Big Dairy in the Schools

Warning: Rant Ahead

One of my good friend’s recently received a report back from her 7th grade daughter that she has been forced to purchase milk, yogurt, or an approved dairy product every day at lunch. The public school she attends offers conventional processed, ultra pasteurized dairy products a.k.a. FDA approved dairy. The FDA has also approved that children should be forced to purchase at least one approved dairy product with their meal to make sure that kids are getting the “nutrition” they need. My friend, being the wonderful, independent thinking woman that she is, was outraged at this news.

My friend may not drink raw milk, but she is still aware enough to understand that food that is overly processed is bad for you– including dairy.

Fairfax County, VA, where her daughter is in school, has removed chocolate and strawberry milk from their Elementary School menus after more and more parents have become aware of the massive amounts of sugar and high fructose corn syrup used to sweeten these artificial products. However, Middle School and High School students who have not been taught about good, let alone adequate, nutrition are still being forced to buy dairy, and most students are choosing dairy laden with sugar and dyes.

When my friend contacted to school to tell them not to force her daughter to buy processed dairy, she was informed that her daughter would need a doctor’s note. When she contracted her daughter’s doctor, the doctor would not write an exemption note unless the daughter tested positive for lactose intolerance.

Since when have doctors and public school officials known how to raise children better than their own parents? Will Social Services start showing up at our homes, looking in our cupboards to make sure our children are eating enough food deemed healthy by the FDA, backed by Big Ag and Bid Dairy?

I may not have kids yet, but I would die before I let someone else tell me or my children that they have to take the advice of a corrupt governmental department. It is my constitutional right to eat what I want to eat and raise my kids to the best of my ability. Come on, FDA… step off!

Jamie Oliver demonstrates how much sugar kids consume through milk.

Michael Pollan: Don’t Eat What You See on TV

A Cookie Adict Confession

I love Christmas and all of the holidays that come this time of year, but lately I find myself dreading the festivities that come with them.

I was a firm believer in Santa for many years, and have since come to conclusion that Santa is more of an omnipresent being and we are the elves. Part of the fun in believing in Santa is leaving out the milk and cookies (the other part is finding the cookies only half eaten in the morning and stuffing them in your face before mom and dad come down to the tree), but now that I am becoming older and wiser, I am becoming more and more terrified of cookies and the deserts that come with the holiday territory. It’s not that I think that all sweets should be avoided like the plague, in fact they should be enjoyed like everything else– in moderation. My problem, however, is that I am addicted to processed sugar and flour– two of the worst “foods” on the planet.

I’m really good at not having sugar and processed flours in my cupboards and I’m an awful baker, so I rarely find cookies in front of me, but with the holidays being here, there are cookies EVERYWHERE! I know that white flour and white sugar are bad for me, but when someone tells me they’re made with love, I just have to have one! And then one turns into 5… I have a problem. I’m ready to admit it, but how can I enjoy the holiday parties, family gatherings, and even gifts that are laden with sugary goodness when all I can do is fight my cravings like a 2 pack-a-day smoker gone cold turkey?

Well, first of all, steer clear of the desert table! If you can’t see it, you’ll be less likely to eat it! But if you do find yourself at the desert table, try to go for the least processed desert you can find! Homemade deserts (not out of a box) are probably your best bet. You can almost guarantee that store-bought deserts will have nasty trans fats and partially hydrogenated rancid oils (Yuck!). If cookies are your only option, try to go for the gingerbread cookie. Holiday spices have a lot of health benefits. Ginger is a great tummy soother and has anti-inflammatory properties. Nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, and other spices are beneficial, too! (For a full holiday spice report check out Dr. Mercola). Finally, go for a desert that has a lot of fats. If there is cheese cake or anything you can spread a nice slab of butter on, go for it! The fat will help to slow the insulin spike and keep you satiated longer and hopefully away from eating another desert.

I hope that some of these tips may have inspired you to stay away from the cookies and make better decisions in the face of tantalizing holiday spreads. I’m already feeling less helpless already myself!