Monday, November 16, 2009

Baby Steps To Healthier Eating Habits- Milk

cows fall 09 Pictures, Images and Photos

I am sorry if you have already read this post in the past, but I have not had ANY time this weekend to right something new. If you are a new reader then you may be interested. I almost hate to repost this article considering I bought ultra-pasteurized milk, homogenized milk last week which is the exact kind I have said we prefer not to drink. The only reason I bought it was because my husband lost his job a couple of months ago so we are trying to conserve money. When I realized the milk would end up being free I decided that in this season of life it would be ok to compromise for a bit.

If you are anything like me you have been told growing up that you should always drink low fat or skim milk from a grocery store because raw milk and whole milk will make you sick and fat.

Have you noticed that there has been a huge increase in the incidence of heart disease and other cardiovascular disease within the last half of the 20th century? How could this happen? We are doing the right things by cutting out butter and full fat milk? Well I believe the answer is that the Lord put fat in our milk for a reason. He knew we needed it to survive. Fat is not the enemy.

Seriously have you looked at the ingredients in a tub of margarine?

But isn't raw milk dangerous? I used to think so. I have a mother who is a nurse and is still convinced that I am making a mistake. A couple of things that have sold me on raw milk is that it can be so helpful for children who have eczema and allergies. The other thing I noticed was that I had a partial gallon that was forgotten at the back of our fridge for a couple of weeks. When I discovered it I thought it would be stinky when I opened it. Would you believe it had no smell at all? If you need more in depth info I would recommend the web site real milk. It has a wealth of information. Way better then I could ever put together.

Isn't organic milk just as good? Well yes and no. Organic milk is great because it has not been produced by cows who have been given synthetic hormones or antibiotics, but that is about where the similarity ends. Most organic milk has been ultra-pasteurized and homogenized. Pasteurization heats the milk up to a point that it kills all the so called bad germs to the point that it no longer resembles real milk anymore. This process also kills off all the vitamins and minerals in milk. To make the milk worth drinking they have to add back synthetic, fortified vitamins.

Homogenization is a process that keeps the milk fat from separating from the milk liquid. Raw milk will have the cream at the top. This cream can be used to make so many things. For example whipped cream, not Cool Whip, real whipped cream. Never ever buy Cool Whip. It is not even real milk. It is a man made hydrogenated oil. Have you seen the commercial lately asking if you would like cream or oil?

Another thing I discovered about organic milk today is that not all organic dairies treat their cows well. You can read a report about it here. Notice where Horizon rates.

Won't eating fat make me fat? No, on the contrary. Eat fat to lose fat. I know this sounds crazy, but it is true.
The following is from the book Real Food: What To Eat And Why. This exert is taken from the article written by Kelly The Kitchen Kop.
"Unlike polyunsaturated fats, which the body tends to store, the saturated fats in milk are rapidly burned for energy.” “The butter fat found in milk helps the body digest the protein, and bones require saturated fats in particular to lay down calcium.” “The cream on the milk contains the vital fat-soluble vitamins A and D. Without vitamin D, less than 10% of dietary calcium is absorbed.”

Read more about Eat Fat Lose Fat from one of my favorite authors, Sally Fallon, here.

If I can not get raw milk what is the next best thing? I believe that if you can not get raw milk try to find unhomogenized milk. I have seen it in health food stores. Kelly the Kitchen Kop has a great article dealing with just this issue and more. Check it out here. If I were to get into everything about raw milk this would be a very long post.

OK, you have convinced me. So where can I find raw milk? The best place to start looking is at Real Milk. They have a list of dairies that offer it. Although you may still have to look if there is nothing listed in your area. The way I found my dairy was word of mouth. If you have a farming community near you go there and ask around. You might be surprised what you find.

If you have any questions that I have not addressed please feel free to leave a comment and I will try my best to answer it for you.

2 comments:

  1. One thing to be aware of is that it is illegal to sell or buy raw milk in some states. I know here in Indiana, people have to purchase a 'share' of a cow and essentially pay for the care of that cow to get the raw milk. We cannot afford that expense and since the only one who drinks much milk around here is our one year old, it just isn't worth it for us.

    I find it interesting that your raw milk didn't go bad as fast. We have a local farm that sells non-homogenized milk but my husband and I both though it had a slightly off taste after just a couple days of being opened. It is also about twice the price of regular organic milk.

    And my chiropractor recommends cutting out dairy all together.

    So lots and lots to think about with milk!

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  2. I hadn't seen the dairy ratings before...eye-opening! We can buy (@ $11.99/gal.) raw milk at our local health food store, but for that price, makes it a poor choice for my size of family. We do get 1 gallon a week and use it for smoothies...some is better than none, I suppose. We're hoping to purchase a milk cow this spring and go completely "raw". Hubby & I grew up on it and NEVER got sick from it. Thanks for a great article!

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