Yesterday, we touched upon breakfast, probably the most important meal of the day. And, you want to be sure that your body is well fueled.
What you drink is also as important as what you eat.
This country has been on the low fat craze for a long time now and the result? As a nation, we are fatter, sicker and more malnourished than we were before.
But, how can this be?
Well, first of all, fat satiates us. It provides us with a satisfied fullness so that we are not constantly hungry and reaching for some empty calorie sugar laden food.
Secondly, fat is needed to make our cells function. About 50% of our cell membranes are composed of fat- and it’s SATURATED FAT! If we want to nourish our bodies, we can’t eschew the fat.
And, lastly, fat is needed to absorb the ever important fat soluble vitamins – Vitamins A, D and K2. These three vitamins work synergistically to provide the body cell building blocks, immunity and strength. Without the proper fats in our diets, we can become deficient.
So, why whole milk? And, please note, when I speak about milk, ideally your milk would be unpasteurized from a farmer that you trust. This milk is from cows who are raised on organic pasture and not fed grains. If you are unsure about raw milk and the benefits, please visit the Real Milk site to read up more about it and find out if it the right choice for you.
Otherwise, if you cannot get raw milk and need to have milk, your next bet is ORGANIC PASTURED WHOLE MILK. This milk will be pasteurized and most likely homogenized (where the fat globules are broken into smaller segments so they stay suspended in the milk rather than rise to the top).
There are some companies, however, who do not homogenize their milk but you most likely won’t find them in your supermarket aisle.
Please DO NOT buy the ultra pasteurized milk. This is milk heated to Ultra high heat processing that completely destroys the milk proteins and valuable nutrients.The only benefit of UHT milk is for the dairy company- it kills everything and allows for a longer shelf life! Eww!
Unfortunately, many organic milk companies have UHT milk- so please read the labels carefully!
To bring some life back to your milk, try culturing it into kefir!
OK- now to the fat! Like I said, the fat in the dairy is what allows you to absorb the vitamins present in the milk, as well as help you digest the milk sugar, or the lactose.
(If you think you’re lactose intolerant, go and check if you are drinking low fat or skim milk!)
The process of making low fat milk involves stripping whole milk of all of it’s fat, essentially leaving skim milk. The milk is then heat processed and this non fat dried milk is then added to liquid milk- making either 1 or 2% milk. Seems harmless?
Well, actually, in the process of heating the milk, the cholesterol in the milk becomes oxidized.
So, here is the distinction for you. Cholesterol is not bad. It is a vital substance that our body needs to help control inflammation. We typically shouldn’t be worried about dietary cholesterol from real, nutrient dense foods. We should, however, be very concerned about oxidized cholesterol. It is this substance that plays a role in heart disease!
Are you shaking your head yet?!
I know, here we were drinking the low fat milk because we were afraid of the fat and the cholesterol and we think we’re doing it to keep our weight manageable and prevent disease.
Nope- we were actually spurring on disease and weight gain!
So, if you can wrap your head around this (afterall, we’ve become so indoctrinated with this bull**** that they are even recommending low fat milk to children as young as 2 years old to prevent obesity!!!) , here are some guidelines:
1. Strive for unpasteurized whole milk- this has the delectable cream on top- oh my!
2. If unpasteurized milk is not an option in your area and you must have some milk, opt for pastured (grassfed) organic WHOLE MILK that is NOT ultrapasteurized.
3. If numbers 1 and 2 aren’t options, skip the dairy and have a beer instead! (Just kidding)!
Bedtime Milk
Milk is rich in tryptophan, which the body converts to seratonin and helps with sleep.
1 cup raw milk
1 tsp raw organic honey
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp vanilla
Heat milk gently on the stovetop (please not in the microwave!)
Add honey, cinnamon, turmeric and vanilla.
Enjoy!
It is my first time visiting your blog and I’m very fascinated. Thank you for sharing and keep up 😉
https://patrickgmurray.com/2016/05/greatest-academic-papers-writing-service-2/
Great article’s! Good work!
I remember back in the mid-seventies when my pediatrician recommended 2% milk for my children, so what did I do …. switched from while to 2%, ugh ?. Luckily my children are educated and now drink raw, whole milk ! I’m so grateful to be learning all the time about healthy eating!
Right, Joan?! It’s crazy!