How to make milk more delicious as well as healthy

Okay, so now we move on to the second part, the more important part of the issue: How to get the most out of the milk that you are drinking. And there's more to it than just pouring it in the glass and gulping it down. Apparently, according to ayurveda, the best kind is the milk that is absolutely fresh from the cow, still warm. But as that is not really an option anymore (unless there's a cow in your backyard and it feeds of an organic pasture), we need to cover other bases to get the maximum out of it.

Mix and match

I loved milk even as a child. My parents were used to it, but other parents would get perplexed when I'd happily gulp down a second glass most times. I am unfortunately lactose intolerant now, so milk has gone out of the window for me, but I follow the twice-a-day rule with my son, and luckily he loves milk too. But he likes it plain. So while I haven't succeeded with him yet, I'd seriously urge you to try this: Add a pinch of mixed masala powder (ginger, clove, cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper, nutmeg, saffron) to warm milk and drink daily. This is a foolproof way to pack in even more goodness in an already good glass.

You probably already know that milk is brilliant to help you sleep (it contains amino acid tryptophan, which helps in the production of the sleep inducing brain chemicals, serotonin and melatonin), but what you might not know is that if you add nutmeg or almonds to it, even more melatonin is produced (so even better sleep).

Haldi doodh (turmeric plus warm milk) is another age old blend that gets my vote; milk helps in better absorption of this immunity boosting super spice. Feel a cold coming up, have it three nights in a row. Really, really works!

And even though many people say that fruits and milk do not mix well together, my personal experience tells me that dates, mango and banana blend rather well with milk. But here, I suggest you take a personal call based on how the combination works for you. If you feel heavy after drinking, then steer clear, and have them separately. Else enjoy!

Keep it safe

But you can thrive on a good food, only if it is safe. Right! So how does one check if milk is adulterated? The NDDB (national dairy development board) website mentions that it has a kit with which you can do some simple tests at home. Maybe check it out.

Meanwhile some simple tests I know of are: to check for extra water in milk place a drop on a shiny, polished slanting surface. Milk leaves no trail behind but if water is added to it you will find a white trail behind the drop. For starch (wheat flour etc) add a drop of iodine solution (easily available in medical stores); formation of blue colour indicates adulteration. For detergent just mix equal amounts of water and milk and shake for five minutes. Appearance of lather indicates presence of detergent.

Max its value

Finally I can't resist asking: Why do we boil the hell (nutrients) out of the milk? Most people I know are so apprehensive of the quality (or maybe it's just a habit) that they boil it multiple times. Apparently a study (Milk Boiling Habits Study, 2011) conducted by the Indian Medical Academy amongst 300 women in Pune also reaffirmed this: 39 per cent of Puneites boil milk more than three times before consumption, 62 per cent boil it for more than five minutes. When they repeated the study in Mumbai they found 41 per cent of Mumbaikars habitually boiling milk more than three times before using it. This heating and reheating the milk at high temperatures for long duration is a surest way of successfully killing the nutrients, particularly the B group (B1, B2, B12) of vitamins (they evaporate with multiple heat exposure). Some reports suggest that reheating drops protein percentage too. Ideally milk should be boiled just once, definitely not more than twice and never at very high temperatures (two-three minutes at medium temp is good enough). Also don't leave it in the open after boiling; refrigerate immediately. And if you don't want to boil then maybe you can use ultra high temperature milk that come in tetra packs. They are definitely more convenient (There… I have used the word again!)