Roman Fitness Systems

Does a Body Good?

I’d like to talk to you about something just a tad controversial. Just a tad; not anything big like abortions or steroids or even artificial sweeteners (but I’ll get to that soon).

Nope, today I thought I’d tackle something just a bit more commonplace.

And because I want to have a little fun, I made a video about it. Check this one out:

Ha. Fun video. I amuse myself.

Okay, so now that we know the truth about milk, I’d like to talk about how this whole mess got started.

That is, WHY is everyone still clinging to the antiquated notion that milk is somehow nature’s perfect bodybuilding food?

Some people think it’s because of the correlation between drinking milk as a baby and growing at a pretty rapid rate. Pretty lame, I think.

Others have suggested that as far as protein sources go, milk is cheap eats, and so popularity can be seen as contiguous with efficacy, perhaps.

I have my own theory, of course.

I don’t think it’s popularity, or some innate, ancient longing to suckle at the teat of whatever will provide you with sustenance.

Oh, no, my friends. Something much craftier is at work, something evil, and insidious: 1990’s marketing.

Don’t believe me? Well, let me just show you some evidence.

In early 1991, I was but an innocent lad of 9 years old, and I was exposed to this bit of marketing genius:

I was made to believe that I’d grow taller and more muscular. My consumption of milk increased by 20%. When I did not grow taller and my muscles did not get bigger, I was disappointed, but not heartbroken.

I though I could live without height or muscles; after all, I had more important things to focus on, like mastering the games on what I still consider to be the greatest video game system of all time, the Super Nintendo.

Just over a year later, and in the beginning stages of puberty, 10-year-old Roman was exposed to a milk commercial of a different sort. Check it out here:

That’s right.

While I may have been protected from drug-pushers and bullies by Barbara Bush's commercials, these milk bastards were of another ilk, and I was altogether unprepared to fend off their marketing assault on my as-yet undeveloped Bullshit-Detector. In short order, I was convinced that not only would milk make me big and strong…but the imbibing of this dairy ambrosia would also be solely responsible for making girls like me.

Wow.

Sex sells, even to a 10-year-old (at least when that 10-year-old is me.)

My consumption of milk tripled.

Two years later I was still short, only now I was chunky and was not the young Lothario the milk ads promised me I’d be.

Alas.

Well, it only took me 10 years to learn better. Hopefully, my video can save other people the time.

Eventually, of course, I lost the weight and got the girl. Unfortunately, I’m still quite short.

Can’t have it all.

Unless you're Superman. In which case you can, because he not only drinks milk, but can also fly. See photo evidence below:

Milk swindle you, too? Leave a comment, tell a story. Or just make fun of my video.

Just kidding, don't make fun of me. I'll cry.

-R

  • Meg

    Hahaha, great post. Milk doesnt just make you fly but makes you grow a white mustash too :P

    I used to drink milk all the time, especially choc milk after workout like Craig Ballantyne.

    However, i totally cut milk now and hope to reach my 1 digit body fat (stuck betwen 10-12 BF% now :S)

    Any advise when you should ever drink milk?

  • Per

    I think the main reason was that you wanted to get the balloon-head and be able to fly away with it…

    I use 1dl of milk with 2dl of water to mix my protein powder with after workout, mainly for taste.

  • http://n/a bulent bingol

    great post john, whats your take on the whole slow/fast digesting protein whey and casein. i take milk in my shakes 1, for better taste and 2, for extra casein as i read that casein is more important as it digests slowly? a lot of confusing info out there.

  • http://tylerenglishblog.com Tyler English

    Nice post brother!

    I can't tell you how many times I have said to clients looking for fat loss.

    “Don't drink your calories.”

    Of course unless we are talking about a meal replacement, post workout shake or blender shake or the occasional “adult beverage” to celebrate a fat loss goal…just sayin!

    There is however a cool study that I share with my clients that shows how 2 groups of women who weren't currently following a strength training program were tested for 12 Weeks following the same training protocol but 2 different post workout drink options.

    1 group consumed milk post workout (contains protein, obviously). The second group consumed only simple carbs.

    Though their “scale weight” increased in both groups, the study did show however that the women in the milk group gained more LBM and lost more BF. Not anything drastic, about 1-2 LBM gained and about 1.5 LBS of BF lost.

    I mean for 12 Weeks a 1-2 weight gain isn't too bad considering there was no change in diet. I do believe the protein in the milk had a lasting effect over the “just sugar carbs” post workout.

    If you want to check it out the study is here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19997019

    I have an idea for a new study.

    Compare the affects of skim milk and almond milk on the good looks of you and I. You want skim or almond?

    Winner buys the next cheat drink…I mean meal.

  • Doug

    I too believed as you did. With all the evidence of steroids in the foods that cows now consume, which transfers into the milk, which transfers into our bodies, its not a good choice if you want to remain chemical free…unless you actually find organic.

  • http://wwww.boysfood.com Dean

    I prefer low fat goats milk. Way better than milk.

  • http://thehealthyminute.com Pete

    Yeah…I agree with Meg…I think Roman just wanted to see what he would look like with a 'stash.

    Didn't you post a picture on facebook where you had a sweet little porn stash going?

    Would you mind growing it back…maybe a handlebar…and posting a new photo. Even better, since you Joel have matching tattoos now, you can also grow matching mustaches…the “brostache.” :-)

    Wishing you the best,

    Pete

  • JonSmith

    A polished marble countertop? How 2005, Roman. Unless it's faux-granite, in which case, maybe you're being ironicalal.

    Up in B.C. Canada, we have a school tradition called a “Milk Run”. Everyone goes for a nice ( i.e. boring) jog and afterwards, they serve milk! Yeccch. Hell-lo, marketing.

    Check it out : http://bcdairyfoundation.ca/programs_workshops/middle_school/milk_run_2010

    They are actually dedicated to getting more milk into school kids.

    Send them your video!

  • Robyn

    so what was the product in the orange carton?

  • http://www.nathanwilliamstraining.blogspot.com Nathan Williams

    Hey Roman,

    Great topic, i wrote an email to my clients last year after reading a book called “Skinny Bastard”, here are the cliff notes:

    - Cows milk is designed to make baby cows fat… and it does.

    - Humans are not genetically suited to cows milk

    - Humans need the enzyme lactase to digest lactose found in milk, however before the age of 4 we lose around 95% of this enzyme.

    - Undigested lactose encourages the growth of bacteria in our intestines (nice), Bacteria creates an acidic environment, which is a breeding ground for all cancer cells

    - Humans are the only species that consume another mammals milk

    - Ask yourself ‘why cow’s milk?’ answer because it’s the cheapest to produce. (try getting a liter of gorilla milk out of a gorilla!)

    - The dairy industry is a multi-billion dollar industry based on brilliant marketing and addictive tasting products.

    - A study following 72,000 women showed milk to have no effect on protecting bones

    - Countries with the highest milk consumption also have the highest rate of hip fractures in women

    - Cows milk has one of the lowest absorption rates of all calcium sources

    - Milk is high in calcium, but it is not an efficient source for it

    - According to The china study (4 decades of nutritional research) dairy can cause heart disease, diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis, MS, Alzheimer’s and prostate, rectal and colon cancer.

    - Dairy is also linked to acne, anemia, anxiety, arthritis, ADD, headaches, heartburn, indigestion, IBS, joint pain, poor immune function and ovarian cancer

    - Casein, which makes up 87% of cows milk, promotes all stages of the cancer process

    - According to research, men who drink milk have a 40-60% increase risk of prostate cancer

    - The dairy industry is a for-profit, commercial business run by shady authorities

    - The American administration under George Bush knew the facts behind Dairy consumption and yet targeted schools and military for extra sales!

    - Cows are now injected with bovine growth hormone

    - 50 years ago the average cow would produce 2,000lbs per year – now it is nearly 50,000lbs

    - Monsanto, the company behind growth hormones for cattle also own Nutrasweet. (what nice people they seem?)

    - On receiving BGH, half the cattle become infertile

    - One cow in the US, was tested to have 120 different drug treatments to make it fit to continue milking, many of which are banned antibiotics for humans.

    - Infected fecal matter can make its way into milk supplies – that fecal matter contains over 1 trillion (yes 1,000,000,000,000) paratubercolosis bugs per gram! (yummy)

    - Virtually 100% of cheese products in the US has detectable pesticide residues

    - Consuming high amount of dairy block iron absorption, contributing to iron deficiency

    - Brussels sprouts have 30 times more absorbable calcium than milk

    - Soy milk, rice milk, oat milk and almond milk are great replacements for cow’s milk

    There are more, but I will stop now.

    Got pus? Got cattle faeces? Got hormones? Then you definitely ‘Got milk’

  • Fredacus

    I thought it was Ross (of Friends) that came up with “Got Milk?” Obviously I need to get my facts straight.

    I remember growing up and consuimg about 4-5 gallons of milk per week. Had milk with everything. Can't say if the consumption was due to marketing, I guess the taste of it was just darn good.

    Perhaps it was due to the fact that I was playing a lot of soccer during this period of time (staying very active in other words), but I can't really remember milk in any way having an adverse effect on me.

    Then again, there's always two sides to the story, and I might be one of those lucky bastards that can take the hit and come out clean on the other side? :-)

    Nowadays I just have milk with my occasional coffee, and for post-workout shakes. Sticking to water otherwise.

    What do you say to the people that claim that milk and eggs are the two most complete foods out there nutritionally speaking?

  • Jessica (Aust)

    Very interesting and topical subject Roman!

    I’ve had a number of discussions with nutritionists this year about their stance on milk and dairy and in all those discussions these professionals have fallen very strongly into the anti-milk camp; basically for all (and more) of the reasons nicely detailed above by Nathan.

    One of the most basic reasons is that we just don’t need it to grow or live beyond infancy/childhood. Not only are we the only mammal that drinks another species’ milk but we are also the only mammal that continues to consume milk (of any kind) well beyond weaning when our ability to properly digest it changes significantly.

    Take African elephants, the largest land based mammal, for example. Ave weight at birth is about 100kg, they are generally fully weaned by 5-6 yrs weighing on ave 1,300 kg then manage to grow to an average adult size of about 4,900 kg (males can weigh up to 5,400 kg) all without the aid of milk and especially not sourced from hippos or zebras.

    Personally though, as someone who is neither lactose intolerant nor a vegan, I think life without an occasional ice-cream or some great cheese would kinda suck. So in talking to the nutritionist their take was if you are going to consume dairy, try not to have it every day and then when you do, choose great quality products made from unhomogenised, organic milk.

  • Slagathor

    First of all, the marketing guy who created the supermanposter is obviously an idiot! Anyone who's got their comic superheroes straight knows that it's The Phantom who drinks milk, NOT Superman. Plus, he's way to cool to ever try and immitate The Phantom. Or does milk fight off cryptonite as well?

    This is really a double egged sword I think, and an interesting topic as well. Well done on the blogging. Personally, I have really interesting experiences from both sides.

    Personally I haven't had a glass of milk in at least 15 years, apart from the occasional cup of hot cocoa. I got intolerant to lactose when I was about 5. It grew away once i Got older (which apparently is not that uncommon).

    Anyways, 15 years ago the lactose free range of products was scarce to say the least, and they tasted like shit. So I grew to dislike milk, and I haven't got use to the taste ever since. I have to have some in my coffee though, black coffee is way too acidoic for me.

    Persoanally I always reject and question “disasterstatements” about any whole food source like the ones Nathan posted.

    No one who's in their right mind can claim that milk would be a bad source of nutrients, but there are valid points to the above statements.

    The biggest one being like many others have claimed – it's not a neccessary source of nutrients for grown ups. Especially given all the good substitues that are out there today as well.

    I also believe that the “inlfammatory factor” is very interesting aspct as well. My mother suffers from an autoimmune disease called “Beschtew's syndrome” (not Bechterew's). It gives symtoms such as chronic muscular aches (close to fibromyalgia) and primarily attack's the boys mucose membranes.

    When my lactose intolerance grew away my mom kept on going dairy free and also cranked it up a notch and excluded all dairy products, not just the ones with lactose (she's a certified nutritionist it wasn't just a “hunch”). After three months she was able to lay off her medications, with no other lifestyle adjustments. My uncle has a similar story as well, the combantion of dairy free + gluten free diet drastically changed his psoriasis for the better, to the point of almost vanishing completely.

    So obviously there's something to it. I however hasn't had a bad reaction to dairy ever since, and I love my dairy products and can't imaging life without them!

    I also find it interesting that milk is a bit of a “black sheep” in the fitness industry now adays while lots of other dairy products are still considered a basic food source (cottage cheese anyone?). What's the main ingredient in cottage cheese?

    So to sum it up, if milk being something we should limit, what's your stand on other dairy products? I know the macronutrient breakdown is often quite different as well, would be really interesting to get an explanation as to why that is as well.

  • http://www.nathanwilliamstraining.blogspot.com Nathan Williams

    @ Slagathor

    Good post. I must point out that the 'disaster-statements' i posted were the cliff notes of the whole book 'skinny bastard'. It was a great read (although aimed at vegetarians).

    Personally, when i took milk out of my diet, my physique changed for the better almost overnight. I encourage my clients to try lactose free as it worked for me.

  • http://www.RomanFitnessSystems.com John Romaniello

    @ Meg – as you get lower in body fat, you'll need to be more and more strict with your diet. In this case, moving from using chocolate milk post-workout to using a dedicated post-workout shake, like ProGrade's Workout.

    @ bulent – great question! For those who don't know, casein is the slower digesting protein found in milk (the 'faster' one being whey).

    You make a good point, bulent, in that casein is generally superior from a fat loss perspective because it digests slower. Basically, this means that it'll have a longer, more consistent release of amino acids into the bloodstream.

    More importantly, casein will keep you full a bit longer than whey because of the slower breakdown.

    However, while casein is a milk-derived protein, milk itself isn't the best source of casein. You're much better off using more concentrated sources like cottage cheese.

    Not only will you be getting more protein in general (particularly casein), but you'll stay away from liquids; as I mentioned in the video, it's MUCH better not to drink your calories.

  • http://www.RomanFitnessSystems.com John Romaniello

    @ Tyler – Just took a look at that study, I'd actually had it tucked away. Thanks for that!

    @ Pete – no mustache for me; not until Autumn, anyway =)

    @ JonSmith – the milk run sounds disgusting. Blarg. And don't hate on my counter-tops!

    @ Robyn – it's almond milk

    @ Nathan – AWESOME POST. Thank you so much! Everyone go back and re-read that 5 times.

    @ Fred – you have to consider that you also live in Sweden, and speaking generally almost everything you eat or drink is going to be a lot less processed than foods we get in the US, unless we're specifically buying organic.

    That said, there are a lot of people (particularly males involved in endurance sports) who can just eat/drink whatever the fuck they want.

    Most of the time younger guys have a lot more latitude for nutritional weirdness than just about anyone else.

    Regarding people who claim milk and eggs are the most complete foods, I'd ask them to see where their information is coming from. Some is likely from the dairy industry, and some is probably from just ovo-lacto vegetarians trying to defend their half-assery.

  • bulent

    Thanks for the reply john, very much appreciated. I can easily eat more cottage cheese. wish I could find some of that almond milk in the UK. I like rice milk, not too keen on soya, but it does have more protein and less carbs and sugars than rice. Are you concerned at all about too much casein linked to cancer? Thanks again mate.

  • Ylwa (a.k.a. Slagathor :))

    @Nathan

    Same to you. I know that there were cliffnotes and like I said I think there are valid points in some of the arguments as well. Milk is a tricky food source for many people, I know that from own experiences like the ones I mentioned in the blog and I think it's great that the awareness about milk is lifted.

    Many people do alot better on a lactose-free diet, especially considering the feeling of bloatness. Not choosing what obviously does you body the best is stupid, and I don't like stupid people.

    That said, I still claim that for those of us who don't respond bad towards dairy I think it's a fantastic, cheap source of protein (yes, I'm a university student:)). Apart from tasting lovely.

    Then again, as Roman pointed out to Fred. We lboth live in Sweden where foods generally tend to be alot less processed

  • Fredacus

    @Roman – In terms of processed foods, that's probably a convenient truth. We'll show you some decent stuff when you get over here. It would be interesting to see how our organic foods (yeah, the marketers have begun fooling the poor Swedish people with that crap as well) compare to your organic foods.

    Ahh… the days when you could eat whatever you wanted all the time and get away with it… Aaaaaaand they're gone!

    So, let's join the crusade for those dairy business fat-cats! And those ovo-lacto vegetarians. And all people for that matter. I hate people. Especially other people.

  • Adam

    Posting

  • Joe

    Great post! I've switched to almond milk myself.

    Full disclosure though..I'll still drink milk on my cheat day! I like it with brownies! =)

  • http://streetlightsupermen.wordpress.com Ty

    Are organic milk or lactose-free milk better alternatives?

  • http://www.jilliansfitness.com Rae

    No way, really? Even skim milk? But I LOVE my milk! Ugh!

    So then would you recommend that if you're not drinking milk as a female that you take calcium supplements of some kind?

    I am getting ready to start taking my fitness seriously and want to do all the right things, so this is going to be “painful” for me to give up milk, but would be worth it to be in shape finally.

    Ugh.

  • Cinabelle

    I have heard (please correct me if I am wrong) that women should not drink too much soy milk. The reason for that is that soy is another form of estrogen. Too much estrogen could cause cancer. Is there any truth to that, or is it just another scam?

    I also grew up drinking milk with every meal. My family of 5 goes through 6 gallons of milk a week. Since I have been on my “weight loss journey” I have cut my milk intake to once a day. Maybe I need to cut my family back on their intake now too. Thank you for giving me some thing to think about.

  • chris

    Great post.

    It's a confusing world out there what with all the various interested parties spending billions on promoting their products.

    Most of us are not lactose intolerent so we don't feel any problems.

    I am researching digestive disorders at present and there is a growing body of work that points us away from wheat, soy, corn and dairy products if we are looking to improve our digestive health. These products leave acidic residues when our body would prefer a more alkaline environment. Basically you have more energy, sleep better and your insides work to their optimum. This can prevent some diseases and alleviate others like IBS, constipation, gas, Crohns, Diverticulitus.

    The side effect of a diet of this type is weight loss – which IS cool.

    We eat foods because of marketing and not for health. The pasteurisation and homogenisation process destroys any possible good that the food had at the start. Why bother! It's just another bad habit that we need to change.

  • ace

    dude,

    you are so goofy
    :-D

    they milked the almonds…. i would love to see how they did that. LOL

    but really, thanks fer the info… was really informative and entertaining.

  • http://www.amwayblobal.com/dare2dreame Rob

    When I was a child i behaved as a child (and drank milk as a child). When I became a man i put away my childish things…especially after realizing that the intense gas cramp i was getting tied in to the milk I had drank about two hours earlier. :-) Although I love the taset of a cold glass of milk, just like anything else when It's no longer part of what you do you really don't think about it much. Like someone else commented, I'm going to be 40 years old drinking the milk of some other mammal> What's up with that?

  • Zack

    @Nathan

    Those lists are crap and most of that research is crap. It's really not an argument against milk, but an argument against the bad, unsanitary, or ungodly processing done TO milk.

    Processed skim milk is nothing but white colored sugar water. And most skim milks are made using some powdered milk anyway! And just why in the world you'd WANT to take out the fat, with those desperately needed fat-soluble vitamins, I'll never know.

    I don't care what the book says, how many “studies” you stack up or how many lactose intolerant testimonies you find. My simple common sense meter tells me that mother nature's own product that has been used for a zillion years specifically to “body build” new creatures, could not possibly end up, “oh darn if only we'd known” UNHealthy for us. That does injustice to the very brains and intelligence we've been endowed with.

    Milk (and eggs for that matter) are specifically engineered by nature to provide ALL the bacteria, enzymes, vitamins, minerals, protein, fats and other cofactors in order to build ALL parts of a body in every way: brain, organs, tissues, muscle, bones, blood, hormones, hair, skin, nails, etc… When was the last time a healthy newborn on good milk needed “supplements”?

    And don't give me that “we're the only animals to drink other's milk” nonsense or the old “we're the only animals that continue drinking milk after weening…” garbage. It might be true… SO!

    You let me know when you OUTGROW the need for vitamins, minerals, fats, protein, good bacteria and so forth.

    NOBODY has got e.coli from natural organic, grass fed, i.e. unraped milk. Why? Because the enzymes in real milk kill the bad bacteria, that's why. People have actually cured e.coli infections by drinking natural organic milk. Milk haters use studies that are really against factory farms, bad processing or that came from hormoned, unhealthy animals as a means to hate on milk, but it's not the fault of milk. Real natural milk doesn't suffer those problems. And it's well known that even the lactose intolerant do much better on natural, real milk, likely because real milk has yet more enzymes to help break down lactose in the gut.

    Us westerners are the most unhealthy people around, yet we are the boneheads that continue, through some magic of twisted logic and flawed “study”, to bash nature's real stuff, in favor, surprise, of petri dish, processed, unnatural, chemical, synthetic, patented stuff.

    Eggs are bad!

    Milk is bad!

    Meat is bad!

    Supplements are good!

    What arrogance to think we can improve on nature's product!

    What next, air and water? Maybe we need to buy processed air with some kind of patented molecule enhanced synthetic hydrogen atom, who knows? I'm sure some day a “study” will prove we need it, and nature's version is the bad guy.

    We've already got new moms scared that their own product is somehow a bad thing so they run for gallons and gallons of patented mystery white powder with ingredients they can't pronounce and have no idea what they are. THIS, they are told, is the healthy stuff, provides “all the stuff” your baby needs, without that nasty, fattening, cancer causing crud coming out your breasts. How could we be so deceived?

    Deceived to think nature's abundant fats in milk, meat, coconut, etc are bad. But somehow the extracted (in massive quantities as have never been eaten by mankind) of vegetable oils is somehow the good stuff. Where easily and cheaply obtained butter is a killer, but patented, impossible-to make-by-the-average-joe, extracted-from-patented-genetically-modified-corn-oil, is REALLY the fat we should have, those nasty saturated fats! If only we'd known sooner! Praise to the white-coats for saving us!

    Only……….we've all gotten worse and more UNhealthy for it. Strange.

    I'm going to keep my milk, eggs, and red meat, and butter, and all things natural, abundant, good, unpatented, healthy, and full of their natural vitamins and minerals, fats and all.

  • Stacey

    I grew up drinking milk all the time and thought giving it up would be a nightmare. Hasn't been all that bad, actually. My last nearly full gallon expired about 5 days ago and will be dumped down the drain, replaced by a half gallon of almond milk.

    Weaning myself off sweets? That's a whole 'nother subject… Withdrawl stinks.

  • ace

    @zach,

    i hear ya bro. i only don't drink milk anymore as i am a singer. sadly, milk is not that good for a singers voice. it produces to much pleghm and makes singing difficult.

    but i agree about the west being the most unhealthy country. i live in germany since 1984, and i have never seen the germans use pasturized milk.

    there must be a reason fer it…

    death to health supplements and long live smart and healthy living…

  • Clement

    Hi Roman,

    Nice blog skin, first of all.

    Secondly, I really like your presentation of milk. I'm sure you've ears of the GOMAD diet. Crazy. I always gain fat on that. And I'd get diarrhea. Milk's a natural laxative for me. Also, I have to agree with Tyler on the fact that milk increases acne.

    Lastly, as a fan of your work and just as a fun fact, I'd like to ask you: how much can you bench, squat, deadlift and overhead press for 5RM and do you do isolation work? Just curious, as The closest I've come to that is chinups and dips.

    Keep up the great work!

  • Clement

    Oh and Roman, I've been using low fat sliced cheddar cheese with my vegetables. They're about 42.1kcal per slice and I use 2 slices. I was wondering if you would advise me to keep with that or change to low fat cottage cheese. Where I come from, a packet of 12 slices of cheese costs about a third of a 500g tub of low fat cottage cheese, which has 5 servings (84kcal per serving). Thanks, and I really appreciate it!

  • Clement

    @Nathan: I'm pleasantly surprised that you recommend soy milk. I've been drinking low-sugar soy milk made with non-GMO soy beans post-workout for quite some time now. I've always seen other nutritionists advising against soy milk, most due to it's controversial effects of oestrogen. It deterred me for a while, but I've recently got back into it. Great points! But I love cheese…

  • http://www.nathanwilliamstraining.blogspot.com nathan

    @ Zack

    Hey man, not sure if your aggresive reply was aimed at me or the cliff notes of the book I read?

    I know they regularly referenced 'The china study' during the chapter i took the notes from, so to say its 'crap' research is probably a bit short-sighted on your behalf.

    Like i said earlier, since i stopped consuming daily amounts of milk in 2006 on the advice from my mentor i have visibly been in better shape and have rarely been over 10% bodyfat during that time.

    Charles Poliquin once stated “Milk is for babies” and im with him rather than you.

    Got milk?

  • Zack

    @nathan

    The China study is also crap, and been well demolished by critiques. Biased researcher, selective data, ignoring opposing facts, etc…

    And soy? Good one. Most soy in the US is genetically modified and owned by Monsanto. So naturally it MUST be the more healthy choice!

    If only we'd known sooner that all privately owned, unnaturally processed foods were “REALLY” the healthier foods, we might be a healthier nation! If only we'd figured out that natures own food, eaten forever, is actually UNhealthy. And to think we've been feeding it to babies all this time! Well it sure is time for some company to patent a new healthy chemical food to feed our babies so we can stop using that free unhealthy natural stuff.

    Keep doing your research, China study is no good, and I've never seen a negative milk study that didn't use some processed, modified stuff.

    The story is not over!

  • Bill G

    Hi, Roman

    I'm relieved that people are now mentioning that you are “good looking” ..must have been bothersome for guys to call you a “pretty boy.” I know cuz I used to be called a purty boy. Finally after some decades it settled down for “Say, you look pretty good for an old fart.” But now when the comments are, “What the hell did you do to yourself?” I wonder. Yeah! what the hell did happen to me?

    Anyway, commercial milk is nasty stuff. Soy screws up the testosterone. Almond 'milk' seem nutritionally lame.

    Most of my meals come out of my Vita Mix. ('Friends' refer to my drinks as being 'green pond scum'..WTF do they know? They look worse than I do!) Protein? I use non-GMO pea protein isolate and Chlorella along with a couple of raw, High Omega 3 eggs gifted from hilariously happy cage-free chickens. I add extra virgin Olive oil along with the runner's super food, Chia seeds….all good fats.

    I can make the drinks taste good with stevia glycerite BUT that REALLY screws up my appetite and makes me hunger for death by chocolate. So I eat to live vs the other way around.

    About the Acia business, a drop of clove oil has the ORAC of a bushel full…I keep 3 lb pouches of Blueberries in my freezer for handy snacking. I know this stuff is working, why, come to think about it, no one has offered me a seat in the bus for….the last 6 months or so. (:>) …Roman, I love your sense of humor! When you write a book on how to be hillarious I will buy it!

    The negative comments concerning “The China Study” seem well founded.. Protein Power (Dr. Eads ) recently did an impressive number on it.. Keep on blogging!

  • Jorge Sanchez

    Hey but milk is good man! Of course, with no excess. Like anything else

  • http://www.mikearonefitness.com Mike Arone

    Roman,

    Great points my man.

    Not a huge milk guy myself-mainly because it gives me the s—-s (for explanation see Nate and Slagathor's posts) and secondly because of the high sugar level.

    ***

    I didn't plan on using the f-word in this post, but because I AM allowed one according to your rules…

    Fuck.

    Does a body good (get it?…sorry).

  • http://www.nathanwilliamstraining.blogspot.com nathan

    @ Zack

    Im sure you are right regarding research, you seem like a smart guy. Im more of a 'in the trenches' trainer who has noticed (after 5000+ pt sessions in the past 4 years) that the majority of my clients don't get along well with milk.

    As for recommendeing soy? the original list was cliff notes from a book – i have never individually recommended soy. Almond milk maybe?

    good arguments though, thats how people get smarter

  • Zack

    @nathan

    Just as long as you differentiate store-bought processed milk from the “real” stuff.

    I mean, all these studies, what do they use? And when you say your clients don't “get along well with milk”, which kind are YOU talking about? Your clients don't get along with real organic, grass fed “true” unadulterated milk? Have they ever even tried it?

    That's my biggest beef with the whole milk thing. People seem to lump all milk together as if there were no difference, as if boiling it, homogenizing it, skimming it, supplementing it with synthetics, using powdered milk to bulk it up, etc… As if this stuff was just the same as the real stuff out of a healthy cow.

    Like you, I don't “recommend” milk to people, cause they'll go buy the cheap stuff out of the store that is no good. Without the full range of amino acids and enzymes that real milk comes with, the processed stuff has quite a reputation of being inflammatory and bothering allergies. And when they skim most of the fat out, you're left with a very poor product as far as health is concerned.

    I guess if I were to summarize my position, I'd say that real quality milk that's natural from a healthy cow, just like we ALL used to drink a hundred years ago, and is still drunk by villages and tribes across the planet with great health, is probably one of the more perfect foods around. Containing the right balance of all nutrients, proteins and fats to keep an active body strong and growing.

    However, I have problems with store-bought stuff as well, and tend not to drink it very much outside of a smoothie or occasional chocolate milk, but I at least try to buy organic, and WITH some fat still left in it, since that is where the fat soluble vitamins are bound. What vitamins are left that is.

    Bottom line, if milk doesn't treat YOUR body good, then don't drink it! But consequently don't go around trying to blame milk, as if our mothers, and healthy animals were producing a bad thing, it's not. What we DO to milk, and how we treat the animals, is the bad thing.

    Sorry I type so much.

    Peace!

  • Fernando

    Hey Roman,

    When do you plan to write your article on artificial sweeteners cuz ive always had cotroversial thoughts about that and dont whats right or wrong?

  • Dianne

    love my unsweet almond milk…vanilla and chocolate. And now I like unsweet coconut milk as well and coconut creamer for my coffee.

    Wish I could get me kids to drink the almond milk……thankfully I got my husband using it.

  • Berzinator

    Roman,

    Doesn't milk have a LOW GI? Not a high one. Almost every resource I can find has always put milk at around 30, if not lower. That's a pretty low GI. You say in the video it has a high GI, but that doesn't seem to jive.

    Also I've found skim milk to be great while dieting because it fills me up pretty well while still be high protein/low kcal (1:10 ratio).

    P.S. I absolutely love milk and drink it with every meal, so I have to at least try to defend it, lol.

John Romaniello

About Roman

“Author, coach, and self-professed pretty-boy John Romaniello runs Roman Fitness Systems with a tongue-in-cheek approach to fitness–and himself–that shows a genuine love/hate relationship with both. Equal parts narcissism and self-loathing, Roman writes with passion and humor, show-casing his belief that training doesn’t need to be the serious, stern, science-laden monotony that is pervasive in the industry.”