A very common question I am asked by new-to-raw-milk customers is, “am I supposed to remove all that cream on the top of the jar of milk?” The short answer is no, you do not remove it, that’s the best part, and that’s where the nutrition is.As many Americans, you were most likely raised like me, to believe that fat is bad for us, we must eat a low fat diet at all times, and the best fats are vegetable oils. This can’t be further from the truth! In the 1950’s, it was noted that retailers made far more money selling the butterfat for ice cream and butter rather than whole milk. When the butterfat was skimmed off, the remaining waste product was soon identified as something that could be marketed to the public – claims were made (completely unfounded) that skim milk would help people lose weight, which added more profit to the dairy industry. In reality, skim milk is full of empty calories leading to diabetes, allergies, obesity and higher levels of bad cholesterol.
My grass-fed jersey cows provide wholesome, healthful milk that is 25% cream by volume in a half gallon jar of milk. This nutrition-packed cream will actually help you burn fat, as opposed to a high-carbohydrate diet which puts your body into fat-storage mode. Carbs stimulate the secretion of insulin, which is the only hormone that puts fat into storage. Saturated fats from grass fed animals actually take more fuel to burn, thus increasing your metabolism.
Besides increasing our metabolism, full-fat raw milk from grass fed cows has been described as nature’s single most complete food in that it has more nutritional essentials in larger amounts than any other food. It contains enzymes, the fat soluble vitamins A, C, D, E, B6, and B12, and Activator X, identified as Vitamin K2. The vitamins A and D in the cream are needed for proper assimilation of calcium and protein in the skim portion of the milk. When we drink skim milk on its own, without any fat from the cream, it is not healthy and can actually be toxic and cause allergies. Our bodies only absorb the nutrition from the skim by drinking it as whole milk with all the fat still intact. Traditional whole milk was at least 4% butterfat. I like to buy cows that are testing at least 4.5%-5% butterfat!
And briefly, one additional wonderful substance in whole-fat raw milk is Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) which occurs in the butterfat of grass fed cows. Many studies over the last 20 years have established that CLA offers protection against breast cancer and other malignancies, through its role as a potent antioxidant.
It’s worth every penny to find a reliable source of whole, raw milk – real milk, from grass fed cows. You will find that by incorporating milk and, if you can, raw milk butter, yogurt, and kefir, you will have found the key to burning fat and feeling satisfied with your meals!
Charlotte Smith@champoegcreamry
www.champoegcreamery.com
Charlotte passionately believes in the health benefits of a traditional foods diet, especially dairy products from grass-fed cows. She loves sharing time honored traditions of transforming milk into delicious and nutritious cheeses through her classes which are also teeming with nutrition facts and wisdom. Charlotte owns Champoeg Creamery, a pasture based raw milk dairy in St. Paul, Oregon, and is the mother of 3 and a certified Nutrition Wellness Educator.
