Read "Omnivore's Delimma" by Michael Pollan. And read "The Untold Story of Milk" by Ron Schmid, ND

Real eyeopeners.

Thanks for all the links. I'll certainly read them.
Billye

O.K. I have to admit you have me questioning my decision. It's going to be my call I think and I'm really torn. Read the books and then see what you think. You can probably get them on Amazon.com used. They are really going round now. It really makes me want to grow my own food, but I can't bend over to harvest them or even in these woods have a place where the sun can get to it. I have to move my two outdoor plants around every year to get enough sun to keep them going. Heavy woods where I live. It has it's advantages in the Summer. Keeps the house cooler.

Back to the milk. Now I really have to think about it. I had my first gallon this week and I know they use one of the closed milking machines and follow protocol to clean it. Also they have a strict rule for not selling it until it's cooled to a certain temp. They keep a vet sheet showing when the vet sees the heifers. He sees them once a week. There are only three for milking. A very small operation. Their own family drinks the milk.

One of the things I've noticed this week is that I'm usually so constipated. Miralax and magnisium every night. But after about two days of a cup of milk a day, I'm having two movements a day. Unheard of, sometimes I skip days even. I've taken Activa, used yogurt, bought the live type of yogurt. None of this did what this milk has done.

I know my immune system is shaky, but there is evidence that raw milk will get the calcium into your bones faster. Mine are so thin they don't show up on my podiatrist's xray machine. He sat and looked at it in amazement and said "I don't know how you are on your feet with no more bone than that!". I'm stubborn that's how. His new orthotics work, but I can't find shoes that hold them. I'm finding that Naot is the only thing around here that I can buy that will hold them and they are $100-250 a pop. I now own 2 pair of shoes. Both black. All my clothing runs in the brown shades, I'm a redhead. But hey...I've got feet and can still use them.

My life has improved some. I can get around for short distances, but I can't stand, walking like real walking is a real joke, I'm in constant burning, mindnumbing pain. Some days I can't concentrate. Today is one of those, I was sitting at the table trying to work out some jewelry designs for the new Spring Line. I found I was unable to concentrate. All I could think of was pain, getting up to move around, it feels as if there is an electric wire in my tailbone on the left side. And it feels as if my spine is burning inside it. Do you understand. My knee and ankle on the left side don't work right and the bone in my pelvis that was displaced has healed wrong. So all is not hunky dory. But I'll get there one way or another.
Thanks for all the research. I'll have to make up my own mind.

Billye

dairy products contain some nutrients that are important.

As I posted before, glutamine, which is needed for normal GI health/maintenance.

Dairy also has sphingolipids, which help the brain and nervous system:
http://jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/full/129/7/1239/T1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphingolipid

While I do not understand the benefit of raw milk, I do drink milk myself.
I use Lactaid milk, which is ultrapasturized and has extra calcium added.
It is a bit pricey, but I don't have any problems with it. I use about 1/2 gal
per week.

That is interesting how the dairy in milk made your bowels move cause usually it is the opposite. All I know is I used to be a dairy hater back as a kid. After I got malnurished from my ed and went into treatment all I craved was dairy products. It felt like my body needed it. I do feel sometimes the body craves what we need at the time. Not junk of course that is more a mental craving or lack of something else I think. Many of the foods I hated I actually craved and felt it may have been the need for calcium or iron. Of course I could be wrong. Feel better

You may be lactose intolerant == increase BMs.
This is why I use the Lactaid milk now. I can't afford more movement!

Growing and preserving your own food is hideously work intensive. It takes all 3 of us working 18 hour days, many days, to can what we do, and it is not, all the food we need.

I think you can accomplish a lot by buying as fresh food as you can or if you buy prepackaged foods, buy them 'oregon tilth' certified.

Eating totally fresh and totally organic is exhausting. I can't do it right now myself. All is not good here either, and I am undergoing some GI testing.

It is likely my esphoagus is denervated. I hope not, but, it is looking that way. It has nothing to do with the food I have eaten.

Raw milk, is basically milk that has not had any processing to kill any germs that may get into it. Yes, farmers often do drink their own milk, and one thing to consider is they are more likely to be colonized with the germs of their own animals. Not that they can't get very sick from some germs.

For myself, I would not say that it was worth the risk of salmonella, listeria, e.coli, campylobacter or any other germ, that is simply, easily killed by heating the milk to 160 degrees.

If you are incorporating more calcium, could it be the Forteo?

Organic pastuerized milk, has no antibiotics or hormones. It seems safest.

You may find some dairies that are tested regularly, I think the link I sent you is a certified dairy. I am sure they have to meet certain requirements. Even they state, they do not recommend the raw milk for immunocompromised, mostly because, the immunocompromised lack the ability to kill off those germs.

You are right it is your decision, but I would be remiss to not warn you of the dangers of raw, unpastuerized milk. I did use it for a short period of time back in the 80's....it is good, but, I did heat it up. Prior to making homemade yogurt, you must heat your milk up first too, then you cool it and add your lactobacillus. It is a ton of work.

I will once again plant a huge garden, and we will once again pressure can, dehydrate, bake and freeze food, however, I can not do it alone, it is hideously hard work, and if I could pay some one to do it, I probably would. I can't afford all organic food, especially now with the economy as bad as it is. I have to be incredibly fastidious about the canning process, use a huge pressure canner, and as I said, I need help, and even then can only grow a portion of our food on an eighth of an acre garden. I can garden far more, but, the work of putting up that food, is enormous. Fighting bugs and weeds without chemicals is tremendous. Watering in dry times is an all day project, as I don't have irrigation. I am worn out just thinking about it, especially today!

A small garden can provide healthy activity and a bit of healthy food benefit. Other foods can be purchased locally or from an organic store.

And some food, like an apple, is very hard to raise without chemicals (no matter what any one says).

I am definitely on the natural foods, 'green' wagon, but some risks, for myself and my family, are not worth it, and raw milk whether from a goat or cow fits into an unacceptable risk. If I owned my own goat, i would still pastuerize her milk. (I am way too sick to milk a goat, not to mention haul out poo and feed her---I had a goat once, and it was not a milking goat---it was a pet---and HE was a ton of work---and I was 20 years younger)

There are books on how contaminated our food is, and books on how contaminated our clothing and bedding and home environment is, and how we are full of flame retardants, and how contaminated non-stick cookware is (it is) and how nasty water is.

Yes, we have made a darn big mess with chemistry. But, it can not be easily resolved, especially by some one who has limited energy, such as I do right now. I know if my efforts to try to make myself healthier, end up making me more worn down and tired, well, then it is for naught.

We all have to make our own choices.