Dr. Oz finally got around to sharing some healthy alternatives to cow’s milk with his audience. While the expert guest was not quite the expert that I was hoping to see explain the health benefits of milk alternatives, she did make a few good points about the Hemp Milk.

The first healthy milk was coconut milk. This is one of my personal favorites to use in granola, whole grain dishes, baking, sauces, and even Smoothies. A coconut milk Smoothie with grated coconut, pineapple, and blue agave syrup is better than any pina colada with alcohol. You can blend berries or bananas very nicely with coconut milk, especially if you are still eating cereals or preparing fresh fruit desserts.

I had to laugh at the guest of Dr. Oz who did not like the taste of the plain coconut milk at first, but then changed her mind and began to take some more sips from her glass when Dr. Oz said that coconut milk will help you lose weight. She changed her tune with that information! Not only will you find that it supports fatty metabolism, it also contributes to better skin, hair, and nails among other health benefits.

If you need to sweeten or flavor the coconut milk more than it is out of the container; then use honey, maple syrup, blue agave syrup, rice syrup, date sugar, stevia, or pure organic cane sugar. A little teaspoon of organic vanilla extract will work wonders for the flavor of coconut milk and all of the alternative healthy nut and seed milks. You can use orange extract or almond extract, too. You can even use the zest of any citrus fruit when preparing dishes for that extra added pizzazz!

The second milk that Dr. Oz introduced to his audience was almond milk. While I prefer to make my own, you can purchase Silk almond milk at most grocery stores now. The vanilla or the original is excellent. Almond milk goes well with cereals and granola as well as other whole grains. It is not naturally sweet, so if you expect sweetness, you need to add a natural sweetener. It’s best to buy organic almond milk to ensure that it’s healthy, since trees are sprayed by some growers. Almond milk is only one of many nut milks. You can make cashew milk and many other nut milks which are creamy, but you might want to strain them before using them.

The third healthy milk option to cow’s or goat’s milk that Dr. Oz discussed was hemp milk. Yes, it is a distant cousin of the sativa that is commonly referred to as marijuana, but you won’t get high drinking hemp milk. It is nutritious and delicious as long as you buy from an organic producer. Hemp milk is not readily available, but if you request it, your favorite store can order it for you. I want you to know that there’s a new beverage made from Hemp called Hemphoria from ForeverGreen’s new company Versativa.

Versativa Hemphoria

Impact Nutritionals Versativa Information and Ordering Flyer

Hemphoria will be more palatable than most nutritious beverages made from the hemp nut. It is high in protein and contains many trace minerals in addition to EFAs. Please don’t overlook the Hemp Pulse that is a perfect accompaniment to hemp milk or any of our alternative healthy milks for breakfast or for snacks. You can make a lot of good recipes using Hemp Pulse like you would any granola or crumble. It tastes great on a fruit tart, inside a crepe, or on top of a fruit compote. It’s even a good topper on ice cream or yogurt. It’s available from the same company that produces Hemphoria.

Dr. Oz steered clear of both soy milk and rice milk, but you should guide yourselves toward both of these shore things… I adore my vanilla rice milk and although it is thin, instead of creamy; it’s suit my needs and requirements for a completely satisfactory substitute for cow’s milk or goat’s milk. I use rice milk in my Smoothies and in my cooking. If you have ever wanted to experiment with a delicious rice pudding made from organic brown rice; then use organic rice milk and maple syrup with organic raisins for a blissful eating experience.

Soy milk gets a bad rap from the doctors, but it is a healthy and reasonable alternative to dairy as long as you buy the organic brands made from the whole soybean. You don’t want to consume any soy isolate. Soy milk can be made at home and there is equipment that has been used for centuries and updated for our culture that is used to make it. You can make your own tofu, too. Soy milk is great when sweetened with organic cane sugar and flavored with vanilla extract. You can add chocolate or cocoa powder and make chocolate milk that is absolutely fantastic! Soy milk is easy to cook with and is delightful in Smoothies.

Just remember to shop for these healthy milks in your local health food store or Coop or at a Whole Foods Market, if you don’t order from our business associates online. The organic and natural brands taste MUCH better and you’ll know that the nutritional aspects of these milks has been attended to by the manufacturer. We have asked for these and got them, because we, the smart consumers, drive the market for healthy alternatives. You’ll never have to resort to drinking cow’s milk again unless you own the farm and name the cow.

One other healthy milk substitute that we must mention to do justice to this topic is Amasake. Grainassance makes the best Amazake that you will ever taste unless you make your own in your kitchen. I prefer the Almond Amazake, but the Chocolate Almond is also delicious. If you buy it frozen and let it get soft on your counter, there will be a point in time when it has a shake consistency which will astound you and you will fall in LOVE with Amasake. Spelled either way, it’s a treat that you will add to your favorite beverage List…

When it comes to other dairy products, we suggest that you steer clear of them unless you tolerate dairy well and are not lactose-intolerant for cheese, yogurt, sour cream, and cream cheese. The aged artisan cheeses lose a portion of their lactose as they age. There are healthy and tasty alternatives made from soy, almonds, and other whole foods that are great. You will find these at health food stores. There are far too many alternatives to risk consuming dairy products now. Be well…

This entry was posted on Saturday, April 16th, 2011 at 3:56 pm and is filed under Health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.