large number of adults are actually lactose intolerant. They no longer produce lactase, the enzyme you need to break down and digest lactose, the sugar in milk. Most adults who can still produce lactase are of northern European ethnic heritage. The rest of us, which means the majority of people in the United States, usually lose the ability to make the enzyme sometime in late childhood or even sooner.
WENDY Dairy Deletion
My client Wendy came to me because she had chronic mucus and frequent colds, and she was constantly visiting her doctor. Her allergy tests didn’t reveal anything that made a difference. As usual, none of her doctors asked her about her diet.
I had a suspicion that dairy was the cause—it often is when mucus is an ongoing problem. Armed with recipe ideas that would please her and her family, Wendy and I went shopping for dairy-free alternatives. We replaced the milk in her morning coffee with almond milk; we found alternative snacks for string cheese and yogurt. It was fairly easy to just swap out recipes with dairy for those without. The hard part was the ice cream. Wendy was very resistant to giving up her favorite treat, but I persuaded her to try sorbets and granitas instead. Within a week, the mucus subsided, and she felt so good that she called me crying with happiness. Today Wendy remains symptom-free as long as she skips the dairy—plus she looks ten years younger.
If you can’t digest lactose, you know it: You quickly get gas, bloating, abdominal pain, and sometimes diarrhea. Unfortunately, milk, ice cream, yogurt, and other lactose-containing foods are very popular. They’re also heavily marketed (got milk?) and are actually mandated as part of school lunches. By pushing milk and dairy products on our kids, we’re doing a lot more harm than good. How many kids complain of stomachaches on school days, only to be told they’re worried about that spelling test when it’s really the milk they’re drinking? Humans are the only mammals that continue to drink milk after they’re weaned; they’re also the only mammals that drink the milk of another species. Milk is for baby calves, not people.
Another big problem with dairy is that it’s addictive. We all scream for ice cream; we love cheese on everything. A dairy-free life seems dull and flavorless.
CALCIUM SOURCES
The RDA for calcium is 1,000 milligrams a day for adults up to age fifty; after that, the amount goes up to 1,200 mg a day. Dairy foods are high in calcium, but as you can see from the chart, you still have plenty of other good ways to get calcium from your food. Nuts, beans, and those dark leafy greens are great sources.
| Food | Amount | Calcium (mg) |
| Almonds | 1 ounce | 80 |
| Black beans | 1 cup | 47 |
| Broccoli, cooked | 1/2 cup | 36 |
| Cabbage, cooked | 1/2 cup | 25 |
| Chick peas | 1 cup | 78 |
| Collard greens, cooked | 1/2 cup | 15 |
| Kale, cooked | 1/2 cup | 47 |
| Kidney beans | 1 cup | 50 |
| Milk | 8 ounces | 300 |
| Navy beans | 1 cup | 128 |
| Okra | 1/2 cup | 50 |
| Spinach, cooked | 1/2 cup | 122 |
| Sweet potato, baked | 1 medium | 32 |
| Swiss chard, cooked | 1/2 cup | 51 |
| Tofu | 1/2 cup | 130 |
| Turnip greens, cooked | 1/2 cup | 99 |
| Yogurt | 8 ounces | 415 |
But dairy is one of the first things I look for when a client tells me she can’t lose those last ten or fifteen pounds. She’s often eating cheese or some kind of dairy on a daily basis, and it shows. Cheese is her snack of choice before dinner, or she needs to add a splash of milk to drink her morning coffee. Been there, done that.
If you’re sensitive, eating dairy can show up on your beautiful face. I’ve learned to recognize excessive or even daily dairy consumption as an overall puffy appearance in some people. I’ve seen clients who gave up dairy develop a gorgeous set of cheekbones and that toned look to their face that they always coveted, but never knew they could have. Remember, you are what you eat, and who wants to look like cheese?
For those of you who crave and need the dairy fix, there is relief. Most people with lactose intolerance can handle small amounts of dairy every now and then, especially if you have it as part of a larger meal. So yes, you can splurge on a small scoop of ice cream at your birthday dinner. You may find that dairy products with less lactose, such as yogurt and hard cheese, are OK in small amounts. Soft goat cheese and sheep cheese have a fat structure somewhat different from cow cheeses, so you may find them more digestible. You can also try lactose-free and reduced lactose milk and dairy products—these products have the lactase enzyme added to them. Milk alternatives, such as almond milk, coconut milk, and hemp milk, are good alternatives to regular milk. Over-the-counter lactase enzyme drops or tablets help some people.
None of the above will help much if casein sensitivity is the issue. You’re probably better off just swearing off the dairy, especially cheese. Every type of cheese has casein in it.
If you do drink milk or eat any dairy products, including cheese, yogurt, and butter, make sure it’s organic. Factory-style large-scale dairy farms give cows growth hormones and antibiotics. Hormone additives seeping into dairy products have been linked to early puberty and sexual development in children who consume them. Antibiotic resistance in patients suffering from bacterial infections is a side effect linked to consuming products from cows treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics.
The calcium connection
You’re probably wondering how you’re supposed to get your calcium if you don’t eat dairy products. Don’t you need plenty of milk now to avoid thinning bones later in life? And what about your kids? Don’t they need lots of milk for their growing bodies?
I get asked these questions all the time. The idea that drinking cow’s milk is the best way to get the calcium you need for strong bones and for growing kids is myth. All around the world, most people can’t digest milk and don’t eat a lot of dairy products, yet the kids are healthy and the women have good bone health. In fact, a lot of scientific studies show an inverse relation between calcium and osteoporosis: Women in the countries that consume the most dairy have the highest osteoporosis rates. Despite how much milk we drink, American women over age 50 have one of the highest levels of hip fractures (an indicator of osteoporosis) in the world. The rate is exceeded only by Australia and New Zealand, where dairy consumption is even higher than in the United States.
Despite how much milk we drink, American women over age 50 have one of the highest levels of hip fractures, an indicator of osteoporosis, in the world.
It’s possible that a diet high in protein from dairy foods offsets the calcium in them by causing an acid imbalance in the body. To neutralize the acidity, your body uses the calcium that normally circulates in your bloodstream; if that runs low, it pulls some from your bones. When you need a lot of calcium to counter acidity, you have less left for keeping your bones strong.
Bone strength comes from much more than just calcium, however. You also need to keep physically active, get enough vitamin D, and avoid alcohol and tobacco.
But back to dietary calcium. Lots of plant foods are rich in calcium, including beans and all those green leafy vegetables, like kale, spinach, and broccoli. Nuts, especially almonds, are another good source.
People who need to avoid dairy often ask me about taking calcium supplements. It’s always better to get your nutrition from food, not pills, and some recent studies have linked calcium supplements to a sharply increased risk of heart disease in women. Better to fortify your bones with absorbable calcium from plant sources,
