Nothing if you are a baby cow and milk is good for candida - the little buggers love the lactose.

I think that raw cow's milk has its place in the diet in small amounts. But babies systems were not designed to drink cow's milk. It's very different than mother's milk. Cow's milk is the number one allergy causing food in babies. Circulating these larger protein molecules in a babies system sets them up for poor health and allergies. It really is viewed as poison by their sytems. That is why they have the allergic response.

I do eat yogurt made from cow's milk that I ferment for 24 hours. This way the active cultures have eaten most all of the lactose. I also tolerate small amounts of fresh mozzarella cheese. Made the mistake of eating some Reggiano a few weeks ago and that was a no no. No aged cheeses. My taste is so keen now, I can taste the Sugar when my yogurt is not fermented enough. I really wish I could find some raw milk around here but no luck.

No it's not good when you have candida becuase of the milk sugars. I think the controvery with milk lies more from the way that today's milk is processed...highly pastuerized ( did i spell that right? ) which kills all the natural enzymes and all the Antibiotics and growth hormones the cows are filled with. Makes me want to have my own little organic farm! lol. I was just chatting with one of my sons about that :-). Too expensive though. Gosh land is sky high now a days too.

My son goes to a little day school 3X a week from 9-12, mostly for play since all of the other kids are at school. 3 weeks ago I am at the sitting with the other moms for an orientation and since most everyone is in their childbearing years, the subject of babies and birth comes up quite frequently. We are 4 women. I am the elder (37) of the group. One woman is pregnant and states that she is not going to make the mistake of waiting too long for the epidural like she did the first time. The other two chime in that they could not have done it without an epidural. I think to myself, should I stay silent thus these women will never hear anything positive about a natural birth? Finally, I put my two cents in and say I had a natural birth and agree that if I had to be laying on my back with no emotional support that the pain might have been overwhelming for me too. I then tell them it was the most wonderful experience of my life and I would do it again. They all turn and look at me with polite disdain like a I am some kind of alien martyr from another planet and then turn back to the comfort of one another.

My son is used to his snacks being different than the other children's. That is not to say he won't sneak something behind my back and he will roll his eyes sometimes but he doesn't feel stigmitized like some people would want you to believe. I usually tell him that the other mommies do not know any better. You are completely right though. It would be so nice if we lived in a culture with a culinary tradition. It amazes me how ignorant most Americans are about food. I have always been a person to want to make things better. To be able to do this you must be able to discern when something is not working. The truth can be painful and often people do not want it. I always think of Jack Nicholson in that movie "A Few Good Men" when he says, "you want the truth, you can't handle the truth!" What a great line.

So what is the solution? I do not want to be a separatist but I am like so many others longing for something more cohesive in societal living. In modern society, people move. There is nothing more than interest groups to hold us together. And when you don't even fit in with that or your demographic strata, then what? Where is the comunity in that? I have grown so tired of feeding the machine. All of these people have fallen victim and do not even know it.

You go girl and do what you feel is right. Your child will look back and thank you for loving her enough to make difficult choices. How many times we have said , I wish I would have known. Well when you know, there are certain other things that come along with that knowledge. How I pity those who leave their choices to someone else. I have been ranting quite a bit lately. I do not know what has gotten into me. Perhaps I am getting rid of some of that wretched candida and my brain function is beginning to return.

I am likely going to home school for at least the 5 years. I am not ready for my son's circle of influence to be that which I deem to be unhealthy. I am trying to buy a place with a little land so that we may have good clean foods to eat and so my son can learn how things really should work. That is what I want to teach him, how to be a good steward and live sustainably and take care and respect himself and others. I have always believed in changing myself first. Hey, isn't that the reason I get to rant?

Keep on truckin!