Freezing Milk?

I was browsing the Internet looking for a topic on milk to write about, when I stumbled upon the headline How to Freeze Milk to Beat Rising Prices. Now immediately I went to the article because I wrote earlier about how the surplus of milk has been effecting the prices of milk. I never knew you could freeze milk and then thaw it and drink it again and it would still be good for you.

I found that it is safe to freeze milk, however by freezing it the milk may change in texture and cause some separation. If you stir it though, it will change the texture almost back to normal. The problem with freezing milk is the separation factor, because it may cause problems when using it in recipes. Skim milk will freeze better than whole milk and milk can be safely frozen for 3 months if it is in a sealed container. The was to thaw the frozen milk is by putting it in the refrigerator. The best part about it is that the milk does not lose any of its nutrients.

Freezing milk is the best way to beat the rising prices. You can spend less money on milk by buying in bulk and freezing it, and its just as healthy for you. So be smart and freeze your milk!

http://www.queercents.com/2009/02/16/how-to-freeze-milk-to-beat-rising-prices/

Flavored Milk - Healthy or Not?

I remember growing up that my mom would never buy chocolate or coffee milk syrups. It was not until I was in high school that we started to have it in the house. She use to say that plain milk was much healthier for us. This is the popular view of a lot of parents. They say that strawberry, chocolate, and coffee milk is not healthy for people because of the sweet taste. They feel that it cannot be very healthy for their children. So this poses the questions of, is flavored milk healthy?

After reading an article on this topic, I have come to the conclusion of....it depends. There is much research supporting the fact that flavored milk does not have an impact on obesity. There have been studies that show that children who drink plain milk and those who drink flavored milk have the same results on the body mass index. There have also been studies suggesting that flavored milk helps children drink milk over soft drinks. Some schools have been worried that flavored milk can cause obesity, that they have reduced their milk stock to just regular plain milk. This can result in more kids drinking soda as opposed to milk, or some other more healthy drink.

The reason I say that the answer to if flavored milk is healthy or not is it depends, is because just like every other food or drink in the world, it depends on the intake. Salad is a very healthy food, but if salad is the only thing you eat then that is very unhealthy. Milk is a great source of nutrients, but if milk is the only thing that we consume, then it is very unhealthy. Regardless of how many nutrients a food or drink may have and how healthy it can be for us, moderation is always the key!

Milk and Working Out

Now you may be asking yourself, "what role can milk possibly play in working out?" In reality, milk can play a large role in it actually. There are 5 major tips that you should think about after a workout. The first is refuel. After a workout, low fat chocolate milk is one of the best drinks to have. In a study by Indiana University, athletes who drank low fat chocolate milk after a workout were able to workout longer and with more power during the second workout compared to when they drank something else. The second tip is to hydrate your body. Milk can provide alto of fluids to help in hydration. The next tip is to pamper your sore muscles. This has to do with icing, and has nothing to do with milk. The forth tip is to keep carbs coming. This means that you need to eat carbs after a workout because they are essential for muscle recovery. The last tip is to get balance. This refers to the nutrients and electrolytes that your body loses during physical activity due to sweating. Remember that milk contains electrolytes like potassium and calcium that are lost through sweat during physical activity.

Always remember that milk is always a good choice. It is one of the best choices to make for fluids after a workout.

Milk Challenge

The milk challenge is something that I have always wanted to try. For those who do not know what the milk challenge is, here is how to play and the rules :

1) You can use any type of milk (2%, whole, skim, chocolate, etc.)
2) You have to drink 1 gallon of milk in one hour.
3) Once the hour is completed, you have to keep the milk down for 1 hour.
4) If you throw up, you lose.
5) If you can drink the gallon within one hour and keep it down for 1 hour after, then you have completed the milk challenge.

You may be wondering to yourself, what is the point of this? And to be completely honest, I do not know. I have heard many stories, some say that it is impossible because your stomach cannot hold that much lactic acid with the stomach acid in your stomach. Others say that it is completely possible. For the record there have been 2 people who have completed the milk challenge on record. But for the majority of the people who try it, they end up vomiting violently in front of their friends for a long time.

Do you think you can complete the milk challenge??????

What Makes Milk so Good for Us?

A simple 8 oz. glass of milk provides the body with 9 essential nutrients; this makes milk one of the most nutrient-dense foods. Being nutrient-dense means that it provides a high level of essential nutrients compared to its calorie level. One serving of milk provides 10% or more of the recommended daily intake for calcium, vitamin D (if fortified), protein, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin B12, riboflavin and phosphorus.

As a young boy I know that I was always told to drink milk to make my bones strong because of the calcium in milk. Milk provides about 300 milligrams of calcium per 8 oz serving. A diet that includes three servings of milk each day provides enough calcium and other nutrients that may help reduce the risk of osteoporosis, high blood pressure and colon cancer.

It would be too difficult for the body to obtain the essential amount of calcium that it needs without drinking milk. To meet calcium requirements, the following number of servings of milk per day is preferred: children between 4 years to 8 years is 3 servings, children between 9 years and 18 years is 4 servings, adults between 19 years and 50 years is 3 servings, and adults 50 years and up is 4 servings.

Here are some other interesting facts about milk in regards to its nutrient levels:
Calcium -30% of daily value for body per serving
Vitamin D - 10% of daily value for body per serving
Protein - 16% of daily value for body per serving
Potassium - 11% of daily value for body per serving
Vitamin A - 6-10% of daily value for body per serving
Vitamin B12 - 13% of daily value for body per serving
Riboflavin - 14% of daily value for body per serving
Niacin - 10% dietary reference intake per serving
Phosphorus - 10% of daily value for body per serving

The Secret to Increase in Milk Production is Naming Your Cow?

As I was searching the Internet today for some interesting news on milk, I came across something that shocked me. I found an article named Study Finds Naming Cows Increases Milk Yield. This intrigued me so I continued to read. Scientists at Newcastle University have found that giving a cow a name, and calling it by that name, for some reason the cow will produce more milk. Farmers can increase their yearly milk yielding by 500 pints by just naming their cows and referring to them by their given names.

Dr. Douglas, who works at the School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development at Newcastle University, said, "Just as people respond better to the personal touch, cows also feel happier and more relaxed if they are given a bit more one to one attention."

For the study, 516 UK dairy farmers were questioned about their views on how humans could affect the productivity and behavior of the cows. About 46% of the farmers said that the cows on their farms had names and were called by these names. For those cows that were called by their names, the farmers were able to receive 258 liters more milk then the cows that did not have names. I find this very interesting. Who knew that it would have as much impact on the cows by simply giving them a name. Then again, when I think of if I never gave my dog a name, I don't think that he would be as loving as he is. I believe that giving something a name gives it a sense of belonging. To me it would affect their whole behavior and perspective of humans. This study backs up that because it shows how giving the cow a name will result in greater production.

Here is the link if you are interested in visiting the article for yourself....
http://www.medilexicon.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=136995

A Milk Surplus in the United States

It seems that the United States has been producing too much milk. Prices that are paid to farmers for milk have reached the lowest they have been since 2003, six years! According the the United Stated Department of Agriculture, the price per one hundred pounds of milk has dropped to $10.72 for this month. In January, just last month, it was $5.02 higher than it is right now. And it has dropped over $8 from last year. This is because of the global economic downturn. The demand for milk has decreased, but we have still been producing the same amount of milk. Since the demand for milk is much less than it has been, the prices of this product have dropped significantly. The United States is now experiencing a surplus in milk.