On Milk and Other Expired Love Stories

There are 300 milligrams of Calcium in a cup of whole milk.
There are approximately 4 times more than that in a cup of sesame seeds. Yet, the entire time I was growing up, no one pranced around the image of a cup of sesame seeds and said, "Here, it builds strong bones! You must have sesame seeds with breakfast every day if you want to avoid osteoporosis later!"
Ever seen an ad ask, "Got sesame seeds"?

White sesame seeds (Shailesh Humbad, http://www.ivcooking.com)

Why is it that the image of milk as "rich in Calcium" or "builds strong bones" is blown up on magazine pages, school posters, and TV screens, and the image of sesame seeds isn't? On average, an adult needs about 1,000 milligrams of Calcium a day. So, really, if you have a cup of sesame seeds a day, you've exceeded that requirement; the same cannot be said about a cup of milk.


I never liked milk. This might come as a shock to my family, but when I was a child and they left a mug of milk on the table for me to drink every morning, that milk ended up elsewhere than my belly most of the time. Sorry, Grandma! I was grossed out by the whole notion of drinking white fat coming out of a cow's udder. I could see the bubbles of grease floating atop. It also smelled like the inside of a barn. Calcium or no calcium, it was simply not worth it to me.

Don't get me wrong - I think milk is very beneficial to babies/infants whose stomachs aren't trained to digest much else. But as we ease our way into solids, we should be able to reap some of milk's benefits from other, more wholesome foods. Personally, I think the way milk is promoted theses days is only a marketing technique to create business for dairy companies. Beyond that, milk is nothing but an expired myth to me :)

Another childhood myth that has extended into my adulthood was that the bigger the variety of food on my plate at any given meal, the healthier. Have a little bit of E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G at once: some meat or fish protein with a side of starches (white rice, potatoes, pasta, etc.) and a healthy does of veggies, either cooked or as a salad. Sprinkle some cheese on that salad or bread, too, for an added bonus of nutrition. Then, when it's time for dessert, go for the super-duper healthy fruit.

Sounds like a nutritionist's paradise, right? But no one's ever explained what happens once all these ingredients enter the body at once and your intestines have to break them all up into... something. So I decided to do my research on this and here's what I found out at first glance.

It is, in fact, really difficult for your body to break up different types of compounds or molecules at once. Can the body do it? Definitely. Does it burn you up? Likely. Do the benefits of each compound diminish ? Probably.

Whenever we put something in our stomachs, based on which kind of compound it is (protein, carbohydrate, etc.), specific enzymes are secreted for digestion. Sometimes, mixing these enzymes compromises the absorption of nutrients. Supposedly this is what happens when you combine protein with starchy vegetables or fats. All will eventually get digested, of course, but it poses a strain on your body and doesn't support nutrient absorption.

Sugar, fat, and salt combined do work wonders on our tongue palate, but the same does not apply to the rest of our organs. I've heard this notion of how to combine ingredients a lot with people who are on a "diet." I guess nutritionists recommend it not just for weight-loss, but also for health concerns. I've stumbled upon one of these diagrams when I was doing my research and some of this info stuck with me since. It has changed the way I select food to go on my plate or the way I prepare for a meal.

If you read the "science" behind it (in more than one place), it does make sense. Not only that, I've been feeling lighter and avoiding gas after my meals if I eat this way. I don't obsess over it, but whenever I have a choice, I follow it. For example, now that I know fruit ferments in my stomach if I eat it right after a meal, I just have my fruit while I'm cooking a meal, about 30-60 minutes before I eat. Since eating fruit as a meal on an empty stomach can have cleansing effects on my body, whenever I remember, I like to have a handful of fresh strawberries as soon as I wake up. I'd also no longer, under any circumstance, combine dairy with fruit. I used to be a big fan of smoothies without realizing that is one sure way to get fruit to ferment in my body. The same goes for fruit yogurt or ice cream. I've read somewhere that Hindus basically consider the fruit with dairy combination a poisonous one.


This is what I've been up to lately -- just curious about how my body responds to everything I put in it and trying to prevent disease best I can. Judging by the fact that I haven't been sick all summer (I'm usually sick at least a couple of times this season), it has worked pretty well. This has been one of the most stressful summers in my life, and intense stress has always led to me getting sick in the past.

So here's to fewer myths I take for granted, even if they were passed on to me with messages of love ;)
I prefer to take charge of my own health and learn to recognize what is wrong before it turns into disease. Now that I know how much I can find out just by listening to my body, that notion of going to a stranger (*ahem* doctor) who knows nothing about me or my body and expecting to receive a magic cure in less than 10 minutes seems so ludicrous.

Any nutrition myths you've busted lately? I'd love to hear them! :)

PS: In case you decide to give sesame seeds a try, know that your body absorbs the calcium inside better if you grind them before you eat them ;)