It's not recent news that cow's milk has been slowly been substituted with various plant based milks, whether it be due to cow's milk intolerance/allergy or due to a vegan diet. However, some complain of bloating, indigestion, or even just a complaint of heaviness after drinking cow's milk. Due to this they leave milk out of the diet, and actually miss the valuable nutrients and energy that comes from milk. So does Ayurveda have any advice?
Well we know that milk is heavy, cold, sweet and therefore can be difficult to digest. If we use the concept of opposite qualities then we might have a way to make milk more tolerable.
1). Boil milk rather drinking it straight out of the fridge or in the microwave. Boiling the milk helps decrease the mucous quality of milk and makes it easier to digest for the gut. This is especially helpful with people who have weak digestion and kapha prakriti.
2). Add a pinch of ginger powder or cardamom when boiling milk. Again this will make the heavy quality of milk lighter and create less congestion.
3). Avoid drinking milk with other foods and during meals. Especially avoid the combination with sour fruits, melons, and fish.
4). If you stopped drinking milk for a long time to introduce it back into your diet start off with 1/8 cup and then slowly increase every few days with the tips listed above.
