Really?  Who says?

Why the Dairy industry, of course.

But, humans have no nutritional need for cow’s milk.

Cow’s milk is designed to provide baby calves with the nutrients they will need to grow from 70 pounds to 1,000 in about a year. This is hardly a human goal.

But, you say, doesn’t milk build strong bones?

Thank you, Madison Avenue! Studies by independent doctors now show us that bone degeneration is almost always higher in populations consuming higher amounts of animal based foods, including dairy. For example, Yugoslavia and Singapore which had the lowest calcium intakes (about 500 to 1,000 mg/day) had lower rates of hip fractures than countries with the highest intakes (over 1,000 mg/day) such as the United States.

And it gets worse. T. Colin Campbell, in his groundbreaking work published in The China Study, states that casein, the primary protein in cow’s milk, may well be one of the most potent chemical carcinogens ever identified. He writes that cow’s milk has been linked to an increased risk for cancer, juvenile diabetes, multiple sclerosis and other chronic conditions.

One of the things that concerns me about cow’s milk is all of the hormones, antibiotics and chemicals they pump into a cow to produce more and more milk. This all shows up in the milk and if we drink it, or consume any dairy product, we are consuming all of these toxins in our bodies.

This leaves us with the big question: Where do we get our calcium?

♥  Did you know that many plants are high in healthy calcium?

For example:

• 1 ounce of almonds has 80 mg/calcium
• 1 cup of black beans has 60 mg/calcium
• 1 cup of chickpeas has 80 mg/calcium
• ½ cup cooked collard greens has 113 mg/calcium
• 1 cup of navy beans has 128 mg/calcium
• 1 cup of quinoa has 102 mg/calcium

♥  You can build a very healthy, low calorie diet on a plant based diet with grains, beans, lentils and veggies.

If you are concerned about avoiding bone loss, know that just twelve to twenty minutes of strength training or weight bearing exercise three times a week is one of the best things you can do for your bones. And look what it will do for that beautiful body of yours! Activities such as walking, aerobics, dancing, yoga, and the treadmill are all wonderful treats you can give your body and your bones.

To be honest, dairy was the hardest thing for me to give up.

After years as a Junk Food Drive-Thru Queen, I became a vegetarian. I honestly did not notice any changes in my body or weight. It wasn’t until I became a vegan that everything changed. My health, endurance, immunity and body improved in ways that were awesome. Within a month, a chronic condition I suffered from for years, IBS, disappeared. I am off most of my prescription medications, and have a super immunity – I know this because I work in a hospital and don’t get sick.

The choice is obviously yours, but I know you wouldn’t be reading this blog on health and weight loss if you were not concerned about being the best you can be and creating the most healthy and vibrant body you can. Don’t worry – there are even vegan substitutes for cheese, ice cream and milk. Nut milks are good. Coconut milk ice cream is yummy. Very different, but our taste buds change and so do things we enjoy.

Check out what I am saying. See if it resonates with you.

Watch the trailer for the DVD Forks Over Knives below. It is a life changer.

To your health!