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| The dairy industry is a very serious matter |
More and more people are cutting down on or cutting out dairy these days and choosing alternatives for health and/or ethical reasons. There are some who might be sceptical, believe dairy is necessary for bone health or see this as some kind of strange fad. I've often felt this way about gluten and I understand that it's annoying to see something you were brought up on and have an attachment to being demonised.
The sad, inescapable truth is that the dairy industry is incredibly unethical (possibly more so than the meat industry) and the detrimental effect it has on many people's health is impossible to ignore.
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| hmmmmm |
Eating dairy products doesn't make a person malicious or ill-intentioned. Many of us are raised to think that it's normal and essential for health. It's present in a lot of comfort foods like milk chocolate, desserts, cakes, cookies, ice-cream and pizza and so the idea of not consuming it can seem a bit overwhelming. I've been predominantly vegan a very long time but I've mentioned before that in depressive episodes I've reverted to eating non-vegan comfort foods (low serotonin levels can cause strong cravings) and so I can understand it's not easy for everyone.
The cruelty involved is less obvious than that of the meat industry. I was always uncomfortable with eating meat but I can remember thinking 'you don't have to kill cows to get milk, so that's fine'. I actually discovered about the dairy industry by accident when reading a book about vegetarianism when I was 16 and it all just clicked. Just like humans, cows are mammals who produce milk to feed their offspring. This means in order to produce milk they must be undergo an exhausting cycle of pregnancy and lactation. The calves are always cruelly taken away from their mothers so that we can use their milk (this goes for organic farming also). If the calf is male it is killed immediately or used as veal, if it's female it will become a dairy cow. Cows naturally live until around 20-25 but they are slaughtered at around 4 or 5 when they're exhausted after a few pregnancies and used in cheap meat products like pies, economy mince and pasties. Lovely!
A lot of the health messages thrown at us 'butter is natural!' 'saturated fat is good for you!' also have a similar effect. Newspapers and magazines will often cite scientific research studies that supposedly 'prove' that dairy or any animal products are good for us but it's usually the case that they were funded by the dairy industry. One could say that the studies posted in vegan and animal rights magazines are also biased but who do you think has an ulterior motive, somebody trying to help animals or somebody trying to sell you something?
But the great news is...........
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| These cakes are vegan! From the amazing Hannah Banana Bakery |
There are so many delicious alternatives! There is literally nothing that can't be made vegan. There are endless recipe blogs online and there are many alternatives to all dairy products from ice-cream to cheese. Organic and health food shops are amazing but many mainstream supermarkets like Tesco and Sainsbury's sell a great range of dairy-free milks, yoghurts and ice-creams. I personally really like dark chocolate and there are a lot of good dairy-free types but those who have a bit more of a sweet tooth can still find great alternatives.
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vegan alternatives to bounty,
mars, milky way
and snickers
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A lot of people find cheese challenging to give up but the alternatives are getting much better. I was quite seriously intolerant to dairy products as child and although I built up a tolerance to it after a while and consumed it in the form of desserts, chocolate and baked goods, I've only actually ever had cheese on pizza and never found it appealing. There are, however, people who used to really like cheese and from cultures where cheese is extremely popular who have still given it up. Check out this amazing Italian lady's Etsy shop with her home-made vegan cheeses!
Vegusto https://www.vegusto.co.uk/ and Violife (available in Holland and Barratt and some larger supermarkets) are popular brands of dairy-free cheese. Going to vegan festivals like Vegfest (next in London 22nd and 23rd October this year!) http://london.vegfest.co.uk/ can be great as you can often sample many different products at once.
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| Great alternative to milk chocolate! |
It can take a bit of time to find the brands you like. There are some people who have made the transition to veganism or cut out dairy products overnight. On the other hand, despite dairy never being a staple of the diet for me and reading about how bad it was at age 16, I've still consumed it in small amounts as recently as the beginning of this year due to stress, depression and inconvenience when going on holiday. But no more! It's more difficult for some people than others but it's getting easier all the time and any reduction makes a difference.
Now for the nutrition bit!
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| don't forget vitamin B12! lol |
All the nutrients found in cows, goat's or sheep's milk can be found elsewhere but it's worth bearing in mind that some products might be a taste or texture substitute but might differ in terms of nutritional content (vegan cheeses, for example are not always a source of protein or calcium).
With regards to calcium, the easiest thing to do is choose calcium-fortified versions of milk and yoghurt alternatives but almonds, sesame seeds, chia seeds, apricots, figs, green leafy vegetables and tofu (hey, it's not bad, really!) http://samanthathesanevegan.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/tofu-acquired-texture.html are also good sources. Remember that consuming adequate calcium is just one of many things necessary to ensure good bone health!
The main source of vitamin D is sunlight. Whilst it is sunny, it's good to have around 15 minutes sun exposure on your skin before adding sunblock. Obviously we can't control the weather and if your skin is especially sensitive or if you prefer to cover up your skin due to religious beliefs or modesty, this is not a feasible option. Fortunately, vegan vitamin D supplements are now available and you can get your levels tested by your GP to see whether you're getting enough.
A lot of dairy alternatives and other foods are fortified with vitamin B12 but taking a supplement is a good idea to ensure you're getting enough. If, like me, you choose mostly organic foods, they won't be fortified with vitamin B12. It's so important and it's also one of the vitamins routinely tested by GPs.
When choosing milk alternatives, soya is the only type that closely resembles cow's milk in terms of protein. If you drink almond, coconut, oat or rice milk in the place of cow's milk you might just need to eat a bit more protein in other forms (beans, lentils, chickpeas, peanuts, nuts, seeds, quinoa, protein powders mixed into smoothies) to compensate.
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| this is amazingly creamy! vanilla coconut milk yoghurt |
Probiotics can be found in soya and coconut milk yoghurt, a drink called kombucha (found in some health food shops) and probiotic supplements. Remember that eating a diet rich in natural foods and refraining from consuming too much sugar, alcohol and junk food and avoiding taking antibiotics unnecessarily can help to keep your gut healthy.
The Vegan Society https://www.vegansociety.com
/resources/nutrition-and-health/vitamins-minerals-and-nutrients/calcium and Viva! http://www.vivahealth.org.uk/ have lots of factsheets on nutrition and I'm happy to answer any questions. Dairy cows deserve to relax and have a break!
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