Which Milk is Best for Kids' Health

Recently a New York Times article weighed in on the different milk options available to us. So what is the best nutritional option for your children?

Dairy milk seems to come out in front as far as protein content and absorbable form of calcium. However, all the milk substitutes - Rice, Almond, Soy, Coconut, etc - contain 30% of the recommended daily intake (RDI) for calcium. However, this type of supplemental calcium may not be as absorbable as the calcium naturally occurring in dairy milk.

An important factor to consider if your family drinks dairy milk is to purchase milk that is organic or at the very least, derived from grass-fed cows. In the U.S. cows are given hormones and these hormones are present in the milk supplied. A number of studies have reported hormonal changes in girls and boys due to the hormones in the dairy cattle.

The dairy industry in Canada prohibits hormones from being given to cattle, however, their feed may contain many undesirable chemicals and be of poorer nutrition. What's more, cattle can be given antibiotics and all these substances will be passed on to the milk supply. 

Dairy milk may also not be suitable for your child if s/he has an allergy to lactose or casein, both of which are found in milk. Also, pediatricians tend to advise against dairy milk form cattle if the child has any of the atopic triad conditions: asthma, eczema, allergies. Goat's milk or one of the milk substitutes (rice, almond, cashew etc) may be a more appropriate substitute. Best to speak with your child's physician regarding this.

Another note about the dairy industry is the climate impact from the methane gas released. Climate change has a big impact on global health and every consumer choice has a powerful impact. So try and support your local farmer and sustainable farming practices.

To our global health!

Here's the link to the NYTimes article for your reference: Which Milk is Most Nutritious: Soy, Cashew, Almond or Coconut? 

Our Kids Need to Get Dirty!

Microbes are important for health and prevention of diseases. Researchers suggest it's time for kids (and adults) to get dirty, eat nutritious foods and stop overusing antibiotics.

Diabetes, allergies, asthma, IBS, autism,obesity and autoimmune diseases are at an all time high. The prevalence of these conditions are now being linked to the quality of microbes that are an inherent part of our physiological makeup. 

These diseases are largely a consequence of a our lifestyle - modern diet, oversanitisation, excessive use of antibiotics...and they are being diagnosed in more children. We urgently need to find ways to modify our behavior so that our microbes can function properly. Our kids are growing up so cleanly and our diets have lost many of the nutrients due to processing and packaging. 

Here's some positive changes we can make as parents: 

1. Expose children to a diverse array of microbes by encouraging them to play outdoors.

2. Allow your children to follow their innate impulse to get dirty (microbes help us build our immune system)

3. Encourage healthy eating. The Western diet's highly processed diet is very high in preservatives, artificial colours, artificial flavours and sugars. There is a very strong association between this diet and many diseases, including obesity and type 2 diabetes. 

Focus on a variety of food to ensure a health gut and body. Good foods for children to snack on: vegetables, fruit and nuts. Include a variety of grains such as oats, rice, barley, quinoa. It's important that these are whole grains, not refined ones (such as bread and cereal). Whole grains are higher in fiber and have more nutrients for a growing child's demands. Try adding protein from lentils, beans and peas as well as non-starchy vegetables like sweet potatoes, parsnips and yams (nice alternative to potatoes). Older children can benefit from fermented foods such as yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut and other pickled vegetables. 

For children, eating healthy foods becomes a habit in the same way as cleaning their room does: by doing it frequently.

4. Be restrictive with the use of antibiotics in your children.  Upper respiratory tract infections and colds are often caused by viruses, so antibacterials won’t cure them. Most sore throats, especially if the child also has a runny nose and cough, are caused by viruses and don’t need antibiotic therapy. Also, probiotic supplements (with live bacteria and yeasts) can be beneficial if a child is given antibiotics.

5. Avoid antibacterial soaps.

Reference: The Wall Street Journal