Milk Cure 2012: Day 4 - Milk as a Health Food Part 1

Mar 13th, 2012 by Sandra Clark

Raw Milk has so many benefits, especially when I'm drinking 4 quarts a day.

(For 3 weeks, I did the milk cure, drinking 3 1/2 quarts to 1 gallon of raw milk each day. Except for water, all I had was milk. This is a series of posts (25) keeping track each day. For the entire series, start out on “Trying Something Old“). All links to the series is at the bottom of each article.)

“Let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food.” – Hippocrates

I didn’t sleep as well last night, but that could be that I didn’t open the window. My boyfriend (GC) sleeps cold and I sleep hot, his side is next to the window so I was nice. I woke up a few times during the night when I was too hot. But unfortunately, I didn’t have the same type of sweats that I did that first night. Too bad, since I hoped that this might help alleviate that problem.

Today was the first time I went to work since starting the actual milk cure. I’ve had some people ask me about it. More worried about me than anything else. It seems that people don’t think you can survive on milk alone. And if they were talking about pasteurized milk, I would agree with them. But there are so many cultures that live quite well on diets that aren’t what we think of as healthy. The African Masai Tribe, which lives on milk, blood (when the milk isn’t available) and some meat; traditional Tibetans, who live on raw dairy foods from yak and cattle. Specifically milk, yogurt, butter and cheese, along (as the Masai) do, meat and blood. These cultures have thrived on this diet for their entire lives and generations. Why shouldn’t I be able to do so for a matter of weeks?

I’m noticing that as the day progresses, that my stomach acts up a bit. Not cramping, more like rumbling. Nothing to worry about, just something to note.

I had a dentist appointment today, and that took me off my regular schedule for drinking. By the time I got home, I was really ready for the milk I missed. Good thing I had some will power because the entire way home I was talking myself out of going to the Pho place. Instead I drove home, poured myself the milk I missed and sat on my deck for a while, enjoying the sun, and sipping the milk. Even with having the entire gallon out of the refrigerator the entire day, it doesn’t sour at all.

Got a detox bath in last night, it felt good. I know there are times that I’m just not going to find the time to get to them, but it’s really good when I can.

I’m looking forward to tomorrow and to see how that goes. Maybe this stupid low-grade headache will finally go away.

Milk as a Health Food – Part 1

We live in environments that are toxic. Between the air that we breathe and the pesticides, antibiotics and hormones in the foods which we eat, we are exposed on a daily basis to poisons which drag us down. For every fantasy that we can be in the best health on this planet, eating the processed foods from the grocery store that blare the word “HEALTHY” at us, there is the reality that we are hurting ourselves with every breath we take. While I’m very careful about what I eat, short of going around with a gas mask, I can’t do much about other toxins that are in my environment which I breath in.

Raw milk contains a large number of enzymes and other beneficial items which occur naturally and help our bodies fight disease. These items are not found in pasteurized milk, the pasteurization process destroys them. I’m going to talk about a few of them today

Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA)

CLA is a fat found in raw milk and grass-fed beef that has shown promising results in combating cancer, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and osteoporosis (wow, many of the diseases many of the doctors cured on the milk cure in the early 20th century). It also has shown in testing to help improve insulin action and reduce circulating glucose. It also has been shown to help reduce body fat as well as help manage rheumatoid arthritis.

Almost even Omega 3 to Low Omega 6 Ratio

Both Omega 3 and Omega 6 are “Essential Fatty Acids” or EFAs. Most western diets have a ratio of 1:15 (Omega 3 to Omega 6 Ratios), whereas Raw Milk’s ratio is pretty much 1:1 (okay 16.5:16.6). The lower ratio between the two EFAs in our bodies results in reduced cancer cells in patients with colorectal cancer, and suppression of cardiovascular disease. Many chronic diseases are reduced when a balanced ratio is achieved. There is also research that indicates that depressive symptoms are more commonly found in people with high Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratios and lessen when the ratio is more balanced.

When a person consumes too much Omega 6 (as is common for most people), there is a tendency to form blood clots, have inflammation, high blood pressure, cancer and weight gain. Since most western diets also show a deficiency in Omega 3 consumption, too little of this EFA are associated with Asthma, heart diseases and learning deficiencies. As with most foods, Omega 3 found naturally in foods, is more bio-available and usable than additives.

Wulzen Factor

The Wulzen Factor is a fat soluble vitamin found exclusively in raw sugar-cane, molasses, butter and cream, and some green vegetables and is destroyed by heat (including pasteurization). It prevents arthritis and joint stiffness as well as many rheumatic diseases. It also protects against hardening of the arteries, cataracts and calcification of the pineal gland. It is sometimes called “The Anti-Stiffness Factor”.

As I do the research on the benefits of raw milk, its interesting to see how many components of raw milk actually combat the diseases that the original milk cure was supposed to help.

Being My Own Human Guinea Pig

Weight is slightly up this morning, but that could also have to do with timing. For the first three days I was weighing myself when I got up (between 6:30 am and 7:30 am standard time), this morning was at 4:30 am DST. Its enough of a time difference to make a difference in my weight. Tomorrow will be interesting on that end.

Basal temperature is holding in the steady range, no news there.

Interesting thing about my glucose today. Even though my glucose was back in the 150’s this morning, it dropped by itself to 119 with no exercise to bring it down. Now, I’m definitely not an expert (not yet anyways), but that indicates to me that the high numbers overnight are part of the detox, that my body is making/releasing more blood sugars. Since it comes down during the day, I’m not going to put a lot of credence to it being so high. I have to admit though that I was pretty nervous about today’s noon reading. If it had been elevated too, that would have scared me a lot.

In a comment on yesterday’s entry, Keith mentions something called the “dawn phenomenon”, an increase in blood sugar in the morning. Some researchers believe that it might be due to the natural overnight release of hormones. I also think it could be from the detox. Its going to be interesting to see if it is something that continues through this cure.

Day	Weight	Basal Temp	Glucose: Fasting	Glucose: Noon	Glucose: Bed
Baseline	201.4	97.9	114	104	110
Day 1	200.2	98.2	115	120	103
Day 2	198.2	100.2/99.1	124	115	129
Day 3	197.2	97.9	150	96	119
Day 4	198	98.1	151	116	107

Healthy Food – Naturally