Rollin' rollin' rollin...

Happy May day to all you lovely folks out there.  Here's a flower for you!

(Oh yeah I did that.. I snuck Disney into it.  Did you expect any less?!)



So, we're moving on to what I want to call 'meaty May'. 
This month we're taking a twist on the old "save the animals" routine, and we're going to try to push on the HEALTH benefits that WILL befall you if you DON'T eat the animals and their secretions, while showing you the yummy stuff we can do without the yucky stuff.

Let's talk a little about dairy... I know, I know, it's not 'meat' but it is the second sister to the meat industry.. for those cows and goats, yes.. they'll be on your un-vegan table too.

You think your milk in a jug is coming from a cow right now that's doing this in a field.

Uh uh...

Let's go here instead:

Eventually, these baby cows, ripped from their mother will become meat.. 'veal' as they call it.  They're not drinking their mothers milk.
Why?

Because you are.  You're using it as a refreshing wash down with treats, or making cheeses out of it.
So sad.
But even more so for you.





Let's talk about why you SHOULDN'T consume dairy.. aside from the fact that this animal isn't your mother, so honestly - it's not NATURAL people!!

How about a mammal that drinks milk when full grown?  All mammals, other than humans, stop drinking milk when they reach a certain age.  So why do adult humans still drink milk?

Milk is fed to a mammal's young to help the young mammal grow.  Milk makes a young calf a big cow...Milk does the same thing to our kids.
Farmers give cattle rBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone) in order to increase milk production.  This leads to an increase in IGF-1 (Insulin Growth Factor-1) which is found naturally in our bodies, but elevated levels are thought to be a concern for risk of cancer.

Milk also contains the protein Casein.  For most people Casein is not a bad thing, but there is some evidence that it can be a risk factor for cancer.  There is also a big portion of the population that is allergic to the protein

Look at these FACTS:

 -Exposure to dairy before the age of 1 is correlated with type 1 diabetes

- One of the proteins in dairy, casein, is associated with increased rates of cancer

- The sugar in dairy, lactose, is related to ischemic heart disease. Many, many people have trouble digesting this sugar.

- Milk consumption is linked to bladder, colorectal, prostate, and testicular cancers

- Dairy is the highest source of dioxin in the standard American diet, found in especially high levels in butter and cheese. Dioxin is a toxic chemical that can cause cancer.

- Consumption of milk protein can increase levels of IGF-1 {insulin-like growth factor} in the body, which promotes the growth of cells- both normal and cancerous.

- Dairy has been linked to a number of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, lupus, multiple sclerosis, Graves’ disease, and type 1 diabetes. {The proposed theory here is that some people’s bodies cannot distinguish the difference between cow’s milk proteins and their own proteins.}

- Dairy is “mucus-producing”- this can cause built up phlegm, acne, eczema, and psoriasis.

- Dairy products may contain hormones {even if “organic”} and promote increased level of hormone production in the body.

- Not only is milk not the only good source of calcium, but it does not prevent osteoporosis. In fact, the it can play a role in the destruction of bone due to the acid load and erosion of bone-building cells.

Not to mention.. what's in your milk?
 scientists analyzed 20 samples of milk—cow’s, goat’s, and human—bought in Spain and Morocco, and found a chemical cocktail of ingredients added to the animal’s diet prior to milking or contamination through feed or on the farm. Some of the contaminants found in trace amounts include triclosan (an anti-fungal), 17-beta-estradiol (a sex hormone), and florfenicol (an antibiotic).
(Let's also not forget blood, and hair).

Ok, are we convinced yet?

Let me go hurl for a moment.


Now that we're a little more educated on dairy.. let's discuss this week's recipe.
It's a cheesy one.. LADEN with dairy.

And I'm gonna fix it!  Cuz, baby, it's broken.



Lasagna roll-ups.. HELLO!
I'm going to make a cheezy sauce to go with it
DOUBLE HELLO!

Anything you can eat, I can veg-an-ize,  I can ve-an-ize really yummy food

yes I can!

Let's do some numbers:

Lasagna Roll Up                     LaVegan Roll up
                              One Roll
Calories - 305                                225            
Total Fat  - 12                                 4
Cholesterol - 63                               0
Sodium - 625                                 342
Total Carbs - 27                              16
Fiber - 2                                          2 
Protein - 20                                    12
WW Pts - 8                                      4

I'm stoked.  I've actually been craving lasagna for a while.. but in a handy dandy size.  I'm waffling with the idea of putting 'chicken' or 'beef' in them.. I'll keep you posted.

Obviously

And, I want you to do some homework for me.. and I'd love to hear your findings in the comments section!

So, something to think about this weekend is why on earth do you still want to consume dairy when you know what you know?
Let me be honest with you.. when I started to do my 'milk' changeover, it was well before I became vegan.  I went from skim milk, then to rice milk.. it was MUCH easier for me with rice milk because although it had a bit of a grainier taste, it still worked really well as a 'drinking' milk.  Now, I don't really drink any vegan milk all that often anyway, I use it to cook and bake with.  But if you're a drinker, and want to think about changing over.. try rice.  It's available everywhere now.  I've also attempted flax milk (which you have no excuse, it's at Wal-Mart, guys).  It's VERY similar to cows milk too.. with a HOST of health benefits.  
So - what are you waiting for?

Go - pick up some and just TRY it!

While you're at it, grab a wedge of Daiya and make a grilled cheese sandwich... you'll thank me later.

:)

Stay tuned!
Veganization begins, this weekend!

Music enjoyed while blogging
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Current Motivation
Getting you people to stop drinking weird things

Current craving:
A grilled cheese sandwich, now.