Türkçe | English
I was never a fan of the regular cow milk
I like it only with coffee, which I try to drink black usually, but once a week, I usually enjoy a coffee with milk. Or sometimes it’s in a piece of cake served by friends at work. Obviously, I don’t care about these little cheats because I don’t have any lactose intolerance. Other than these, I’ve already said goodbye to regular milk.
It’s pretty hard to give up milk products. Breakfast without cheese, food without yogurt is quite difficult for people who have grown up in our geography. But I try to reduce it as much as possible.
But why?
Years ago, when these discussions haven’t started yet and as milk was still very popular, I was looking for excuses not to drink the milk that I didn’t really like: if we have to drink the milk of an animal, why do we stop drinking our mother’s milk? From my mother, of course, I got the reaction that I would get from every Turkish mother: No, that is not possible. How will you get the calcium? Your bones will be weak!
I continued to drink a little milk time to time of course. But years passed, the world changed and milk fell out of favor. It’s also turned out to cause osteoporosis unlike what has been declared for years! It’s good that I had drank not so much when I was little.
Is It Really Against Our Nature?
Each animal leaves its mother’s milk after a certain time, because as its body and digestive system develops, it is able to take all the nutrients it needs from other foods. In our case, the process works in the same way, but we try to violate our nature and drink another animal’s milk. I don’t think we need that!
Moral Issues
The current situation of the dairy industry, regardless of whether or not milk is necessary for us, is in itself a reason to stop consuming milk. There is a conscientious side of this, of course. The hormones necessary for the production of milk are secreted after birth. We separate the actual owner of the milk, the innocent little calf from his mother, so that we can drink his mother’s milk. How sad it is actually when you think about it! But similar ideas can be put forward for all kinds of animal products, and you need to be vegan to defend it to the end. That’s why I’m cutting this part here. Although I try to stay away from animal products, I’m not vegan.
Milk Is Full Of Hormones And Antibiotics
What else is happening in this industry? As it is known to almost everyone, too many of these animals are kept alive for their milk only in the small (enough) barns and they are not given the right to mate according to their instincts. So, in fact, most of the time we don’t separate the baby from his mother. On the other hand, a lot of synthetic hormones are used to secrete the milk without pregnancy, which is normally secreted after the birth. Those synthetic hormones are passed on to the body of the animals, then through the milk to our body. So we’re also taking those hormones when we drink that milk.
Except hormones, there are antibiotics given to prevent the diseases of animals. They are used for prevention purposes, whether they are sick or not, and pass to our body through the same hormones as milk. Since I don’t use antibiotics unless they are absolutely necessary, I also don’t want these antibiotics to go into my body and create unnecessary damage.
Also Causes Skin Problems
In addition, milk products cause skin problems. Everyone’s body tolerates it to a different degree of course, but if I exaggerate the consumption of milk products for two days, I see the effects as acnes on the third day. And they need just these two days to come out, but it takes weeks to heal completely!
So what am I doing?
It’s pretty easy to avoid just milk. I’m replacing the milk I don’t really like with plant milk when necessary. Coconut milk, hazelnut milk and almond milk are my favorites. In many recipes, I change the milk with plant milk if there is any in the fridge, but if I don’t, no need to worry, water can be used instead of milk in many recipes.
No Worries About Nutrients
In fact, we can get more nutrients in milk than many different vegetables or foods. So no need to worry about that either.
But sometimes, especially in the winter, while sitting at home in the evening I want to drink a cup of warm milk. In that case, plant milk is a must have for me and the golden milk, which I wrote about previously is definitely my favorite.
Where To Buy Plant Milk?
It is not difficult to find organic plant milk in the markets here in Germany, but it is also possible to make it at home. Almonds, rice, oats, milk such as soy milk is quite common.
Homemade Is The Best
Although it is a not the easiest thing to do at home, I think it is the best way to adjust the flavor to your taste. To make a plant based milk, I soak a cup of nut for one night, wash in the morning and by adding 2 parts of clean water blend it until smooth. Then strain it with a fine cheesecloth. And ready! For some more taste, dates, honey, cinnamon or vanilla can be added, or whatever you like! I usually prefer to add some cinnamon and a bit of honey just before drinking.
Is it enough?
I do not think so. As we do not drink milk; we should not eat the other products produced from that milk that we don’t drink, all other dairies. Some of them are a little more innocent; they support the digestive system since they contain beneficial bacteria breeding during fermentation; but the hormones and drugs are still in the milk.
For this reason; one of my new year goals is to remove the dairy products from my life; but we will see how far I can achieve it as a cheese lover 🙂
You can start with the golden milk.
How about joining me?
