A Brief History Of Raw Milk's Long Journey...

A Brief History Of Raw Milk's Long Journey...

People have been drinking raw milk from animals for thousands of years. Really, the term "raw" is a misnomer because it implies that all milk should be cooked, but that's a topic for another page! Onward...
Whether it's from cows, goats, sheep, camels, yak, water buffalo, horses, donkeys or even reindeer, unheated, unprocessed milk has been a safe, reliable food source for a good, long time.

Even in the tropics, and centuries before refrigeration had been invented, raw milk was an important food source for many cultures. By exploiting the preservative benefits of fermentation, primitive peoples were able to take a great food and make it even better.

Having access to a nutrient-laden food from their animals gave many cultures a distinct advantage over their hunter-gatherer contemporaries.

Rather than having to go from kill to kill, with sometimes days in between, even nomadic tribes like the Maasai nearly always had a protein source at hand, whether it was milk or blood.

With a readily available food supply at hand, members of societies were freed up to pursue more productive things like making babies, building permanent communities, conquering their neighbors and everything else that comes with not having to spend energy hunting for food.

Considering raw milk's role throughout history, it's simple to see that it's not a deadly food. If it were, all those dairy-loving primitive cultures would have died out long ago, leaving their vegetarian cousins to mind the store. At the very least, people would have dropped it from their diets entirely. And we haven't even gotten to germ theory yet...

Closer to home, our early American ancestors lived in a farm-based economy. As the Industrial Revolution reached our shores, the cities swelled with job seekers lured from their farms by the factories and mills. By 1810, there were dozens of water-powered operations lining the rivers of southern New England, all staffed by thirsty workers.

With raw milk and whiskey being the main beverages of choice (hopefully not mixed!), demand for both grew along with the cities. When the War of 1812 broke out, the supply of distilled spirits from Europe essentially dried up. Although the conflict only lasted about two years, it's impact on our country was substantial, and strangely enough for milk, particularly nasty.

To meet the soaring demand for spirits, distilleries soon sprang up in most major cities. In one of the most bizarre twists of entrepreneurial insight, some brilliant soul thought it would be fun (and profitable) to confine cows adjacent to the distillery and feed them with the hot, reeking swill left over from the spirit-making process.

As you might guess, the effects of distillery dairy milk were abominable, and for many of those drinking it, amounted to a virtual death sentence. Confined to filthy, manure-filled pens, the unfortunate cows gave a pale, bluish milk so poor in quality, it couldn't even be used for making butter or cheese. Add sick workers with dirty hands, diseased animals and any number of contaminants in unsanitary milk pails and you had a recipe for disaster.

Lacking it's usual ability to protect itself, and with a basic understanding of germs or microbes decades away, the easily contaminated "pseudo-milk" was fed to babies by their unwitting mothers. In New York City alone, infant mortality rocketed to around 50% and stayed there well into the 1890's.

The situation languished for years until two men stepped up to the plate from different directions, united by a disaster common in the day- the death of a child.

In 1889, two years before the death of his son from contaminated milk, Newark, New Jersey doctor Henry Coit, MD urged the creation of a Medical Milk Commission to oversee or "certify" production of milk for cleanliness, finally getting one formed in 1893.

By joining with select dairy experts, Coit (above, treating babies in New Jersey) and his team of physicians (unpaid for this work, by the way) were able to enlist dairy farmers willing to meet their strict standards of hygiene in the production of clean, certified milk.

After years of tireless effort, raw, unpasteurized milk was again safe and available for public consumption, but it cost up to four times the price of uncertified milk.

New York philanthropist Nathan Straus, who lost a child to milk contaminated with diphtheria, felt differently. He believed the only safe milk was that which had been pasteurized.

Straus (at right) made a fortune as co-owner of Macy's department stores and spent decades promoting pasteurization across America and Europe. Using his considerable finances, he set up and subsidized the first of many "milk depots" in New York City to provide low-cost pasteurized milk.

While infant mortality did fall dramatically, other technological advances, such as chlorination of water supplies and reduction of previously ever-present horse manure (through the arrival of the automobile) occurred in the same time period making it difficult to say which change was most responsible.

Pasteurized and certified milks managed to peacefully co-exist for a time, but by the mid-1940's, the truce had become decidedly uneasy. In 1944. a concerted media smear campaign was launched with a series of completely bogus magazine articles designed to spark fear at the very thought of consuming raw milk.

Government officials and medical professionals, swayed by corporate dollars and lies, have effectively taken this valuable, healing food from the mouths of the people. Only in recent years has the consumer backlash against valueless processed foods grown to the point where access to clean, raw milk is once again being considered a dietary right.

Living without Wheat & Gluten

Courtesy of Alternative Medicine
http://www.alternativemedicine.com

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Posted: 8/2/2005 1:56:00 PM

Wheat was one of the first grains to be harvested by man thousands of years ago and is an important part of the diet throughout much of the world. It is used in more foods than any other cereal grain and is the most consumed staple food in the United States. Unfortunately, some people do not tolerate this common grain and must learn to live without it.

Millions may be unaware that their suffering from common ailments like heartburn, headaches, and digestive problems is because of a wheat allergy or gluten intolerance (celiac disease). In addition, a growing number of parents with children who have autism are adopting gluten free lifestyles hoping to see improvements in their children.

Celiac Disease

Gluten intolerance, also known as celiac disease or celiac sprue , is a chronic condition in which people do not tolerate the protein gluten found in wheat, rye, barley, spelt and possibly oats. Consumption of this protein damages the lining of the small intestines and can lead to a myriad of health problems. The disease is more common than previously thought, affecting 1 in 133 Americans. Some believe it may even be more prevalent than that. It is hereditary, so if a close relative has the condition you are at an increased risk for the disease.

Celiac disease can elicit a wide range of symptoms that can vary in intensity, making diagnosis a challenge. Some gastrointestinal symptoms include bloating, gas, indigestion, and heartburn. People may experience either diarrhea or constipation and there may be weight loss, but that is not always the case. There are many other symptoms which can include anemia, arthritis, depression, fatigue, osteoporosis, stunted growth in children and skin disorders. Because many of these symptoms are also common in those without celiac disease, someone can suffer for years or decades and not know the reason behind their sub-optimal health.

Finding a healthcare professional who works to understand the cause of the symptoms, rather than just cover them up, is essential in diagnosing celiac disease. According to an article by the National Institutes of Health, the average time it takes for diagnosis is ten years! Physicians will consider your history and symptoms and will often do blood work and an intestinal biopsy for an accurate diagnosis.

Untreated celiac disease can increase the risk for certain intestinal cancers and autoimmune disorders, not to mention the continuation of the symptoms of the disease. The only way to treat celiac disease is to follow a gluten free diet for life. Adhering to the diet can drastically reduce the risk of associated complications and relieve symptoms.

Wheat Allergy

A wheat allergy is different from celiac disease in that it stimulates the immune system to attack the wheat, not the small intestines. If someone is allergic to wheat they may experience itching, sneezing, watery eyes, and digestive problems. In rare cases a life threatening anaphylactic reaction can occur. Some chronic conditions that may be attributed to a wheat allergy are asthma, migraines, eczema, and irritable bowel syndrome. Some symptoms can take hours and even days to appear, making the connection to wheat difficult to figure out. Your doctor can do skin-prick test or blood test to determine if you have an allergy to wheat. Many people with wheat allergies are also allergic to other foods.

Autism

Over the past decade, there has been an autism explosion and unfortunately there is no known cause or cure for this devastating disorder leaving many parents to search for answers on their own. In recent years there has been increased interest in the potential of the gluten free casein free diet (GFCF diet) to help these children.

This diet is based on the theory that those with autism cannot properly breakdown gluten and casein leading to increased absorption and circulation of these proteins (casein is a protein found in dairy products). Excess amounts of these circulating proteins may affect brain function, almost like a drug.

The growing popularity of the diet is largely based on anecdotal reports from parents, but there is some research which supports this theory. A few of the benefits that parents report include increased alertness and attention, more use of language, less aggression, and improvements in GI problems.

The Autism Network for Dietary Intervention recommends parents keep their children on the diet for at least three months as it may take this long to see any changes. Of course they also want parents to understand that this diet does not work for every child with autism.

What You Can’t Eat

It may sound simple; just avoid any food with wheat, rye, spelt, or barley if you are trying to avoid gluten. However, there are thousands of products made with these ingredients that many people don’t consider. Some research suggests oats may be OK on a gluten free diet, but there are concerns of wide-spread contamination with other gluten containing grains.

The following list is only a small sample of the many foods and ingredients available that contain gluten: Whole wheat, enriched flour, durum, semolina, farina, couscous, gluten, spelt, barley malt, beer, seitan, graham flour, malt, and Brewer’s yeast. Think about how many products you consume on a daily basis that contains some of these ingredients. Most bread, pastas, cold cereals, crackers, cookies, and other baked snack goods contain one or more of these. Some foods may contain gluten sometimes, but not always. It depends on how and where the product was made. This can be very frustrating for the gluten-free shopper. A few food ingredients that may or may not contain gluten include: modified food starch, dextrin, miso, and “natural flavorings”. For example, modified food starch can be made with wheat, rice, corn, potato, or tapioca, depending on the manufacturer.

Someone trying to follow a completely gluten free diet must learn to examine label ingredients very carefully and contact the food manufacturer for questionable ingredients. It is important to understand that food manufacturers can change food ingredients without your knowledge. Celiac.com does have an extensive list of safe and forbidden foods as well as a downloadable database that it updates regularly.

What You Can Eat

If the list of gluten-containing foods seems daunting, just think about all the foods that can be eaten on a wheat and gluten free diet. Fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, eggs, beans, nuts, seeds, rice, corn, potatoes, buckwheat, quinoa, millet, amaranth, wine, milk, yogurt, and most cheeses can all be included in the diet.

There are a growing number of gluten free products available that will still allow you to enjoy your favorite foods. Breads, pastas, pancakes, and other baked goods can all be made to fit a gluten free diet. Gluten Free Pantry Favorite Sandwich Bread is just one of many gluten free breads on the market. Gluten-free cookbooks can help give you ideas for recipes and meals while gluten free mixes can save you some time and money. A couple of popular mixes include Gluten Free Pantry Cake and Cookie Mix and Gluten Free Pantry Muffin and Scone Mix.

Get your family involved by having them try new recipes and products. You may find new favorite foods and dishes that you might not have otherwise tried! If your health depends on living a wheat and gluten free lifestyle, it can take some time to get adjusted to, but regaining your health and vitality are worth all the work.

Shoulder Chops w/ Cardamon, Apples & Apricots

Shoulder Chops w/ Cardamon, Apples & Apricots
From the Grassfed Gourmet

(Serves 2....so I triple :) My kids LOVE this recipe. I serve with cardamon brown rice and steamed veggie.

Cardamon-Cinnamon Rub (see bottom)

2 Lamb Shoulder or leg chops
2 tbs olive oil
2 onions, cut into 1/4 inch wedges
2/3 cup dried apricots
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tart apple, peeled and thickly sliced
1 cup water
4 tsp honey

Rub Cardamon-Cinnamon mixture into both sides of the lamb chops, and bring the meat to room temp.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium hear. Sear the chops for 2-3 minutes per side & remove. Add the onions, and sauté until translucent, Add the apricots, ginger, apple and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for 1 min; place the chops on top of the onion-fruit sauce. Cover, and simmer over low heat for 2 hours, until the chops are fork tender.

Turn the heat off, and rest the chops for 5 min. Arrange the chops on plates and top with the onion/fruit sauce, and drizzle each chop with tsp of honey.

Slow cooker version:

After searing the chops, stir together the onions, ginger, water (reduce the amount to 1/2 cup), apple slices, and apricots in a slow-cooker. Place the browned chops on top, and cook on low for 6 hours, or until the meat pulls easily from the bone.

Cardamon-Cinnamon Rub
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cardamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp coarse salt

Braised Beef w/Rich Gravy

Ingredients:
2lbs stew beef, round steak, or sirloin tip roast (my fav), CUT into 1 inch cubes
Salt & Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 TBs olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced into thin wedges
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 clove garlic, minced
3 cups beef broth plus 1 cup, if needed for gravy
4 Tbs flour
3/4 cup ice water

Sprinkle the beef cubes with salt & pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skilled. Add the meat and sauté until well browned, remove to a bowl, and keep warm. In the same skillet, sauté the onions & mushrooms, and garlic until the onions are translucent

Add 3 cups of the broth, and bring to a simmer, stirring the mixture often and scraping up any browned bits. Return the beef to the skillet, cover tightly and simmer for 1 hour or more until beef is tender. IF the liquid starts to boil over, turn the heat down slightly.

Periodically check the stew to make sure there is ample liquid for cooking the meat and for making gravy afterward. If too much has boiled doff, add the fourth cup of broth. Once ready whisk flou/corn starch/arrowroot into the ice water until smooth. Gradually stir this thickener into the simmering beef & broth Bring to a slow boil ad cook for a few seconds, stirring, until the gravy thickens.

Serve over rice or egg noodles.

I have frozen just the meat and gravy after cooking and it comes out yummy later.

You can also stir in a container of sour cream at the end to have something more like stroganoff.