Milk...does it do YOUR body good?

Chocolate. Malted. Shake. Strawberry. Fat Free, 1%, 2%, Vitamin D. Dehydrated. Organic. Coconut. Almond. Soy. Original, Plain, Vanilla, Less Sugar...

Seriously? How many ways can we drink milk?

Well, obviously there are many choices, all claimed by different brands as to which we are free to choose from. I was raised, as an infant, on soymilk because I just couldn't keep anything else down! And then, eventually, I grew out of it. As I have gotten older, I have discovered that I just can't stomach a whole lot of milk. And actually, it's been that way all my life, but I just never noticed it. I remember being little and HATING my cereal bowl, especially when all the cereal was gone and all that was left was the milk. My family was, well, pretty poor, to be quite honest, and drinking milk was a MUST. You did NOT get down from the table until you drank your milk. (As I eat dinner with my parents, my siblings get away easy...they have a VERY different story.) From that point on, I would only pour enough milk to glaze my cereal because I didn't want to drink the leftovers, and quite frankly, I didn't feel so good once I did. My parents always thought that it was because of the sugary cereal...but come to find out, it was the milk. This is a recent self-diagnosis, that's for sure.

Of course milk is still needed as a source of calcium, and I drink it every so often. The weird thing is, I can have ice cream, I can have yogurt, and I can have cheese. But the milk that comes in the plastic gallon, I buy it for my husband and even when I eat a bowl of cereal, max is a 1/4 of a cup that I use. On the other hand, my parents and siblings go through about 12 gallons in two weeks...they drink a LOT of milk. Milk is the staple drink at my parent's house, but for me, I just drink the filtered water and enjoy the meal just the same. If we are having something that would go better with milk, I just grab a sippy cup from the kid's cup drawer. What? A 23 year old drinking from a sippy cup? Yes...lid and all...sometimes :)

I don't know if these symptoms happen to anyone else, but I know that milk gives me a sloshy, gurgly feeling in my stomach. Not to mention I get SERIOUS hiccups. Weird huh? It's true, especially with milkshakes. When ever we go out to get ice cream or a milkshake, I start to hiccup about 30 minutes later and I think back on what I have eaten, and it's the milk. 

Now that I have cut back on milk, I don't have indigestion like ever. In fact, my intake of Greek yogurt has changed my life. Sure, it's a bit tangy, but it has helped my intestinal issues go away almost completely. Chobani is my favorite brand for lighter yogurts, but if you want a hearty, almost dessert type of yogurt, it comes in a tub and is usually towards the bottom of the yogurt shelves. It's like a gift from the dessert gods...well...Greek Gods that is :) Seriously, it's actually called The Greek Gods Greek Yogurt. The strawberry flavor is delicious, as well as the vanilla honey.

So coming back to the milk issue, if you are experiencing any of these symptoms, try drinking less milk. I can handle about 8oz a day, and even then, I drink it MAYBE 2 times a week. I've just come to the conclusion that I would rather have water, with a little bit of fruit infusion.

My newest experiment has been with coconut milk, and it's pretty good. I have tried almond milk, but with the nutty milks you need to have it be flavored, vanilla flavored to be exact. I know some people can drink it straight up, but I don't want to gag on it, so I go for some flavor. Experiment and see what YOU would like. They still have all the vitamins and minerals that normal milk has, sometimes more, sometimes the same, dependent upon the brand. 

HEALTH TIP: Now, if you are a DIE HARD milk man or milk maid, and you just GOTTA have that glass of chocolate milk...the thick, creamy, velvety kind from the store? (Can you tell it's my favorite?) Instead of guzzling down all that sugar and still craving more, try going 1/2 and 1/2. Now, I get it. Sometimes you just gotta have a glass of milk....a tall glass of chocolate milk. But if you are just craving a little, try half chocolate and half regular milk and you'll find it's not as rich and it may even be a bit more satisfying and not so heavy. And even if you are like my parents and siblings and milk is just what you drink, try having a glass of milk and then drinking water for the rest of your meal. You will feel more full much faster than you think.

And insert milk mustache....here

JUST A LITTLE UPDATE FROM MY FACEBOOK FRIENDS:
From  A.L.J.- I have got to say though I love almond milk!! Almond breeze makes unsweetened vanilla and chocolate. I put that in my protein shakes. Very tasty!! also Kroger Brand Plain almond milk is good! I don't like any other brands plain thought...Strange.
From J.R.C.- Check out KEFIR! Way more probiotics than yogurt and makes great smoothies. Google it! Almond milk is good for cereal etc. but avoid soy in everything you can! It is one of the worst GMO's out there! (Probably was fine back when you had it as an infant, before Monsato adulterated it)

All my readers...Kefir really is delicious and really does give a great protein kick into morning shakes. I use that too...it's a new addition to my fridge so I didn't think to mention it. My mom has been using it for the past year, and it comes in all different flavors. It gives everything a more creamy taste! And I did some research about the soy bean and I found this article to settle some fears...hopefully... :)