I never liked milk although I was forced to drink it with dinner each night during my formative years. As a child, the only time I remotely enjoyed milk was when ice cold (so I could barely taste it) with a warm piece of chocolate cake. Since I found out about my lactose intolerance problem, I found that a glass of room temperature water with chocolate cake was just as satisfying to cut the sweet of the cake. When my friends told me about the virtues of raw milk, I told them to forget it. I don't like milk and I have no intention of drinking it. But, I had to investigate it anyway...
Recently, a couple of my friends informed me that people with lactose intolerance could often tolerate raw milk without incident. Several people I know actually lost weight going on a raw dairy and high fat diet. These were people who already consumed dairy products. I wanted to know why this raw milk was better than homogenized, pasteurized, hormone-laden milk (other than the obvious idea that in the latter description, milk has been messed with beyond recognition!).
This is what I learned:
Using raw milk is essentially like any other whole, unprocessed food given to us by the forces of nature - it is medicine for those with the right chemical make-up to receive it in that way. But, as is the case with other foods, how it is produced, handled, processed and used has everything to do with how well it may work for you. With raw milk this is imperative.
The best source of raw milk is found from cattle that are grass-fed in large organic fields. You may be thinking; "organic grass?" Yes. My former B&B was flanked by cattle pasture where, each year, we witnessed the covering of the grassy field with chicken manure from hormone-fed chickens that went from chick to market in 11 weeks. A local chicken farmer once shared with me that over half the chicks would die from the hormone, placed in their drinking water at only a few weeks old. Even with the loss of half his livestock it was profitable to him because they went to market so fast. This hormone-laden chicken manure rendered that pasture, and many others like it, non-organic.
Whole, raw milk that comes from organic grass-fed cattle is a complete food with all of its enzymes, beneficial bacteria, vitamins, minerals and calcium intact. When milk is processed through homogenization and pasteurization, it changes the composition of the milk to such a degree that enzymes like lactoperoxidase (necessary for the digestion of milk) are killed thus breaking down its' natural ability to be digested and assimilated properly. Many people who are lactose intolerant have reported that raw milk, treated with the highest of standards, is perfectly and easily digestible for them and has improved their strength, stamina, skin tone, weight issues and over all health.
The sale and consumption of raw milk is legal in California and can be purchased through Whole Foods Market, Rainbow Acres, Erewhon, or other health food stores. I have listed several resources for you to look into the possibility of raw milk. One of the websites has a list of where you can get the milk. You can also have it shipped to you.
I personally am convinced that raw milk is highly beneficial to people who use it and love it. I personally don't have plans to consume it since I don't like the taste of milk; however, I do have plans to try it. I do like to experiment! Evidently, it is best if consumed whole rather than cooked or blended as both processes change the structure of the milk and may lower its nutritional value.
Since this is a dairy-free website and business, it may be a bit perplexing as to why I am showcasing raw milk. But the question regarding raw milk is one I get asked frequently, so I wanted to research and report to you what I found.
You do not have to try raw milk and if you do not feel really good about it, I suggest you don't even think about it. What we think about the things we consume has an impact on how the body assimilates it. Our emotions release chemicals into our entire bodies just like our foods do.
I do hope this article helps to educate you on milk and what is currently a huge trend in its consumption. I hope you have learned something useful!
For assistance in easily and painlessly eliminating gluten and dairy from your diet, my new cookbook Done With Dairy, Giving Up Gluten: 14 Days to a Delicious and Healthy You offers 14 days of recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert, a grocery list, grocery tips, and valuable information for going gluten and dairy-free. I've made it simple for you to make this change so you don't have to spend hours and days trying to figure out what to eat.
WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you use it unedited and in its entirety, including the following author information: Dairy and Gluten-Free Chef and Lifestyle Coach, Doctor Meg Haworth, Ph.D., created Delicious And Healthy to support those suffering from food allergy or intolerance. Sign up to receive her FREE biweekly newsletter, Delicious And Healthy Living, and FREE Special Reports, Glutton for Gluten and Drowning in Dairy, at www.DeliciousAndHealthy.com. You can also access her online cooking videos and check out her cookbook and allergy elimination guide, Done With Dairy -- Giving up Gluten: 14 Days to a Delicious And Healthy You.
