Dairy free for 10 years, should I add milk?

BonbonUK

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Hi,

I'm quite new here.

I'm an ex vegan, I stopped being a vegan several years ago, but have never got on well with dairy so still don't really consume it.

Would it be beneficial to drink milk again? At the moment I have a very small amount of dairy every day, such as semi skimmed milk in coffee and a small piece of feta or goat's cheese here and there, I'd love to be able to eat cheddar but it gives me heartburn :( I'm breastfeeding so worry about not getting enough calcium for either me or baby, although she just got one tooth which is healthy looking. I took a liquid calcium supplement when I was pregnant because it stopped those annoying night time leg cramps, but since having my baby I often forget to take it.

Also, I'm having a hard time with ethical issues around dairy, I think I've just seen too many of those PETA articles. I take comfort in the fact that as I live in the UK, most cows here are grass fed by default as far as I know and it is easy to find organic milk. I'm very put off by the idea of raw milk though as someone in my family died after drinking contaminated raw milk (long time ago, but still...).
 

charlie

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BonbonUK said:
post 106127 Would it be beneficial to drink milk again?
Yes.

BonbonUK said:
post 106127 Also, I'm having a hard time with ethical issues around dairy, I think I've just seen too many of those PETA articles. I take comfort in the fact that as I live in the UK, most cow's here are grass fed by default as far as I know and it is easy to find organic milk. I'm very put off by the idea of raw milk though as someone in my family died after drinking contaminated raw milk (long time ago, but still...).
Ray Peat said if he had only one choice of a food in the supermarket that he would pick milk.

Since you do not like the idea of raw, can you get milk that is just pasteurized? Or maybe even better get your own raw milk, skim the cream and make butter, cheeses and desserts and then boil the milk yourself then put it in glass jars if you are able. If I able, I would stay away from any homogenization. Otherwise just do the best you can and like Ray says find the milk that works best for you.

And when you start on the milk. Take one tablespoon with a meal or two a day and just do that for a couple two or three days. Let your body get use to seeing that milk again. Ray Peat said to start with a 1/4 cup I think it was. Basically your body needs to fire up the enzymes to start breaking down the milk, and this can take some time depending on how low your metabolism is. Or you could just be able to jump right back in it. I bet accompanying it with honey might even speed up this process. I have been doing milk and honey lately. :drool
 
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BonbonUK

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Thanks, a milk based pudding sounds appealing. I already buy pasteurized organic milk which seems good quality (no additives), semi skimmed for my husband, and whole for my daughter. I have some in coffee or use in cooking (usually the semi skimmed). I sometimes eat cornflakes (a carb source I find really easy to digest) with some kind of fake milk substitute (oat or coconut) but might be brave and start using actual milk :D
 
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BonbonUK

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jb116 said:
post 106130 hi bon, by any chance is that cheddar the yellow kind?

Yes, though I don't have a problem with lactofree cheddar. My reactions to dairy are unpredictable though, a tiny piece of cheese can give me terrible heartburn, but cheese melted into food and/or in a sauce with other food is fine (like lasagne or a tuna melt). A glass of cold milk by itself makes me feel unwell, but ice cream is usually fine. Milk in mashed potato or custard seems ok. Seems dairy processed/melted and with something is ok, but not by itself. I have no adverse reaction to sheep and goat dairy though, but am not as keen on the pungent goaty taste :D
 
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jb116

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BonbonUK said:
post 106158
jb116 said:
post 106130 hi bon, by any chance is that cheddar the yellow kind?

Yes, though I don't have a problem with lactofree cheddar. My reactions to dairy are unpredictable though, a tiny piece of cheese can give me terrible heartburn, but cheese melted into food and/or in a sauce with other food is fine (like lasagne or a tuna melt). A glass of cold milk by itself makes me feel unwell, but ice cream is usually fine. Milk in mashed potato or custard seems ok. Seems dairy processed/melted and with something is ok, but not by itself. I have no adverse reaction to sheep and goat dairy though, but am not as keen on the pungent goaty taste :D
Hmm just wondering if the anatto is affecting you when you eat the yellow stuff. But yea the combination of cheese and other food ie protein plus carb in general makes for better digestion overall nutrition.
 
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Sea

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If you are hypothyroid then you probably shouldn't be drinking milk or eating full fat cheese. Try fat free greek yogurt, cottage cheese or a very low fat cheese to get calcium.
 

Derok

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Sea said:
post 106160 If you are hypothyroid then you probably shouldn't be drinking milk or eating full fat cheese. Try fat free greek yogurt, cottage cheese or a very low fat cheese to get calcium.


what about skimmed milk? would it works the same?
 
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Sea

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Derok said:
post 106200
Sea said:
post 106160 If you are hypothyroid then you probably shouldn't be drinking milk or eating full fat cheese. Try fat free greek yogurt, cottage cheese or a very low fat cheese to get calcium.


what about skimmed milk? would it works the same?

Yea, milk has lactose and too much liquid for a hypothyroid person. There are so many better alternatives.
 
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Derok

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Sea said:
post 106207
Derok said:
post 106200
Sea said:
post 106160 If you are hypothyroid then you probably shouldn't be drinking milk or eating full fat cheese. Try fat free greek yogurt, cottage cheese or a very low fat cheese to get calcium.


what about skimmed milk? would it works the same?

Yea, milk has lactose and too much liquid for a hypothyroid person. There are so many better alternatives.

i found somewhat that being hypo (t4 is 2 in a 4-11 range i have my appointment with the endocrine doc in few days to talk about this..., my temps are low every morning too) the only diary that dont give mucus in my throat and i can abuse (and my digestive track can eat also!!)
is a 0'2% fat lactose free milk. nor raw..nor goat whole...just this milk :/.

today i eat some gluten , like 400 g(yeah pretty high being gluten free after months) and found no digestive upset after all. just flour, salt and yeast bread. i think i should space my bread comsuption, but i really need those calories. sugar was nice, but lately it gaves me mucus ( im sure is the fructose in it, im supicious i could have fatty liver after some hardcore cheese compsuption...im not trying to solve why i cant have fat or fructose :( )
 
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tara

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BonbonUK said:
post 106127 Would it be beneficial to drink milk again?
Won't know till you try. If you increase gradually, your body may rise to the challenge and produce all the digestive enzymes you need. I haven't yet got to where I can drink as much milk as I want, but many people seem to restore their ability to digest it. If one kind of milk doesn't work for you, try another kind. I seem to get away with some most days, but each time I get optimistic and ramp it up again, I get into trouble. I'm experimenting with greek yogurt now, but some peolple find too much lactic acid to be hard on them, and I've overdone it before. Personally, I get more trouble from aged cheeses and milk powder than other forms. When we are depleted, it seems our personal tolerances vary. Once metabolism is in good shape, there is a good chance you will be OK with milk.

BonbonUK said:
post 106127 I'm breastfeeding so worry about not getting enough calcium for either me or baby, although she just got one tooth which is healthy looking.
I would keep supplementing unless/until you can eat enough dairy to cover it. And get magnesium from food or supplements. Have you seen Dan's toxinless website for info about excipients in supplements etc?

Charlie said:
post 106132 And when you start on the milk. Take one tablespoon with a meal or two a day and just do that for a couple two or three days. Let your body get use to seeing that milk again. Ray Peat said to start with a 1/4 cup I think it was. Basically your body needs to fire up the enzymes to start breaking down the milk, and this can take some time depending on how low your metabolism is. Or you could just be able to jump right back in it. I bet accompanying it with honey might even speed up this process. I have been doing milk and honey lately. :drool
:1

jb116 said:
post 106159 But yea the combination of cheese and other food ie protein plus carb in general makes for better digestion overall nutrition.
:1
 
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BonbonUK

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tara said:
I would keep supplementing unless/until you can eat enough dairy to cover it. And get magnesium from food or supplements. Have you seen Dan's toxinless website for info about excipients in supplements etc?

Thanks, I'll have a look, I take osteocare which has calcium, vit D and magnesium. I was taking liquid because when I was pregnant I couldn't tolerate any kind of vitamin pills without nausea (I had to get liquid or sprays) but just switched back to tablets as I seem to be fine with them again.
 

tara

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BonbonUK said:
post 106241
tara said:
I would keep supplementing unless/until you can eat enough dairy to cover it. And get magnesium from food or supplements. Have you seen Dan's toxinless website for info about excipients in supplements etc?

Thanks, I'll have a look, I take osteocare which has calcium, vit D and magnesium. I was taking liquid because when I was pregnant I couldn't tolerate any kind of vitamin pills without nausea (I had to get liquid or sprays) but just switched back to tablets as I seem to be fine with them again.

Most tablets have tabletting aids that risk being counterproductive for health. May not matter much for the occasional thing, but for daily consumption, it may be worth looking at the ingredients of the tablets, and if they're not great, looking for more benign versions next time?
 
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Sea

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Derok said:
post 106209
Sea said:
post 106207
Derok said:
post 106200
Sea said:
post 106160 If you are hypothyroid then you probably shouldn't be drinking milk or eating full fat cheese. Try fat free greek yogurt, cottage cheese or a very low fat cheese to get calcium.


what about skimmed milk? would it works the same?

Yea, milk has lactose and too much liquid for a hypothyroid person. There are so many better alternatives.

i found somewhat that being hypo (t4 is 2 in a 4-11 range i have my appointment with the endocrine doc in few days to talk about this..., my temps are low every morning too) the only diary that dont give mucus in my throat and i can abuse (and my digestive track can eat also!!)
is a 0'2% fat lactose free milk. nor raw..nor goat whole...just this milk :/.

today i eat some gluten , like 400 g(yeah pretty high being gluten free after months) and found no digestive upset after all. just flour, salt and yeast bread. i think i should space my bread comsuption, but i really need those calories. sugar was nice, but lately it gaves me mucus ( im sure is the fructose in it, im supicious i could have fatty liver after some hardcore cheese compsuption...im not trying to solve why i cant have fat or fructose :( )

There isn't too much wrong with gluten and I agree that it is a very easy food to digest as long as it is refined white flour. I would try consuming more honey and salt and see if you can't reduce your starch consumption over time in favor of more simple sugars.
 
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michael94

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Sea said:
post 106303
Derok said:
post 106209
Sea said:
post 106207
Derok said:
post 106200
Sea said:
post 106160 If you are hypothyroid then you probably shouldn't be drinking milk or eating full fat cheese. Try fat free greek yogurt, cottage cheese or a very low fat cheese to get calcium.


what about skimmed milk? would it works the same?

Yea, milk has lactose and too much liquid for a hypothyroid person. There are so many better alternatives.

i found somewhat that being hypo (t4 is 2 in a 4-11 range i have my appointment with the endocrine doc in few days to talk about this..., my temps are low every morning too) the only diary that dont give mucus in my throat and i can abuse (and my digestive track can eat also!!)
is a 0'2% fat lactose free milk. nor raw..nor goat whole...just this milk :/.

today i eat some gluten , like 400 g(yeah pretty high being gluten free after months) and found no digestive upset after all. just flour, salt and yeast bread. i think i should space my bread comsuption, but i really need those calories. sugar was nice, but lately it gaves me mucus ( im sure is the fructose in it, im supicious i could have fatty liver after some hardcore cheese compsuption...im not trying to solve why i cant have fat or fructose :( )

There isn't too much wrong with gluten and I agree that it is a very easy food to digest as long as it is refined white flour. I would try consuming more honey and salt and see if you can't reduce your starch consumption over time in favor of more simple sugars.

I agree, I enjoy it from time to time and do extremely well following heavy exercise like soccer. Days I'm not exercising much I try to avoid starches in favor of simple sugars. Moderate amounts still seem to be fine nonetheless as long as they're taken with some protein + bit of fat to reduce insulin response.

http://jn.nutrition.org/content/136/10/2506.full


I believe there is a genetic component to how well you process starch, even after controlling for how healthy one's metabolism is
 
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