Milk is addictive--chemically. This is a fact. Casein, the protein that is in milk, crosses the blood-brain barrier and becomes something called "casomorphin". Yes, that sounds like morphine, because casomorphin is also an opioid. Nature designed it that way so young annimals would enjoy nursing, come back for more, and live to reproduce themselves. It's the circle of life. This is great if you're a calf, puppy, kitten, etc.
Here's the problem for us...breast milk has only 2.7 grams of casein per liter. Cow's milk has 26. It takes, on average, 10 pounds of milk to make one pound of cheese or ice cream, so you are looking at a lot of casein, (research shows casein feeds cancer cells), and as a result, casomorphin. In these quantities, this becomes a multiplied opiate addiction, and it can feel like opiate withdrawl when someone tries to get away from cheese and ice cream. People experience headaches, depression, digestive abnormalities, irritation and anger, as well as cravings that are really hard to deal with. This is one reason why so many people have such a hard time giving up dairy. We were all taught from as far back as we can remember, the virtues of dairy. Most of us were weaned from breast milk or formula as infants, and started right on cow's milk...this was the "right thing" to do. The PR power of the dairy industry is huge...they show up in magazines, newspapers, television, pop-ups on the internet, talk shows, etc., etc., etc. They continually tell us how important it is to get as much dairy in our diets as possible...what they neglect to tell us is casein feeds cancer cells, dairy comes with saturated fat and cholesterol that clogs our arteries, exacerbates neurological problems in children, not to mention, 97% of the world's population is lactose intolerant!! 97%. That's HUGE!! Humans were not meant to drink cow's milk any more than we are suppose to drink dog's milk, cat's milk, or any other kind of animal's milk.
Here's the problem for us...breast milk has only 2.7 grams of casein per liter. Cow's milk has 26. It takes, on average, 10 pounds of milk to make one pound of cheese or ice cream, so you are looking at a lot of casein, (research shows casein feeds cancer cells), and as a result, casomorphin. In these quantities, this becomes a multiplied opiate addiction, and it can feel like opiate withdrawl when someone tries to get away from cheese and ice cream. People experience headaches, depression, digestive abnormalities, irritation and anger, as well as cravings that are really hard to deal with. This is one reason why so many people have such a hard time giving up dairy. We were all taught from as far back as we can remember, the virtues of dairy. Most of us were weaned from breast milk or formula as infants, and started right on cow's milk...this was the "right thing" to do. The PR power of the dairy industry is huge...they show up in magazines, newspapers, television, pop-ups on the internet, talk shows, etc., etc., etc. They continually tell us how important it is to get as much dairy in our diets as possible...what they neglect to tell us is casein feeds cancer cells, dairy comes with saturated fat and cholesterol that clogs our arteries, exacerbates neurological problems in children, not to mention, 97% of the world's population is lactose intolerant!! 97%. That's HUGE!! Humans were not meant to drink cow's milk any more than we are suppose to drink dog's milk, cat's milk, or any other kind of animal's milk.
For people that are really having a hard time staying away from dairy, take it one day at a time. Get through today without eating dairy...then the next day, then the next day...and suddenly, you are not having those cravings, especially for cheese, anymore. I promise you. Just think of all the antibiotics, hormones, saturated fat, cholesterol, and that cancer-feeding protein casein, you will be leaving out of your diet. Your body will thank you!
The recipe I would like to share with you today is from the book, Everyday Happy Herbivore by Lindsay S. Nixon. The only ingredients you will need to purchase from a health food store (which are everywhere now) is nutritional yeast and miso. Nutritional yeast makes dishes taste "cheesy", it is loaded with protein and is extremely good for you. It is not expensive and is so worth finding.
FIESTA BAKE
1/2 lb whole-wheat pasta
Frozen corn, thawed
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 4 oz can diced green chilies, drained (optional)
1 1/4 cup Almond Milk, (unsweetened)
1/2 c nutritional yeast
2 T yellow miso
2 T cornstarch
1 t onion powder
1 t garlic powder
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 t turmeric
1 c salsa 1 tomato, sliced, (optional)
fresh cilantro (optional)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cook pasta according to package directions and immediately rinse under cold water.
- Meanwhile, make the cheese sauce by whisking Almond milk through the turmeric together in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat until it thickens. Add salsa to cheese sauce, starting with 1 cup. If your salsa is really chunky, add another 1/4 to 1/2 c, but if the salsa is watery, do not.
- Mix prepared cheese sauce with pasta, beans and corn together.
- Pour mixture into a casserole dish and bake for 15 to 25 minutes, or until a crisp outer crust starts to form and the casserole is totally warm.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro and tomato slices if desired.
There are so many websites now that have Whole Food Plant Based recipes....one of my favorite sites is straightupfood.com...the recipes are extremely easy, there are no "hard to find" ingredients, and they are on the table in no time. Check it out, try some recipes, and let me