Some people have pretty compelling arguments against drinking milk. And while it's true that we are the only species to drink the milk of another species'we are also the only species that cooks its food and can open a bottle of red wine (should we give that up too?). Truth be told, there are a number of persuasive reasons to wean oneself from cow milk'find out here if you should stop drinking milk, and read about non-dairy alternatives.

Personally, I've hopped on and off the milk-drinking fence so many times I am not sure which side I'm on. But a few things are sure: If you are vegan, lactose intolerant, or have a milk allergy, you probably use milk alternatives. Some might also switch to milk alternatives for taste, or to lower their saturated fat intake (although skim cow's milk is non-fat,

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For many, milk is nearly as fundamental as water'the definition of "wholesome" in a glass. The choice has traditionally been simple: whole or skim? But as the scientific and political debates about different kinds of milk increase, so do the options. The choices are confounding. In this first of a series of three on milk, find out the one sure thing we recommend about milk.

Health-conscious people, animal advocates, the scientific community, and the dairy industry all have very strong feelings about milk. I have seen debates among friends fierce enough to rival the Hatfields and McCoys: Organic vs. conventional, raw vs. pasteurized, animal vs. soy. And when you bring in the literature from professionals'oh boy.

In the midst of all the arguments, despite the conflicting information pelting

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By Melissa Breyer, Care2 Senior Editor

I happen to really love eggs, love them. They are versatile, rich, delicious and uniquely nutritious. Eggs are the standard by which other proteins are measured. Egg protein has the right mix of essential amino acids that we need for tissue-building, and egg protein is said to be the highest quality food protein known, second only to mother's milk.

Eggs provide 22 percent of the adult's daily requirement of choline, an essential nutrient for brain and memory functions, and egg yolk is one of the few foods that naturally contain vitamin D. Eggs offer carotene, calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, thiamin, B6, folate, B12 and pantothenic acid, to name just a few of their important nutrients.

The Yolk

Although much of an egg's protein is contained in the

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By Annie B. Bond, Care2 Executive Editor

The array of products in the sweetener aisle of your health food store might seem rather mystifying to the natural foods novice, but with a little help, sweeteners like rice syrup, barley malt syrup, and date sugar, among others, can be used with great effect in baked goods of all kinds.

While the detrimental effects of refined sweeteners such as white sugar and corn syrup are still being debated, there's little doubt that Americans consume far too much of it. While natural sweeteners aren't nutritional bell ringers, they are generally considered to produce less of a shock to the body's blood sugar level because among the nutrients found in whole food sugars are necessary minerals
that help with sugar metabolism.

From a culinary standpoint, natural

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