Goat’s Milk As An Alternative To Cows Milk - Bitesize 23
Milk is often touted as the ultimate energy drink. Back in the early 70s, when my brother and I were barely in our teens and influenced by the campy 1960s Batman TV show, we used to drink several glasses of milk or buttermilk a day. Batman did; so should we did. And while we never saw Bruce Lee as a Kato in the Green Hornet, or David Carradine as Cain in Kung Fu drink milk, we assumed that they must have.
Unfortunately, over the years, I found myself allergic to all types of meat and dairy, to differing degrees. I experimented with vegetarianism, but found it difficult in past years, being on the road so much and finding most restaurants did not properly cater to vegetarians, beyond a salad and french fries. However, that has changed.
I’ve also experimented with consuming free-range meat products, and while they make a definite difference in controlling my allergic skin reactions, the cost is prohibitive. Free-range products have no preservatives in them, and thus spoil sooner. Which means they tend to cost more. That, too, is starting to change, as people become more informed and demand starts to grow to the level of supply.
My diet is often based on my budget and what’s on sale. But I do visit my local Farmers Market on Saturday mornings and splurge a little. This past weekend, I indulged in both some cow’s milk cheeses and a liter bottle of fresh-squozen goat’s milk. As I said above, I’m allergic to meat and dairy, unless it’s free-range. I’ve managed to mostly stay off of cow’s milk for several years (something I haven’t managed with meat).
What I’ve noticed, though, is that when I recently started consuming lots of fresh cheese and milk, my general energy level went up. Unfortunately, many of my skin allergies immediately manifested, after years of laying dormant. So I thought I’d try to free-range goat’s milk, something that I aparently loved when I was child. If you’ve ever tried chevre cheese (goat’s milk), you know that it has a sour taste and needs to be seasoned. Fresh goat’s milk, however, is sweet and silky tasting, if a bit expensive. Compare: Cdn$2.25/litre 2% cow’s milk to Cdn$3.65/litre 2% goat’s milk. On the plus side, my skin allergies seem to have immediately died down. (If you’re wondering why I didn’t just get free-range cow’s milk, that’s because it’s harder to find.)
Now I’m not pretending to know any scientific reason for the difference, but let me put it this way. When I drink free-range, non-hormone-injected cow’s milk, I get the same positive results as this fresh goat’s milk. Ditto between hormone-injected meats and free-range meats. Unfortunately, free-range meat and dairy products don’t last as long, and thus cost more. If you suffer from meat and dairy allergies, you have to ask yourself what your priorities. Determine whether or not you can budget for such dietary changes. [And don’t forget to consult your health practitioner.]
(c) Copyright: 2005-present, Raj Kumar Dash, http://www.curryelvis.com/
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