10 Great Reasons Why You Should Ditch Milk and Dairy Products

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Got Milk? More like, “got osteoporosis, cancer, skin and gut issues, and mucus build-up?” There are multiple reasons why you should ditch milk and dairy products, but these 10 reasons may finally just convince you to kick your habit to the curb.

Aside from the shocking actions of the dairy industry, which involve newborn baby calves being torn away from their mothers so that their mothers can be used for milk, and the baby for the veal industry (where they spend their miserable lives unable to turn around in tiny metal crates), milk can cause things like osteoporosis, cancer, constipation, diarrhea, asthma, ear infections, inflammation (i.e., arthritis), bronchitis, diabetes, high cholesterol and so much more.

“The biological purpose of cow’s milk is to support the rapid growth of a calf. Humans have no nutritional or medical need to consume the milk of cows or any other non-human species. Cow’s milk has significant levels of female hormones, and usually contains antibiotics, pesticides, saturated fat, and cholesterol — substances that definitely do NOT do a body good!” — Michelle McMacken, MD

Here are 10 shocking reasons why you should ditch the milk and dairy products, and opt for tasty nut-milks and cultured coconut yogurts and ice creams instead!

1. Contributes to extreme growth of cancer

“Casein, which makes up 87% of cow’s milk protein, is the most relevant cancer promoter ever discovered” – Dr. T. Colin Campbell, The China Study

“It appears that when individuals do not have the correct enzymes to metabolize many of the hormones naturally found in any type of cow’s milk, a glass of milk can flood the body with excess estrogen. This raises the risk of developing or accelerating the growth of existing breast cancer.” -Susan Wadia-Ells, Founding Director of Knowbreastcancer.net

“Some dairy products, such as whole milk and many types of cheese, have a relatively high saturated fat content, which may increase risk. Moreover, milk products may contain contaminants such as pesticides, which have carcinogenic potential, and growth factors such as insulin-like growth factor I, which have been shown to promote breast cancer cell growth.” -The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

There are many cases that point to the fact that milk has the potential to cause cancer, specifically breast cancer. The growth factors (specifically IGF-1, the “Miracle-Gro” for cancer cells), and hormones in cows’ milk are not only linked to breast cancer, but they are also linked to other hormone-related cancers like prostate, ovary and testicular cancer.

Whether your milk is conventional, organic or raw, it will contain these naturally-occurring reproductive and cancer-causing hormones, since cows are milked while pregnant.

2. Triggers problematic skin issues

If you want good skin, don’t eat dairy! Milk and dairy products contain inflammatory substances and growth hormones that clog your pores and cause acne, psoriasis, eczema, and dermatitis. I have heard many accounts of people quitting dairy and their skin clearing up, myself included.

IGF-1, a hormone found abundantly in milk, also triggers inflammation in the body, triggering ugly redness and swelling that makes acne so difficult. Your body also produces excess sebum (oil) upon dairy consumption, which creates a breeding ground for the P. acnes bacteria, who feed on sebum and produce inflammatory by-products.

3. Linked to chronic disease

The milk protein, casein, is not only linked to cancer, but it is linked to other chronic diseases like osteoporosis, heart disease, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, obesity, dementia, and allergies. The long-term health effects of milk and dairy consumption are often neglected, with people who fail to attribute their health woes to the one thing they can’t seem to get rid of – milk and dairy.

4. The dairy-calcium myth

The American dairy industry heavily promotes the consumption of milk as your sole source of calcium. This, is in fact, a myth. Calcium from plant foods are well-absorbed by the body, much more than calcium from dairy. 

Because dairy products are acid-forming, they literally leach minerals out of our bones.

 So if you are consuming dairy to “make your bones stronger” then you may actually be doing just the opposite.

In fact, The Harvard Nurses’ Health Study, which was conducted over 12 years, and followed over 75,000 women, found no protective effect of increased milk consumption on fracture risk. In addition, increasing calcium intake from dairy products increased fracture risk amongst those participating.

5. Lactose doesn’t digest properly

Dairy is a big reason people are chronically bloated, and suffer from digestive issues. After a human baby turns two years old, they slowly stop producing the enzyme Lactase, which is required to digest the sugar, Lactose, found in milk. So, technically, we are all lactose intolerant, but because humans continue to drink milk far into adulthood, signs of poor digestion to milk go unnoticed. Since adults have no lactase to break down milk, the undigested milk sugars end up in the colon, manifesting as bloating, nausea, cramps, flatulence and diarrhea.

6. You’re NOT a baby cow

This one is pretty straight forward. A baby cow doesn’t suckle from a human breast, a cat breast, or any other breast other than a cow breast. We also wouldn’t drink milk from a pig, a dog, or a cat, so what makes cows’ milk any different? We are the only species in the world that drinks the milk of another species. Not only that, but humans consume milk long after weaning. Think about this connection, and question if you would ever wander into a field and suckle milk from a cow. If you wouldn’t, then why are you still consuming it?

7. Makes weight maintenance difficult

The high saturated fat content in milk makes losing weight difficult. In addition, dairy products all contain varying amounts of lactose (milk sugar), and the protein in milk generates an insulin response, both of which hinder weight loss. 

When I gave up dairy my bloating went away and my waistline slimmed dramatically!

It makes sense that milk and other dairy products would do this to a human being, considering the fact that milk is designed to help “fatten up” the baby (whether human or cow or goat). Cow’s milk is designed to grow a 90 pound calf into a 2000 pound cow. But not many people recognize this, and continue drinking it despite its body-fattening effects.

8. Packed with saturated fat and cholesterol

All milk products (and all animal products for that matter) contain cholesterol and saturated fat, but cheese is one of the worst culprits. Even if you are buying “lower fat” milk products, you still aren’t doing your body a favour. In fact, a 2011 Harvard study found that the milk sugar in skim milk may make you fatter than whole milk!

9. There are much tastier alternatives 

There are SO many options to choose other than dairy! There are plant-based milks (hemp, hazelnut, oat, rice, almond, flax, and coconut), yogurts (coconut, almond), cheeses (raw cashew cheese, daiya cheese, etc.) and ice creams (ones made out of coconut are super yummy, but I prefer making my favourite – raw fruit ice cream!).

10. Cheese is un-naturally addictive 

Which is probably why it is so hard to ditch the dairy habit in the first place. People love their cheese. Whenever I ask people if they could give up dairy the first thing they say is,

“oh, I could never give up cheese. It’s just TOO good!”

Well, what if I said that your brain is actually just addicted to cheese, and that the flavour isn’t really the thing that keeps drawing you back (trust me, smell cheese after being 5 years raw vegan, you will gag).

When our body digests milk, little protein fragments called casomorphins are created, which have a strong opioid effect on the brain. So we can kind of compare cheese to heroin – dependence can develop with ongoing “administration” (or consumption in this case), which can lead to extreme withdrawal syndromes if abruptly discontinued.

Giving up cheese can be hard, but sticking to a gradual discontinuance over the period of a week to two weeks will wean your brain off the euphoric feeling it receives after eating a bunch of cheese. It only took me one week to completely remove cheese from my diet, and I never thought once about it after the fact (mainly because I felt 500x better).

Read more at http://livelovefruit.com/2014/12/why-you-should-ditch-milk-and-dairy-products/#IShKsujIbsZd4j6s.99

The 'No Shampoo Experiment,' six months later

My switch to washing hair with baking soda and apple cider vinegar was supposed to last only a month, but now I can't stop.

It has been six months since I stopped using shampoo. It all started as a short experiment when my editor asked if I’d try the ‘no poo’ method just for the month of January. I agreed reluctantly, and together with Margaret Badore, dived headfirst into the world of extremely alternative hair care. Our experiment resulted in this post: “The No Shampoo Experiment.” While Margaret went cold turkey for a month, I continued to ‘wash’ my hair with baking soda and condition with apple cider vinegar.

I never dreamed I’d still be doing it at the beginning of July, but here I am, a staunch convert to the 'no poo' method with no intentions of going back. There are so many things I love about it, and this is what I tell people who are curious about my strange hair-washing habit.

There was almost no adjustment period for me, which I think is common for people with really thick hair, or hair that is washed no more than once or twice a week. The biggest hurdle for me was psychological and getting over the fleeting smell of salad dressing in the shower as I poured vinegar over my head. (Don’t worry – it dissipates immediately and there’s no residual odour.)

My hair is getting healthier and more manageable the longer I avoid shampoo. It gets less greasy and I can go longer between washes, usually 4-5 days. It is softer, shinier, and less frizzy than before. I have fewer bad hair days, and can get the natural, loose curls I like with just a bit of coconut oil rubbed into my damp hair.

There have been only two times that I used natural shampoo instead of soda and vinegar, and that was when I travelled to Honduras and Mexico for writing assignments this spring. Both times I thought it was better not to get questioned about a strange white powder in my luggage. I saw a big difference after washing with shampoo. My hair was drier and frizzier, and it looked greasy within two days. I also noticed that my scalp was itchier after using shampoo, perhaps because the natural oils were stripped away.

I love how the no ‘poo method fits in with my quest for Zero Waste living. In six months, I’ve gone through one cardboard box of baking soda and I’m only halfway through the same jar of vinegar. There are no empty plastic bottles of shampoo and conditioner to toss in the recycling bin, nor the accompanying host of hair care products that I relied on to tame my hair.

If the no ‘poo method has intrigued you for a while, why not give it a try? You might be pleasantly surprised at the result. Here is what I do:

Measure 2 tbsp baking soda into a 500 mL/1 pint glass jar. Wet hair. Fill jar with water and stir to dissolve baking soda. Pour over head and scrub into hair. Rinse. Measure 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar into same jar. Add water, pour over head, and rinse almost immediately.

(These amounts are for long hair. If yours is short to medium length, use 1 tbsp of baking soda and vinegar in 1 cup of water. If your hair doesn’t seem clean enough once it’s dried, use a bit more soda next time.)

© Margaret Badore. Left: 20 days without shampoo. Right: After washing with baking soda.
http://www.treehugger.com/organic-beauty/no-shampoo-experiment-six-months-later.html

6 Stretches to Prevent Rounded Shoulders

 

6 Stretches to Prevent Rounded Shoulders

I can’t help but notice that a lot of young people these days have hunched/rounded shoulders and very poor posture. Take a look around you and you’ll see it, too. Look in the mirror – you may even be one of them.

I find it alarming that such young people are already getting rounded shoulders. But I guess I shouldn’t be so surprised because these days most people spend the majority of the day sitting and doing things with their arms in front of them like typing, texting, driving, playing video games, etc.

But we aren’t designed to do this – humans were made to move! When most people sit at a desk or look at their computer or phone, they drop their chin, tilt their head forward and round their shoulders. Caught you, didn’t I?! 

Other people generally at risk to develop rounded shoulders are people (especially men) who like to workout just their biceps and chest and neglect their back. If they don’t already have rounded shoulders from doing this, they are likely to get them due to muscle imbalances (another reason to work your entire body – not just the areas you want to look good). Older folks tend to get rounded shoulders from lack of flexibility, years and years of poor posture and it not being corrected. People who drive a lot get used to sitting in a position where they slump forward. Those who hold children or cook all day also are at a greater risk. Anyone sitting at a desk for a large part of the day have a much greater tendency to get the dreaded shoulder hunch. Runners and cyclists also round their shoulders due to the nature of the sport.

When you spend the majority of your time with your arms in front of you, it becomes habit for your body to round the shoulders. As a result, the muscles in the upper back and neck strain, overstretch and overwork. The chest muscles shorten, the small muscles between the shoulder blades weaken and the back muscles stretch and lengthen. Smaller muscles that are not designed to be postural muscles have to work doing a job they were not designed to do.

And all this poor posture can have a tremendous impact on our health. Poor posture causes all sorts of muscle and ligament imbalances which can lead to chronic back, neck and shoulder pain, headaches, fatigue, difficulty breathing and other more devastating health problems. If you are having pain, it’s important to see a physical therapist and/or a chiropractor who can help your muscle imbalances and align your spine properly.

When your body is aligned it means that your heels, knees, pelvis, and neck are directly stacked on top of each. Your body will not only be able to move so much more efficiently, but you will be able to carry heavier loads, tire less easily, have better digestion and will be less susceptible to injury.

The good news is that the earlier we catch our rounded shoulders and bad posture and take steps to correct it, the greater and faster the results. And if you’ve had bad posture and rounded shoulders for awhile, be patient. With gentle yoga poses and stretches like the ones below, you will start to see excellent posture results over time. You will also notice increased shoulder flexibility and less chance of shoulder injuries.

These stretches, yoga poses and exercises are very important to work into your regular training program for improved posture and to combat rounded shoulders. If you sit at a desk or have your arms out in front of you for a large portion of the day (driving, texting, typing, etc.), it’s extra important that you do these as often as you can.

6 Stretches to Prevent Rounded Shoulders:

The first 3 can be done sitting on a chair, standing, kneeling, or sitting on the floor. These are great stretches for someone with a desk or office job and can be done (and highly recommended) anytime throughout the day.

1. Back Bound Hand Pose
2. Shoulder Squeeze
3. Cow face Pose
   
   
   These 3 yoga poses are excellent for expanding and stretching the chest, strengthening and reducing tightness of the shoulders, releasing tension in the back, all which will give you excellent results for rounded shoulders and better posture.
   
   
   1. Baby Cobra Pose
   2. Bridge Pose
   3. Camel Pose

BACK BOUND HAND POSE
Squeeze your shoulder blades down and together and bring both arms and hands behind you. Grab the right elbow with the left hand and then grab the left elbow with your right hand. If this is too hard, grab your wrist or forearm with the opposite hand. Take a few deep breaths. Lift your chest and keep your shoulder blades down and back. Now repeat by grabbing your left elbow with your right hand this time.

SHOULDER SQUEEZE STRETCH
Bring your shoulder blades down and back and clasp your hands behind you. Slowly lift your arms as far as you are comfortable as you squeeze your shoulder blades together. I like to pretend there is an orange in between my shoulders and I am trying to squeeze the juice out of it by my shoulders. Breathe deeply for a few breath cycles as you are doing this stretch.

COW FACE POSE
Place the back of your left hand on your lower back and slide it up as far as it will comfortably go. Now stretch your right arm up and bend your elbow reaching behind you to grab your left hand. This is difficult, so if you can’t do it, do not worry. Just go as far as you comfortably can and over time you will get better and better. Remember to keep your chest lifted and your shoulders down and back. Hold for a few breath cycles (30 seconds or so) and then repeat sides.

BABY COBRA POSE
Lie on your stomach with your hand directly beside your shoulders. Inhale and slowly press yourself up, keeping your elbows bent. Breathe deeply for a few breath cycles and then come back down.

BRIDGE POSE
Lie on your back, knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Take a deep breath and raise your hips off the floor as high as you are comfortable going. Now draw your shoulders down and back and clasp your hands together if possible. Try to reach them as far to your feet as possible. Breathe deeply for a few breath cycles and lower your body gently to the floor.

CAMEL POSE
Kneel on the floor with your back to a chair. Keep your feet hip width apart and grasp the chair with your hands. Now push your pelvis forward and lift your chest to the sky. Breathe deeply as you keep pushing your shoulder blades back and down and keep lifting your chest as far as you can comfortably go. Hold this pose for a few breath cycles.

http://www.primallyinspired.com/tuesday-training-exercises-to-combat-poor-posture-and-rounded-shoulders/