue of milk & dairy.

It’s no wonder! Even the most trustworthy, up-to-date health experts often contradict each other. Some say that there’s no evidence that we genetically require milk products, therefore we should not be consuming them. Others have a little softer approach and caution us to avoid cow’s milk products, instead opting for goat’s milk since we are more physiologically similar to a goat than a cow.

I think I should take offense to that!

Then there’s another rather obvious issue that deserves some respect: What are we doing consuming the milk of another species… long after we’ve been weaned?? Whoever sold us on *that* idea was a genius!

Either way, truth-telling nutrition experts all agree that modern day conventional dairy is a toxic nightmare… and THAT should definitely be avoided.

Some people appear to have a lower tolerance to milk products. Again, some experts would say, “Duh! It’s because NONE of us are supposed to be consuming that stuff! You’re just expressing your symptoms of this obvious rejection more overtly!”

That’s not what we’re told though!

The low tolerance to milk could be because a person lacks the enzyme that digests the sugar in milk – lactose. The enzyme is lactase. All baby mammals make lactase, but the production of the enzyme declines after weaning. (See?!) Sometimes the production stops all together.

Researchers have claimed that it’s actually a mutation or a recessive gene that causes some of us to continue producing lactase into adulthood. In other words, it’s not the “norm”. Approximately 30-40% of the adults on the planet produce lactase.

The other issue many people have with milk products is a sensitivity to (“allergy”) a protein found in milk – casein. Casein is a very difficult protein for the body to assimilate and digest. However, there are certain traditional practices that make the process more tolerable. For example, the practice of souring or fermenting milk is common in all traditional groups who consume much dairy.

The process allows partial breakdown of lactose and helps to predigest the casein. You might recognize some of the end products as yogurt, kefir and clabber. These milk products are typically more tolerable due to the traditional processes they’ve been through – unless they’re the conventional versions sold in supermarkets today… loaded with sugar, artificial colors and sweeteners, and toxic processed milk! Then, although they may not cause you to experience the typical symptoms of lactose or casein intolerance, you’ve got some bigger toxic issues to overcome now!

Butter and cream are usually tolerated well in their natural states even by those who have intolerances, since they contain very little lactose or casein. Better yet, soured or fermented butter and cream are easier on the digestive system.

Clarified butter or ghee is a form of butter in which the milk solids have been removed. This is the most appropriate form for anyone with extreme intolerances. (I’ll talk about how you can make your own clarified butter…)

“What about cheese and yogurt?” I’m often asked.

Keep it REAL and keep it CLEAN. The safest and most nutritious dairy products are raw, unpasteurized, non-homogenized and come from naturally grazing animals that aren’t raised on drugs!!

If we’re eating and drinking chemically polluted, nutritionally void milk products from cows, goats or other livestock raised on drugs and fed low quality toxic foods… how could we ever claim that all our “problems” with milk products are due to the milk alone?! It could be a pure lactose issue… or it could be a “modern day conventional food is usually poisonous junk” issue! Or, a combination of the two.

Common sense tells us that, if we’re going to consume dairy, you’ve got to be choosy and pay attention to how your body responds.

Cheeses made from RAW milk are more easily digested than those made from pasteurized milk since they contain a full complement of enzymes. Many imported cheeses are raw and are very good quality compared to the common, conventional processed cheeses. Look for the words “milk” or “fresh milk” on the label if you don’t see “raw”.

Yogurt follows the same rules – when possible, look for WHOLE milk yogurt that’s low in added sugars and artificial garbage, and comes from safe, clean, traditional sources. That’s not always easy to find. Depending on how seriously you take your yogurt (or kefir) consumption, you can always make your own! (I’ve seen instructions on YouTube and various other places.)

Anyhow, since real butter is such a powerhouse of nutrition, supplying critical fat soluble vitamins that aren’t as readily available in our modern day diets, I wanted to make sure you knew how to make your own “Clarified Butter”. If anyone in your family is unable to tolerate milk protein (casein) even in the smallest amounts, you’ll want to know this. Clarifying is the process of removing the small amount of casein contained in the butter fat.

Clarified Butter Recipe
Makes 3/4 cup

Set the oven at 200 degrees.
Start with 1 cup (or 1/2 pound) of real butter.
Place the butter in a small bowl in the oven for 1/2 hour.
As the butter melts, foam will rise to the top and form a crust. Carefully skim off the crust.
In order to remove every trace of milk solids, you can line a strainer with cheese cloth and pour the mixture through.
Store the clarified butter in a tightly covered jar in the refrigerator.

Enjoy! You can use the clarified butter for cooking at all temperatures since it’s a stable fat and the milk solids won’t cause the common ‘burn off’, and you can enjoy it for spreads and so on.
By the way, I’m in the middle of the two strong viewpoints regarding the necessity of dairy in our diets. I understand that our healthy hunter/gatherer ancestors apparently didn’t consume dairy… and that our genes have remained essentially unchanged… therefore, we don’t require dairy in order to be healthy. Also, there are still cultures living today that don’t consume much (or any) dairy. Yes… they LIVE to tell about it!

On the other hand, there are many cultures around the world that regularly consume dairy AND are quite healthy. They use the traditional methods I’ve mentioned to keep their dairy products safe and maximize the nutritional value.

I don’t think we “need” milk products, but I still find myself using some. I’m careful of the quality I choose.

We don’t drink milk. Once in awhile, I might purchase some raw milk and use it in recipes. But then I can go for weeks without using it at all. Other times, I’ll purchase raw buttermilk or cream for recipes, too. When I can find an acceptable source for whole milk yogurt, I buy it. We used to consume a lot more yogurt and kefir than we do now.

The dairy product that we consume the most is butter. I love to cook with butter and add it to freshly steamed veggies for additional health benefits.We also eat raw organic cheese in several of our favorite recipes. This is probably because I’m not creative enough in the kitchen to come up with other recipes that don’t have cheese in the ingredients!

So, as a mom, I certainly don’t “push” milk  on my kids at all. Truth be told, they’ve never had a glass of milk. (I’m sure the conventional food police will knock on my door anytime now!) I’m not worried about CALCIUM either. They get plenty from a naturally balanced diet, especially from foods like dark leafy greens, almonds, and particularly from homemade soups when I make my own stock – using bone. (I’ll post a recipe for stock here sometime soon!)

For healthy breakfast, lunch and snack ideas for your kids, check out The Healthy School Days Menu. Kid tested, Dr. Mom approved!