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Things That Make Me Go “Huh?”
EXHIBIT A: DAIRY RELIEF
While working with an elderly woman for therapy at the skilled nursing facility, I noticed this empty packet on her breakfast tray. It would appear that my patient is lactose intolerant, which means she produces insufficient levels of lactase, the enzyme that breaks down lactose (milk sugar) into glucose and galactose.
This chewable tablet is taken for the purpose of being able to consume lactose– i.e. dairy products– without incurring the symptoms of lactose intolerance: abdominal bloating, cramps, gas, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.
What is milk? Food for babies.
Once solid food is introduced, it’s the natural progression for mammals to wean off momma’s milk. People do it. Cows do it. Goats and sheep do it.
It’s natural to stop drinking milk after infancy (including the early toddler years). It’s normal to stop producing lactase, because you shouldn’t need lactase if you won’t be consuming lactose.
If you produce the lactace enzyme beyond the typical age of weaning, it’s called lactase persistence. Worldwide, lactace persistence is the exception, not the rule.
I grew up thinking it was normal to drink milk from cows. This is because I was indoctrinated by my dairy-consuming culture to think this way. I never questioned it because it was all that I knew. It never occurred to me that humans drinking cow’s milk is actually quite bizarre.
Alas, the dairy industry is a propaganda machine. So is Big Pharma.
Who concocted the idea that lactose intolerance– a normal biological process– should be considered a medical condition? Dairy producers? Drug companies? Both?
Brilliant, huh? Dairy producers are happy because they can keeping pushing dairy products on people. And pharmaceutical companies are more than happy to supply people with just the right pill to “pop.”
Dear Lactose Intolerant People,
THINK about it. You don’t need dairy products. Milk from a cow (or a goat or a sheep or any other animal) is not a dietary necessity for humans. If your body is telling you that you cannot properly digest lactose, then LISTEN and STOP. It really is that simple. And, not only are dairy products not necessary, but they are actually implicated in a variety of preventable human diseases.
There are also significant ethical problems with dairy, whether produced by small or large scale operations, and whether produced by conventional or organic dairies.
I haven’t consumed animal milk for nearly 4 years. Weaning off animal milk is much easier than you might think. Once you take dairy out of your diet, you might just say “Why didn’t I do this sooner?”
I am happy to help anyone who needs help weaning off dairy. Contact me.
In closing, taking a pill– Dairy Relief– to digest a substance that is completely unnecessary in the human diet just makes me want to go “Huh?”
Mates, I think I’ve discovered a secret to really good vegan cheese. My hunch is yet untested, but I think I’m onto something BIG! Let me explain…
I bought some Marmite today. I’d never tried it before, so I said “What the heck!” and grabbed a jar while shopping at my local food Co-op.
Ingredients: Yeast Extract, Salt, Carrot & Onion Extract, Spice Extracts, enriched with B Vitamins – Niacin (B3), Thiamin (B1), Riboflavin (B2), and Cyanocobalamin (B12).
Before trying Marmite for the first time, the only thing I knew about it is that it’s very salty. Just like umeboshi paste…a little goes a long way. The jar states “Delicious when spread thinly on toast or for a treat try Marmite on a crispbread with cottage cheese.”
I put some on a piece of toast. Hmm…Salty, yes. It’s hard to describe, but I would use the words salty, smoky, and bitter. It was okaaay…not repulsive (the Marmite website says you’re either a lover or a hater), but I felt it just needed something else in order to satisfy me. (I think it could grow on me, though…)
Of course, I didn’t have cottage cheese in my fridge, but I did have some vegan cheese. Last week I made homemade vegan Muenster cheese, from The Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook (page 164), by Jo Stepaniak.
Marmite + Vegan Muenster on toast = Ding, ding, ding! (Wedding bells!)
Marmite by itself..it’s okay.
Vegan Muenster by itself…it’s quite good.
Marmite and Muenster…better together!
The Marmite gave the Muenster that little somethin’ somethin.’ It amped up the flavor; it gave it depth and richness.
That little “somethin’ somethin” has a name: Umami. It’s that little-known fifth taste sense. It’s not just salty. It’s not just bitter. It’s savory but obscure. You can’t quite put your finger on it, but you know it when you taste it. Ooo-mommy!
Apparently, it’s the glutamic acid in the Marmite that imparts the umami sense. Glutamic acid is associated with fermented or aged foods of plant and animal origin…aged meats, fish, soy sauce, certain vegetables (mushrooms, tomatoes & others), and aged cheeses.
So here’s what I’ve concluded:
Animal-based cheeses have a distinct sharpness of flavor. It can be difficult to find this robust flavor burst in a plant-based cheese. (Difficult, but not impossible!)
So, if glutamic acids contribute greatly to the pungent taste AND if Marmite adds that umami quality, then it only makes logical sense to add a little bit of Marmite to vegan cheese recipes.
I’m going to try that.
So…Whereas, the recipe for Muenster Uncheese calls for:
Paprika, water, agar flakes, tofu, cashews or Brazil nuts, nutritional yeast flakes, lemon juice, tahini, onion powder, salt, dry mustard, garlic powder, and ground caraway or coriander
…I’m thinking it would be wise to add a drib or a drab of Marmite, too. Just a wee. What do you think?
(Paprika makes Muenster Uncheese pretty and smoky)
(For more on using umami in the vegan cooking arsenal, read this blog article by Ginny Messina, the Vegan R.D.)
Freeheel Vegan 