Dairy free

EDIT: DAIRY FREE IS HARD!  Just this morning I had a good cry in front of my fridge because what I wanted to make for dinner had cream cheese in it.  I have days where I "quit caring".  On those days I let J and C eat what they want.  For the most part it isn't an issue but there are ALWAYS things that they want (like chocolate) that has dairy in it.  The only problem is that the next 3 days are miserable.  They don't feel good and it's totally not worth it.  Some days I hate it, other days I'm glad I have a solution for a seemingly unsolvable problem. 

source

"Got Milk"

It's statement our entire nations knows.  You hear those two words and an image of some movie star with a milk mustache comes to mind... But is milk really good for you.  Are dairy products all that they are cracked up to be?  I have spent countless hours reading anything I could get my hands on with regards to dairy products.  The things that I've learned have changed me and my family.  It has changed the way we eat and the way we live our lives. When I decided that as a family we needed to go Dairy free it was SO hard.  J has a dairy, soy, and coconut intolerance   So for him, it isn't an option.  He has to eat the way he does for his own health.  For the rest of us, it was optional.  But really to what extent.  I didn't want to have to cook 2 different dinners because J couldn't eat it and then I also didn't want him growing up feeling left out and different from the rest of us. Then I remembered a friend has told me about something called the Milk letter.  I searched for it and read it multiple times... I was blown out of the water.  Everything I grew up believing in one simple (well rather long) article went out the window.  I read things I'd never thought about.  Things that when I read them made PERFECT sense... Like this part 

"If you really want to play it safe, you may decide to join the growing number of Americans who are eliminating dairy products from their diets altogether. Although this sounds radical to those of us weaned on milk and the five basic food groups, it is eminently viable. Indeed, of all the mammals, only humans--and then only a minority, principally Caucasians--continue to drink milk beyond babyhood."   

To me becoming dairy free seemed like a HUGE feet.  In my opinion it was in everything good.  Cake, ice cream, pasta sauces, bread, and countless other things.  The problem is that I've known for a while that dairy and my body don't exactly get along.  When I eat large amounts I break out in hives.  For years I've dealt with hives after eating Italian food or Ice cream and didn't think that much about it.  It was just something that happened and I deal with it.  Then I was shown a documentary called Forks Over Knives.  EVERYTHING that I thought I knew about food and what I was feeding my family went out the window.

We started by making small changes.  We are 90% dairy free (we will occasionally have cheese on things because there isn't a great cheese substitute).  I'm not going to sit here and tell you it's been easy.  It's been the hardest thing I've done in a long time.  BUT with that said... we have noticed a difference.  I haven't had hives in weeks either!
Here is something else to think about from the Milk Letter.  It really makes perfect sense to me.

"Milk is not just milk. The milk of every species of mammal is unique and specifically tailored to the requirements of that animal. For example, cows' milk is very much richer in protein than human milk. Three to four times as much. It has five to seven times the mineral content. However, it is markedly deficient in essential fatty acids when compared to human mothers' milk. Mothers' milk has six to ten times as much of the essential fatty acids, especially linoleic acid. (Incidentally, skimmed cow's milk has no linoleic acid). It simply is not designed for humans. Food is not just food, and milk is not just milk. It is not only the proper amount of food but the proper qualitative composition that is critical for the very best in health and growth. Biochemists and physiologists -and rarely medical doctors - are gradually learning that foods contain the crucial elements that allow a particular species to develop its unique specializations."

So... In order to prove to everyone that there is still tasty things to eat without eating dairy products I'm going to post my favorite desert.  J downs this like you wouldn't believe it!

Raw Chocolate Pudding
1 lg. avocado
1 c. soaked raw cashews
1/4 c. coconut oil (can be replaced with low heat sesame oil)
1/2 c. agave nectar or raw honey
1/2 c. raw cacao powder
1 TBS vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 c. water (or more to reach desired consistency)
Soak nuts for 4 hrs, then rinse and drain. Put all ingredients in high speed blender and blend until smooth. Taste and add additional honey or agave for sweetness or cacao powder for chocolate. Add one Tablespoon extra water at a time and only add as much as necessary to blend!  Serve with fresh strawberries or my favorite is blackberries.

Diet changes are key in healing our bodies.  While Foot Zoning can do amazing things to help our bodies heal themselves small progress will be made while we continue to put bad food into our bodies.  So I'm going to do something to educate you (my clients and readers) about the healthy way we should all eat.  

I'm going to call it FOOD FRIDAY.

I'll be posting anything from healthy recipes to benefits from eating certain foods.  I'm really looking forward to it!  Hope you are too!  As always, any questions or concerns that you have don't hesitate to leave a comment or shoot me an email.  innersoles01 at gmail dot com