“I’m always telling people that the only thing milk is supposed to do is turn a fifty-pound calf into a three hundred pound cow in six months. ”  

Marilu Henner, Healthy Holidays

Do you need more reason to kick dairy to the curb?  Okay.  How about this?

Blood is found in nearly all cow’s milk

Infections on a cow’s udders are common, requiring ointments and antibiotics.

Penicillin is commonly found in samples of cow’s milk.

Insulin-like growth factor, (IGF) found in cow’s milk, has been associated with breast, prostate, colon, and lung cancer.

Cow’s milk and dairy products are linked to heart disease.

Bovine growth hormones, or BGH, tend to enlarge a cow’s udders to such and extent that they drag on the ground, leading to mastitis.

The list goes on and on.  Join the conversation here at Marilu.com and learn how you can improve your health by eliminating dairy from your diet.  http://www.marilu.com/becomemember.php

Dairy has been connected to a variety of illnesses diseases and ailments.  It’s purpose in nature is to nourish a different species, and even then, only in infancy. Here’s some more compelling evidence that might just motivate you to ditch the bovine slime.

During the month of October it’s likely that you’ll see more pink ribbons than ever.   We’re thrilled to see that awareness raised !!

Here at Marilu.com we’re all about health.  This is NOT a celebrity diet.  This is a way of life that will help you to avoid disease and enjoy good health so we encourage you to not only donate to worthwhile causes, such as breast cancer research, but to also learn all you can.

Learn about the charities to which you donate.  Are you buying a product because a percentage of the proceeds will got to charity?   Check the fine print to see if there is a cap on that donation.  It’s possible that they’ve already given all they’re going to give and the charity would be helped more by writing them a check directly.  If it’s an edible product read the ingredients.  The first line of defense starts with YOU .

A plant based diet will protect you from cancer as well as heart disease, diabetes and a host of other diseases and conditions.

“While scientists are hard at work searching for specific breast cancer-fighting compounds, the safest approach is to apply what we already know: Diets that are highest in a variety of plant foods and stay away from heavy oils, meat, and dairy products, help prevent a great many diseases. The earlier in life we start, the better.”

— Dr. Neal M. Bernard

The Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine is petitioning the federal government to stop requiring milk in the National School Lunch Program.  Below is a portion of an interview explaining the reasons behind this petition.

“Milk doesn’t make children grow taller and stronger, but it can make them heavier,” says PCRM nutrition education director Susan Levin, M.S., R.D. “We are asking Congress and the USDA to put children’s interests above the interests of the dairy industry. Focusing on milk as the single most important source of calcium in children’s diets distracts schools and parents from foods that can actually build bones, like beans and leafy greens.”

You can read the full article here:  http://pcrm.org/media/online/aug2012/stop-dairy-industry-from-milking-school-lunches

After you’ve learned the facts join the discussion.   Back-To-School means it’s time to talk about nutrition.  Learn how other parents are addressing this important issue at Marilu.com

Dairy free is easier than ever !   Here’s an easy breakdown from The Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine:

As an encouragement to get started on a plant based lifestyle we’d like to challenge everyone to try living dairy free for three weeks.  Here’s a helpful and delicious tip to help you do that.  Include fresh pineapple in your menu every day for the next three weeks.  What says “summer” better than a fresh plate of tropical fruit at breakfast.  The bromelain in pineapple is especially helpful to digestion, particularly digesting that nasty dairy that’s still in your system. 

Please post and let us know how you’re doing.  We’re here to help!!

You’re just beginning your health journey, you’ve ditched the milk and you’re ready to get your calcium from other sources.  You may be struggling with that ingrained mindset that you were adding calcium every morning when you poured milk over your cereal, or into your child’s sippy cup.

Well you can still have that pour and now it can really count towards your calcium intake.  Most dairy substitutes are fortified with calcium, some contain even more than we typically find in cow’s milk.  And of course they’re from plant sources so the calcium is more easily assimilated by your body and won’t cause acidity.  In other words….you’re actually getting the benefits of the calcium!

Silk soymilk boasts 50% more calcium per serving than cow’s milk.   Their chocolate almond version contains 45% of your daily calcium requirement as does Almond Breeze unsweetened almond milk.

We’re not endorsing any particular brands or varieties.  These numbers are just for comparison, but we would urge you to taste test different brands for yourself.  There’s a wide variety on the market.  Compare labels and choose for yourself.

Are you concerned about where you will get your calcium when you give up dairy?  The truth is, calcium from animal sources may be plentiful but it’s not easily assimilated by humans.  In fact the role of calcium in the body is to neutralize acid, while most dairy products are extremely acid forming.  To quote Harvey and Marilyn Diamond in Fit for Life; “The irony is that people are consuming dairy products for calcium, and the existing calcium in their systems is being used to neutralize the effects of the dairy products they are eating.”

You can avoid the “two steps forward, three steps back” cycle that dairy creates by turning to plant based sources for your calcium:

kale

broccoli

collards

tofu

soy nuts

calcium fortified juice

calcium fortified, soy, rice and almond milks

Marilu has recipes in all of her Total Health Makeover books that will supply all the calcium your body needs with none of the detrimental effects associated with dairy consumption.  And here at Marilu.com the website is always being updated with new recipes added all the time.  Mango Cream?  Vegan Pavlova?    It’s all here !

There are two ways to look at Monday….a “back to the grind” mindset, or a chance for a fresh start.  This could be the week that you get to bed a half hour earlier, plan your meals a little bit better, and take the stairs.  Are you thinking about making a change in your diet and lifestyle?  Want to know where to start? 

 Marilu recently tweeted the follwing: “If there’s one thing I recommend for living right it’s giving up dairy!”

We can help.  Here at Marilu.com we’re all about supporting one another, sharing our experiences, tips, struggles and success.  We’d love to have you join the discussion.  http://www.marilu.com/becomemember.php

NY Times columnist, author, and famous foodie, MARK BITTMAN recently gave up dairy.  The results were both dramatic and immediate !   Read about it here: http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/07/got-milk-you-dont-need-it/ 

What have you got to lose?  (Besides your upset stomach, acid reflux, acne, indigestion, constipation, bloat and double chin?)