CHE Standards

Ted Said:

Are my headaches nitrate headaches and what's in dairy products that seems to cure them?

We Answered:

Nitrate/nitrite headaches can indeed come on rather quickly. The chemical causes headaches by robbing the blood of oxygen.

I don't know why the milk gives you relief, but I can think of some possibilities: it could be that hydrating yourself causes the level of nitrites in your system to become diluted. Or it could be as some alternative health practitioners believe, which is that acidic blood causes headaches. Dairy products are supposed to make the blood more alkaline.

Here's what I suspect, which is very unscientific: you have some sort of "marginal" body chemistry situation which just gets knocked out of whack by the nitrites in the hot dog, but something that's in the milk is just enough to restore the balance.

You might never know what it is. But look at it this way: if it works, don't question it!

My feeling is that pain such as headache happens for a reason and that your body is telling you something. You should listen to it and stop eating hot dogs. Maybe one, once in a while, isn't so bad. But your body objects to the hot dogs for whatever reason, and you should take its objection seriously.

Eugene Said:

What effect do dairy products have on vocal performance?

We Answered:

"Last year, the average liter of milk in America contained only 323 million pus cells, according to Hoard's Dairyman, the dairy industry magazine...[from 2001. Yet later in the article,...] Stressed and infected cows have cell counts above 100 million." [1]

Every singing group I've been in has counseled singers not to consume dairy products for several hours before a performance. But actually, the casein in milk triggers histamines to produce mucus for 15hrs or so after ingestion. Plus, casein is a very common allergen, and most people don't realize it until they cut it out, and then re-introduce it to their diet.

There are loads of studies connecting milk to asthma, atherosclerosis, diabetes, leukemia, lung cancer, lymphoma, osteoporosis, ovarian cancer,...etc. I'm sure having those diseases brewing in your body can't help your vocal performance!

for loads of info, check out:
http://www.notmilk.com

And whether you think of it as "bad karma" from the suffering of the dairy cows, or simply the fact that they are chock full of stress hormones, continually fighting off infections, and pumped full of other synthetic hormones, what is excreted in cow's milk is just not good for ya.

Many people now single out dairy cows and egg-laying hens as the animals that suffer the most before they are slaughtered. Check out http://www.kinshipcircle.org/fact_sheets…
for a shocking look at the industry.

Liberate yourself from this mucus trap! Your voice will love you for it.

Frederick Said:

i need dairy websites for a project?

We Answered:

www.nationaldairycouncil.org
www.dairyinfo.com

Jean Said:

added info: Vegetarians need to be aware of what?

We Answered:

To answer your question, I'd say you've got it all. Gelatin is usually non-vegetarian, but you know that. Labels are quite good these days.

Everyone approaches food differently. To me, the point of watching what I eat is avoiding chemical preservatives, artificial flavor additives, growth hormones, processed foods in general. I see vitamins, generally speaking, as processed junk. I feel no need for vitamin pills, as I am already getting vitamins in the food I eat.

Personally, I generally eat vegetarian, and dairy. Milk I buy is always non-homogenised and organic. I eat 'real' cheese, not processed American fake cheese. Once in a while, I'll eat meat if I'm at a restaurant. It's fun once in a while, maybe once per month.

Why do I do all this? Because it make ME feel good!!

It's VERY important to eat what feels right to you. Don't stick to dietary rules for the sake of sticking to rules. If you do that, you will ignore your own body, which is ALWAYS a bad thing.

Pamela Said:

Does anyone know if Godiva makes any chocolate that is vegan or dairy free?

We Answered:

I was able to find a picture of a back of a dark chocolate bar from them and it *looks* like it doesn't have dairy. It's hard to read, but I believe the ingredients say:

"Bittersweet chocolate (chocolate, sugar, cocoa butter), soy lecithin (an emulsifier), vanilla, and natural flavoring."

The last line is about how it may come in contact with nuts, dairy, etc. due to the manufacturing process.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/iirraa/2305…