Time for part 1 of my 5-part series, "To Eat or Not to Eat: Making Informed Decisions About..."
This series will cover the most debated staples in the majority of people's homes.
In the true fashion of this website, I will be offering information about said staples, without presuming to tell you what to do about it.
The decision is truly yours, only when the breadth and depth of information is considered and understood.
Otherwise, the tenets of someone's ideological crusade are in the driver seat, and the adherents become nothing more than ambassadors of ignorance.
If you are here, you are capable to parse this out and make the most fitting decision for your life, to be adapted according to changing needs and times -Let's get to it...
Today's topic - Milk.
In short, the best milk (in my estimation) will conform to the following criteria:
It will be, Whole, Organic, Grass-Fed, Low Temperature Pasteurized, and Un-Homogenized, without ever being irradiated or "fortified/enriched" with added "nutrients" (vitamins, minerals, etc.) To go a step further, it would be from a single geographical location and a single breed (Jersey for example). A single cow, even, if you've, "got it like that".
Allow me to explain:
Whole:
The highest concentration of nutrients from the cow's diet and lifestyle eventually wind up in the cream of the milk.
The most important, healing nutrients such as Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Omega-3 Fatty acids (containing the prized DocosaHexanoic Acid (DHA), highly valued for it's beneficial effect on cognitive function), and Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA - converted from the chlorophyll in grass), are all present in a balanced and synergistic ratio.
Containing 9 calories per gram, the cream is a long burning fuel that delivers the comfort and warmth, particularly through the Autumn and Winter seasons, that only saturated fats can provide with minimal digestion.
Saturated fat is of particular use to males who wish to keep producing testosterone and stay virile well through their latter years. Also present in the cream is the controversial dietary component -Cholesterol-, which in spite of it's reputation, is an essential vehicle that carries oxygen to the cells.
Organic:
The term "organic" pertaining to the production of milk, refers to the practice of raising the cow without:
- Steroids
- Antibiotics
- Growth Hormones
-rBST (recumbant bovine somatotropin) and rBGH (recumbant bovine growth hormone) only skim the surface. - Rendered animal by-products
- Genetically Modified Organism (GMO) based feed.
Given what we know about the cream, all of those components/contaminants will surely wind up being present in there in significant concentrations.
Be sure that the entire bottle of milk will be contaminated however, so as not to try to solve the problem by purchasing skim milk. For a detailed disclosure of each contaminant, see
Grass-Fed:
Cows, being ruminants, are designed by our creator to eat grass -plain and simple, and lots of it.
Their stomachs, containing four "compartments" are paramount at extracting every last bit of nutrition from each single blade, and transferring a great deal of it to the cream of their milk.
-This provides unsurpassed fuel for their growing calves.
Cows that are "force-fed" grain, yes, even organic grain, are living in opposition to nature.
-As a result, their bodies naturally become stressed, releasing adrenaline and cortisol.
These endotoxins permeate every cell, and of course, wind up in their milk.
To clear up what I mean when I use the term "force-fed" I will simply state the following:
Since cows would never actually elect to eat grain as their digestive systems are not designed for it, all grain that is fed to cows is essentially "force-fed".
-Some of the forcing is less violent, restrictive and oppressive than let's say at a large factory farm however, but forcing is still forcing.
Low Temperature Pasteurized:
I am aware of the growing "raw-milk-only movement", and of course, drinking milk in it's most unadulterated state would be ideal.
However-
We do at this point, live on planet earth, where the ignorance and indifference of those in power have made everything anything but ideal.
Our bodies are not as capable as those of baby calves at destroying every micron of vermin that could be passed along through the udder.
For example, our production of bile is way down from the days before industrialization.
*Among other things, bile breaks down fats and has the ability to dissolve parasite eggs in high-enough concentrations.
As a result, we are unfortunately vulnerable to a multitude of destructive pathogens that could wreak havok on our bodies, and do irreparable damage to our health.
This is particularly true when dealing with organic milk, which in it's very nature does not have any safeguards against parasites, bacteria, or viruses.
The only way in this case to be safe, is to heat the milk.
-This is not a new process/discovery, nor was it invented by Henri Pasteur.
In ages past, life was simpler; if someone on the farm got sick, you just needed to check the usual suspects: the cow, the chickens, the vegetables, etc. It wasn't difficult to figure out through some trail and error that sickness was at times coming by way of the milk.
After boiling it, villagers started to realize that certain tragic ailments were being averted and what we now call "Pasteurization" was born. In modern times, with our laboratories and the like, we can be a bit more precise. For instance, milk heated to 145F and kept there for 30 minutes, is just as effective at eradicating pathogens as boiling it for a short time.
The advantage is that much less denaturing occurs, and at most, you lose some lecithin.
-Lecithin is easily supplemented and I would recommend that it is, considering it is one of the most important components that is routinely lost through the cooking of food.
If you do drink boiled milk though, it is not the end of the world (standard Pasteurization is essentially the act of boiling the milk at 212 Farenheight/100 Celcius).
As a matter of fact, it can be used in conjunction with other natural means in a protocol to combat fever inducing illnesses.
The worst however, would be Ultra-Pasteurized or UHT (Ultra-High Temperature) Pasteurized milk, as it goes far beyond overkill and denatures the very substance you are seeking for sustenance.
In short, it becomes damaged to the point where your cells can utilize very little (if any) of it.
-It is this process which irrevocably destroys the lactase (the enzyme which is responsible for digesting lactose -the main sugar present in milk).
Un-Homogenized:
Fat, particularly saturated fat is all too commonly vilified by those miscreants who now control our modern medical establishment.
It is not completely their fault however, as the common person wants everything particularly information pre-digested and reduced to a sound bite.
-They don't want responsibility, restriction, or too many conditions pertaining to how or when to use something, eat something, or do something.
So, advertising and modern medicine (on a non-critical level) provides periodic scapegoats and gold mines
-Saturated Fat! CoQ10! -You get the idea.
What does this have to do with Homogenization? Everything:
Fat is not the enemy here. In this case, size matters.
When you consume "cream-top" milk, you are ingesting the fat in savory, sweet clusters. These clusters are recognized as they are processed through the liver and the gallbladder then receives the signal to produce bile.
*Bile is the serum responsible for breaking down fat and making it available to the body for nourishment.
When milk is homogenized, the fat is broken up into tiny particles that become permanently suspended in the casein micelle (liquid).
-This process gives the standard milk of our time a paint-like consistency.
Worse however, are the problems it creates for our digestive system.
The homogenized fat particles are too small for our liver to process which allows the greater sum of them to go undetected.
As a result, the gallbladder is not prompted to produce a significant amount of bile, and most of that fat goes undigested.
Where does it wind up?
Thrown as a waste product into cellulite, present in the intestines as a sludge known as mucoid plaque.
The saturated portion, along with the cholesterol, gets linked up with those "heart-healthy", doctor-recommended, unsaturated vegetable oils that are responsible for a plethora of inflammatory ailments.
In the bloodstream the conglomerate globules get caught on the calcium deposits in the veins and arteries, leading to arteriosclerosis and heart disease.
But you can always simplify that and blame "fat" -You'd be wildly incorrect, but you can do it.
Irradiation:
To discover the effects that radiation has on all things living, one needn't look too far.
Milk, along with many other foods available today are treated with "safe levels" of cell-mutating radiation.
Radiation does damage to the very DNA of the milk, making it an unrecognizable substance to the body.
Since we consume food to nourish our cells and cells are always reproducing and making repairs, it's safe to assume that if you supply them with a mutated form of what they are expecting, errors in the code will be interpreted as correct information.
In short, cells will repair themselves and reproduce incorrectly.
There is a name for the collective overgrowth of mutated cells. It's called Cancer.
Fortified (Vitamins A&D Added):
What is Vitamin A, or Vitamin D for that matter, and why is it added to milk?
- Vitamin A Palmitate is a synthetic form of Vitamin A.
- Ergocalciferol, or Vitamin D2, is also a synthetic substance, formed when cholesterol is irradiated.
Both of these faux vitamins are not entirely compatible with the human body (why would they be?) and the larger portion of them are stored as toxic waste in cellulite deposits.
How to Get the Most out of Your Milk:
If you choose to drink milk, doing so as part of a balanced diet (another subject entirely) is the best way to go.
Milk is it's own meal, and unless it is combined with something that assists in it's digestion, is most efficiently consumed on it's own.
In order for the cholesterol and saturated fat to be utilized to it's full potential, it is advised to drink unhomogenized milk and supplement with lecithin.
Hey, a nice pint of heavy cream even goes down just right on a long winter hike coupled with a nice dive into the water beneath the ice of a frozen lake.
The calcium in milk needs Vitamin D3, Strontium (taken some 4 hours later) and menaquinone-7, known as MK-7 or natural Vitamin K2 to be directed away from arteries and deposited into your bones where it belongs.
-These nutrients can be found in abundance in roots, leafy greens, and sprouted nuts.
So, like anything, milk is best consumed with knowledge of it's properties.
Since milk contains the naturally occurring sleep hormone Melatonin, I recommend drinking it after a nice evening training session for maximum results and bio-rhythmic compatibility.
Worth mentioning:
Sheep's Milk and Goat's Milk:
Both of these milks are considered to be far easier on the digestive system than Cow's milk.
The fat molecule is more readily absorbed, and the protein takes far less time to break down
Approximately 40 minutes vs. 2.5 hours.
Out of all the milks I've tried, nothing beats full-fat sheep milk for me.
It contains approximately 8% milk-fat, as opposed to the 4.5% present in the most robust Jersey cow milk on the market (3.5% to 4.5% is standard for "whole" milk).
The first time I had it was in Toronto where they sell the Best-Baa Dairy brand.
If I get there on a Thursday when the shipment comes it, you can be sure I'm heading back to the hotel with a cooler full of it!
Milk from Hybrid/Slaughterhouse/Factory Farmed Cows:
These milks are to be avoided unless your life depends on them for survival.
- Hybrid milks contain DNA more likely to be incompatible with our system
- Milk from those destined for slaughter will naturally have much more cortisol
-breeds like Black Angus produce a nearly indigestible substance - Factory farmed dairy cows are treated like batteries -force-feeding and milking them until they no longer serve any "use".
-The milk from these cows will reflect their experience.
We will close this bit about milk here for now-
The consumption of milk is a personal decision that you will make for yourself.
I hope what was written here helped to better inform you about this subject.
Here is my list of milk companies that I recommend* to those looking for the utmost quality:
- Sky Top
- Family Farmstead
- Old Ford (RAW) on Rt. 208 in NY
- Dirty Girl (Goat)
- Best-Baa Dairy (Sheep) in Canada
*None of these companies have provided me with anything whatsoever as compensation for mentioning them.
Stay well and stay Tuned.
Until next time.
-Adam.
[б. 40 7530]