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October 20, 2008

What's milk?

Not so long ago dairies were fined for "watering"their milk . These days milk is so modified that it is almost transparent, and we are brainwashed into paying MORE for it. These milks are often reconstituted from powder, with vitamins or proteins or the latest fad added.

I'm sure you've all read about the scare in china where milk was contaminated with melamine in order to make it's protein content appear higher. Which brings me to nutrition panels. I always read ingredients, never nutrition panels. If there is an ingredient listed that I don't recognise, there's a safe bet it's not really food and I won't buy it. I really worry about our modern approach to nutrition were a food is simply to sum of it's parts (ie proteins, carbohydrates, fat, fibre). I prefer to think that food, as it naturally occurs, is perfect and full of prana, in a way that cannot be replicated in a lab.

Personally I always buy full fat milk, with nothing added. It is unhomogonised, biodynamic and organic, but costs the same as brand name low fat milk. Low fat and skim milk have synthetic vitamin A and D added because the naturally occurring vitamins are removed with the fat, but Ayurveda teaches that synthetic vitamins are not as easily absorbed by the body and lack the ability to give life in the way that natural, real, whole food does.

If you are worried about fat, you can still buy full fat milk, and just mix it half and half with water. Or better still, buy your milk unhomogonised and you'll be able to skim the fat off the top yourself and feed it to the vata person in your family.

More on milk here.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I remember when I was growing up in India, only one type of milk was available - non-homogenized pasteurized milk from the local co-op other than the cow's milk that we can get from the local milkman. Simpler and guess, healthier times and wish we could just go back to that!

Julia said...

A-kay, that is my wish too!

Anonymous said...

I am your new blog fan :-) I COMPLETELY AGREE with what you just said. Eat food that know their roots (eat food that know where it came from) is my Mantra. Hard to follow these days. Especially when you are settled in a foreign land (read: America) You really dont know whats right and whats wrong! I so wish I could get up at 4 am and get my milk fresh from the cows next door (good old days in India!!)

Julia said...

It is hard!

I have been wishing for a goat (even though I only have a small suburban garden) so I could have fresh milk every day. And then for Christmas my employer gave me a goat! Well, he gave a goat to a woman in India on my behalf. But, in some way, our prayers are always answered.

I'll have to be a bit more specific next time in order to ensure my fresh milk supply...

Very happy to meet you Purvi!