Dairy, is it actually bad for you?

Ahhhh, dairy. Probably one of the most controversial topics in the health and nutrition world. Many people like to say, if there’s no allergy or sensitivity, eat it! Then there’s other people who like to say dairy is satan and stay away at all costs. I fall somewhere in the middle. I do agree there is no reason to completely cut it out of your diet UNLESS you have symptoms, which many people do. But I also do believe it should be consumed in small amounts. Here’s the thing, I think everything that has been put on this earth for us to eat is meant for our bodies, gluten and dairy included. The problem is that over time our gluten and dairy has changed drastically. Meaning, Americans have become so obsessed with the convenience and the monay, monay, monay, that our health is not top priority anymore. Farming has changed, manufacturing has changed, thus our health has changed and not in a positive way. Cows are injected with tons of hormones and all herded together, farming is now pesticide city, manufacturers only care about how much they're selling and not how ethically and humanely they are doing it. So what does it matter to us that these cows our getting stuffed with hormones? WE are ingesting those hormones. Consuming these hormones and antibiotics can cause a slew of problems for us. Hormone imbalance, anxiety and depression, leaky gut, skin problems, etc. etc. More and more people becoming sensitive to gluten and dairy is NOT a coincidence.

So, what can we do?

Choose quality sourcing. If you do plan to eat dairy I suggest getting raw, organic, grass fed cheese and milk. This basically means it is the closest thing to its natural state as possible. No processed bullshiz. The down side, it is expensive. This is a big reason I don’t buy it much, maybe once a month. Goat and sheep milk products are another great alternative. They are often much easier on digestion and many people who can not handle cows dairy can handle goat and sheep.

Well, what about cheese alternatives?

Cheese alternatives, in my opinion, are worse than actual dairy. Why? Because they are highly processed. Does this mean I never eat non dairy cheese? Of course not. I will occasionally eat dairy free cheeses if I’m not feeling up to real cheese but honestly, its very, very rare. When I do, I like to use brands that are nut based with minimal, clean ingredients such as, Treeline Cheese.

To wrap things up, am I telling you to never eat cheese again? I WOULD NEVER. I LOVE cheese. But, it doesn’t need to be a staple in the standard American diet no matter what the government tells you. It’s not the only source of calcium or healthy fat out there. Be choosey about your dairy and remember that everything you put in your body either feeds or fights disease.

Thanks for taking the time out of your day to read this, I hope it was insightful! Talk soon!