Milk - It actually DOES do a body good!

Counting calories had its benefits - it led to me losing more than 100 pounds! But it also led to the development of some bad habits, including cutting out things that may have been good for me but contain a lot of calories. Drinking calories was simply not an option.

I would like to say that milk was one of those things to go, but it was never really part of my diet to begin with. And given the whole not-drinking-calories thing, I certainly wasn't going to add it into my diet. It's not that I don't like milk, I'm just not in love with it. In addition, at some point in my life, I diagnosed myself as lactose intolerant. In retrospect, my self-diagnosis wasn't correct. With my old eating habits (both before and after the calorie-counting), I ALWAYS had stomach issues. Said stomach issues would present themselves almost always after eating ice cream - my drug of choice. Same thing with pasta or any other food with a lot of cheese. I thought it was IBS or lactose intolerance - but in retrospect, this was just my body telling me that I wasn't eating the right foods.

Since embarking on this new adventure with food, stomach issues are GONE! I'm eating food that I process in a completely different way, and a way that no longer has lasting implications beyond the bathroom. So I decided to give milk another shot. I have to admit that there is something about an ice cold glass of milk that you just don't get from any other food or drink. And we all know the benefits of milk - Loads of calcium (which comes in a form that is easy for your body to absorb), vitamin D, and phosphorous which are critical for bone strength. I remember a few years ago sitting at a stop light on my way home from the grocery store. While sitting at the stop light, the image of an elderly woman crossing the street caught my eye. Now, most the time in my own little world - thinking about what I bought at the store, what I need to do when I get home, or what I am going to do at work tomorrow. But the image of the woman was striking because she was bent over LITERALLY at a 90-degree angle. I instantly craved a tall glass of cold milk. This woman clearly had osteoporosis and my first thought was holy crap, I get no calcium or vitamin D. The image of that woman is still crisp in my mind, and I resolve from this day forward to make one focus of diet increasing my calcium and vitamin D intake. I REFUSE to be a hunchback!

And the impact of milk on bone strength is also not the only value of drinking milk. Milk contains loads of other vitamins, including Vitamin A and Vitamin B12, as well as nutrients such as niacin and potassium. PLUS: There is actually quite a bit of protein, considering the calorie count (10 grams of protein for 130 calories), and it has low-GI carbohydrates. This makes it a good in-between meal snack. Milk is also good for your teeth because it reduces oral acidity and stimulates saliva flow - which reduces tooth erosion and plaque formation. 

And interestingly enough, there are studies that seem to support milk's role in weight loss and its effect on stemming weight gain - results that are not replicated in subjects who get nutrients found in milk through supplements. 

So for the past few weeks, I have made sure to drink a glass of milk with dinner, and low and behold - no lactose intolerance. I also feel great. Plus, milk can taste really good. I have been buying some low-fat 1% organic milk at Costco, and not only is it cheaper than the organic milk at the store, it is GREAT! It tastes amazing and is a bit more creamy than most milk I've had. It tastes great, and I can be assured that even though I may still be deficient in my calcium and vitamin D intake (because most women are), I am nowhere near as deficient as I was before.

Some fun facts about milk:

1. As I already stated - milk provides a good source of Vitamin D. It has been found that 85-95 percent of women are deficient in vitamin D. Isn't that crazy? I'm probably even more deficient because I never go outside, where vitamin D can be absorbed from the sun. So all the more reason to drink up!
2. Milk has become part of the human diet fairly recently, in large part because people were lactose intolerant and could not drink it. It is still mostly popular in Western civilizations, and some cultures (including most Asian cultures) get little to no dairy and never drink milk. Interestingly, the intake of milk has drastically increased in China in recent years - in large part due to the strengthening of the Chinese economy.
3. In addition to helping in weight loss, milk can assist in reducing insulin resistance (type-2 diabetes), lowering blood pressure, and reducing the risk of coronary heart disease. 
4. Milk contains lactose, which is a sugar that must be broken down by the enzyme lactase. As we mature, we become more lactose intolerant. It is estimated that 30 to 50 million Americans are lactose intolerant. So if you are lactose intolerant, looks like you're getting your calcium from elsewhere, but you certainly won't be alone!

Sources:

1. Women to Women - Vitamin D
2. Wikipedia - Milk
3. 101 Healthiest Foods: A quick and easy guide to the fruits, vegetables, carbs and proteins that can save your life, Dr. Joanna McMillan Price and Judy Davie (2009).