Milk Moustache: The Myths of Milk

Growing up, there are just some things that are part of a child's education that are virtually universal. Eat your vegetables - they are good for you. Don't hit your brother or sister - it's not nice. Don't sit too close to the t.v. - it's bad for your eyes. Drink your milk - you need it to build strong bones and teeth. Despite our rebellion (the vegetables taste icky, my brother took my toy, it's more fun to sit closer to the t.v, milk doesn't taste good), eventually these words of wisdom become a part of our own knowledge, and we, in turn, teach these same things to our children. How many times have we realized that, oh my goodness, I have just told my kids the exact same words that my parents said to me when I was a child (despite our youthful oaths of "when I have children, I won't ever say that"? We have a tendency to teach what we have been taught, oftentimes without even questioning whether what we have been taught is true, honest, or right. Children who are educated in a racist family are much more likely to become racist; children who grow up in a violent environment are more likely to become violent within their own families...the list goes on. Breaking these cycles is indeed a difficult task, but one that must be done to protect our children and our future descendants. One of these cycles that must be broken is the habit of drinking milk. "Nature's Perfect Food" has shown itself to be not so perfect, yet we are virtually blind to this reality because the "wholesome" and "healthy" aspects of milk have been ingrained deeply into our culture and consciousness.