{"id":2229,"date":"2021-10-01T03:18:10","date_gmt":"2021-10-01T03:18:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ultimatehealthreport.com\/ask-a-health-coach-is-this-good-for-me-or-not\/"},"modified":"2021-10-01T03:18:10","modified_gmt":"2021-10-01T03:18:10","slug":"ask-a-health-coach-is-this-good-for-me-or-not","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ultimatehealthreport.com\/ask-a-health-coach-is-this-good-for-me-or-not\/","title":{"rendered":"Ask a Health Coach: Is This Good for Me or Not?"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Hey folks, we\u2019re back for another round of Ask a Health Coach. This week, Erin is shedding light on the health benefits of dairy, when too much fiber is to blame, and why we should all stop labeling foods as good and bad. Keep your questions coming down in the comments or over in our Mark\u2019s Daily Apple Facebook group.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Jen asked:
\u201cKind of an odd question, but is there any science indicating whether goat\u2019s milk is a better alternative for human consumption than cow\u2019s milk? After a decade of primal eating, I\u2019ve easily given up everything else (grains, sugar, etc.) but the one thing I still struggle with is milk, and I don\u2019t have any sensitivities to it, but I wonder if there\u2019s a better alternative.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

First of all, I definitely don\u2019t consider this an odd question; dairy is one of the things my clients ask about most often.<\/p>\n

Dairy soft of fits into a primal gray area. While there are tons of studies of the negative metabolic impact of sugar, industrialized seed oils, and processed foods, dairy is in a slightly different camp. I can see the confusion though. Many folks who follow a paleo diet eliminate it completely. And while a primal diet follows a lot of the same tenets, it\u2019s far less restrictive \u2013 even Mark agrees that full-fat and raw cow\u2019s milk can be a great addition to your primal eating plan.<\/p>\n

But to answer your question about if goat\u2019s milk is a \u201cbetter\u201d alternative to cow\u2019s milk, the answer is\u2026it depends on what you mean by better.<\/p>\n

Goat\u2019s Milk vs Cow\u2019s Milk<\/h3>\n

Obviously, there are subtle differences between brands and whether or not there\u2019s added oils or sugars, but in general here\u2019s how one cup of goat\u2019s milk stacks up against one cup of cow\u2019s milk:<\/p>\n

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  • Goat\u2019s milk: 9 grams of protein; cow\u2019s milk: 8 grams<\/li>\n
  • Goat\u2019s milk: 10 grams of fat; cow\u2019s milk: 9 grams<\/li>\n
  • Goat\u2019s milk: 11 grams of sugars; cow\u2019s milk: 11 grams<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Calories, if you\u2019re into that kind of thing, are roughly the same too. So, nutritionally speaking, one isn\u2019t much better for you than the other. The bigger question I think you should be asking yourself is: how do you feel when you consume them?<\/strong>\u00a0You mentioned you don\u2019t have any sensitivities to cow\u2019s milk, but honestly, some people aren\u2019t aware of the signals their body is giving them.<\/p>\n

    I can\u2019t tell you how many clients I\u2019ve worked with who tell me they feel bloated after eating cheese or that their nose runs after drinking a coffee with regular milk. Those symptoms might not align with the ones they\u2019ve heard from their lactose-intolerant friends. You know, the sharp stabbing pains, the running to the bathroom, the other fun side effects of eating a food you don\u2019t have the enzymes to break down.<\/p>\n

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    Are These Symptoms Normal?<\/h3>\n

    In my opinion, this a great opportunity to make a personal assessment of dairy\u2019s effect on your body. If you\u2019ve been consuming cow\u2019s milk dairy your entire life, you might not have a clue how you feel without it. Maybe you have subtle aches and pains that you assumed were from getting older. Or five extra pounds you can\u2019t seem to lose (this is what happens for me). Or sleepless nights you attributed to stress.<\/p>\n

    If dairy has been a regular staple, I\u2019d encourage you to try to fully drop it for at least a month to get an accurate take on its effects on you.<\/strong> I definitely think it\u2019s worth a try. Before you went primal, you probably felt fairly okay eating grains and processed foods daily too, right? You might be surprised to find out that dairy plays a similar role for you. Or\u2026 maybe it doesn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

    I\u2019m not here to get you to cut all food groups from your diet. I\u2019m also not here to rob you of the joy of eating foods you love. All I\u2019m saying is that if you\u2019re curious if one is better than the other, only you know the answer to that. And it starts with taking cow\u2019s milk out for a chunk of time, noticing if you feel any different, then adding it back in and noticing if anything has changed. If you end up feeling bloated and foggy, go for the milk-alternative. Energized or have no symptoms at all? You can keep drinking milk till the cows come home.<\/p>\n

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    Denise asked:
    \u201cSorry, probably TMI, but have you ever heard of anyone suffering constipation from cassava tortillas? I can\u2019t tell if my IBS is back, or I\u2019ve pinpointed it to the cassava. Thanks!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    (Again, no need to apologize. Bathroom questions are so common in my client practice, I don\u2019t bat an eyelash when they come in.)<\/p>\n

    For some, swapping grain-based staples for ones made with paleo-friendly ingredients works. And because cassava flour is made from tubers, it officially qualifies as both paleo and primal. If you\u2019re eating this way to manage your blood sugar and hunger levels, you should know that although cassava has roughly double the carbs of a sweet potato, it\u2019s been proven to help lower the glycemic response when added to other foods. And, to tee up the answer to your question, cassava flour also has four to five grams of fiber per cup.<\/p>\n

    Is Too Much Fiber to Blame?<\/h3>\n

    Under normal conditions, fiber is a good thing \u2014 actually believed to \u201ckeep things moving down there, and preventing constipation. Too much fiber though, can cause bloating, gas, and yes, constipation. It\u2019s not uncommon for folks following a whole food diet to consume upwards of 70 grams a day in the form of veggies, fruits, and tubers<\/strong> \u2014 which can be especially problematic if you went from consuming next to no fiber to having it at every meal.<\/p>\n

    The easiest way to tell if your constipation is due to cassava or your struggles with IBS is to notice what happens when you change one of the variables. As a health coach, I always start with the lowest hanging fruit. When my clients tell me they have a new symptom, the first thing I ask is: what are you doing that\u2019s new?<\/strong> Aside from completing a food panel test, which can be wildly inaccurate, the best system for figuring out the culprit is to be your own detective.<\/p>\n