High Off Milk

“Milk- it does the body good.” 

Or so the commercials used to say. I guess I’m dating myself. But anyways if you’re lactose intolerant or going pure paleo, or trying to avoid all the sugar and other bad stuff in cow's milk, then cow's milk does not do your body so good. I feel hemp milk is the best - details to follow.

Alternatives to milk are goat milk, camel milk, nut milks, rice milk, soy milk, coconut milk, and hemp milk. Disclaimer: There may be more of course. I’m not a milk expert.

Goat milk is SUPER tasty, especially goat yogurt and goat cheese!! Two of my food loves. (I specifically recommend this brand of goat yogurt). 

Camel milk is tasty if you like whole milk, and apart from having more benefits than cow's milk it is also easier to digest because it is the closest animal milk to human breast milk. It is also excellent for diabetics, and there is some evidence it may improve symptoms of autism. Some cafes in Dubai even serve it in their coffees regularly. If you want to try, a great U.S. company that I've used that has both raw and pasteurized camel's milk is Desert Farms.  

But if those are still upsetting you, or still too animal based, you could try rice milk. Personally, I find rice milk a bit too watery and it doesn’t taste good in coffee or tea IMHO. Tastes like rice in tea. Bleh.

I’m not really a fan of soy. It has its risks and benefits so I’m not anti-soy per say, I will eat high-quality tempe or tofu once in a blue moon if that, but I’m not a fan of soy in products.

Then there’s coconut milk which while tasty, and fine for cereal and baking, to me it still falls short if I’m adding it to tea (I guess you can tell I'm a fan of tea by now). 

This article lays out more of all the pros and cons of the different milks really well. 

Apart from the taste, another issue with the nut milks, rice and coconut milks, is that they are often preserved with the ingredient Carrageenan. There’s debate on whether this is really harmful or not since it comes from seaweed, but there is a risk that once processed it might be a stomach irritant to some, and as a person with acid and bile reflux and gastritis issues all due to a gallbladder removal - I prefer to stay away. 

Hemp milk is not only anti-inflammatory, but it is chock full of benefits. I have used it in tea, coffee, baking, oatmeal, and cereal and to me it is the closest thing to the cow milk in consistency and adaptability. I also feel it doesn't influence the taste of things its mixed with as much as the other milks. My favorite is the Unsweetened Vanilla Hemp since you get less of the hemp taste without tons of sugar.

The one thing it doesn't do is give you a high because although it is made from the hemp plant as Cannabis, it does not contain any THC. Hemp milk usually is not made with Carrageenan although this brand does have gellan gum. There is some fuss about that and some of this brands other ingredients, but alas I'm too lazy to make my own hemp milk and I find this is the best option for me for now.

I do plan on trying this other brand since it is completely preservative free, so I will let you know how that goes http://www.simplyhemp.com/#!why-our-product/c19cr. 

And for those of you who plan on sticking to cow's milk, then the best bet is to get whole milk that has just been pasteurized and not ultra - pasteurized. Even if you are watching your cholesterol, this is the main way to get any nutrients from cow's milk. Anything less than whole cow's milk or has been ultra-pasteurized is basically sugar water and can contribute to stomach issues.