i've heard that your body stops producing the hormone that helps digest the sugar in cow's milk after a certain age (but then again i know a bunch of people who have no problems drinking milk all day long, so who knows...)

over the past few years dairy has become my sworn enemy due to tummy issues. and i recently became vegan, so the obvious answer would be soy milk (or rice milk, yum); not to mention that dairy isn't as healthy as soy. plus, now it just seems weird to me to drink another animal's baby food.

i'm curious, has anyone here tried hemp milk? i saw something in a magazine about it and i wanted to find out if it was good. :)

I absolutely LOVE soy milk. I am not vegan but I just think that cows milk is gross..so many hormones in it (unless you get the organic kind..but really, who knows how credible that is..)I think that soy milk is just healthier.Also, here's something to think about:we are the only animals that drink another animals milk. I know that there have been cases where cats will drink a dog's milk or vice versa (but consider that it is the result of human intervention)
I swear by Silk Soymilk. Check it out! It comes in a few varities and is so yummy! (I even turned my omnivorous boyfriend onto it, as well as some other soy products :) )

Ever since I have been on my diet I have not been able to try soy milk yet. But let me tell you, just like columbia101 said rice milk! Yum! I am Hispanic so I really enjoy Orchata’s, I always order them whenever we go out to a Mexican Restaurant. But I was wondering does rice milk give you all the nutrients compared to soy/cow’s milk?

I don't mind drinking cow's milk it just doesn't agree with me. I drank it for years growing up. But for some reason, now that I am older, whenever I drink it or eat ice cream my throat gets all full of mucus and I end up coughing for half and hour. I tried soy milk and no problems. I'm very interested in the calcium and I get it from soy milk, along with plenty of other nutrients. What's nice about Silk Soy Milk is that it comes in a light formula.

Organic milk is so different than non.  Once you try it, the taste is completely unique.  Much creamier and richer.  My kids really like it andniticed a difference once we switched.  I also use soy milk to smoothies, like chocolate soy and vanilla soy to add some flavor.  Just know that soy milk does contain some sugar. 

Dr. Weil talks about dairy and a patient that had problems that he traced to dairy. After 30 days with out dairy her problems almost went away.

I was drinking the $2.98 gal. whole milk. I did a little home work, I found out what went into that so called milk. I tried Organic Milk. The taste was wonderful and my sinus have almost cleared up. I also like Soy Milk, chocolate is wonderful. With me making the change to more Organic and Green shopping I have adjusted my spending for extra cost.

Organic milk in a non-negotiable thing now, especially for my children.  Once you taste it you will never go back.  I was reading that you have to watch out how much soy you have in your diet.  There are many theories that too much soy is not good for you.  But then again, they can't seem to agree on what is too much.

I found this web page about soy milk and soy products possible side effects. http://www.healingcrow.com/soy/soy.html I found it very informative.

I always choose soy over cow's milk, our stomachs are not made to digest cow's milk, especially non-organic cow's milk that contains hundreds of unhealthy hormones. Recently I have read about how there is a ton of estrogen in Soy milk, which I was suprised to hear can have severe side-effects to internal organs.  I choose Rice milk.  Less tasty, but you get used to it, and there are many different brands to choose from.

I read the site or parts of it, very long, but informative.  I wonder what to believe and not believe.  It all depends on who is doing the study and it always seems to change.  You are probably smart to avoid both and stick to rice.  I bet you will find out that there is a problem with that soon too.

I too have an intolerance to milk as well as most soy products.  I wondered why it was that milk has been a food source used for thousands of years and it has only been until recently that people have developed an intolerance to lactose in such large numbers.  My search brought me to this site, http://www.westonaprice.org/.  It explained so much that seemed like common sense after reading it.  I knew that it wasn't the 'milk' as much as it was the process.  People have only been drinking milk in the pasteruized, homogoniezed form recently, and have since developed an intolerance.  Also, it explains the process of Soy and Rice products (exccept for a few exceptions) and how our bodies have an incredibly hard time breaking down the nutrients (if there are any left)  I have since developed a new slogan for my diet, if it hasn't been around for hundreds of years, my body probably wont like it!  I am now free of joint pain, headaches (except when I don't get my coffee fix, see vices, in my profile!)  and my hormones don't seem to be on a roller coaster anymore.  Not to mention I haven't had so much as a SNIFFLE since I adopted my new dietary ways, even though I slip up at least once every week.  I'm pretty sold on it.

So what do you use for dairy or don't you eat any?  Have you tried organic milks?  Maybe it is the chemicals in the milk that you are having a reaction to.  sounds like an interesting theory though.

Vicki, I'm not sure if you're post was in reference to mine, but I'll reply none the less.  I buy organic milk and culture it into Kefir which kills the lacto bacillus (spelling?)  so that my son and I can get good dairy in our diet.  I have been wanting to buy raw milk from a source out here, but it's very expensive for our budget, but then we would have raw milk.  I know this is considered dangerous, but the small farm it's sold from is very highly recommended and has never had a complaint from customers getting sick.  I'm so excited to try dairy in it's raw form!

I have had Rheumatoid Arthritis since I was 17, and I am just now making connections to foods that make my joints flare. I am allergic to both cow products and soy and I discovered this after hearing many of my friends with allergies saying that they had achy joints before they realized they had allergies.

 

I am now seeing a nutritional specialist who treats patients with a combination of diet and supplements. I am not ready to give up disease modifying drugs just yet , but seeing this doctor has helped confirm that certian foods in our diets can cause severe symptoms. My joints are nearly pain free and no swelling. I'm amazed what eliminating cow and soy have done for me.

Cow milk is one thing that I will not change.  I have tried Soy milk but it just does not compare.  To me there is nothing like a nice glass of cold milk!  I grew up on a farm and we always drank raw milk.  It is so delicious and I would definitely drink that over anything else! 

Interestingly, humans are the only mammals that continue to drink milk past infancy. All other animals lose the ability to digest milk as they grow up. I know that doesn't really add to the debate, just thought I'd share.

Dairy is a really common allergen. People can get headaches, acne/skin problems, congestion, digestion problems and weakened immunity. Lactose intolerance - which is different than allergies - causes nausea, bloating, cramping, gas and diarrhea. If you can't "do dairy" you are so not alone...75 percent of African Americans, 90 percent of Asian Americans and 50-something percent of Latinos are lactose intolerant. If you aren't descended from the British Islands, you're probably lactose intolerant. In those parts of the world they adapted to it, because they were surrounded by cows.

We lose the ability to digest dairy products properly at about age 5, but that doesn't stop well meaning parents from pushing the moo juice.

I don't eat dairy because I'm not into cancer, diabetes, obesity, cholesterol, or heart disease. It's just not me, ya know? Nor are the opiates in casein. Milk is literally a painkiller.

Then of course there's the dark side of dairy farming - water pollution, soil pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from manure and other waste. And the water and food crops given to livestock that could be feeding hungry people.

If we need a milk substitute we go for rice milk. We also make almond milk at home occasionally. I've had hemp milk and it's similar to nut milks - probably healthier than all of the other options. 

 

Never liked the taste of cow's milk and don't believe our bodies were made to digest it. My favorite non dairy milks are Soy, Almond, Hemp and Rice Milks. Soy is also getting a bad rap lately, so I try to mix it up.

 

Dina

http://getexercised.com/

 

No joke you guys. I tried almond milk over the weekend and was legitimately mad that I've been drinking Rice Milk this whole time. Same amount of calories - but Almond milk is so much more satisfying. Almond Breeze's chocolate milk will have you singing at your refrigerator it's so good.

 

Trust me. 

Hi, thanks for posting this.  I love almond milk as well, which one is better?

My friend told me about a new site where you can ask any questions you have about alternative medicine and it will be answered by a practitioner or medical doctor for free.

http://www.rvita.com/rvita-answers.html

Hope this helps.

Many people are dairy intolerant and don't quite realize it.  If you look and listen very closely to your body you will know what works for you.  But I can share as a holistic health practitioner, that soy products are not what they are cracked up to be.  Many people are also intolerant to soy.  It is quite a buzz word in our culture right now.  Just something to consider.

I recently tried almond and rice milk.  Rice milk taste better in cereal compared to almond milk.  They are both good.  I prefer the plain or vanilla rice milk.  The chocolate almond milk is ok but the regular almond milk leaves a slight after taste.

I have switched to Soy, rice and Almond milk ages ago. I don't find a need for milk type products alot but once in a while if I feel like a bowl of cereal its nice to have those handy packages of soy etc in the cupboard. Once in a great while in a hurry I would grab a quart of 1% milk and then most of it just gets wasted sitting in the fridge. 

I love that I can buy soy in the little juice box sizes too.

I too am trying to rid all the "processed" foods from my diet. I also cook for my dogs as well, (because they are finicky) but I feel so much better knowing what they are eating.

This is a good thread, I have gotten some really good information from all of you. Thank you! 

I am very lactose intolerant and very sensitive to soy.  I have been told that soy milk is something that one should gradually introduce as it is quite different.  Now, some people just stop making the enzyme, lactase, that is responsible for digesting milk sugars.  Usually, in this case, it is a gene that is "switched off" in most people.  Most people that have to deal with this affliction are people who's ethnic background include some sort of ethnic group who's diet doesn't origianlly include dairy products - such as Asian cultures, Hispanics, and some African cultures.  Not to say that all people who are from these cultures will be lactose intolerant, but usually a high percentage of them are.  There are always exceptions, but generally, an intolerance is caused by the gene being shut off.  Sometimes age does it (my stepfather who is plain old caucasian) has recently noticed some changes.  Some people can tolerate yogurts and hard cheeses, other individuals, such as myself, can't tolerate anything.  Some people, like myself, seem to get worse with age... and I'm only 24.  I am of Hispanic origin, however.  Because of this, I am pretty much vegan.  I chose not to eat meat, but now I do not consume any dairy products, and it's better for the environment as well. :)  Any questions on lactose intolerance please feel free to e-mail me at yroderick@gmail.com.  You would be very surprised at what has milk in it these days!

I drink lactose-free organic milk.  It is terribly expensive, but I am allergic to soy, don't like rice milk (it tastes like water to me), and have a digestive disorder that reacts badly to most food so am a little afraid to try almond milk (though that doesn't necessarily mean that I won't do it, I just haven't gotten there yet).  :)  Also, I like the taste of milk; I just don't digest lactose well anymore.  I take Lactaid pills if I eat other dairy products.  I can't cut dairy products out of my already very limited diet.  I am barely able to get nutrients into myself as it is.

I admit that I cannot always afford to buy organic, so I sometimes just buy regular lactose-free milk.  It doesn't taste as good, though.

I am a cow milks drinker and I really don't enjoy the taste of soy, thought I wish I did for the protein!

I like to mix the two. Some weeks I'll have soy milk and other days I'll drink cow milk. Although one day I tried cereal with soy milk and it didn't taste the same. So now for my cereals I'll only eat it with cow milk.

I'm also curious in trying rice and almond milk

there have been casses of animals drinking diffrent animals milk but hey they lick there rear ends and if they want action will mate with own kid. were not ment to digest cows milk though some of us try why i dont know but i admit i'm guilty of such act. by strange events i'm realizen maybe i should try to not use cows milk though i like it. honestly dont belive all ya read on net genrally rice milk is more carbs and less protien and soy milk genrally has most things cows milk dose execpt lactose just read label to make sure nothing funky was added now my deal is unique as i dont think its the lactose in cows milk thats messin with me i think its vitman D because i am sunsentive borderline allergic to the sun so i am now really thinkin about switchin to non dairy milk cause curently only d milk in house wich knocks me out so i havent touched just noticed for most part more alert and my normal postictal period after seizure behaved diffrent i know milk has nottin to do with seizure but is posible it messed with posictal phase. now my deal is do i try soy or rice first and can i find it with out vitamin D

I have found that rice and almond milk work best for me, especially when it comes to my allergies. Actually, soy milk has proven to be sometimes just as (if not more) harmful than cow's milk to mucus production.

Cow's milk is the perfect food for baby cows. Just like cat milk is the perfect food for baby cats, and human breast milk is the perfect food for baby humans. So it's no surprise that most humans are unable to digest lactose beyond the age of two, or that no other species on Earth consumes milk beyond infancy. But there are so many wonderful alternatives to milk on the market today, it's almost dizzying: Soy, rice, hemp, almond, oat, and my new personal favorite, coconut milk—not the kind that comes in a can and is used in Thai cooking. But there's an actual coconut milk beverage that to me, tastes better than any other milk substitute. It's called So Delicious, and it really is very tasty. Plus, it's fortified with vitamin D (just like cow's milk), is a good source of calcium, is vitamin-B12 fortified, and has all the added health benefits of the medium-chain fatty acids found in coconuts.

I started drinking soy milk about 4 years ago and have never gone back to cow's milk; and I have always been an avid milk drinker.  Always drank milk at every meal - never soda, tea, coffee, or even water.  When I started drinking soy milk, I thought it was great.  Being in my very early 50's, or course soy is good for me.  About a year ago I started my then 6 year old granddaugher on soy milk and she loves it!!  Especially the chocolate.  Her mother couldn't believe that she even drank it.  I am vegetarian as well and I am always looking for alternatives to milk products.  My originaly reason for changing to soy milk (I also have to stop eating ice cream WHICH I LOVE!!) because the fat content gave me heartburn. Now, no problems.  I use soy milk like milk and even in some of my cooking.  

I love drinking soya milk, it was our milk when I was younger. I'm just wondering  why  at my age now, when I use any soya food, I would get my whole body weakened after few days. so I don't drink anymore soya milk. But I let my children drink it, for it has much natural protiens in it.

Almond Milk and Coconut Milk would also be helpful to you.

I think that regular milk is way better than soy milk.  I think this is a great article on milk.  I didn't really know the difference between the milk except that I like the taste of regular milk better.

 

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