Dairy Kills Anti-oxidants!

Previously posted on Diet.com!

Here’s a news flash: Dairy Kills Anti-oxidants!!!

I’ve been hot on the trail of this research in pursuit of healthy living, as opposed to “dieting.” We’ve all heard that dark chocolate is healthier than milk chocolate, and now I know why. It appears that milk interferes with absorption of anti-oxidants, and animal protein is the culprit.

Do you put milk in your coffee? If so, you just annihilated coffee’s antioxidants. Same goes for green tea. And believe it or not, those highly nutritious blueberries tossed into morning cereal with milk, were just rendered impotent.
This is important information for anyone trying to live healthfully, since antioxidants are powerful molecules that can ward off cancer and disease. Rendering them ineffective is most unfortunate.

Switching the focus from dieting to healthful living has been an enlightening journey for me, and one that has helped many of my patients to improve risk factors and body image issues, regardless if weight is lost. For instance, when people diligently exercise, but don’t lose weight, they can become discouraged and stop. But benefits of exercise are often found by developing strength and endurance, while potentially improving blood pressure, cholesterol and insulin resistance, even if the scale doesn’t move. Sometimes a few pounds may even be gained, since muscle weighs more than fat, but the benefits remain.

Increased awareness of high anti-oxidant foods, which boost our immunity and health, has finally entered our awareness. Yet, the fact that yogurt disables the fruit mixed into it was news to me. I even did a video advocating natural ice cream with a drizzle of dark chocolate syrup, without knowing that the ice cream disabled the dark chocolate syrup! Who knew that strawberries with real whipped cream are no longer such a healthy choice?

The good news is that dark chocolate syrup seems to retain its powerful nutrition when mixed with almond, coconut, or soy milk, since there is no animal protein interfering with absorption. Strawberries dipped into dark chocolate are also high on the good list. A little knowledge can go a long way, to maximize health.