All you need to know about Milk …

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Tiny cups of sweet, steaming, pink anantha siddha dugdha (sasparilla infused milk) were served to us while studying in India. Memorably satisfying and oddly cooling in the sweltering mid-afternoon classroom. I savor being able to drink milk regularly. I spent much of my pre-ayurveda adulthood avoiding milk after my mom concluded it was the cause of my childhood sickliness. This is how we ended up raising goats; milk fresh from the farm seemed not to have any adverse effects.

Ayurveda says that the best kind of milk to drink is so fresh it is still warm from the cow. Someday I will have a cow in my backyard. But until then I buy raw organic whole milk (like Claravale Farm or Organic Pastures) for several reasons: I trust it comes from healthy cows as the rules governing it's sale are quite strict. It also tastes better than other milk, perhaps due to happier cows. Finally & most importantly; it is fresh. If raw milk is cost prohibitive or too much work get unhomogenized, traditionally pasturized organic whole milk (like Straus or Alexandre or Saint Benoît). Recently a few A2 milk producers have shown up to address the issue of protein structure. Alexandre or Saint Benoît are the 2 brands we can get here that I recommend. Besides being easier to digest A2 milk is exceptionally tasty!

Milk is a very important & precious food in Ayurveda. In this article I will discuss why so many people have problems digesting it and what you can do to avoid these problems both in terms of what kind of milk to drink and how to drink it.

When the ayurvedic texts discuss milk it is it assumed to be fresh scalded cow milk unless otherwise mentioned. Milk is always scalded because heating anything makes it lighter to digest & it also lasts longer. Raw milk is harder to digest & can encourage parasites.

Despite the many great qualities of milk health conscious people are turning away from milk. More & more people are noticing that they don’t feel great after having milk products. This is not an illusion. The milk we have commonly available to us is pretty unhealthy.

The main reason that store bought milk is so hard to digest is that is it old, over-processed, packaged in toxic containers, & comes from poorly treated, over-medicated cows. The first sin committed against the perfection of milk is pasteurization, a strange process which allows milk to be sold well past it’s prime. Fresh unpasteurized milk will last less than a week refrigerated & then it will sour, but still be edible. Pasteurization ensures that milk doesn't go bad like normal milk. So it can be sold when it is very old. Pasteurized milk typically has a shelf life of two to three weeks, ultra-pasteurized milk can last two to three months. You can't tell when it is too old to drink because it is so denatured that it doesn’t sour or curdle. Yuck. Pasteurization kills off the lactic acid bacilli which allow for the digestion of milk. Then we are compelled to purchase lactobacilli enhanced digestive supplements in order to compensate for this alteration.

Worse yet is homogenization. Homogenization is the process that stops cream from separating from milk. It is done by putting immense amounts of pressure on the milk and squeezing it through tiny tubes so that the fat globules are pulverized into tiny bits.  What does this do to the milk? These tiny particles pass easily through the intestinal lining into the blood, bypassing normal digestive processes and overloading the body with proteins and hormones. Ayurvedically - any time you add the samscara of pressure to a food you make it more guru or heavy and hard to digest. It might also be hypothesized that breaking the particles of fat into bits increases vata. This is somewhat congruent with what the raw milk people say about processed milk.

And this is without considering the way cows are raised & treated & fed & medicated. The information on this is all over so I won’t bother detailing it. Just buy organic milk that is as unprocessed as possible, or buy a cow.

Why to love milk...

Milk is a vital & precious food in Ayurveda. It nourishes all tissues right down to the Ojas, the most subtle essence of our body/mind. Milk is cooling, calming, and balances Vata and Pitta. Ayurveda teaches that cow milk is the most sattvic (mentally calming) and nourishing of foods. It is a natural food for humans, satmya (accustomed to) from birth. It is an aphrodisiac & vitalizing to the productive and reproductive system so that both your sex drive and your offspring are strong. Milk is used in the treatment of many serious conditions like cancer & kidney failure. It easily counters insomnia & constipation. It is used to satisfy hunger & thirst when correcting obesity. Due to its sattvic quality milk leads to a sense of satisfaction & soothing useful in all sorts of dis-ease. Milk is considered to be good for the mind, essential for children & is used to counter depression.

But milk is rich & heavy and it can create bloating & gas for weakened digestions. Some people will still have trouble with milk even when drinking good quality milk in the right ways. If your ancestors did not drink milk, or you were raised without it, your body may not have the intestinal bacteria needed to digest it easily. Still it is often possible for people who have sensitivities to milk to gradually reintroduce it into their diets if they follow the guidelines of proper milk consumption.

Goat milk is lighter than cow milk; great for losing weight & easier to digest for people who are sensitive. Goat milk is used to treat tuberculosis (and other diseases of Kapha where nourishment is essential) & is the best to feed babies who are not able to breast feed. Goats don’t tolerate drugs very well so they are not as heavily medicated as commercial cows.

Milk cheat sheet:

  • Fresh, organic, unpasteurized, un-homogenized whole milk, ideally raw, is best.

  • Drink milk warm, after bringing it to a boil. If it feels too heavy add some water.Cold cereal with cold milk is likely to cause problems. Cold cereal usually has salt, fruit or other proteins in it is a recipe for bloating, gas & phlegm production.

  • Add a pinch of ginger, clove, cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper, nutmeg, saffron etc. These spices give your Agni (digestive fire) the extra umph it needs to digest.

  • Let milk be a meal or snack by itself. A cup of warm spiced milk or a latte is a great breakfast if you are not too hungry or want to lose weight. Also good before bed with nutmeg if you need help falling asleep.

  • Avoid having milk with anything salty—this includes cheese. Also don’t add salt to your oatmeal if you are having it with cream. Cream soups are also out.

  • Fish and milk are not advised as they compromise blood & brain tissues & can lead to skin problems among other things.

  • Avoid having milk with anything sour—including sour fruit like strawberries.

  • Bananas & milk (or cream cheese …) will encourage congestion & head colds. Keep this in mind when feeding children.

  • Fruits that do go with milk: dates, sweet mango, or raisins. Blend them with milk, a pinch of cardamom or a dash of rose water to make a delicious milkshake.

The easiest way to make sure you are drinking milk in the proper way is to have a warmed cup of milk with spices & maple syrup as your mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack. It will keep you satisfied until your next meal and won’t make you sluggish.

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