The Dairy Question

Before I get started, here's a quick update. Well, I've stepped off the straight and narrow a couple times. There was a Saturday night ice-cream pig-out. There were two lunches out this week during which white flour was unavoidable (I'm only human - sometimes I just gotta eat what's in front of me!). And I had a piece of homemade Boston Cream Pie at work (it was worth it!). These deviations don't worry me so much. What does worry me is not getting enough fruits and vegetables. As usual, it's easy to just rely on protein (eggs, legumes, peanut butter) and grains (i.e. unprocessed carbs, but carbs nonetheless). So, that is something that I need to work on.

As the title indicates, I'll be ruminating about milk today. I, myself, almost never drink milk. I probably eat about 1-2 servings of cheese per week. Maybe one serving of yogurt. This is not due to any noble principle, I've just never been big on dairy. I have, however, changed my intake amounts a little. I'm avoiding cheese a little more because it's processed. Not indulging in too much yogurt because it's high in sugar. I'm writing about dairy today because my three year old son has developed a real taste for yogurt. He eats it everyday for breakfast. That being the case, I have to supply him with a dairy product that I feel comfortable about him eating. My big question is, do the bovine growth hormones really pose a threat to human health?

I have been buying the Chobani greek yogurt because it contains milk from cows not treated with rBST and it has the lowest amount of sugar of all non-BST yogurts (including organics). It is totally delicious. It's also kinda pricey and I wonder if I'm being crazy and wasting my hard earned dough for a few special words label.

So, here's a quick run-down rBST. Enter Monsanto. (shudder) 'Nuff said. The following are some highlights:
-It's been banned in Japan, Europe, New Zealand and Australia.
-It makes cows much more likely to get sick (mastitis, fertility problems, lameness and more). Very bad for the cows.
-It can have lower nutritional content.
-According to wikipedia's sources, it has not been linked to cancer or disease in humans.

Now, we scratch the surface and find that, apparently, consumption of milk from cows treated with rBST is associated with higher cancer risk (theearthcenter.com, notmilk.com, the Cancer Prevention Coalition, and purefood.org reporting on the EU Scientific Community's take).

O.K. Now I've satisfied my curiosity and I will continue to only by Chobani, Cabot, Stony Field Farms, and any other yogurt maker that uses milk from rBST free cows!

The other important question is should we really be eating dairy at all. I've never liked milk and I've always been critical of the notion that cow's milk is essential for human health. There are lots of folks who say that milk is not only unnecessary, it's harmful. The Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine has a nice write-up detailing how getting calcium from milk is actually bad for your bones.

That's all good and well for me because I don't consume much dairy anyway. But, now I have to think about giving it to my son . . . I'm going to have to look into the impact of milk on other aspects of health. A subsequent blog.

What did I do today to avoid diabetes and the other big bads?
-I ate a serving of organic spinach!
-I blogged instead of stuffing my face.
That's it so far but the day is young.

Low sugar = low appetite

So, I've been at this for a few weeks now and I've very successfully avoided flour of all kinds and refined sugar. Naturally, there have been some lapses (especially over my vacation), but this is basically me off sugar. I'm starting to notice a real difference in my appetite. I notice that I'm hungry but I don't actually have much appetite. There's nothing that I especially want to eat. Not even when I consider the off-limits foods (cupcakes, cookies, candy, etc.). So, I'm eating less and I think I've lost a little weight. I am not actively restricting calories in any way. So, this (preliminary) evidence supports the standard account of the connection between sugar and appetite. Overall, I'm feeling very good on this low sugar/whole foods approach to eating. My energy levels are equal to or higher than before.

One slight problem I'm having is maintaining the high intake of fruits and vegetables. It's just so easy to rely on the protein and carbs (whole grains, rice, etc.). So, I have to make an effort in that direction.

What did I do today to avoid diabetes (and the other big bads)?
-I bought lots of great food at the market.
-I ate blueberries and blackberries (my son and I went berry picking).
-I will go running this will afternoon.

Travel Report

I've just returned from an 8 day vacation at my mom's house in the Midwest. A small town in the Midwest where "organic" doesn't exist, not at the supermarket anyway. Overall, I did pretty well. I basically avoided processed foods and, specifically, processed carbs. I did deviate from the straight and narrow a couple times (pizza and ice-cream on the 4th of July, followed by a late night snack (i.e. binge) of many slices of bread). I found it hard to be enthusiastic about the mission when I was out of my normal routine. Still, I ate a lot of fruits and vegetables, and I went running three times. Spending time in the country and interacting with several talented gardeners (like my mom) and outright farmers has inspired me to try to grow some vegetables. I'll keep you apprised of my progress!

Now I'm back at home and back on track.

What did I do today to avoid diabetes (and the other big bads)?
-I ingested no wheat flour.
-I at organic canned black beans because they have lower sodium than non-organic.
-I ate a lot of blueberries.
-I worked in the garden for about an hour (clearing the plot and turning the soil - a tad strenuous).