To Cow … or Not!  (by Mari Nel)

Could what I’m feeding them … be making them sick?

3 year old Benjamin has a chronic ear infection. He always has waxy ears and has already had two grommets operations. His pediatrician has recommended a third! Benjamin loves his yogurt for breakfast, cheese strips always form part of his lunch and for a snack he has cookies (with milk solids as an ingredient).Then he has formula when he goes for his nap and again before bedtime. Mom strongly believes that she is doing the right thing and that Benjamin is getting his calcium in by eating all these dairy products. But little did she know … that recent studies has shown that the highest ratio of osteoporosis is found in countries that consume the most dairy products! Milk or Dairy products can cause a loss of calcium in our bodies because of the incorrect ratio of calcium-phosphorus in cow’s milk. On replacing Benjamin’s dairy with non-dairy alternatives, his ears cleared up within a few days and Mom cancelled the grommet operation. Children that struggle with bedwetting , eczema, tonsilitis, sinusitis, constipation and diarree can also benefit from cutting out dairy products.

A big girl already … at 10 years? Did you know that natures ideal time for a girl to start menstruating is at 15 years? I  know of girls that starts at 8 years already! They are so robbed of all the fun of childhood. What could be the reason for this? Lets’ look at the cow. In order for a cow to produce maximum liters of milk a day, the farmers inject them with an estrogen hormone (Rbst hormone).The estrogen goes into the milk that we consume everyday. The same happens to our pork, beef and lamb – so that piggy can go to the market sooner! Our tap water also contains estrogen. The soft plastic we use to cover the left over food also contains estrogen(and so does all soft plastics).Then most women are on the pill or hormone replacement therapy … more estrogen! What are the consequences? Early menstruation, menstruation irregularities and cramps, PMS, infertility (in men and women), breast and other female cancers just to name a few.

O yeah … more spinach Mom! So what are the alternatives to dairy? Where will my kids get their calcium from now? Your body can absorb calcium from green leafy vegetables, raw nuts and seeds, but show me a child that loves eating his spinach! Barley Life is an excellent supplement food as it contains 11x more calcium than milk! It also is a whole food with means that the body absorbs all of it and nothing gets wasted (the body only absorbs 8 to 10% of pharmacy vitamins as it is not in a food form – expensive urine!)

Nuts and seeds can be grinded and sprinkled over porridge or in smoothies. If your child is not allergic or tolerant to milk, buy the milk that contains no hormones – Woolworths stocks Ayshire fresh and long life milk and Clover also has Rbst free fresh and long life milk. (For South Africans: Woolworths has the Ayshire yogurt and cheese. Soya is also an option although 40% of children that is intolerant of milk, is intolerant to Soya as well. Rice milk and Swiss Dream milk are other alternatives.

Easy Milkshake recipe

As a mom of three children, Mari Nel is a Wellness Consultant that believes in looking holistically at health issues. By giving one on one consultations, she can assist you in striving to fix the cause of the problem rather than conctantly treating the root. You can also book her to do Health talks at you school, nursery school or business.

She can be contacted on +2772 6999 767 or nelc@kwv.co.za