Getting Away from Dairy/processed Foods

The cravings will go away IF the nutritional needs are being met elsewhere. You and your kids have wildly different nutritional needs (just as an example: your kids under 5 need so much fat in their diets that you would have a coronary eating the same things... they're putting that fat to use building myelin sheath to coat all of their nerves in their bodies). Adults need lowfat diets, kids need highfat diets... our mineral needs are different... sugars, proteins, you name it... put a kid on an adult diet and you get an obese kid (because they're always starving so they just keep eating and eating and eating trying to get the nutrients they need).

So before you start taking away where they're getting their fats/proteins/sugars/calcium from... make sure you have substitutes for ALL of the above. It's a PIA, but totally doable. Milk (dairy) is a super-food... so it's not easy to replace... but it's completely possible with a lot of nutritional research and work.

Ditto Riley.

Just wanted to add:
Not all "sugars" found naturally in foods, are the same.
ALSO, the way it is digested varies, and it varies on how it is combined with other foods.
The "sugars" in milk is not a "bad" refined sugar, and since it is integral with the milk proteins, it is not digested as simply as a refined sugar in the body, for example. AND, milk has a LOW glycemic index.
Yogurt and cheese is not a "bad" sugar food.

The brain, needs sugar too, for functioning. The milk "fats" is integral and essential for a child's brain development as well. So "dairy" milk and its "sugars" are not the bad kind of "simple" sugars found in desserts, for example.
Keep this in mind.
And ultimately, too much of something, is usually not good. Thus, maintaining a balance is always best. Naturally.

Ultimately, try consulting a Nutritionist, for suggestions.

Here's an interesting link:
http://www.increasebrainpower.com/brainfoods.html
http://www.askdrsears.com/HTML/4/T040400.ASP

All the best,
Susan

Make sure to talk to a doctor before doing this. Where are you getting calicum from? Be careful about the type of "research" you're finding. Check sources and remember "correlation is not causation" (just because they find people who drink milk have some problem doesn't mean that it is milk that caused the problem). Dairy is not bad for you.

Hey Robyn!

I recently found coconut milk at Henry's. It's by the Silk, the same company who makes, IMO, the best tasting soymilk on the market. It's in the refrigerated section as well. There is an unsweetened flavor as well which would be much lower in sugar, but doesn't have much taste... you might have to mix the vanilla or regular with the unsweetened for a while until you get used to it. Keep in mind that coconuts are high in saturated fats, but they aren't as bad as the ones that are in the meats and other dairy products.
Personally, I would stay away from soy cheese... HORRIBLE!! omg... I was a vegan for about 2 years and I could handle just about any nut, twig or berry tossed my way, but this... oh heck no!
If you are going to limit your dairy consumption, please make sure that EVERY member of your family gets the right amount of calcium. Do not go by what the FDA recommends as their values are jokes... but it should be based on the weight of each member.

J.
www.HolisticWellnessAndNutrition.webs.com

I am in the process of weaning me and my family off of dairy and wheat right now also for my own health issues and possibly for theirs as well. I seem to have developed intolerance issues to both of these items and it is wreaking havoc on my digestive track. Anyway, you can actually make your own healthy version of nut milk (almond, cashew, brazil nut) that is actually healthier for you than the kind that come in a box and probably a lot less expensive in the long run as well. Here's a link with directions on how to make almond milk in case you are interested:

http://www.ehow.com/how_###-###-####_make-raw-almond-milk...

Good luck with your dairy-free adventure. I do believe that you and your family will be better of for it in the long run.