Today you will learn about why you shouldn’t consume dairy products and how to prepare some plant-based dairy alternatives including milk, cheese, and curd.
What’s wrong with milk
Milk is not a natural food for adult humans as all mammals produce milk for the same reason: to feed their newborn offspring until they are able to consume their natural food. Cows are no exception—and you are not a calf!
Watch this video by Dr. Nandita Shah to learn more about why you shouldn’t consume dairy products once you’ve been weaned off your mother’s milk.
Key Points
- Milk contains growth and other hormones like estrogen and progesterone that cause weight gain and breast and prostate cancers.
- 65 percent of the milk in India is adulterated. Watch a video about how milk is made without a cow.
- Cows in urban areas do not have grass to eat, so they eat garbage—including plastic bags. Watch The Plastic Cow documentary to learn more.
- A research study by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) reported pesticide levels in Indian milk to be 570 times more than the permissible limit.
- Milk is preserved with urea, which is toxic to kidneys. Kidneys are already compromised in many diabetes cases.
- Milk promotes diabetes. If the only change you make is cutting out all dairy, your blood sugar levels will still go down.
Frequently asked questions
Get answers to frequently asked questions about quitting dairy.
How will I get enough protein and calcium if I’m not consuming dairy?
Milk is not the best source of calcium and protein as is commonly believed. You will learn more about the best sources of calcium and protein in week three.
Why do Ayurvedic doctors recommend milk and ghee if it’s bad for me?
Ancient Ayurvedic texts referred to milk as a “white poison” and recommended that milk only be used as a medicine, not as food. Ayurveda recognizes milk as a mucous forming substance. Today, Ayurvedic doctors are in the same paradigm as the rest of our society. Also today Ayurveds use many heavy metals in their medications, which can be very dangerous if absorbed. Milk and ghee prevent the heavy metals from being absorbed by forming a protective mucus lining in the digestive system.
Why don’t other doctors tell me that milk is one of the causes of diabetes?
Most doctors don’t receive nutritional training, so they’re getting their information about milk from the same place you are: advertising and tradition. Numerous scientific studies and research have indicated that milk is harmful for health; there’s very little scientific evidence that corroborates the benefits of consuming milk.
Today you’ll learn how to prepare some plant-based alternatives to dairy including plant-based milk, cheese, and curd.
Milk alternatives
Watch these video by Nandini Gulati to learn how to prepare soy, almond, and coconut milk—delicious alternatives to cow’s milk.
Soya & Peanut Milk
KEY INGREDIENTS
For Soy Milk
- 1 cup soyabeans soaked overnight
- 1 litre water
For Peanut Milk
- 1 cup peanuts soaked overnight
- 1 litre water
Almond Milk
KEY INGREDIENTS
Almond Milk:
- 1 cup almonds soaked overnight
- 1 litre water
Coconut Milk
KEY INGREDIENTS
Coconut Milk:
- 1 cup grated coconut tightly packed
- 1 litre water
Cheese alternative
Watch this video by Nandini Gulati to learn how to prepare cashew herb cheese—a delicious alternative to cheese made with animal-based milk.
KEY INGREDIENTS
Cashew Herb Cheese:
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh, finely-minced herbs such as dill, basil, and parsley (or 1 teaspoon dried herbs)
- ½ teaspoon chopped or grated garlic
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste (optional)
Curd alternatives
Learn how to prepare peanut – rice curd—a delicious plant–based alternative to curd made from cow’s milk.
Peanut Rice Milk
Curds
KEY INGREDIENTS
Peanut-rice Curd:
- 3/4 cup peanuts
- 1/ cup rice
- 1 litre water
- Curd starter or 7- 8 green chili stalks (with a little chili left on it) as a starter
Watch this testimonial of Pradeep Shah who attended the June 2016 21-day Health Retreat. He never knew that dairy meant depriving a calf of its mother’s milk. But he also found that there were wonderful alternatives to everything. He is happy that now he is not missing out on anything, and yet not doing any harm to anyone!
“I have stopped dairy products and my health has improved a lot. And there is no deprivation what so ever!”
1. Neal Barnard: What the Dairy Industry Doesn’t Want you to know
2. Film: Plastic Cow
How plastic affects the ‘holy’ cow and the sorry state of the animal in India.
3. Adulteration of milk (Hindi)
4. The Horrors in the Indian Dairy Industry
