Raw Milk

Where to find raw milk near you? 

Raw milk- the body healing powerhouse! Raw dairy is so packed full of minerals, protein, fats, & nutrients our bodies LOVE it!

Let's talk through this concept of drinking milk & consuming dairy that hasn’t been boiled. First I'll give you a little history. 

Until the 20th century, raw milk was the only form of milk available- & our ancestors thrived off of it. Raw milk began to get pasteurized for a few reasons.
1) During the Industrial Revolution, cost cutting methods caused toxic milk.
2) More people moved into the city for work & didn't have space for a milk cow- so they bought milk from a farmer in the country.
3) Shipping this milk became difficult trying to keep it cold & also because the jiggling of transport made the milk go bad quicker. Instead of fixing the issue- they opted to pasteurize milk. This means lower-quality milk is allowed to be produced & sold to us. Not to mention all of the incredible nutrients & minerals in raw milk that get destroyed when we pasteurize it.
Pasteurization of milk kills lipase- which is an enzyme needed for proper absorption of the fat & cholesterol in milk. But it also kills a host of other good stuff! Because of this- many milk products have synthetic vitamins added back into them- yikes!  Just drink raw milk which has the naturally occurring vitamins in it! Carrageenan is also added to most dairy products to help the milk & cream stay together- but its been linked to causing cancer, arthritis, ulcers, & many other issues. No thanks!
Raw dairy from grass fed cows is the best form of milk we can get because the animals are fed their natural diet (duh) but research has also shown that grass fed dairy contains 3-5 times more of the beneficial vitamins, minerals, & nutrients that make it incredible for our bodies. The natural way is also the best place to start.

Is it safe to drink raw milk?
1.3% of food-borne illnesses come from pasteurized dairy & there has not been a SINGLE death attributed to raw dairy since the mid 1980’s- despite the fact that nearly 10 million people consume it daily. So that tells me- yes! God created milk with the minerals, enzymes, & other nutrients in raw milk to be exactly what the consumer needed to both keep them safe while drinking the milk, & also nourish their body through it. Raw milk contains bioactive components that: kill pathogens in the milk, prevent pathogen absorption across the intestinal wall, & strengthen the immune system.  Sometimes our modern technology & upgrades aren't the best. 

Some info my friend Sara Jo wrote:
There hasn’t been a single death attributed to raw fluid milk since the mid-1980s, in spite of the fact that almost 10 million people are now consuming it regularly. Compare that to the THOUSANDS of people dying each year from eating fruits, nuts, eggs, meat, poultry, fish and shellfish. Raw milk from healthy animals is one of the healthiest foods that exists, and yet many who eat McDonald’s mystery meat without question turn their noses to raw milk.

Why should I be consuming raw dairy? 
Raw dairy is a complete or whole-food meaning it has all the nutrients & ingredients necessary for our body to break down & use it. Our bodies THRIVE off of whole foods. It contains a balanced (8g each) ratio of fat, protein & carbs. It provides the right amount of sugars to maintain good energy, proteins for recovery, & fat for increased satisfaction. Studies have also shown that children who consume raw dairy are 50% less likely to develop allergies, 41% less likely to develop asthma, & have a 30% lower chance of developing a respiratory infection Consumption of unprocessed cow's milk protects infants from common respiratory infections- jacionline.org.
Raw dairy is also high in ingredients which are known to reduce inflammation, heal a slow metabolism, lower stress levels, heal the gut, act in cancer prevention, & even reduce body fat. It also contains a huge number of essential vitamins such as Vitamin A, C, D, E & K. Along with all the B vitamins, calcium, phosphorus, & zinc raw dairy also contains high quality & bioavailable protein that's easy to use⁠. 

Jessica Ash shared this recently “One of the biggest misconceptions being made in the health and wellness world right now is that non-dairy milks are automatically healthier than dairy milk.⁠ Often, people think they're doing better without dairy at first, but long-term run into problems like⁠
-Difficulty getting the right forms of fat soluble vitamins (A,D,K)⁠
-Not getting enough dietary calcium (affects gut, skin, cells, hair, bones, etc.)⁠
-Replacing dairy with beverages that contain a ton of plant estrogens, additives, pesticides, rancid polyunsaturated fats and chemicals.⁠”

Is it safe during pregnancy? That is a question you need to research & decide for yourself. The Weston A Price diet for pregnant & nursing moms recommends a quart of raw milk a day. Personally? Yes, I drank raw milk throughout my entire pregnancy & felt wonderful! Raw milk is a great source of protein & minerals- for these reasons I found it to be incredibly valuable.

Some info my friend Sara Jo wrote:
There hasn’t been a single death attributed to raw fluid milk since the mid-1980s, in spite of the fact that almost 10 million people are now consuming it regularly. Compare that to the THOUSANDS of people dying each year from eating fruits, nuts, eggs, meat, poultry, fish and shellfish. Raw milk from healthy animals is one of the healthiest foods that exists, and yet many who eat McDonald’s mystery meat without question turn their noses to raw milk.

So how is raw milk healthier? Pasteurization destroys all the enzymes in milk— in fact, the test for successful pasteurization is absence of enzymes. These enzymes help the body assimilate all bodybuilding factors, including calcium.
Pasteurization alters milk’s mineral components such as calcium, chlorine, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and sulphur as well as many trace minerals, making them less available. There is some evidence that pasteurization alters lactose, making it more readily absorbable. This, and the fact that pasteurized milk puts an unnecessary strain on the pancreas to produce digestive enzymes, may explain why milk consumption in civilized societies has been linked with diabetes. The effect of pasteurization on milk’s B-vitamin status is unfortunate as well. The main source of this crucial vitamin is found only in raw milk—pasteurization destroys it.

Here are some of the benefits to raw dairy:
-Naturally rich in vitamins A, C, E, D & K⁠
-High in calcium, which balances out a phosphorus rich diet (if you eat a lot of meat for protein)⁠
-Full of minerals & electrolytes
-Contains high quality & bioavailable protein
-Boosted immune & overall health
-Natural source of zinc, folate, iron, magnesium, omega-3’s, & phosphorus
-Saturated fats to help south & restore the gut 
-Easy to digest carbs 
-It's a whole-food!

Raw dairy is a complete or whole food meaning it has all the nutrients & ingredients necessary for our body to break down & use it. Our bodies THRIVE off of whole foods. It contains a balanced (8g each) ratio of fat, protein & carbs. It provides the right amount of sugars to maintain good energy, proteins for recovery, & fat for increased satisfaction.*

So- go get yourself some raw dairy!!
If you are trying to decide the best type of milk to buy within your budget here is a good breakdown.

Milk in Order of Preference:
Raw (non homogenized, non-pasteurized, grass–fed, organic, whole milk)
Pasteurized (non homogenized,, grass–fed, organic, whole milk)
Pasteurized & homogenized (grass–fed, organic, whole milk)
Pasteurized & homogenized (grass–fed, organic, 2% or 1% milk)