Lactose Intolerant – Ayurveda has always included dairy products as part of a varied and recommended diet due to its various benefits. However, dairy, as we know it has changed considerably.
When you consider that about 5,000 years ago, dairy was always organic and raw, generally arriving directly from the cows of the village.
Sadly nowadays though, due to the persistence of factory farming, Many or most of our available dairy products are tainted, laced with harmful hormones and various other additives.
Over and above this, as they inevitably pasteurized, the live enzymes and key nutrients are destroyed including the naturally beneficially occurring vitamins and calcium like vitamin E, C and B12
Nowadays thankfully,( as many people have discovered) there are a plethora of dairy alternatives are available. These include a variety of products such as coconut, hemp or flax milk. There are also alternative varieties such as rice or pea milk available. These are often recommended (and enjoyed by vegetarians or vegans) as they are totally plant-based, hormone free and generally organic.
However, many people still enjoy traditional milk products and consume them regularly, within Ayurveda it is recommended that if you do consume traditional dairy products, ensure that they are free of any growth hormones and organic. Many dairy products nowadays contain a growth hormone know as (rGBH), which is often sadly injected into dairy cows to increase their level of milk production.
If consuming dairy, wherever possible consume raw dairy products, which are highly nutritious and contain many vitamins and enzymes. As these dairy products are raw as opposed to pasteurized they are not only easier to digest but also contain more healthy bacteria than their pasteurised counterparts.
Not only does raw cows milk contain more than 50 percent of vitamin E, but it also contains magnesium, and potassium, all of which are vital vitamins and minerals utilised by the body.
Your body will naturally struggle to consume pasteurised dairy products as they are generally enriched with what we consider synthetic vitamins. These are often laboratory created and will not be able to be absorbed by your body in the same way as plant and mineral based vitamins.
Within the Ayurvedic diet regime, raw dairy products shouldn’t be consumed with meat or fruit and consumed an hour at least before the intake of any other foods
