Why I do not think we should drink milk

Most parents in the western world are telling their children to drink milk because it is important to get calcium, among other things. However, green leafy vegetables such as broccoli, kale, and collard contain a good amount of calcium and has a better absorption rate than milk. Cow's milk is also meant for calves. Yes, that is correct. We are not suppose to nurse from animal milk.

And that is why a lot of us becomes sick. We become lactose intolerant or develop a milk allergy.

Historically, we were all lactose intolerant. Once breast feeding was over and the child moved over to solids, the body did not need any milk. Also, all mammals' milk-digesting enzyme shuts down soon after weaning. So what has happened since then?

We are talking genetics here, and more specifically mutations. About 10,000 years ago, sometime after humans started domesticating milk-producing animals, a mutation occurred that caused a deviant gene on the second chromosome to become lactose persistent (For those of you with genetics interest, this gene is SNP C/T13910).

This gene for lifelong lactose digestion has an over 85% frequency in northern Europe. However, in many other countries, people cannot digest lactose, and in the Far East, this gene is absent.

So just because you see ads about drinking milk does not mean that milk is good for you. It might even make you sick.

So if you experience belly pain, gas, bloating, or diarrhea, you might want to check if you are lactose intolerant or have a milk allergy. And while you are at it, check for gluten intolerance because the symptoms are the same.

There are of course other reasons not to drink milk as well, especially from cows kept on big industrial farms that pump cows full of antibiotics, feed cows with corn that they have a hard time to digest, and keep cows in environments that are down-right awful.

So what shall we drink instead and what shall we eat with our cereal? How about a food revolution! Let's take a look at what you are eating and make some changes. If you really need to eat cereal in the morning, how about trying it with nut milk or hemp milk. And how about making smoothies with fruit, fruit juice, and even some greens. Kids will love that, and you too!

Good luck in your endeavours!

The final countdown

After having the house all to myself for two weeks, I will be joined by half of my family today. Christer and Irene are coming back from holidaying in Florida and the Bahamas, and they are also bringing my mother-in-law. Hello Greek food:) It will be a change after two weeks on 80% raw food. And hello family, it will be good to have them back.

Even though I did not go anywhere more exotic than Portland, OR, this summer, I feel like I had a really nice at-home holiday. Today has been lovely, and I spent some time in my backyard reading "1984" by George Orwell. Finally, I think I will finish this book by the end of the week.

I talked with Zoe on the phone today. I just wanted to ensure that she did not forget anything, because tomorrow she is flying from Stockholm to Madrid on her own. I hope she gets a chance to practice her Spanish a bit.

¡Hasta la vista!

Updating the bedroom

Because I have some time on my hands, I started updating our bedroom.

We have an accent wall in our bedroom that I do not like. My husband, however, likes it, so we, or I, had to find a solution with which both of us would be happy. And I did. Thus, all walls will have a very light grey that almost looks white. And behind our bed, where the accent wall is, I am thinking about putting up a big piece of art on MDF boards. I have not quite figured out all the details yet, but I became inspired after visiting the Danish BoConcept furniture store that opened this spring in Bellevue, close to where I live.

First I removed everything on the wall, such as lamps and our wall-hanged nightstands, put up masking tape, and then painted all the sides and corners of the wall.

Then I painted the wall while listening to a Swedish summer program on the Swedish radio.

And voilà, I am done. A good feeling indeed. Now I am only waiting for the bed which is due to arrive next week from Crate & Barrel.

And here is a piece of advice to all my girlfriends out there:

If you want your husband to listen and really pay attention to every word you say, talk in your sleep;)