Milk and Milk Alternatives

[basketballfan22]

I never really thought about the milk and dairy products in general that I consume daily, but some of the negative effects of milk were brought to my attention, so I decided to read a little bit about it on my own.

Apparently milk is not a "normal" thing for humans to ingest. Almost 75% of the world is lactose intolerant including 20% of the US. Many of the proposed benefits of milk have not been scientifically verified, so my resistance to cutting out or at least limiting my daily intake of milk (around 3 cups) has been weakened.

There are many alternatives to milk, such as almond milk, coconut milk, goat milk, sheep milk, hemp milk, soy milk, cashew milk, etc.; but it is difficult to decide which is the best. One of the main reasons why I didn't want to limit my milk intake is that the 3 cups of milk and 1 cup of nonfat Greek yogurt supply me with around 50 grams of protein and 400 calories. Therefore I am leaning more to to the side of unsweetened soy milk, as its nutritional profile is the most similar to regular milk. Soy milk has its share of issues though, as it is linked to side effects normally attributed to too much estrogen. I believe one must drink quite a bit of soy milk to experience most, if not all, of these side effects however. Anyway, I would appreciate any input and advice on this topic.

Before I finish, I would like to add a brief overview of myself just in case it is important in any advice you would like to share. I am 6'0, weigh around 180 pounds, and have a very fast metabolism. I am currently trying to leanly bulk up with the end goal of being a ripped (keep my six-pack) 200 pounds. I have never done a cycle before either, which may be important as I shouldn't be as sensitive to the estrogen effects of soy milk, especially because I would only drink 3 cups per day.

[Papiriqui]

The part you forgot was the excess amount of fat milk has as well. Replace milk with water!!! If you are looking for a clean bulk eat lots of proteins, fish, chicken, beef, pork, tuna, etc and all those things will give you more protein and better results than milk.

[basketballfan22]

The part you forgot was the excess amount of fat milk has as well. Replace milk with water!!! If you are looking for a clean bulk eat lots of proteins, fish, chicken, beef, pork, tuna, etc and all those things will give you more protein and better results than milk.

Yeah, I realize the protein from meat has a more complete amino acid profile; but it is a lot easier to just substitute the water in my protein shakes with milk. I forgot to mention that I have been drinking nonfat milk, so the only thing it is slightly high in is sugar.

[Papiriqui]

Honestly i've never had an issue since i stopped drinking milk at 14 when i came from cuba to the us. So my shake is with water anyways but dont rely on milk to get nutrients, rely on milk because you like it or whatnot you know. Get protein from better sources. Anyways you want to detach from it so dont think about it or look for excuses and just use water, easier to make shake in the gym also with water than milk.

[basketballfan22]

Yeah, I tend to over think everything. I guess it is easier for me to reach my protein requirements with milk rather than more food since I am already forcing myself to eat at times. I used to use water in my shakes, but I decided to substitute it with milk over a year ago to help me achieve my protein requirements.