Honestly, I never realized what a big part of my diet included milk and milk by-products, and I truly never realized how much I love that white stuff in all its many and varied forms. So why, you may ask, am I writing this lament? It isn't because I am lactose intolerant...that's the hard part. I can tolerate lactose quite well thank you very much. It's because, according to my chiropractor, milk causes inflammation. Who knew? Apparently, I didn't. My doctor delivered this information after I had pinched the L5 nerve in my back and was in so much pain I could barely walk. Apparently, inflammation and arthritis is running ruin with my spinal column rendering me structurally unsound.
However, not one to be easily duped and definitely not wanting to be parted from my substance of preference so quickly, I went to the internet to see if this alarming news could possibly be true. Sadly, it is according to this website: http://www.livestrong.com/article/348549-foods-that-cause-arthritis/ Reading this article brought no comfort whatsoever. Imagine my surprise and alarm when I discovered there are other foods I deeply love that cause inflammation and arthritis.
Listed in this article are all of my top faves: potatoes, sweet potatoes, sweet peppers, the list goes on and on and sadly, on. They described these foods as "nightshade" vegetables which led me to conjure up images of people furtively meeting in dark alleys for their veggie fix. Even beef is considered to be a culprit in the conspiracy of foods that can cause pain and swelling in our joints. It looks like my diet is about to change radically.
With that in mind, I trucked off on my weekly jaunt to the grocery store. With a heavy heart, I bypassed my favorite brand of Raisin Bran. I think I heard it sniffing as I reached for container of oatmeal and a box of something called Mixed Grain cereal with flax seed. At least it sounds healthy! According to the description, it is rich in Omega Fatty Acids, another substance my nutrition conscious chiropractor told me to take. With strength and courage, I entered the produce department and forged past the potatoes, sweet potatoes and peppers and went to the broccoli, beans and spinach. Well...at least no one can accuse me of not going green. I left the market and drove with determination past my favorite hamburger stand on the way home. I mean...why foil my all my valiant efforts in the market with a healthy...or should I say unhealthy...dose of cholesterol?
So now, here I sit at my computer, bidding a fond farewell to my delicious, but wretchedly unhealthy diet and welcome with open arms my new, healthier diet and, hopefully, pain free future.
My friend's kid is very allergic to milk, but he can tolerate raw milk just fine. Raw milk has enzymes that are killed in the pasturization process. Those enzymes help your stomach digest the milk protein. I won't drink anything but raw milk and won't let my family either. it's not healthy in my opinion. The Weston A. Price foundation has lots of good information on milk. Of course, you can't drink raw milk from industrialized farms where they are filled with unhealthy cows who never eat grass. finding a good source for raw milk is invaluable.
ReplyDeleteHi Sarah,
ReplyDeleteThank for your comments. I didn't think of raw milk simply because I didn't know any was available. However, I was under the impression that raw milk could make you sick and that's why the pasteurization process came about. I could be wrong on that. I will definitely look into it.