A new movement is afoot. The Chocolate Milk Movement.
If you read fitness blogs you may have noticed a good number of bloggers extolling the fabulosity of chocolate milk. There are fitness bloggers vying for sponsorship with Team Refuel with Chocolate Milk. High-level athletes and regular folk alike are touting the benefits of drinking chocolate milk as a recovery beverage...and receiving compensation for this. Chocolate milk is yummy. How awesome to be told that something so yummy is also so good for you!
Lowfat chocolate milk has 9 essential nutrients that an athlete needs, including some not typically found in recovery drinks.
Chocolate milk’s liquid assets:| A natural source of high-quality protein to build lean muscle. | The right carb-to-protein ratio scientifically shown to refuel and rebuild exhausted muscles. |
| Vitamin A to support a healthy immune system and good vision. | Electrolytes including calcium, potassium, sodium and magnesium to help replenish what’s lost in sweat. |
| B Vitamins for energy. | Fluids to rehydrate. |
| Calcium, vitamin D, phosphorus, protein and potassium to build and maintain strong bones and reduce the risk for stress fractures. | |
Lowfat chocolate milk contains the right mix of carbs and protein scientifically shown to help refuel muscles. Chocolate milk helps restore muscles quickly to their peak potential.
16oz
Replacing muscle fuel (glycogen) after exercise is essential to an athlete’s recovery. A recent study found that drinking 16 ounces of fat-free chocolate milk with its mix of carbohydrates and protein (compared to a carbohydrate-only drink with the same amount of calories) led to greater concentration of glycogen in muscles at 30 and 60 minutes post exercise.1Soccer
In a study of 13 male college soccer players, post-exercise consumption of lowfat chocolate milk was found to provide equal or possibly superior muscle recovery compared to a high-carbohydrate recovery beverage with the same amount of calories following a four-day period of intensified soccer training.Addressing the claims of milk being a nutritional powerhouse...apparently the process of pasteurization renders biologically unavailable the majority of nutrients that are, indeed, present in cow's milk. Furthermore, pasteurization destroys phosphatase which is a critical enzyme involved in making the calcium and phosphorus in milk bioavailable. In fact, a test for the absence of phosphatase is used to determine if pasteurization has been complete.
Pasteurization also completely destroys other digestive enzymes, such as the proteases, making milk extremely difficult to digest. The vitamins are either partially or completely obliterated. The nutritional components of milk that remain following processing may very well be passed through the body without being absorbed. Remember, unless you are drinking raw milk, the milk you are ingesting is a highly processed food.
And then there's the sugar. Most commercially-produced chocolate milks have, on average, 24 grams of sugar per 8 oz. serving. Generally speaking, 12 of those grams are naturally present in the form of lactose. This means that an additional 12 grams of sugar are added per 8 oz. serving...and the Team Refuel page refers to 16 oz. as an amount used in their study (see above). This added sugar is often in the form of high-fructose corn syrup in most commercially produced chocolate milks.
Okay, okay...
I'm about to start ranting. And that will turn people off of doing their own research into what milk really is, what milk really does, and determine if milk is really something they actually feel good about drinking.
The National Milk Producers Federation and the National Dairy Council have done a very good job. They have convinced nearly the entire U.S. population that milk is necessary. They have made milk and calcium all but synonymous in the American mind.
Go ahead and shoot holes in my discussion. Go ahead and tell me that I've no sound scientific basis for my rant. Then realize that all of the "milk is good for you" science has been funded by the good people selling the milk.
Because I've spent way too much time searching the internet for milk nutrition sources that are not sponsored by the state or national dairy boards to compile coherently everything that I have found, I'm just lobbing a giant wad of links at you. Feel free to pick and choose...or simply ignore. Ignorance is bliss, they say. But sometimes bliss isn't the healthiest way to live.
Don't get me wrong, though. I enjoy my cheese from time to time. I eat ice cream. And butter... OHHHH, BUTTER! And who doesn't like dunking a cookie in a glass of milk? But I, for myself, just can't get behind elevating (and promoting) milk (especially commercially-produced, highly-processed pasteurized milk) to the status it holds as a nutritional powerhouse and perfect recovery beverage for health-seeking athletes.
And that is why you won't see me pimping chocolate milk.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
and here's the insane collection of fun and informative links:
Where do the cows get calcium from? From plants. So eat a
big green salad next time you are concerned about getting
enough calcium.
high amts of casein which is impossible for humans to digest and assimilate... http://drbberkowitz.hubpages.com/hub/NutritionWeightLossCowsMilkNotHealthyPart1
calcium consumption, protein consumption and osteoporosis... https://www.msu.edu/~corcora5/food/vegan/osteo.html
op-ed piece on milk lobbyists and propaganda... http://www.kstatecollegian.com/opinion/a-lobbying-success-story-of-milk-unnatural-unhealthy-unwise-1.1909923#.T2D6Xpis8UU
monsanto keeping info from consumers... http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/04/01/8029
asking the question...do we believe harvard researchers or the milk lobbyists? http://www.fransussman.com/harvard-vs-the-milk-lobby/
"As a nurse and someone who has had kidney stones during each of my pregnancies, my urologist said stay away from chocolate milk at all costs. Whenever you mix Oxalic acid (from chocolate) and a calcium source, it can (doesn't mean it automatically will, but can) crystalize the calcium and cause deposits in your kidneys. I NEVER drink chocolate milk and my kidney stones were due to reflux into the kidneys due to the position of the baby on the ureters, BUT just thought this was info that was good to pass on. He also said that chocolate binds the calcium so it makes it useless to the bones/teeth.
Read more: http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/nutritious_foods_for_a_healthy_body/muscle_enhancer_chocolate_milk.php?page=2#ixzz1p1jj2CRn"
"To make people believe that chocolate milk is good for you is utterly ridiculous. Commercial chocolate milks may have lower fat %, but they compensate for this with added sugar. You can get chocolate flavoured whey protein with only 0.2g sugar, rather than ingest 40g after a work out. This will ensure that you get just enough carbs and plenty of protein/amino acids to help your body recover. You do NOT need sugar/fat to recover from a work out. Why waste your time working out in the first place? Wake up people.
Read more: http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/nutritious_foods_for_a_healthy_body/muscle_enhancer_chocolate_milk.php?page=2#ixzz1p1jj2CRn"
"Most commercial chocolate milks contain high fructose corn syrup as a sweetener. This is made from GMOs, as in, BT corn. The benefit in drinking milk post-workout is the whey protein, not the sugar, and chocolate milk is higher in sugar than white milk and unless it is raw, you are getting more chemicals (especially in low fat milk) than nutrition from drinking milk. Chocolate milk has more sugar than soda, it is not a health food.
Read more: http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/nutritious_foods_for_a_healthy_body/muscle_enhancer_chocolate_milk.php?page=2#ixzz1p1k6FFEn"
"Does anyone else not think it's weird to be drinking another animals milk?!
Wake up people! Milk full stop wasnt designed for humans so of course it's going to have negative side effects to our bodies.
The Dairy industry brainwashes you into thinking it's your only source of calcium where there's so much more in vegetables + herbs!
Read more: http://www.menshealth.com/mhlists/nutritious_foods_for_a_healthy_body/muscle_enhancer_chocolate_milk.php?page=2#ixzz1p1kEJOcV"
"Get your calcium from dark leafy green vegetables. I know the dairy industry made it ingrained in all of us to believe that calcium only comes from dairy, but it does not. The only thing you get from dairy is blood and puss filled garbage. The human body was not designed to consume it, at all, ever. Cow's milk is for baby cows. There is Soy, Almond, Rice, Hemp and Cashew milk out there. Much more delicious, and it won't kill you, or cows. Everyone wins! Yay!
"Pardon me, what? The HEA of PEI wants chocolate milk subsidized? That 500mL box of chocolate milk that Doug wants subsidized contains 10 added teaspoons of sugar, 400mg of sodium, and the caloric equivalent of a litre of Coca-Cola, and the Healthy Eating Alliance wants to subsidize its sale to promote its consumption?
To put the sugar in perspective, if kids in PEI schools drank one 500mL carton of chocolate milk a day for a year they'd be drinking 76 cups of added sugar! That's just over 7 five pound bags of sugar and that doesn't include the sugar naturally found in milk. Add that in and they'd be drinking 118 cups or almost 60lbs of sugar a year. And with 200mg of sodium per 250mL they'd also be drinking a third of their daily recommended maximal sodium allowance and enough non-satiating, liquid calories to support a 37.5lb gain.
Natural Osteoporosis Community...Awesome link:
Not Milk.... http://www.notmilk.com/kradjian.html
Dairy free... w/ video... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/dairy-free-dairy-6-reason_b_558876.html
Why we should not consume dairy... http://www.rawfoodexplained.com/why-we-should-not-eat-animal-products/dairy-products.html
"The amount of calcium consumed is not always related to the amount retained by the body. Availability of calcium for absorption is referred to as bioavailability, and is improved by factors such as the presence of phosphorus, vitamin D, and the extent to which the calcium mineral salt is ionized to form the divalent Ca2+ ion. Cellulose and hemicellulosefibers decrease absorption of calcium in the intestine. Sodium and caffeine both increase urinary calcium. Caffeine also causes an increase of calcium secretion into the human gut. Unabsorbed fats interfere with calcium absorption by forming a fatty acid–calcium soap complex, which is subsequently excreted. The bioavailability of calcium ranges from 5 to 70 percent for most foods, depending upon the type of mineral from which it is derived, the food product, and the presence of inhibitory substances. Oxalate and phytate both inhibit calcium absorption. A diet deficient in calcium may increase the risk of rickets, hypertension, osteoporosis, and scurvy. Vitamin D stimulates the absorption of calcium and phosphorus into bones. Osteoporosis is one consequence of low calcium intake during the younger years of bone mineralization. There are conflicting opinions on the efficacy of increasing the intake of calcium for older people who are already suffering from osteoporosis.
Read more: http://www.answers.com/topic/phosphorus-and-calcium#ixzz1p1wVWsgC"
Advertising and milk. http://www.aef.com/on_campus/classroom/case_histories/3000
Why milk may not be best... harvard study http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/calcium-full-story/
The milk blog... milk not the best source of calcium on a per calorie basis http://themilkblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/new-research-shows-milk-is-poor-source.html
more from the milk blog... http://themilkblog.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2010-01-01T00:00:00-01:00&updated-max=2011-01-01T00:00:00-01:00&max-results=9
The Organic Milk Myth... http://www.amazon.com/Organic-Milk-Myth-Russell-Eaton/dp/1903339243
Milk...poison... http://books.google.com/books?id=-uk4AQAAIAAJ&source=gbs_similarbooks
Why milk may not be best... harvard study http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/calcium-full-story/
The milk blog... milk not the best source of calcium on a per calorie basis http://themilkblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/new-research-shows-milk-is-poor-source.html
more from the milk blog... http://themilkblog.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2010-01-01T00:00:00-01:00&updated-max=2011-01-01T00:00:00-01:00&max-results=9
The Organic Milk Myth... http://www.amazon.com/Organic-Milk-Myth-Russell-Eaton/dp/1903339243
Milk...poison... http://books.google.com/books?id=-uk4AQAAIAAJ&source=gbs_similarbooks
I have been hearing about this very thing lately, and I've had some doubts about it myself. I guess if it were organic milk, that would probably be better for you, but lets fact it: its not all organic! And the amount of hormones that they give cows who are producing the non-organic milk is staggering. No wonder it never agrees with me. I may also be lactose intolerant, who knows? But I am only ever bothered when drinking milk straight. Thanks for the info!
ReplyDeleteThere are some sources who claim that organic is no better than and sometimes worse than 'regular'. But it is really the pasteurization process that destroys the real nutritional value of the product, according to the reading I've done.
DeleteJust about every food is good and bad for you. I love milk. I love CHOCOLATE milk. Protein from anything can aid recovery, but I agree, it isn't any special superhero drink like some make it out to be. It just tastes damn good after I've been sweating and if it kills me, at least I'll die happy with a milk mustache above my silly grin.
ReplyDeleteGoodness that made my head spin, you really did your research on that one! I do love a big tall cold glass of milk though and chocolate does make it taste so good!
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more!!! The milk & cheese industry is a multi-million dollar marketing campaign. We are the only {or one of few} cultures that drink milk post nursing from the mom. Leafy green vegetables, beans, oranges, almonds etc are all a great source of calcium!! The key is getting the Vitamin D so your body will absorb the calcium. Great post!!!
ReplyDelete"Where do the cows get calcium from? From plants."
DeleteThat just about sums it up. I'm with Holly, excellent post!
I LOVE YOU!! I agree 100%. I think milk is ok, it isn't horrible, but it isn't a miracle either. I do give my kids a glass of WHOLE milk, because the fat is actually the best part, with a cookie every night and I don't feel bad about it, but I don't think this is the best most amazing thing. I think that dairymen are greedy as heck and this is new ad campaign is going to make them millions and millions more, and if it doesn't then they'll just start dumping milk they've gotten from the cows to keep their prices high (but don't worry, it's all government approved). Again, I LOVE YOU! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThank you - I am with you on this one. Not that I think dairy is bad; I just think chocolate milk is bad. It's loaded with sugar. And honestly, the last thing I want in my stomach after a long run is milk! It's nauseating. I'd rather start with some club soda, then eat an egg and toast later.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great "counterbloggyculture" post. As self diagnosed lactose intolerant, I prefer anything but milk after a run.
ReplyDeleteI love chocolate milk, and butter, and cheese omg cheese, but I agree with all of this. Milk is shady. Monsanto is the fucking devil.
ReplyDeleteUp here in Hippy Oregon, you USED to be able to get raw milk. I loved it. You had to shake the bottle to re-mix the cream back into the milk...yummy yummy stuff. Now, I barely drink any milk at all, and then generally only when I go to Subway, because given a choice between a 12 oz bottle of milk or a 20 oz bottle of Coke, I'll take the milk these days. If they would switch back to sugar instead of HFCS in Coke, I would drink that instead...and if they would REALLY use the original recipe, I wouldn't even hesitate. ;-)
ReplyDeleteI am lactose intolerant so milk is definitely not my thing. There are plenty of other great ways to get your calcium in. Lots of interesting info. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteGreat post. I love chocolate milk, but I always kinda knew in the bottom of my gut that anything that tasted that good couldn't possibly be "that good" for you. I'm not much of a milk fan to start with (but I love chocolate in any form!) so I'm neither here nor there on the whole chocolate milk after a run. Many times it further upsets my tummy. Now if someone tells me "ice cream after a run" is healthy, I'm totally jumping on that train, right or wrong! LOVE my cheese and ice cream... don't burst my bubble on those, huh!? LOL
ReplyDeleteI love this comment, Jess! Ice cream FTW :)
DeleteCHEESE!!!! Milk makes my insides go rumble!
ReplyDeleteOn another note: On Tuesday nights Biggest Loser, one of the contestants use the phrase "On a Wing and a Prayer"!!
haha. I really love Chocolate Milk, but I don't allow myself to buy it for the most part. I could easily go through a quart of that stuff a day (800 calories!).
ReplyDeletePost race - I can see how it's great bc for some people (including me) it's hard to eat, and it's a good cheap way to get sugar and protein into your body. But if I started chugging chocolate milk after every workout, let's just say I'd look even less like a runner than I already do :).
Let me qualify all this by saying that I've got no problem with endorsements and sponsorships, but I believe there is a right way to do them and I would hope that people who accept such endorsements and sponsorships do it for the right reasons.
ReplyDeleteThat said, bullshit evolves. A couple weeks ago I was looking through a stack of magazines from the late 60's and early 70's. The advertising was priceless - cigarettes that made you ski better and alcohol that if drank at lunch would give you the wisdom to close a big deal back at the office in the afternoon.
These days it's not that much different. As far as I'm concerned, chocolate milk is a marginal product (as seen through the context of health and fitness) but regardless the dairy people will do anything it can to grab a piece of market share by justifying it's existence through whatever small, biased or misleading information they can cook up based on only a sliver of fact.
I'm not a big fan of peer-to-peer marketing either. I don't want to ruffle any feathers, but I think bloggers are preyed upon by these marketeers because the marketeers know that average everyday people like a little attention and are pleased to be given a voice. I mean, who doesn't like some attention? I totally get that. But I don't know about you, when someone emails me hitting me up for my "expert opinion", the BS is laid on so thick I feel like I've just been thrown into quicksand. Peer-to-peer marketing is also cheap. So crappy, poorly designed and useless products have access to eyeballs I'm not sure they deserve. the standards of natural selection, which I believe helps keep product quality high, has been lowered to the detriment of the consumer.
Also, some of the reviews in there in the blogosphere aren't very well written. But I trust my friends. So bad information still has a way of making the rounds.
Have you noticed there isn't a "Team Spinach" triathlon team or the Brussel Sprout Growers Of America aren't fielding a Hood To Coast team? Just sayin'.
So happy I didn't have to scroll to far down for this opinion. Thank you for writing this but seriously we do need the Team Spinach and Brussels Sprouts Growers teams out there.
DeleteI'll join Team Spinach. Now that is a recovery food!!
DeleteTHANK YOU! I'm a vegetarian who has never ever liked milk. I don't make my 7 yr old drink it, and my 3 yr old is allergic to cows milk protein, so he has never, ever had milk. And guess what, he is growing and developing just fine. My oldest does like organic chocolate milk boxes from costco, and takes those in his school lunch. I let him because he needs the calories - not great how much of it is from sugar, but it works for us, right now. I use a lot of So Delicious coconut milk to substitute for milk in cooking, and we never (rarely) use butter - I don't buy it unless it is special for a recipe, and lately I have been using coconut oil for most cooking/baking.
ReplyDeleteOnce we have a real income again, I'll probably switch to almond milk (yum!). Right now we mostly use milk in our cold cereal. I'll keep getting cheese, cultured milk products and butter. I also hope to start making whole wheat sourdough bread as our main bread. I think it will really help us with digestion. But first I have to fix that kitchenaid.
ReplyDeleteHuh, sounds to me like you are trying to put 10,000 Holsteins out of a job. LOL
ReplyDeleteI'm not a milk fan. I never drink it, but I do sometimes have cheese or ice cream. Or coffee drinks.
I put rice milk on my cereal and in my coffee. Almond milk is yummy too.
The Holsteins aren't being compensated for the work they do and would probably just as soon not be forced into pregnancy and have to cope with having their young taken from them too early and then be mechanically milked in an less-than-sanitary milking structure ;-)
DeleteYES!
DeleteTo each their own, but I can't stomach the thought of dairy products right after a race. Give me an orange and a bottle of water. Maybe something with salt on it. That's it. (I'll fuel up with brunch when I stop dry-heaving.)
ReplyDeleteNow I have science to support what my stomach has always told me.
Thanks! :)
I am in the no choc milk group also
ReplyDeleteI tried and it is not the miracle recovery potion that everyone says it is
for me it is chicken soup!
homemade...not by me of course.
Chocolate milk is said to be good for recovery for one much more basic reason than the Refuel team lists; it's that it has what is to be considered the near perfect balance of protein and carbohydrate for a recovery food (this is from my highly skeptical, very intelligent nutritionist). If you can find that balance in other ways, I say go for it. I grab the chocolate milk when I can just because I don't have to think about it.
ReplyDeleteWhat I've gleaned from my reading is that while in chemical analysis milk contains a great deal of protein, the pasteurization process destroys the enzymes necessary for making this protein bioavailable.
DeleteI dug into this and did a little research. I looked for papers written by scientists and not put out by the milk or dairy industries. I just have to chip in my science perspective.
DeleteYes, milk has enzymes which are destroyed during pasteurization, but our body has the enzymes necessary to break down the protein in milk. It doesn't overtax the pancreas or other digestive organs because digestion is their job, and enzymes are, for lack of a better term, reusable. I understand that casein is a difficult protein to break down, but it does eventually break down making the amino acids from the protein bioavailable.
Lindsay, with all due respect, you should absolutely "think about it". There is NOTHING in cow's milk that can't be obtained from plant sources. NOTHING. Why is it some folks love to cite research which benefits their argument, while ignoring that which does not. More importantly, the studies supporting chocolate milk as a recovery drink were supported by a grant from the National Dairy Council and National Fluid Milk Processor Promotion Board
DeleteOf course it was supported by the the National Dairy Council and National Fluid Milk Processor Promotion Board. Do you think the Almond Board or Walnut Board is going to pay to study milk... Companies pay to test their product. It is that simple. Research takes money and independent funding is not readily available. You are essentially calling all PhDs frauds by discounting their research because they received a grant from the Dairy Council.
DeleteYou are correct that you can get the amino acids and carbohydrates from other sources, but not as easily. It takes more planning, which the majority of our country is terrible at doing. If you find a good balance of Essential amino acids and carbohydrates that you are willing to consume after a workout, go for it. Milk is definitely one of the easiest ways to do that.
AMEN!!!
ReplyDeleteI love milk, chocolate milk, butter, and cheese. Of course I love red meat too, so I could drink something else and eat steak instead :-).
ReplyDeleteI am lactose intolerant so I stay away from it anyways.
ReplyDeleteYou are WAY too smart for me!
ReplyDeleteYour blog just keeps getting better and better girl. This is some MEAT here. I will be back but so much of what you said here are things I've thought about when seeing chocolate milk thrown around and promoted so much. We are a family who drinks VERY little milk. Like a half gallon a month or something. if that. My kids have maybe had a handful of cups of milk...like I said, more later after I have time to read this in full. I love how you speak your mind Marjorie. These are the kind of posts that stir discussion and interest. So much better than hearing about race day outfits and how good lulu shorts make one's ass look.... haha.
ReplyDeleteBeen told by dieticians and etc about the benefits of chocolate milk, so now this post is a lot of food for thought.
ReplyDeleteThat being said...I never drink chocolate milk after my run. After all, I run for lattes. :D
i can't stand milk! totally grosses me out. i did take a swig of it in the finishing chute after my last marathon, because it was handed right to me and i just stomached it to get the recovery process going. yuck. my favorite post run recovery drink is a soy white mocha (no whipped cream). YUM. the sugar is actually good because it helps speed up the process of getting the protein back into your muscles for faster repair. but it is much easier on my tummy and doesn't gross me out. Too bad they don't hand out soy lattes at race finish lines!
ReplyDeleteJessica, when you find the race that hands out soy lattes at the finish I will sign up right there with you!!! :D
Deleteonce upon a time I liked milk. I lived on a farm and I had to get up at 6am to milk the cow. I brought the full milk pail back to the house - we strained it and put the rest in a pitcher. That's how I drank milk. When I think about - it sounds pretty gross. But at 50 years old I'm told I have the bone density of a healthy 25 year old woman. I don't really like milk now and I rarely drink it. I prefer my smoothies made with fruits, water and protein for a recovery drink - I would only drink chocolate milk of desperate and nothing else was available.
ReplyDeleteAn interesting a brave post! thank you!
This is seriously SHOCKING. I am shocked. Maybe I have been brain washed? I want to come back to this when I have more time and read all the links and all the comments.
ReplyDeletegreat job!!
ReplyDeleteWow, great post, looks like a lot of research went into this! I'm a part-time vegan, so chocolate milk isn't on my radar, but I can totally understand why people would want it to be a super endurance product. Why not? it tastes great.
ReplyDeleteGreat post. There is so much misinformation out there on so many topics. I love that you are willing to go against the big blogger love that goes around chocolate milk. I'm always a bit wary of all the sponsorships in bloggy land... you've offered up a lot of food for thought.
ReplyDeleteLove this.
Bravo on the research. I don't like milk and therefore, don't like chocolate milk, despite being the world's biggest chocolate lover.
ReplyDeleteThis is very interesting! I like chocolate milk, but I'm also not too into pimping anything (on my blog or anywhere else).
ReplyDeleteNow if someone would do a Nuun-skeptical post (I'm not that brave; lots of people I really like swear by the stuff)....It tastes good, but it has freakin' Sorbitol in it (and I've tried the "natural" Nuun--just doesn't taste good).
So I'll drink Nuun and sometimes chocolate milk about as often as I eat chocolate cream pie: when I want a treat.
I love me a good glass of chocolate milk, but my coach strictly prohibits dairy from our diets (pre and post comp) ...actually I'm not sure what he reasons were, however, he always says, "Avoid anything dairy!" then he shudders. I figure it can't be good!
ReplyDeleteGood for you for writing this post and sticking to your guns. I haven't read the comments here yet, but I suspect it's a hotbed of controversy. I'm going to read now!
This is such a fantastic and well-researched post! I couldn't agree more with your argument.
ReplyDeleteI hear you! But I am not sure I can replace cheese with kale :)
ReplyDeleteThis is an awesome post! I too can't believe the marketing campaign going on with this chocolate milk deal. This biggest thing that has gotten me is the amount of sugars and preservatives in the chocolate portions. I have not drank milk in years, so that is not an issue. Thanks for writing this!
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely HATE seeing all this hype and all the support the running community is throwing at our horrific dairy industry with all this "refuel with chocolate milk" bullshit.
Interesting reading. I've heard that the milk people have a huge lobby.
ReplyDeleteThank you. It's nice to get info from a source that doesn't, in some way, have anything to gain by sharing. Very interesting read.
ReplyDelete[Fitness, Health and Happiness]
Yeah, considering I'd be farting myself into oblivion with chocolate milk, I can safely say I will never be part of Team Refuel.
ReplyDeletefunny you cover this because we have been having the milk discussion quite a bit in my household and find a lot of your points to be similar to our own. it's actually quite frustrating that our countries food is regulated by our corrupt government where they do not always provide the most accurate information to us all, even when over 1/3 of our country is obese. but sadly, it seems here in america profit always trumps well being for the american people.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post - thanks for all of this information. I've always felt there was something wrong with giving my kids cows milk when I drink almond milk myself, and I think we're finally going to make the switch to an alternative.
ReplyDeleteI am a very lucky gal. Our newly opened grocery store, New Leaf, carries raw milk. I don't drink much of it, buy it maybe every other week, or not even that often, and when I do drink it is not really because I believe I need it to supplement my diet, but rather because I just like it. I grew up on raw milk (and lived to tell the tale).
ReplyDeleteI also don't believe in drinking, almond, oat or whatever other milks industry pushes on us. Sorry, I'll just munch of almonds if I need their goodness. But that is just me, liking things they way they grow.
Thank you for this post. Good info. Now I need to find more time to look at the links you posted. :)
Thatta girl, you take on the man, the Chocolate Milk man ;) I DO drink chocolate milk after long runs, mainly because thats the only time I seem to crave it :)
ReplyDeleteAs far as the rest goes, you know how I feel about people pimpin themselves out (now,Off I go to work on my nuun htc app) )
Let me say that last year at the Fitbloggers Conference the dinner was sponsored by Refuel With Chocolate Milk and they had a registered dietitian speak about this.
ReplyDeleteShe went on and on about sugars and all this other stuff. I raised my hand and asked her why they would remove the lactose and add in more sugar? What was the point? Why not leave well enough alone?
Then in addition to that the serving size was 12oz on the label but then they are selling it in 16oz containers.....again why? Why not leave well enough alone?
Maybe they are just trying to get people addicted to the drug of sugar.....maybe......
but if you check the labels of MOST choc milk it is not even sugar, it's HFCS...
DeleteWell if it's any consolation, the whole "refuel with chocolate milk" thing has encouraged me to try chocolate SOY milk after a run, because cow's milk gives me diarrhea. That being said, pushing cow's milk to humans has always been weird to me. Cow's milk is meant for baby cows. I've heard that worldwide, the more adults are lactose intolerant than not. That adults who can stomach cow's milk are the anomaly, and their bodies have changed to tolerate cow's milk. Our bodies just weren't meant to consume it.
ReplyDeleteI have read through most of the comments, and I can't really think of anything to say. But I do have one request for you:
ReplyDeleteCould you please sporadically and randomly include little references in future posts about how you just drank a glass of chocolate milk? I think that would be great!!
I've been thinking this for a long time, and I'm so glad to see someone has actually put it in (internet) writing! I have to give the dairy industry credit for managing to make their product relevant in today's fitness crazed world. But they dairy industry is a monster, and I don't trust anything they have to say about their own product. And the Team Refuel bloggers, as much as I may enjoy them generally, are just being used as mouthpieces.
ReplyDeleteLove the commenter above who pointed out the absence of Team Spinach!
The dairy industry is strong. People look at me like I'm giving my child poison when I give him milk alternatives, but they don't think twice about filling their child's sippy cup with cow's milk multiple times a day. And it's hard to argue when quick google searches come up with what the dairy industry puts out there.
ReplyDeleteYou are an idiot...that is all
ReplyDeleteClearly you all know nothing about exercise and nutrition. good luck
ReplyDeleteHey Anonymous, consider yourself marked. You are talking shit about my crew, so I'm coming after you and I'm coming in hot. And when I find you, you are going down hard. You are gonna get water-boarded with Tutti-Fruity NUUN. Get your head out of the cow's ass and trust your butcher. I'm lactose intolerant, allergic to cocoa and fucking loco. Watch your back.
ReplyDeleteWow!! Tell us how you really feel! I agree with you on many points. As a "provider of those elements that are necessary for recovery" Chocolate milk is not the best option.
ReplyDeleteBut if you're looking to have a glass with a cookie, it's pure heaven. :)
Hmm it appears like your blog ate my first comment
ReplyDelete(it was super long) so I guess I'll just sum it up what I wrote and say, I'm
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