vegetarian trying to give up dairy--need support! - Page 2

[Viriditas]

I'm coming in on this thread kind of late, but I don't eat any dairy and the only soy I eat is tempeh (which I LOVE) and occasionally edamame. I am hooked on raw almond milk, which I use in smoothies and cereal, or just drink on its own. Just blend a cup of soaked almonds with 4 cups of water, strain through cheese cloth or a nut milk bag (actually, I use a rolling pin cover) and either drink plain or mix with a little vanilla and maple syrup. This is very rich and creamy and the taste is heavenly! Blend with frozen bananas for the most amazing banana milkshake you've ever had.

I used to eat a lot of dairy before going vegan. I must say that I feel SO much healithier now. I don't even miss cheese or ice cream anymore. And there was a time where I drank 2 gallons of milk a week by myself. If you can get through the transition time and you really want to do it, it's not that hard. Good luck!

[notamommayet]

viriditas: how long do you soak the almonds before you blend them? and is blending almonds really hard on your blender?

mz: that coconut milk w/ papaya juice sounds GREAT! do you just buy canned coconut milk? what brand(s) do you like?

HerthElde: so even organic 1% and 2% contain powdered milk? (although the kind i like, Organic Valley, is apparently ultrapasteurized )

so it seems from what i've been reading from all of you is that the less processed, the better, and some people have been suggesting whole milk products. i have been so trained, since both of my mother's parents had heart attacks when i was a kid, that low-fat is better, and i drink 1% and eat lowfat yogurt (all organic). if you're eating a healthy, whole foods diet, do you not need to worry as much about full-fat products? or are organic, full-fat products just not that bad for you in the first place if you're not eating a diet of hamburgers and french fries?

[UUMom]

Originally Posted by tug

how do they choose the sex? abort the males?

They use female sperm. This is a newer technology- I think since about '99. But farmers have been buying semen for a long time. It's a way to get the genetic stock you want.

The males of milking cows are proably raised as beef cows. Perhaps they are sold if it's a milk farm only. I would imgaine a farmer would want to make money from a cow he can't keep.

[kavamamakava]

Most foods are balanced for digestion and proper nutrition absorption in their natural state. Milk is a good example. The fats in milk (especially when not homogenized) help you absorb the vitamins in it.

[mz_libbie22]

Originally Posted by notamommayet

mz: that coconut milk w/ papaya juice sounds GREAT! do you just buy canned coconut milk? what brand(s) do you like?

so it seems from what i've been reading from all of you is that the less processed, the better, and some people have been suggesting whole milk products. i have been so trained, since both of my mother's parents had heart attacks when i was a kid, that low-fat is better, and i drink 1% and eat lowfat yogurt (all organic). if you're eating a healthy, whole foods diet, do you not need to worry as much about full-fat products? or are organic, full-fat products just not that bad for you in the first place if you're not eating a diet of hamburgers and french fries?

Yeah, I get canned Thai Kitchen organic coconut (regular, not lite).
I made a smoothie last night too with that and a really ripe banana and a few frozen strawberries. That...... was.... gooooood.... And for breakfast I had an avocado pureed with coconut milk, with grated coconut meat, stevia, and chopped walnuts.

I have been eating a very "fatty" diet recently, ever since I discovered how much energy it gives me. I eat lots of avocados, full fat dairy, coconut products, almond butter, eggs, etc. every day. FYI, I weigh 100 pounds and haven't gained an ounce by increasing the fat in my diet. I've really cut down on grains too though which helps. IMO fat is very healthy, especially saturated and monounsaturated, I don't consider reduced fat products to be whole foods.

[callmemama]

If you're concerned about the health aspects of cow's breastmilk, I would encourage you to read The China Study by T. Colin Campbell (published 2005). The author is a biochemist specializing in the effects of nutrition on the body. Let's put it this way, he doesn't drink cow's breastmilk anymore, and he eats a whole-foods, plant-based diet! I don't drink any type of milk. I do use soy milk (or rice or almond) for cooking. In my opinion, soy is a legume, just like any other. And we eat a wide variety of legumes! You can make soy milk (or rice or almond) at home with soybeans (...) and water if you're concerned about it being overly-processed!

Its my understanding that its the carbs that gives us energy, not the fats or proteins...

[HerthElde]

Originally Posted by callmemama

Its my understanding that its the carbs that gives us energy, not the fats or proteins...

Well, I've only got about two years of biochem classes under my belt (switched majors), but from a conventional biochemistry perspective, carbohydrates give short bursts of energy, and proteins longer more level energy. They all have different functions. Carbohydrates are made up of different types of simple sugars which break down and essentially power the body functions. Proteins are made up of amino acids, which are the building blocks of DNA and RNA, and are essential for continued function and reproduction of the cells. Fats are the building blocks of cell membranes which regulate the fluids into and out of the cells. Many vitamins are fat soluble and many are water soluble. The fat soluble vitamins can only be obtained by ingesting fats. How much or how little of each macronutrient, its role in connection/synergy with the other macronutrients and the effects that these all have from the cellular level up to the level of the organism are issues that will probably continue to be debated for a long time in scientific as well as holistic circles. My personal belief is that people should do their own research, not based on what other people's conclusions in research papers have been, but drawing their own conclusions based on variables present and missed in certain research and the actual data obtained in the study.
I'll definitely have to read The China Study, I'm even more curious now. I do have a question for you though (although I'll probably read it anyway): do the studies in question take into account variables such as where the animal was raised (outside or in a pen/cage), whether it was routinely given vaccines, hormones and antibiotics, what it ate (grains or its natural diet), etc or is all milk protein, for example, considered equal? Even organic milk is a far cry from biodynamic. What about preparation - whether it was pasteurized or unpasteurized, whole or lowfat, processed in some other way, habitually eaten with something containing some additive or other (like MSG), etc? Or, in the case of eating meat, is it taken into account how the animal was slaughtered and what fear hormones may be present in the muscle meat given the circumstances? And what about the physiological differences in the study subjects themselves, their general health and wellbeing in relation to other factors occuring in their lives, their constitution at the beginning of the study, etc?

[melissa17s]

HerthElde, much of the China Study is done on human subjects not rats. The findings with the rats lead to more extensive research with human subjects that were on a traditional Chinese diet (of course this varies from region to region) very little of our Western farming practices play a role.

A sympton of people on a high protein, low carb diet is tiredness because protiens do not function as a sufficient source of energy that is not their purpose. Complex carbohydrates (fruits, veggies, whole grains) give energy over long periods of time and simple carbohydrates (refine sugars, white bread, and any carb stripped of most of its nutrients) are the carbs that give the short bursts.

I agree that fats and protein are important to the diet, but I think that the source of the fats and proteins are important. I still eat small amounts of cheese because when I stopped, I could not keep my body weight up while nursing. As dd nurses less, I have been cutting back my dairy, so now it is very little of what I eat. I rely on on beans, grains, and even some plants for protein because they are a richer source than most people credit them.

mz_libbie22, we were at a restaurant the other night and had a mango lassi made with coconut milk. Sounds similar to your papaya... I love the coconut milk; we use it a lot when we cook SE Asian foods. You might enjoy some of the Nonya/Peranakan desserts because many use coconut milk.

[UUMom]

I need some fat in my diet to counteract the headaches i get if I eat an overabundance of (complex) carbs. When I was vegetarian I always felt better when I used olive oil and avo-- things like that.

[mz_libbie22]

Originally Posted by UUMom

I need some fat in my diet to counteract the headaches i get if I eat an overabundance of (complex) carbs. When I was vegetarian I always felt better when I used olive oil and avo-- things like that.

As far as I know, combining fats and carbs lowers the glycemic index of the carb food. Fat slows digestion.


I'm kind of confused about the subject of energy from carbs/fats/protein. Don't people get their energy from calories? Sorry if I sound totally clueless :LOL

[UUMom]

I am not a nutrtionist, so I will elave the explaination to someone who is. I feel less headachey when I combine them. Pure carb meals aren't something I do.

I also feel a bit fuller longer with some protein & fats.

I also find that my children seem to be more even-keeled when they have a good delping of protein and not just pure carbs.

[KJP_starmama]

My suggestion would be to give up some, but not all, dairy products and see if that makes a difference in how you feel. I think it's hard to make dramatic changes and keep at them. Moderation is a good thing, though this board kinda scares me sometimes because it has such an all-or-nothing tone to it.

I feel a lot better since I no longer drink cow's milk. I do occasionally have cheese and very very occasionally have some ice cream or butter. Since stopping the cow's milk, I no longer get canker sores or bad acne which used to bother me.

I use soy milk in cooking, and Rice Dream on my cereal (and I think it tastes really good!). It takes some time to get used to dairy alternatives, but some of them are good once you adjust to the taste. I haven't gotten on the bandwagon as far as anti-soy, because I haven't noticed any problems in how it makes me feel.

[yeni]

: