milk. The first realization was that milk
is food for infants. We humans are the
only species who continue to consume
milk from other species even after being
weened off. The second was that
although some dairy animals are kept
nicely and treated well, most of the
times dairy animals are exploited to
fulfill human needs. Just like in the
circus wild animals are forced to
entertain humans to earn money, dairy
animals are forced to produce milk
beyond their physical capacities for
money. They face further atrocities as
once they are not able to produce milk
they are either abandoned by their
owners or sold to slaughter houses. And
finally the milk we find is most of the
time treated before it is packaged and
therefore, none of the naturally
occurring nutrients remain in the milk
at the time of consumption.
Taking dairy out of my diet was a Raw Vegan
Plant-based
breeze, I didn’t miss it and thats
Milks
probably why I didn’t look for a
substitute for it. Knowing the
detrimental effect of dairy on my health,
I was determined to eliminate it from
my three year old son Jagjot's diet as
well but living in a joint household at
the time, it was quite a challenge to
make others accept this. I feel like it
would have been much easier had I
known about plant-based milks then.
I came to know about plant based milks
a few years after I started my raw food
journey. I started making simple milks
using nuts and seeds for myself and my
family and soon started teaching basic
nut milks in my beginner's raw food
classes. This is when I observed that
many people, such as my husband,
don’t like milk from childhood. Some of
my students have children who can't
consume dairy due to health reasons.
One of the most common factors for not
being able to digest dairy is being
lactose intolerant. They get surprised to
know that we can make milk from nuts
and seeds as a substitute to dairy milk.
For them these simple alternatives from
the plant kingdom are a blessing. They
feel relieved to have found a substitute
for their children. Some of my students
have also noticed a significant
improvement in their health by
switching to plant based milks. They
feel more energetic and active
throughout the day. Even though all my
students, family, friends and followers
are not fully raw or vegan but they do
enjoy my simple plant-based milks and
love preparing these recipes with them
in their day to day life. It amazes and
delights me to see people being so
receptive and ready to try new options.
Hence I decided to share this excerpt
from my upcoming book Raw Rasoi
Everyday Milks focusing on plant-based
milks. I feel it is a topic that needs to be
talked about more, especially in the
context of health in India, a need of the
time and for change towards a better
future. Plant based milks not only offer
a great alternative to dairy, they are a
delicious way to consume nuts and
seeds and can be consumed by anyone
wanting to boost their health. As
although these recipes are created with
special respect to raw and vegan
lifestyles, they may also be incorporated
by anyone looking for healthy options in
diet.
Dec. 2018 www.yogicherald.com
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