VO-BB - 19 YEARS OLD!

[Mike Harrison]

Do we have any former milk drinkers... those who drank milk fairly regularly but then gave it up completely?

If so, what – if any – benefits/improvements did you experience after doing so?
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Mike
Male Voice Over Talent
I have taken leave of my sensors.

[Bailey]

I couldn't give it up... I like to eat cereal. But I did change to lactose free milk. For some reason it doesn't bother my stomach or digestive tract like regular milk did.
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"Bailey"
a.k.a. Jim Sutton
Retired... Every day is Saturday, except Sunday.
VO-BB Member #00044
AOVA Graduate 02/2004 ;
"Be a Voice, not an Echo."

[Lynn Benson]

I love to have milk in the morning and milk in the evening and milk all day long. However, there is trouble enough with being clogged and having a stuffy sound. Lack of milk and all dairy, shed a tear, helps more than I want to admit.
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Lynn

[Jen Gosnell]

Yes, I first stopped drinking cow milk about three years ago. No more regular lattes for me! Now it's rare that I eat any cow dairy. The most frequent exception is butter.

The things I noticed were a marked decrease in nasal congestion. Most noticeably, waking up in the morning much clearer - (possible TMI warning) not needing to blow out a bunch of boogers or snot when I got up. I seemed to lose a fair amount of what might be called inflammation, puffiness or bloating. I also had, perhaps coincidentally or not, a wart that had resisted treatment for years finally go away on its own. (Could be related due to having removed a significant immune system stressor, allowing the body to focus on other issues.)

I also noticed, when I did a 5-6 week dairy reintroduction trial, that the bloating returned (could no longer button my shorts that previously fit great), the morning boogers returned, and I got deep acne that would just sit there and not clear. So I stopped the dairy again and after a month off of it, these symptoms were again gone.

Currently I've been experimenting with goat or sheep cheese and yogurt. The type of casein in them is apparently different and better tolerated by many people. For me, the congestion is much less than with cow dairy (though I won't say completely absent), and I don't get the same sort of acne issues. I can't say for sure there's no inflammatory process triggered by it - I suspect there may be some - but it's hard to say, because I haven't isolated out other factors that could be triggering inflammation, and also, I have just plain gained some weight by straying from my optimal eating habits over the past year. So I don't have a good baseline of evaluation for that aspect.

And I'm sure that's more information than you ever wanted to know, Mike!
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jen@jengosnell.com
https://www.jengosnell.com
Skype: jen.gosnell
971.258.2448

[Rick Riley]

Loved milk, gave it up a few years ago. Used to sound like I had a stuffed nose all the time, now, not so.

Like most folks, I love a good bowl of cereal. Believe it or not, Almond milk is a great substitute. Ice cold Almond Milk and you won't miss the cows a bit.
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Never do anything you wouldn't want to explain to the Paramedics

www.rickrileyvoice.com

[Lee Gordon]

I haven't given up dairy, but I switched from regular milk to almond milk a while back, mainly because I wouldn't necessarily use up a half gallon of milk before it went bad and almond milk has a longer shelf life (and I don't feel like shopping for milk a quart at a time). In the past, I would be careful not to consume milk before doing any recording, to keep from getting all phlegmy, but with the almond milk, I can have my protein shake and record right away and it doesn't matter.

That said, I used up the last of my almond milk yesterday, so I guess I have a trip to Trader Joe's on the docket for today.
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Lee Gordon, O.A.V.
Voice President of the United States
www.leegordonproductions.com
Twitter: @LeeGordonVoice

[Bish]

I can't live without my half'n'half in my coffee in the morning! I tend to avoid milk after that because of mouth noise issues and "gumming up". However, after a long day of talking, I often celebrate with a bowl of cereal with full-fat milk (I find reduced fat or skimmed milk insipid).

For a while I was hitting the milk hard and did find that my digestive system was "disrupted" somewhat. Personally, I don't like so-called "healthy" alternatives to traditional food... I tend to just consume less of anything that is troublesome or too fattening. I am actually amazed at seeing "fat-free" half'n'half on the shelves... seriously... I dare not look at what's in it!

Moderation in everything. Except alcohol... that gets a pass
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Bish a.k.a. Bish
Smoke me a kipper... I'll be back for breakfast.
I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls... I will not feed the trolls.

[Bruce]

I'm one of those lucky individuals that has zero problems with milk; with my voice, and with my overall health. However, as a preventative measure I'm trying to cut down on my sugars of all kinds so it's only half and half in my coffee these days.

I must say, like a cigarette after a great meal or an evening of.... well you know... a glass of milk after cookies or cake is almost as fantastic.

Sigh.... I miss you, you terrible treats.

B
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VO-BB Member #31 Enlisted June, 2005

I'm not a Zoo, but over the years I've played one on radio/TV. .

[Lee Gordon]

When I was in kindergarten, we were always given a snack of a little carton of milk and a few saltine crackers. To this day, I always enjoy having milk with something salty, like crackers or pretzels. With cake, my dairy product of choice is ice cream.
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Lee Gordon, O.A.V.
Voice President of the United States
www.leegordonproductions.com
Twitter: @LeeGordonVoice

[heyguido]

I gave up milk for red wine.... And I've been happy ever since.
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Don Brookshire
"Wait.... They wanna PAY me for this?"

[Gregory Best]

Milk drinker here. No issue.
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Gregory Best

greg@gregorybest.com

[Jen Gosnell]

That's the funny thing, Greg. I never would have said I had an issue with dairy, either. I didn't truly believe it till I added it back in after having been off for over a year, and saw the persistent effects that couldn't be attributed to anything else.

I don't expect that everyone's experience would be the same as mine. But it showed me that what had previously passed for my normal wasn't optimal. I just hadn't known any better.
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jen@jengosnell.com
https://www.jengosnell.com
Skype: jen.gosnell
971.258.2448

[Mike Harrison]

Wow... thank you all for the very candid responses. Since childhood, I'd always had milk with dinner, and always enjoyed cereal. Then, from the day my Mom first brought home Carnation Instant Breakfast (when it was introduced [1964?]), I always enjoyed it, too, but not because it was nutritious, but because I thought it was great chocolate milk. So I've been a milk drinker forever.

Back in the mid-90s, though, I switched to fat-free milk and had been using that until about a year ago when I decided to try and then switched to almond milk. But between the difference in flavor I couldn't quite get used to and the additional cost, I went back to fat-free cow's milk. Then, only several months ago, I read about skim milk's processing and its results. So I went back to whole milk... until more reading revealed the possibility that milk was contributing to nasal stuffiness (thank you Lynn, Jen, Rick and Peter for helping confirm that). Also, the high saturated fat content made my decision to go back to whole milk a bad one.

I used the last of the whole milk yesterday and picked up a half-gallon of almond milk again to get me through what's left of my bulk purchase of Instant Breakfast (now Breakfast Essentials), and then I'm going to give up milk entirely.

Part of what I recently read – and it really shouldn't have been surprising, to me of all people – is that the USDA's Food Pyramid (now "Choose My Plate") is largely a bunch of hoo-hah because the USDA's findings are greatly influenced by the money of – in this case – the American Dairy Association and Dairy Council.

So, in terms of our health, we've got some companies altering the genetics of crops, others paying off the agencies that make nutrition recommendations, and still other companies whipping up myriad chemical cocktails and then mass-marketing them as prescription drugs using many times suggestive, misleading and/or deceptive (by omission) advertising.

I'm convinced I'm far better off on my own.

Thank you all again, very much!

My most recent reading on milk (from Dr. Joseph Mercola, MD, an osteopathic physician, board certified in family medicine. Focusing on preventive health care, he is trained in both traditional and natural medicine.): http://www.mercola.com/article/milk/no-milk.htm
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Mike
Male Voice Over Talent
I have taken leave of my sensors.

[Dayo]

Haven't had milk in maybe 15 years. Almond milk, oat milk, rice milk are all tasty and convenient alternatives. Also quit cheese about 2 years ago, but there is nothing that tastes like cheese does - the vegan alternatives are ok, but they don't have the pungency or bite that "proper" cheese does. I also try and avoid soya fermented soya as much as possible, so no tofu - unless there's nothing else on the menu.

In my case, it wasn't so much about nasal congestion, more a general health issue really. And I don't understand why we drink the milk of another creature. Baffling!

If you're curious at all, do a Google for "Forks Over Knives".
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Colin Day - UK Voiceover
www.thurstonday.co.uk

[Mike Harrison]