Why Raw Milk?

It's probably pretty clear that I love raw milk. So I'd love to discuss the benefits of raw milk and why it's the only milk I serve my family. As a bonus, check at the end of the post for my 'Everyday Healthy Hot Chocolate' recipe!

Milk is one of the most historically important foods for human health and vitality. However, the milk we find in our grocery stores is vastly different from the traditional milk that our great great great grandparents enjoyed. The modern industrial milk found in our grocery stores is a sad excuse for milk that has resulted in widespread lactose intolerance and digestive issues amongst the masses. This has led to many Americans switching to products such as almond and oat milk, which are just as bad. Here are the four main reasons why you should avoid industrial milk.

1. Industrial milk is made from cows that are fed grain. This is not a natural part of their diet and cows are healthiest and happiest when eating green grasses.

2. Industrial milk is pasteurized. This is a process where heat is used to destroy bacteria, both good and bad. The result is milk void of any nutritional value.

3. Industrial milk is homogenized. This is the process where all of the milk fat is mechanically manipulated to have the same size molecules. The result is a higher casein and whey content leading to more milk protein allergies.

4. Most industrial milk contains additives. These additives include synthetic vitamins that are very difficult for the human body to digest.

Raw milk is made from pasture raised cows and is unpasteurized, non homogenized and contains zero additives. If you can get raw milk from traditional breeds such as jersey, guernsey or brown swiss, even better! This means that the cows were not genetically bred to produce greater milk quantities, such as holestein cows. Genetically modified cows often get mastitis more frequently and are given antibiotics.

So why even drink milk? Aren't we better off just switching to processed oat milk? Absolutely not! Milk has been a staple of the human diet for over 10,000 years. If you live in a state where raw milk is available, and you aren't taking advantage, you're missing a huge opportunity to improve your health and the health of future generations. When raw milk is replaced with a processed alternative, our bones take the hit. This is because milk is abundant in protein, fat, carbs, calcium, vitamins B12, B3, B5, B6, C, E, K, riboflavin, folate, potassium, magnesium, selenium, phosphorus, zinc, and iodine. It's a superfood! And did I mention it tastes delicious? Healthy food doesn't have to be made in a lab and taste terrible. True health foods are the ones we find in nature that our ancestors enjoyed.

Everyday Healthy Hot Chocolate

Here is my favorite simple hot chocolate recipe. Feel free to spruce it up depending on the season and your mood. I have a more decadent recipe that I will share another time, with it I'll include my homemade marshmallows. But for now, try this out!

Ingredients:

• 1 and 1/4 cups raw milk

• 1 and 1/2 tbsp cacao powder

• 1 tbsp maple syrup

• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 pinch sea salt

• 1 scoop grass fed collagen

Directions

1. Whisk the ingredients over medium high heat in a small saucepan until warm and combined. Enjoy topped with cinnamon, sprinkles, candy canes, shaved chocolate or homemade marshmallows!

***not medical advice. All information was obtained from the below references.

Deep Nutrition- Catherine Shanahan, M.D

Beautiful Babies- Kristen Michaelis