Milk - Hormones, Cancer & The Rest

People have been consuming milk products for about 8,000 years. So it must be good for us, right? Well milk in general is good for a lot of people but not most.

70% of the adults in the whole world are Lactose Intolerant or lack the enzymes to digest milk. So reverse that, only 30% of people can digest milk....in other words a minority of people have adapted to consumption of milk; it is not the norm.

Short History: (ref - "Guns, Germs and Steel", Jared Diamond pg 167)
13,000 B.C. wild game is becoming less abundant and even disappear. Large mammals become extinct as human populations are increasing along with climate change causing wild resource shortages. (note the climate change was not as drastic as seen today.)
8500 B.C. - Farming starts by this time in the Mesopotamia region (SW Asia).
8000 B.C. Sheep are domesticated by this time in SW Asia.
8,000 B.C. Goats are domesticated by this time in SW Asia
6000 B.C. Cows are domesticated in SW Asia, India and possibly North Africa (not Europe though)

Prior to the consumption of milk products the majority of people could not digest it. As cattle rearing and extracting milk continued in the Neolithic era, many people began to adapt to the milk lifestyle. Some experts believe they started with cheese products and that drinking milk was not typical. Mature cheese is easier to digest then raw milk due to fermentation. (Yogurts would also be easier to digest.)

Reference:

Milk Allergy

Lactose Intolerance

Fast Forward, to the 1900s when farmers began focusing on how to increase the production of milk. A variety of techniques have been introduced over the years and have evolved from selective breading (a long practiced technique) to Hormones (rBST and rBGH).

The most common milk of today, non free range, is not the same as the milk 100 years ago. The cows of today are fed grain. 100 years ago the cows were fed grass. Cows today are in pens, 100 years ago they wondered around in fields of clover and grass. Cows today are injected with anabolic hormones, a 100 years ago they were au naturale. The list goes on.

There is something to be said for the old fashion way of farming where the cows were free range, "organic" and grass fed: Cancer

"Conjugated linoleic acid is a beneficial fatty acid that inhibits several types of cancer in mice, it has been shown to kill human skin cancer, colorectal cancer and breast cancer cells in vitro studies, and may help lower cholesterol and prevent atherosclerosis; only available in milk from grass-fed cows." Reference: Milk

The European Commission recommends not consuming Monsanto Milk. Monsanto Milk is milk from cows injected with rBST and rBGH due to the possible connection to Breast and Colon Cancer. European Commission Article

Call me old fashion but I'll stick with the au naturale products.

Recycling Centers

Not Sure where to recycle your holiday tree? Check out this site which list recycling drop off centers by state Earth911.org.

You can also find out where to drop off a plethora of waste items such as batteries, paint, electronics, tires, motor oil, fluorescent bulbs...etc. There is even a listing for toys and books. Check it out Earth911.org.

Recalls

Finding out that a toy or child product has been recalled can be unnerving. Less then 10% of recalled products are returned to the manufacture when a notice is issued. That means thousands and most likely millions of products continue to be used while a potential hazard is lurking.

But how does one stay up to date on the latest recall?

I am signed up for the babycenter news which lists child product recalls.

Books- Animal Board Books

Books have been a big part of my baby's life and these "Baby Animals: Books in a Box" are fab for little hands. Check them out here.




I also came across this board book "Peekaboo Bugs" by David A. Carter offers five liftable flaps on each page to highlight an assortment of same-colored items ("Can you find the Blue Bug?"); a turning wheel keeps the foil-trimmed insects on the move.

Board Books

We received the "My First Sushi" book as a shower gift for baby. Seven months later it is rather worn out. It has a great rhythm through out the whole book. A book that adults can enjoy as much as kids. Well, except we don't lick the pages. The pages are filled with collages which were a different experience for me and something baby was fascinated with. The detail is captivating.



There are other great books in this series by Amy Wilson Sanger including "Hola Jalopeno", "Mangia Mangia" and "Let's Nosh".

Laptops XO

This is the educational tool that gives and GIVES. Designed for children to learn about the world around them. One Laptop Per Child is an organization focused on getting laptops into the hands of children everywhere. You can help your own child, grandchild or one you care about by purchasing one for them. Then one laptop will be donated to a child in need. What a great way to educate the child you care about and do good for the world at the same time.

As per their website:
"Designed collaboratively by experts from academia and industry, the XO is the product of the very best thinking about technology and learning. It was designed with the real world in mind, considering everything from extreme environmental conditions such as high heat and humidity, to technological issues such as local-language support. As a result, the XO laptop is extremely durable, brilliantly functional, energy-efficient, responsive, and fun. Come take a look."

One Lap Top per Child http://laptopgiving.org/en/index.php

Socks - That Stay On ?

Yes, there is such a thing as socks that stay on small feet. Our baby losses her socks all the time. There is one style that seems to stay on until we pull them off and that is the Athletic Fit by Maggie's.

Our babies legs are so chunky that her ankles are a little wider than her feet. What is great about Maggie's Athletic Fit is that the ankle is fitted with a short elastic section that hugs the ankle without leaving marks on our baby. The foot part is wide, more like a mitten and not like a tube sock. Check them out. I found them on Amazon.com. (I even have the ones for adults and I was surprised at the well designed the contour fit was.)They are even organic. The Athletic fit have lasted both my baby and me longer then most tube style or less costly socks. (My toes ware through the tube style.)

Infant & Toddler