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Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,258
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

@hckynut wrote:

Animal lover as far back as I can remember. Lact-ovo vegetarian since mid 1970's. My choices of what I eat and drink is not, nor has ever been for reasons other than my personal health.

 

If some choose to do so because of the treatment of animals? I do what I can, directly, to keep animals from suffering. I have no illusions that my choice of food/drink or wearing apparel is going to have any impact on how industrial animals are treated. 

 

Everyone obviously can make their own choices for their own reasons, I choose to help and save animals by dealing directly with the animals, but always putting my own health as my top priority.

 

 

hckynut(john)


@hckynut

@LilacTree

 

Discussing what one eats, where one gets it, and how it comes to being per regulations is a topic that always riles folks up.  Me?  I let the rants go on and try to be as reasonable with myself as possible.

 

***

 

As a kid and teenager, we made  a number of car trips from California to Michigan.  Once in Michigan, I spent time with my grandparents and 4 pair of aunts and uncles.  My first visit to an aunt and uncle was quite memorable, as they had a huge dairy farm.  I was assigned duties having to do with milking and harvesting hay bales. (The first visit was in 1956.)

 

My uncle explained and demonstrated the milking process (this was 50 years ago).  The cows were brought into the milking barns and into a stall, where they were given hay to munch on while being milked.  My uncle soaped up all udders, washed the udders, then repeated the soaping process.  After washng, betadine was applied to each udder, then immediately the suction devices were applied to each udder.  The milk did not go into a pail or gathering vessel, it went directly through sterile tubes attached to the udder suction devices and up toward the ceiling, where they ran out of the room and emptied into a humongous stainless steel collecting basin, which kept the milk at a constant temperature until the large milk truck arrived within 2 hours to pump the milk into the hauler.  The milk was still in a "raw" state, as it hadn't been Pasteurized yet.  That would be done at the local "milk depot," for lack of a different term.

 

It was great to see this process and analyze it again when I was taking Microbiology.  I would trust my uncle's milk any day.

 

One of the posters mentioned "pus" and other contageons."  This is not the norm, as my relatives in Michigan tell me.  What I've been told is that at the first sign of inflammation of an udder, that cow is taken out of circulation, medication is applied and the cow is milked by hand, gently, and the milk tossed.

 

Please don't jump to conclusions based on questionable information.  Also, if we have been the victims of mind numbing brain washing, then we ought not to be eating anything.

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Honored Contributor
Posts: 20,570
Registered: ‎06-13-2012

I don't drink any type of animal derived milk. I love Good Karma flax milk because it tastes the closest to milk and it doesn't have taste that competes with my cereal or other things like almond milk or many of the other non-darily milks do. Plus it doesn't contain carrageenan. I still try others but so far, this is the best one I've found.  My husband does drink milk but we get our milk locally and we know how the animals are treated. It is a small operation and we can't always get milk

 

I love the Good Karma flax milk because of all the great stuff in it, low calories, free of major allergens and high in omega 3s.

 

Another good one I found is Pacific unsweetened organic coconut milk, also carrageenan free but it does have a slight, although milk, coconut flavor. It is my second favorite non-dairy "milk".  Can be used in recipes too.

 

 

Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,512
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Lilactree, I had a classmate in my Diabetes class who has gastro-my heart goes out to you.....the diet stinks and it seems that foods NOT recommended for Diabetics are high on the list. I am just throwing this idea out there because you have such major dietary restrictions....have you thought about going to a health food store or Whole Foods? You would have to ask, but many of them source their dairy and cheese from local, humanely raised antibiotic free animals. This is not true across the board and you have to ask questions, but it might be worth pursuing. One thing I am hearing a lot about these days is goat milk: allegedly, it's more easily digested and has healthy fats. It is a "Blue Zone" food and tastes really good. I have been off cows milk for a year, but I do indulge in organic Greek yogurt.  Your diet is so limited and you are losing too much weight too fast-this might be an avenue worth pursuing.

Poodlepet2

Honored Contributor
Posts: 21,845
Registered: ‎10-03-2011

I love a tall glass of ice cold milk.  There's a big dairy operation not far from us and while I know they may not be representative of many other milk producers, I can attest to how well they treat their livestock, from the feed they're given, to the sand bedding, to the milking, and pregnancy/milking rotations.  They leave nothing to chance and they take excellent care fo their cows.  Pregnant cows are not milked there.  They have a very detailed and well thought out system and believe that happy, healthy cows produce more milk.  Milk from these cows hasn't been available to the public, except at the dairy's restaurant and cafe, until last fall.  I was thrilled to find it at the supermarket.  It's more expensive than most milk, but it's all I'll drink now.  The brand is called Fairlife.  It contains more 50% more protein, 30% more calcium, and 50% less sugar than typical bottled milk.  The flavor is awesome and it has a longer shelf life than other milk.    

Honored Contributor
Posts: 18,415
Registered: ‎11-25-2011

Removing the ethical aspect, the fact is

Milk from another species is not good for us.

 

As I mentioned upthread,

 

"Many people think as long as animal products are grass fed, organic, free ranged & tucked in at night w/ a kiss on the forehead (!), they are 'healthy' or 'good for you'. It could be Unicorn milk sprinkled with fairy dust....it's not good for you. All that extra $$ spent on false advertisement. Wow."

 

Back to the ethical aspect:

 

@LilacTree has tapped into an emotion that prohibits drinking milk.  The ethical treatment of these animals caused a strong reaction.  Once you've waken up with this emotion, it's hard to turn back.  Posters giving suggestions for other animal milk alternatives is a nice gesture, but you can't change that emotion with a different animal product.  It's hard to explain but it sounds like the OP understands her actions. 

Trusted Contributor
Posts: 1,927
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

I drink unsweetened almond milk but it does not have that many calories.   I am concerned with your weight loss.

 

Are you able to eat nuts if they are ground up? Nut butters?  Sweet potato mashed?  Beans made into a soup? Something that has nutriants and will slow the weight loss? 

Do the math.
Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,512
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

From what my Diabetes classmate told me, fiber is virtually banned-which means no fresh vegetables, etc....it is an absolutely horrendous diet-and there is no getting better...I was thinking about it this morning....the nerves that innervate peristaltis-the concentric squeezing of the intestines that moves waste-is damaged. Unfortunately for me, this could be in my future, so I pay attention to things like this...I am hoping that some sort of stimulator is in development, but when you are dealing with smooth muscle and the autonomic system...well, that may be a long shot.....

Poodlepet2

Honored Contributor
Posts: 19,455
Registered: ‎12-07-2012

@JeanLouiseFinch wrote:

I love a tall glass of ice cold milk.  There's a big dairy operation not far from us and while I know they may not be representative of many other milk producers, I can attest to how well they treat their livestock, from the feed they're give, to the sand bedding, to the milking, and pregnancy/milking rotations.  They leave nothing to chance and they take excellent care fo their cows.  Pregnant cows are not milked there.  They have a very detailed and well thought out system and believe that happy, healthy cows produce more milk.  Milk from these cows hasn't been available to the public, except at the dairy's restaurant and cafe, until last fall.  I was thrilled to find it at the supermarket.  It's more expensive than most milk, but it's all I'll drink now.  The brand is called Fairlife.  It contains more 50% more protein, 30% more calcium, and 50% less sugar than typical bottled milk.  The flavor is awesome and it has a longer shelf life than other milk.    


I drink Fairlife skim milk, and agree it tastes great. I like the lower sugar. 

 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 20,570
Registered: ‎06-13-2012

@sidsmom wrote:

Removing the ethical aspect, the fact is

Milk from another species is not good for us.

 

As I mentioned upthread,

 

"Many people think as long as animal products are grass fed, organic, free ranged & tucked in at night w/ a kiss on the forehead (!), they are 'healthy' or 'good for you'. It could be Unicorn milk sprinkled with fairy dust....it's not good for you. All that extra $$ spent on false advertisement. Wow."

 

Back to the ethical aspect:

 

@LilacTree has tapped into an emotion that prohibits drinking milk.  The ethical treatment of these animals caused a strong reaction.  Once you've waken up with this emotion, it's hard to turn back.  Posters giving suggestions for other animal milk alternatives is a nice gesture, but you can't change that emotion with a different animal product.  It's hard to explain but it sounds like the OP understands her actions. 


I agree- or with suggestions on another brand of cow's milk just because the animals might be treated better. My husband really wants to wean completely off animal derived milk but he hasn't found anything he can tolerate yet (his family is huge on drinking milk, even his almost 90 year old grandma still drinks a glass or two a day) but he has cut wayyyy back on how much he drinks these days. He only drinks a glass or two a week versus one every day like he used to.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 21,845
Registered: ‎10-03-2011

Even if there is a segment of the population and who believe cow's milk is bad for you, there are those who believe it's just fine and actually very healthy.  Articles and info can be cited for either side.  If someone doesn't want to drink it, that's their business.  But if someone else wants to, it's no one's business there either.  Insulting someone for their opinion isn't going to help them change theirs to yours.