Picture this: you walk inside a health food store and marvel at the countless options of dairy-free milk. So many brands, promising claims, and trendy selections of the “superior milk option.”
And hey, I get it. I fell for it too. I was convinced dairy in its unfortunate homogenized and ultra-pasteurized state was going to do more harm than good, but I was highly mistaken.
While raw dairy is the absolute best option, sadly the purchase of raw dairy in the state of Louisiana (and some other states as well) is illegal. If you’re familiar with how the medical and food industry work, this is not surprising. Raw milk is good for us, therefore they don’t want us consuming it. Since we don’t currently have access to raw milk (at least not until we move back to the farm and get a cow) I’ll stick to organic, low-temp pasteurized, grass-fed milk. I was able to find a brand that uses low temperature pasteurization and is also non-homogenized. This method destroys unwanted pathogens, but not the helpful bacteria that our bodies need. The milk is pumped into a temperature controlled vat and heated slowly to ~145°F. It’s held there for a minimum of 30 minutes, cooled, and packaged. The company is called Kalona Supernatural and it’s currently the best I can find and closest to raw milk. It has a nice cream top and is slightly sweeter because it’s non-homogenized. Homogenization is the unnecessary mechanical process that changes the fat in dairy and turns it into to extremely small particles, distributing it uniformly throughout the milk. It oxidizes the milk and actually makes it toxic. Homogenized milk can actually trigger autoimmune issues, digestive problems, and allergies.
In short, raw is best, but low-temperature pasteurization and non-homogenization is second best.
PUFAs
Oat, soy, hemp, macadamia, and flax milk all contribute to the formation of lipopolysaccharide (endotoxin), a toxin that gram negative (pathogenic) bacteria creates in the intestines. They are also all high in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) that suppress the metabolism and tells your body it’s time to hibernate- lowering your temperature and pulse over time. Omega 3 fats found in oily fish are one source of PUFAs in our food (remember, Omega 3, 6 and 9 are all PUFA fats). But typically oily fish is not the main source of PUFA in our diet. It is one thing to consume a tiny amount of nuts and seeds every now and then (when the majority of your diet consists of stable life-supporting saturated fat), but it is another thing entirely to consume tons of PUFA’s via nut milks, butters, and oils. Some examples are peanut butter, peanut oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, sesame oil, olive oil, codfish oil, etc. You should NEVER cook with or supplement with omega-3’s. Not only do PUFAs totally mess up our system immediately upon digestion, blocking the ability of normal cellular metabolism and shifting it towards a cancer-promoting metabolism, but they are stored in our tissues. So when our bodies are under stress (which is basically everyone, all the time) if our blood sugar is unstable if we skip a meal, rush to work, sleep poorly, or when we are exposed to electromagnetic fields (also everyone, all the time)- the cortisol begins to breakdown our tissues for energy and PUFAs are released into our bloodstream. They circulate in our blood for hours and suppress our metabolism. In short- PUFAs will make you gain weight. Farmers even use these “non essential” fatty acids to fatten up their livestock all the time.
Detox Those PUFAs
The best thing you can do is to stop consuming them (it’s impossible to stay away from them completely) and start consuming more saturated fats (those found in animals). Stop low carb dieting and eat carbohydrates at every meal along with protein. Consume good quality animal protein and embrace real milk, butter, cheese, etc. They are so beneficial and medicinal and only wish I would’ve realized this sooner. I also suggest taking a high quality Vitamin E supplement to help detox PUFAs- we are most likely all deficient in vitamin E after years of consuming high amounts of PUFAs for years. Vitamin E is also found in almost every plant food that contains polyunsaturated fats. It helps protect against lipid peroxidation (oxidizing of fats), and can help with UV damage that comes with tissues loaded with PUFAs and supports circulation. Vitamin E also protects us against the harmful effects of excess estrogen, helps us utilize Vitamin A and progesterone better, and protects against the damage of accumulated iron. Some good brands of Vitamin E include Life Extension, Thorne Ultimate E, and Mitolife PUFA Protect.
Added Ingredients
Another thing to look for when choosing milk is that there are no added ingredients. You don’t want anything fortified with synthetic vitamins like A & D as these are toxic and our body’s don’t know what to do with them. Conventional and even some organic brands of cow’s milk still fortify with A & D- so make sure to read the labels and stay far away from those.
Store bought nut milk is full of added ingredients, preservatives, and gums. All of which wreak havoc in our gut. I suggest sticking to what God intended to give us for milk. Goats, sheep, and cows.
You won’t find any teets on cashews or almonds.