The Debate over Raw

Have you heard of "raw" milk?

If you haven't tried it yet -- or have not even heard of it yet -- I urge to to run, yes, run, to your nearest natural foods market or grocery store (the local market in New Canaan, CT used to sell the BEST raw milk before the "raw" revolution even began! Yay for Walter Stewart's and Sankow's Beaver Brook Farm!) and get a half gallon. Then email me and tell me what you think.

Taste-wise, I can't begin to describe the difference between raw and pasteurized milk. Raw milk is a "whole" milk product, yet to me, has a mouth-feel more similar to skim, yet still retains a creamy texture. The flavor is amazing! I did not grow up drinking milk (was even fed goat's milk as a child due to a milk protein intolerance), so I never had the urge -- or parental requirement -- to drink a glass of milk. Until I had my first sip of raw milk. Just a month ago, we had a bottle in the house and I got all excited, pouring myself a nice cup of cold raw milk. It's that life changing.

The Campaign for Real Milk

The Weston A. Price Foundation (Sally Fallon's book Nourishing Traditions is a MUST read)

Health-wise, the benefits over pasteurized milk are remarkable. As I'm not a scientist, I will refer you to two excellent sites where you can read up more about the pasteurized vs. raw debate. But first, my own opinion. Raw milk is alive, with all the necessary enzymes and energetic "stuff" you need to digest the milk. Pasteurized milk is heated to a certain point to kill off all the "bad" stuff (from factory farms, really). This process also kills off all the "good" stuff, thus making it harder for our bodies to often digest the milk. And I wonder where and why we have an increase in milk intolerance these days (side note: my milk intolerance is no longer. How? I will have to credit raw milk, and an acidophilus habit).

And for a little in-the-news debate? Check out this article from today's New York Times.

With my cup of raw milk raised, cheers!