It Does a Body Good!

I have been working on a post like this for a while but just couldn't seem to get it right.  But recent events in my area encouraged me to get my behind in gear and get it finished.  The reason I had so much trouble with this topic was because first, there was way too much information out there to share in this one post and second, I wanted to be very careful in how I introduced it to you.  The thing I've feared most is that people will stop reading once they see what this is all about.  So I'm asking you to just read the entire post.  You don't have to jump on the bandwagon, just read so you can at least be educated about it.

"Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence.”

― Robert Frost

So do we have a deal?  Good.  Here it goes... 

Raw milk:  a.k.a unpasteurized, unhomogenized, additive-free, full-fat, real milk

(Keep reading!  We did a virtual shake!)

Real milk from our friendly farmers at The Family Cow

Honestly, I understand the rumors and fears about raw milk.  I didn't always drink it!  I was more of an almond or lactose-free pasteurized milk kind of gal.  I found out in high school that I was lactose-intolerant.  Every day I would drink a carton of pasteurized milk for lunch, and every day I would ride the bus home with terrible, sharp stomach pains that would almost bring me to tears.  I finally put two and two together.  So I avoided what most would consider "regular" milk (a.k.a pasteurized, homogenized milk) until a lactose-intolerant friend of mind mentioned she drank raw milk.  When she told me about her first time trying it, I remember her saying something like, "I wasn't going to make a half-attempt at seeing if this stuff really worked.  I drank a whole quart!"  And guess what:  she had none of her normal lactose-intolerant issues!  I couldn't even drink half a glass of pasteurized milk without having issues and she's drinking raw milk by the quart?  Interesting...

But like I said, I was fearful too!  I wanted to drink real milk!  (No way does almond milk do a warm, gooey, chocolate chip cookie justice!)  But I also didn't want to get sick and I especially didn't want my young child getting sick.  It wasn't until almost 2 years after I was introduced to raw milk that I even tried it.  And after finding out that I, too, could drink it without issues, it still took me another year to start drinking it exclusively!

So what finally made me stop buying pasteurized milk and make the switch to raw milk?  Over the past 3 years I was finding out more and more benefits of raw milk.  I found out that it wasn't just a good idea to drink it because it was a great compliment to cookies and that I didn't have issues digesting it - it actually benefited me and my family way more than pasteurized milk ever could.

What are the benefits of raw milk?

• Boosts the immune system
• Improves digestion by putting good bacteria in the gut
• Prevents absorption of pathogens and toxins in the gut
• More nutrient-rich than pasteurized
• Drinking raw, full-fat milk ensures absorption of all of its nutrients.
• It has been proven to be digestible by most people who are lactose-intolerant.
• Those with milk allergies due to casein may even be able to tolerate raw milk. 
• Has been proven to reduce asthma, allergies and eczema
• Raw milk was once used by the Mayo Clinic to successfully treat cancer, weight loss, kidney disease, allergies, skin problems, urinary tract problems, prostate problems, chronic fatigue and many other chronic conditions.  a.k.a.  The Milk Cure

And that's not even close to a complete list! 1

So to me and my family, the benefits of raw milk completely outweigh the risk of getting sick from it.

Raw milk helps my Superman stay super!

I'm a very logical person (Hence, my possibly unhealthy relationship with math!) so I think of it this way:  No one can guarantee that I won't get sick from drinking raw milk.  BUT, there's no one that can guarantee I won't get sick from things like spinach, lettuce, poultry, strawberries, peanut butter, or cantaloupe either. 1  Do I stop eating those things though?  No!  Their benefits outweigh the risks.  I am just careful about washing and cooking my foods, and knowing where they come from...just like my raw milk.  If you know the farmer (Are they willing to answer your questions?), know how the cows are raised (confinement or pastured?), know what they're fed (soy and grains, or grass?), know the cleanliness of the milking conditions, know how the milk is bottled, know how it is tested (There are state regulations for bacteria counts and frequency of testing.) etc., then you can greatly reduce your risk of getting sick. 2

This blog is not big enough and I am not a good enough writer to include everything about raw milk.  But we're in luck!  There is an amazing website created by the Weston A. Price Foundation that includes tons of information about the safety, regulations, and healthiness of raw milk located at www.realmilk.com.  If you're interested in obtaining some raw milk to give it a try, the site also includes the Real Milk Finder which lists by state, county, or city, places where you can buy it.  (Depending on your state, you may be able to buy raw milk from a grocery store, health food store, directly from the farmer, by mail, or you may have to join a herdshare, but raw milk is legal and available in most states in some way. 3  Special thanks to all of the farmers out there who work and fight so hard to make raw milk available to those who want it!  It's not always easy!)

So I encourage you to visit www.realmilk.com, check out a couple links and see if you find something about raw milk that could benefit you and your family.  You may be surprised by what you find!

 If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave them below!

My Nose's Best Friend

I don't know about you, but this time of the year my allergies go CRAZY!  I've never been really big on taking medicines.  (My short explanation:  There is a time and a place for medications.  I'm extremely happy that we have them in case of emergencies, but I feel that they are sometimes over-used.  That's all I'll get into right now.)  But I lived in South Carolina for a few years and the pollen was so bad there (our cars would literally be yellow after one day of sitting around!), that I actually gave in and took allergy medicine.  That phase didn't last too long though.  The health-nut in me decided to do some research and find out if my slight relief from the constant sneezing, nose-blowing, and itchy eyes was worth what I was actually putting in my body.  I didn't have to look very far - the potential "side-effects" for antihistamines (main ingredient in allergy medicines) was enough for me.

Now, before I list them for you, I'd like to go on a little rant about "side-effects" and the reason I put them in quotes...

Side-effects are not necessarily a list of effects that are uncommon.  They are merely effects that the producers do not want to make happen by you taking their medications, but they happen anyways.  This goes for all medications, hence the reason for off-label uses of them.  "Off-label" just means the FDA didn't approve the drug for the specific use, but it is legal for doctors to prescribe them to patients for these uses as long as they think it will help.  (Yes, thinking it will help is the only explanation they need to give.)  A good example is Botox.  It was first approved in 1989 for the treatment of crossed-eyes and twitching eyelids.  While being used on those patients, doctors noticed "side-effects" of reductions in headaches and smoother skin.  So even before Botox was actually approved in 2002 for use between the eyebrows to reduce wrinkles, it was being used for that purpose.  It has also since been approved to help reduce underarm sweat.  But doctors also use it to treat vocal cord problems, hair loss, drooling, pain from missing limbs, and more...but it's has not been approved for those uses and proper dosage has not been determined to treat those issues. 1  The sad thing is, the other "side-effects" can include double-vision, difficulty swallowing, difficulty speaking, urinary incontinence, death and many, many more. 2  They're injecting a poison that paralyzes muscles into your body, so it makes sense that it could cause these things!  But they're listed as "side-effects" because that's not what the doctors want them to cause. 

(*End "side-effect" rant*)

For the purposes of this post, I chose a popular allergy medication that floods our televisions and magazine ads during allergy season: 

Claritin

Active Ingredient:  Loratadine

Possible "Side-Effects": 3 4

Runny nose (Wait, wasn't this why I was taking it to begin with?)
Headache
Nervousness
Confusion
Drowsiness  (As a mother, I'm tired enough to begin with!)
Stomach pain
Diarrhea
Dry mouth
Sore throat
Cough
Eye redness (Hmm...my eyes are already red from the pollen!)
Blurred vision
Nosebleeds
Skin rash
Painful and/or heavy menstruation
Tightness in chest
Fast/uneven heart rate
Faint feeling
Jaundice
Seizures
and the list goes on... 

Did I mention that these effects have been more commonly seen in children?  Because of this, it is actually recommended that women who are nursing not use the drug because a small amount is passed through breast milk.

This list, along with the fact that the symptoms show up more in children, tells me that loratadine (along with other antihistamines) is effecting our bodies in negative ways...even if some people don't necessarily see these symptoms right away.  Children are more sensitive to many things, but just because your adult body may be able to take more before showing the effects doesn't mean we should continue to feed ourselves theses poisons, right?

So now that I have ruined your allergy medicine for you, I feel obligated and happy to give you a healthy alternative.  Some of you may have already heard of it or maybe there is even one in your medicine cabinet!  If not, let me introduce you to my nose's best friend...

The Neti Pot

I will admit that when I first heard about this from a health-nut friend in SC, I was very leery about trying it.  But I have to tell you that IT WORKS!  (This is coming from a girl who got out of cutting the grass when she was younger because of the severeness of her allergies to it!)  After buying a Neti pot, I put it to the test and busted out the lawn mower.  While cutting, my nose became a little tickly and eyes a little irritated and I thought for sure I made a huge mistake.  So I finished up and immediately used the Neti pot.

As strange as it felt while I was using the Neti pot, the after-effect was INSTANT!  No itching, no sneezing, no runny nose, no swollen eyes, and no waiting for allergy medicine to kick in.  And that's how the love affair began between my nose and my Neti pot.

The fling lasted through more than just allergy season too!  I've used it for colds, clogged sinuses, sinus infections, rhinitis during pregnancy, and even when my nose had been dried out during the winter.  So if you ever experience issues like these, you might want to try this!

How to Make Your Nose Fall in Love

What you need: 

Neti pot (You can find them at just about every drug store out there or online for about $10.  I've seen them made of both plastic and ceramic.  If you're in a pinch and need it now, you can check out this website that gives you tips on how to make your own!) 

≈ 1/2 tsp sea salt or the packets that come with the Neti pot (If you use plain water it will burn!) 

≈ 1 c lukewarm distilled water or previously boiled and cooled water

(*Read the package insert that comes with your Neti pot or ask your doctor if you have any questions before trying this!*)

Directions:  Mix the salt and water in the Neti pot.  Tilt your head about 45 degrees and lean over a sink (or else you'll get snot water all over you!).  Insert the spout into the higher nostril and pour the water through, making sure to breathe through your mouth.  (It will come out the other nostril!  Weird, right?  But the results are so worth it!)  Blow your nose to remove any remaining solution.  Repeat on the other side. 5

Want to see it in action?  Click here!

So if you have been known to throw back an allergy pill or two or are fighting a cold or sinus issues, you might want to give this a try!  Best case - you are rid of your symptoms without ingesting any toxins.  Otherwise, you just bought yourself a new watering can.  ;)

P.S.  Sorry ahead of time if your excuse for not cutting the grass or weeding the flower beds is gone like mine is due to this discovery.  But at least now you can get out and enjoy this beautiful weather!  :)