Health and Wellbeing
Nourish your outer beauty from within!
It's great that the days are finally getting warmer and longer. Shops are full of summer wear, beachwear, flipflops and sunglasses. Ladies all over Ireland are buffing and grooming themselves in anticipation of the hottest season of the year. Creams, lotions and potions bearing magical beauty claims to undo the consequences of winter excess are in demand!
Did you know that these practices are not unique to the modern Irish woman? Legendary Egyptian beauty Cleopatra is said to have bathed in milk as part of her beauty routine. A modern-day equivalent for all of you Cleopatra wannabes is to just drink the stuff! A glass of milk naturally packs in more goodness than many other foods. Although renowned for its calcium content and bone health benefits, milk contains a unique package of essential nutrients.
These include protein, calcium, vitamin B12, and riboflavin, with other nutrients such as vitamin A, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium and zinc present in small amounts. From sparkly eyes to shiny hair, all these nutrients play an important role keeping your body on top form.
Eyes : Vitamin A is needed for bright sparkly eyes.
Skin : Protein is needed for collagen synthesis, while vitamin A helps growth and maintenance of healthy skin. Zinc and riboflavin are important enzymes in many of the processes which keep skin glowing.
Hair : Protein adds strength and vitality to hair, minimizing split ends and breakages.
Teeth : Calcium, phosphorous and protein. This unique combination found in dairy aids re-mineralisation of teeth and helps keep bacteria numbers down. Milk sugar, also known as lactose is kinder to teeth than other sugars.
Bone : Calcium, protein, magnesium and phosphorous. Protein works together with these minerals to give bone tissue its strength and rigid structure.
Body weight : Whole milk contains only 3.9% fat, while low fat milk has less than 1.8% and skimmed milk has less than 0.5% fat! Compare that to a portion of chips which contains a whopping 21%, or a pork sausage which is about 25% fat! Some research suggests that calcium in milk helps the body burn fat more effectively.
The weight debate
We all know good nutrition is vital for good health, which in turn is reflected in our appearance. But milk and dairy foods are often avoided in the mistaken belief that they are fattening. You may think you are reducing calorie intake but the truth is you are just compromising on nutrition.
Fact : milk is not fattening. In fact, the majority of scientific research tells us the opposite. Milk drinkers tend not to be heavier than those who avoid milk and generally they have healthier diets overall with a greater intake of many important vitamins and minerals.
If you have any suggestions or ideas, we would be delighted to hear from you by email at feelinggood@ndc.ie or write to us at The National Dairy Council, 28 Westland Square, Dublin 2.