Why avoid cow's milk and cheese and how to replace them?

By Vannesa Hidalgo- Bootcamp BY PFG

The consumption of dairy is not good for the body and many people do not know that consuming meat and cow's milk is practically the same. They are foods loaded with fat, cholesterol, protein and almost no fiber.

It is a myth that cow's milk is a millionaire source of calcium. Although it does contain, there are other foods with a greater amount of this mineral and that do not bring consequences in the body. There are foods with a calcium load four times higher than cow's milk such as green vegetables or chard, which alone have more calcium than meat and milk combined.

Various scientific studies have revealed that the consumption of cow's milk could be linked to obesity, autoimmune diseases, infections and diabetes (type 1 and 2). Also to breast, neurological, digestive, ophthalmological, rheumatic and hematological diseases.

For many years there has been an aggressive advertising campaign by large companies to sell the benefits of dairy products, relating this macromineral to strength in bones. But by consuming other foods, especially vegetables, you can obtain the same calcium without putting the body at risk.

How can dairy be substituted?

Milk is the most popular dairy and replacing it is easier than it sounds. In fact, any type of plant milk can be made using rice, oatmeal, almond, soy, grated coconut or millet. The process is simple: let the seeds soak overnight and then blend them with water and sweetener or natural sweeteners (raisins, muscovado sugar, dates, etc.).

For cheeses, you can buy vegan cheese or tofu (firm or soft) and garnish with basil or oregano. If you want to consume it in pasta or pizzas, you can scratch it and chop it into slices.

To replace commercial yogurt, it is preferable to prepare it naturally, without milk or with vegetable milk. You can combine it with red fruits, peaches, pineapple or any other fruit. Other desserts such as custards or puddings can be prepared as is usually done substituting milk and sugar.

Bootcamp by PFG article prepared by Vannesa Hidalgo, edited by Natalia Quiroga Sáez and supervised by Patricia Fitnessgurú.