THE DOWNSIDE OF CONFORMING.

When we were kids, we were taught to behave a certain way, mind our manners, and "tow the line". In other words, act accordingly and follow the rules. To do otherwise would not be a safe bet. Remember the kids who didn't follow the rules? Labeled as the   "trouble-makers", they never garnished favor with the authority figures at hand, be it teachers or parents. We are taught as small children to be respectful of others and to practice certain courtesies, and that is fine, providing that we don't develop into slaves to what other people think or say about us. When taken too far, conformity can keep us living in a subtle but sustainable state of fear. We then become actually afraid of acting differently than everyone else. Even when our heart directs us to do one thing, but our "social consciousness" jumps out and says "STOP". God forbid we bring too much attention to ourselves and get judged by "them". All too often, we modify our behavior out of fear.   

If we want to experience out highest light, it is imperative that we start to break out of the mold. It's important not to fall into the habit of doing as others do, but instead doing what our heart beckons us to do. Last summer, there was a sudden and severe rainstorm. As the rain was pounding down, I heard music and laughter coming from outside in the cul-de-sac. When I looked to see what was going on, I saw one of our neighbors in the cul-de-sac along with his lovely young wife, singing and dancing in the rain.... barefoot! Out of the mainstream? For sure. Were they having fun? Absolutely. Did they look like they were worried about what others would think? I don't think so.   

Can you stand up and be different, and make that OK? Can you feel free to voice an opinion that might stand vastly apart from the current collective mindset? Can you change where you usually sit during a meeting at work or at church? Try it. It certainly invites comments. Give yourself the gift of listening to your heart and then stretch your comfort zone just a bit. Like anything else that stretches, your degree of comfort zone will widen to a point where you will eventually feel freer and lighter just being your own individual you.

I recently learned that there are thousands of varieties of daffodils. How many varieties of people must there be?  What if instead of lumping ourselves into a collective mindset, parroting what everyone else is saying, and following the crowd, we could own our birthright to be as unique and individual as we want. If someone criticizes us when we speak or act from our truth, that is their problem, not ours. Know that there will be times when you will feel the pressure to conform from those all around you. Just remember, when you follow your heart it is you, not them that will reap the benefit. Dancing in the rain might not be your thing, but I'll bet that you know what your thing is. Follow your heart and you will never be led in the wrong direction. 

MILK: DOES NOT DO A BODY GOOD  

One of the things I like about writing my newsletter is that it makes me do my homework before sharing information with you. A strong proponent of informed choice, I believe that everyone can and should make dietary decisions for themselves. Unfortunately, unless you are out there doing your own homework, you are purposely kept in the dark about facts pertaining to the food we eat. Prior to attending the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, I was not aware of any down side of milk or dairy. My kids were raised on it, as was I. Milk and dairy was in the government food pyramid. What could possibly be wrong with America's most consumed beverage?

  If you are a milk lover, like most Americans, you really are not going to like this article. But please do yourself a favor and just read it and then do your own homework. In researching the topic of milk, I came across the famous "The Milk Letter: A Message to my Patients" published in 1995 by Dr. Robert Kradjian the former Chief of General Surgery at Seton Medical Center. He also authored the book "Save Yourself From Breast Cancer". In his publication which is lengthy but detailed and teeming with studies that are more than convincing, Dr. Kradjian makes his argument that milk is not just something that we do not need, but consuming it can actually cause many illnesses from allergies to osteoporosis, to digestive disorders to many types of cancer. But the celebrities all encourage us with their famous "Got Milk?" ads. If milk was so bad for us, someone would tell us the truth wouldn't they? By now you now that when it comes to corporations, industries and large government subsidies, truth gets tossed out the window in order to pave the way for profit.    

Milk is a maternal lactation secretion and nothing more. It's nature's short term nutrient for newborns. Mammals from cats to cows to monkeys to humans are naturally equipped to feed their newborn. Milk is the perfect nutrient and is designed to provide what the species needs best, thus human milk is very different from cow's milk, or dog's milk because each species has it's own unique needs. For example cow's milk is much richer in protein than human milk. And it's markedly deficient in essential fatty acids.That might be good for calves development, but not for humans. Humans are actually the only species that drinks the milk of another species! Somehow drinking the lactation secretion of a pregnant cow has become as American as apple pie! A cold glass of milk, ice cream, milkshakes. Cookies and....bottled water? It just doesn't deliver the same charge.  

Here are some things you may or may not already know about milk.

Fifty years ago, an average cow produced 2,000 pounds of milk per year. Today's top producers give at least 50,000 pounds. Think of how that is accomplished. Drugs, antibiotics, hormones, forced feeding plans and specialized breeding. The latest onslaught to the cow is bovine growth hormone or BGH, a genetically engineered drug by Monsanto. Most countries have banned BGH because of safety concerns, except for the US. Related to this is a high incidence of mastitis in the cow which require high doses of antibiotics, the residues of which come out in the milk. All lactating mammals, including humans excrete all toxins through their milk. Also, all cow's milk contains blood. (The inspectors are simply asked to keep it under certain limits) The USDA also allows milk to have one to one and a half million white cells per milliliter. You might have already figured out that white cells are another word for pus. Great, isn't it?  

Cow's milk is so deficient in iron that an infant would have to drink 31 quarts of milk a day in order to get the RDA of 15 mg. Dr. Kradjian suggests not feeding a child milk after infancy as it creates problems with lactose intolerance, and contributes to arteriosclerosis. Even Dr. Benjamin Spock in 1992 recommended human milk over cow's milk, and the avoidance of cow's milk for the first two years of life.

But isn't milk a good source of calcium and protein? Cow's milk has a lot of calcium to be sure, but excessive dairy intake actually interferes with calcium absorption! Besides there are lots of foods that are loaded with calcium, mostly dark green and leafy vegetables. According to the studies in Dr. Kradjian's Milk Letter, the excess of protein that the milk provides is a major cause of osteoporosis. Imagine that! Milk turns out to be a deterrent to good bone health.  

Cow's milk is pasteurized, that means it is heated  to a certain degree of in order to destroy any bacteria in the milk. Unfortunately, this process also destroys any living enzymes that might have had a health benefit. And the homogenization of milk (a chemical process that disperses the fat evenly throughout the milk)  micronizes the fat globules and renders them into small "capsules" for substances that bypass digestion. Proteins that would normally be digested in the stomach can not be broken down and wind up in the bloodstream often triggering autoimmune responses.

Robert Cohen, author of "Milk, the Deadly Poison" suggests that everyone try and give up all dairy for 7 days. For many that is a huge challenge because cheese is as addictive as opiates and giving up dairy means giving up cheese. He states that after only 7 days of a dairy detox, 3 to 4 quarts (yes quarts!) of mucus that clogs the kidneys, spleen pancreas and other vital organs will be released. This will result in increased energy, clearer thinking (brain fog gone) and sluggish lymphatic systems operating at their prime. As well as preventing a lot of heart and skeletal disorders.    

So in closing, hopefully if you have been a milk/dairy fan, you will rethink your devotion and at least try the 7 day detox to see if you feel better off the stuff. After researching milk, I personally see no need to take this substance (in any form) into my body. And I must admit, I have always been a cheese lover. But really, who needs to drink cow lactation secretion that is chock full of antibiotics, hormones, pesticides, blood, white cells, dead enzymes, and altered fat globules which can cause osteoporosis, allergies, autoimmune disease and potentially cancer? This one is a no brainer. Got milk? I think not.    

To read Dr. Karjian's famous Milk Letter, click here.