Milk. Dairy. Cheese. Those words alone elicit some of the most heinous comments from people who eat Paleo. I have been called some of the most vicious names, cursed at in emails, told to change my name to The PRIMAL Mama, and despised on Facebook comments because my Paleo family drinks raw milk. Wait…did I just say Paleo and milk in the same sentence? Shouldn’t I say “Primal”? Whatever.
I hate the two words: Paleo versus Primal. It’s like you are forced to choose one-or-the-other. What if I don’t want to choose? Can I still be Paleo and drink raw milk? I think so, but many don’t.
I believe the biggest argument for people opposed to raw milk is they believe that early man did not drink milk or consume any dairy. According to this study, dairy consumption entered the human race 9,000 years ago when they discovered old pottery fragments with trace amounts of milk fat.
Also, this study states:
“Researchers have also been surprised by another new discovery based on Neolithic bones from Turkey. Despite the long-time establishment of dairy herding, the recovered bones of this Mesopotamian farm population didn’t indicate lactose tolerance. (Yes, do the double take.) Apparently, they didn’t like the milk itself but used it to make fermented, no-lactose products like yogurt, kefir and cheese. Their consumption pattern differs dramatically from that of Europeans after dairy herding spread throughout Northern regions (source).”
Wanna know what early man DEFINITELY did not eat?
- Almond Flour Bread
- Coconut Milk
- Coconut Flour Cupcakes
- Nut Butter
- Store-Bought Chicken Breasts
- Canned Salmon and Tuna
- Homemade Chocolates
- Smoothies
- Homemade Paleo Cookies
*Raising hand in the air* – I am guilty of eating every, single one of those foods on the list. Am I advocating eating dairy? I wouldn’t say that. I am just trying to give another perspective. Obviously, if dairy gives you explosive diarrhea, acne, worsens your allergies, causes your baby to have colic, gives you eczema (although raw dairy usually clears this up), or makes you feel lousy – then don’t eat it!
Why We Drink RAW Milk (Much Different Than Pasteurized Milk):
1. I Know The Source and the Quality of Our Milk– We have our own milk goats and I hand milk then in the morning. I know exactly what they are eating. I control their environment. They have an enormous amount of lush, green pasture to graze on. They are healthy, clean, and happy goats. However, even before I had goats, we drank raw milk but we were very selective about where we got the milk from and visited the farms frequently.
Pasteurized Organic milk bought in the store still has questionable dairy practices. In some organic dairies, the cows or goats are often confined, and deprived of their natural diet of grasses. Instead, they are fed grains and other inexpensive fodder, including waste grains from distilleries. Unless labeled otherwise, you can betcha that store-bought milk is completely grain fed, even organic milk.
2. It Improves Our Oral Health – Hereford, Texas became known as the “Town without a Toothache” in 1942 due to the pioneering work of dentist George Heard and author of Man Versus Toothache. Dr. Heard explains the town’s secret:
After a newcomer has lived in Hereford a few years, provided he had drunk lots of raw whole milk, he develops resistance to tooth decay. Even the tooth cavities which he brings with him when he comes to Hereford will be glazed over, if he has drunk raw milk. For years I made inquiry of my patients as to their milk habits. Almost invariably I found that the possessor of a mouth full of sound teeth had been a consistent milk drinker from early childhood. A surprisingly large number liked either buttermilk, clabber, or both. The significant fact is that the milk those patients drank came from cows that had grazed on native grass…” – (source).
Several Ayurvedic texts, more than 2,000 years old, describe milk, yes, raw grass-fed milk, as a cure for literally hundred of ailments. Milk was either drunk immediately after milking, known as sweet milk, or it naturally began to sour and was transformed into cheese or yogurt.
Why is it so good for oral health though? Raw milk is very rich in fat-soluble vitamins, like Vitamin A, K, and E. It is, also, rich in water soluble vitamins like C and B-complex. A quart of raw milk from grassed cows contain 50% more vitamin E and 7% more folate than pasteurized milk. Moreover, fresh raw milk naturally contains vitamin C which is completely absent from pasteurized milk (source). All these vitamins are extremely necessary for good oral health.
Raw milk is extremely necessary if you are interested in remineralizing your teeth and healing present cavities. There was a 6 month period that I could not find a decent source for raw milk for my family. In those 6 months (and all the while eating Paleo) my daughter came down with 2 cavities in her teeth and so did I. Coincidence? I, immediately, got out my trusted resource, Cure Tooth Decay, and started the remineralizing process on both our teeth. We are, currently, in the process of curing the few cavities that we obtained from lacking vitamins in our diet. If you are interested in this protocol, then I, HIGHLY, recommend you get this book.
3. Fermented Raw Milk is Loaded with Beneficial Probiotics – Having probiotics in your diet is an essential aspect of nutrient absorption. Soured milk, yogurt, kefir, whey, and buttermilk have highly absorbable forms of calcium. Soured or fermented raw milk is, also, low in sugar, known as lactose.
Pasteurization Kills Milk – pasteurization came into being to try to clean up dirty milk from factory feed lots.* It was never meant for clean milk from healthy animals grazing on a healthy green pasture.
In order to absorb calcium from milk, we need the enzyme phosphatase which is naturally present in raw milk. Pasteurization at 165 degrees or milk, destroys phosphatase. Pasteurization also cooks and destroys the other signifiant vitamins found in raw milk, including Vitamin C and the probiotic organisms.
4. Raw Milk is Very High in Calcium – most people have been told that milk makes them sick, or they can’t digest dairy, or even have experienced negative side effects from drinking pasteurized milk. However, for the majority of these people, these negative effects do not occur when they drink raw milk. However, eliminating raw milk in your diet brings up the question of where to get proper calcium. On average, an adult needs somewhere between 1-1.5 grams of calcium per day. On a dairy-free diet, you will need to consume lots of vegetables, 1-2 cups of bone broth, and a moderate amount of sea food to get the adequate calcium in your diet.
According to Nutrition Data, here are some of the top foods with calcium:
Food Calcium in Milligrams
Hard/Soft Cheese – 2 ounces 404
Canned Sardines with bones 351
Yogurt, Whole Milk- 1 cup 296
Canned Salmon with bones 277
Whole Milk – 1 cup 276
Cooked Collard Greens-1 cup 204
Cooked Taro Root-1 cup 171
Cooked Kale-1 cup 147
Cooked Broccoli – 2 cups 120
Cooked Scallops – 3.5 ounces 115
So What? Are You Saying I Need to Include Raw Milk in My Paleo Diet? Absolutely not. And I even recommend you eliminate for a one month period if you have never done that. During this elimination process you can evaluate how you feel and if any issues that you may have clear up or lessen with the removal of dairy. I think that the addition of raw milk is a matter of preference and taste and being able to source it.
I just think that we need to take a more holistic look at raw milk and not discredit it nor compare it to it’s evil counterpart – pasteurized milk. They are not the same thing and if you cannot find raw milk near you, then I recommend you don’t drink milk. It’s not necessary to your Paleo diet, however it can be very beneficial to your WHOLE health.
Conclusion:
This is where I believe Paleo is lacking. I believe that Paleo should be a guideline of health. We know modern grains are bad for you. We know that beans and legumes hold nowhere near the nutrition that a steamy pile of vegetables holds. We know it’s best to choose healthy meats from trusted farms. We know that processed foods are loaded with crap. But how can the Paleo world be so two-faced that it can recommend you eat a Chocolate Cake made with store-bought almond flour, processed coconut sugar, and chocolate and then go and throw sand at you for drinking a glass of fresh, raw milk? I don’t know…I don’t get it and I wanted to express my point of view. So, there ya go! Take it for what it is!
Sources:
- *McAfee, Mark. “The Fifteen Things that Pasteurization Kills.”
- https://nourishedkitchen.com/10-reasons-drink-raw-milk/
- https://www.nutritiondata.com
- https://www.marksdailyapple.com/milk-dairy-human-diet/#axzz2iwySZ6L4
Shared on: The Prairie Homestead
Thank you for this post. I’ve been reading about the paleo diet and wondering if this is something that I should try with my family. However, we have Jerseys and I would hate to give up my dairy. Maybe I should just stick to a real food diet. Thanks again,
Regina
I know you wrote this a few months ago, but thought I’d respond anyway. Our family eats Paleo, but with milk and milk products from our Jersey cow. I think there are many benefits to ditching the grains and legumes. There are also benefits to eating the raw (full-fat, and grassfed) dairy. Go ahead and give Paleo try, but don’t give up your dairy. You obviously have a great source. 🙂
Hi. I’m new to the raw dairy. My 3.5 year old loves milk and whilst we limit grains and legumes considerably dairy is one of my daughters favourites. We have sourced raw milk from a reputable source but I still have a few hang ups about the ‘safety debate’ Any tips from the raw mommas?
I appreciated this post. I love reading Paleo bloggers, because I know that the recipes and cooking tips are usually usable, but I have never called myself Paleo or Primal…first because I don’t like the labels, and most importantly, because my family consumes raw milk, cheese, and butter, along with the occasional properly prepared (soaked) oats, rice, and Einkorn wheat. We also eat soaked beans and legumes a couple of times a month. I’ve always found it hard to believe that our diet is worse than the diet I see on some “Paleo” blogs, where all kinds of treats (what we consider treats) are consumed or talked about regularly. There seems to be an obsession with recreating non-paleo desserts into paleo desserts – much the same way that vegans are always trying to make plant foods taste like meat. 😉 In my mind, if the diet we are eating doesn’t deprive us of any good things, and we have a healthy attitude & balance (i.e. treats are just that – an occasional treat or celebration food) towards the food we eat, then we are doing well.
Couldn’t agree more Becky!
I know this is old, but you are speaking my mind!!
We follow Weston Price foundation eating guidelines with low carbohydrate intake. We do have one day a week on average where we have dried beans, lentils, or split peas as these foods have been used nearly from the transitioning of hunters gathers to agricultural based about 7000+ years ago as I recall.
What a great post. We are not paleo or primal or whatever. We just try to eat real food with minamal processing, oh, and we drink raw milk. I love your Paleo?NotPaleo? picture. I’ve wondered this same thing as I’ve looked at paleo cookbooks. I’m sorry people have given you such a hard time about drinking raw milk, I think it’s pretty presumptuous to assume we know EXACTLY what people ate and didn’t eat since the beginning of time. People ate what was available around them.
So true Angi!!!
Thank you for this, from an unrepentant milk-drinker! 🙂
And thank you for that link to the real milk finder! We drink vat-pasteurized, un-homogenized milk from grass-fed cows right now… and are not unhappy with it, but RAW milk is what we want. However, being smack dab in the middle of Not Farm Country, finding some is proving a little difficult. Now I’m kind of excited about it!
I hope you were able to find a farm near you!
I remember taking a jug to the farm. for milk fresh from the cow, when I was a child on holiday in Ireland. Unfortunately here in Scotland, where we live, the sale of raw milk is illegal. I wish the law was changed as I love dairy but pasteurized dairy products don’t seem to agree with me.
That’s terrible you can’t get it in Scotland. I know in some European countries there are even raw milk vending machines. Not sure where!
Poland 🙂
Great post! I’ve heard people who eat “paleo” or “primal” and dairy referred to as “Swiss paleo”:) I have never tried raw milk products but would love to one day soon. I’m sold on the nutrition aspect but hope to find a good local farm to support. Thank you for sharing.
Never heard Swiss Paleo! I like that …sounds better than Lacto Paleo
I am a paleo mamma. We drink grass fed local raw cow’s milk. I make my own creme fraiche from raw grass fed cream. I culture my own raw yogurt. I come from a country that raw yogurt is regarded as super food. Freshly squeezed goat milk raw is fed to infants that refuse the breast. And it is well known that fresh goat milk is very beneficial to baby development. Please don’t loose sleep over people policing you on FB. It’s your life and you do not have to adjustify why you eat something you eat :))))$
I for one love you page and absolutely support individual approach to paleo guidelines.
So true! I agree with every single word in this article. We also consider ourselves Paleo eaters but we consumer dairy products. We don’t drink milk but we love butter and mature goat cheeses made out of raw milk. It also drives me mad when so many Paleo followers eat all those modern foods and try to recreate all kinds of desserts but don’t accept pure raw milk. To me, all those grain free muffins and cakes aren’t Paleo, and I wouldn’t even call them real food. I haven’t eaten any desserts at all since we went Paleo. What could be better than fresh fruit for a dessert? I’d rather go for plain but completely fresh and real foods, than create all of those sophisticated recipes that are almost as processed as foods in the standard diet. I’ve also recently read that Europeans (especially those from the North) have consumed dairy for a very long time, and as I’m one of them, I should be perfectly adapted to it. Thanks for sharing a lot of common sense with this article!
Thank you Vita and you’re welcome!
This post needs to be read by every paleo dieter out there! It’s just common sense, and I LOVE your photo graphic with the raw milk vs. the processed “paleo” foods. My family was basically eating “paleo” before it was the trendy diet that it is- although we’ve found that we need grains in our lives for balanced health, especially my children. I think that people get religious with the “paleo” title, and while I think it’s the best “diet” out there (mainly because it generally embraces the fact that saturated animal fats and organs from healthy animals are NOT bad for you), I think people go overboard- even to harass you about your choice to consume raw dairy! That’s crazy to me and people need to get a life! It’s a LUXURY to choose the food we eat every day. Anyway, I love your post. Looking forward to sharing with my page. 🙂
Amen! Count me as a supporter! I started drinking raw cow’s milk in the Spring shortly after I went gluten free but before I went Paleo/Primal. I started feeling so much better. I attributed it all to going gluten free. But when I quit drinking the milk this summer, some of my health problems started to return. That was when I realized how much the milk helped. So now I gladly drink it. I buy it from a local farm. In our state, they have to sell it with a warning that it’s pet’s milk. Seems ridiculous to me. I should have the right to drink whatever milk I want to drink.
In regards to the “treats”, I find the longer I eat Paleo/Primal, the less I want them. I made some “Paleo” banana bread muffins this week. They were awful! I’ll keep freezing my leftover bananas for smoothies.
And I’ll keep feeding my body healthy, whole foods. It’s the only way I have been able to break my life long addiction to food. I’m thankful for blogs like yours that keep putting out truth. Thank you for what you are doing!
Thank you Alicia!
I get really frustrated with people who vehemently discount milk from a paleo diet. The nature of mammals is that they drink milk. Since humans’ ancestors’ ancestors were alive, mammals have consumed milk for nutrition. Before babies can process ANYTHING else, they can digest milk. Granted, it was human milk, but the assertion that there was no milk in their diets is ridiculous! Thanks for providing a much needed break from the noise!
Thank you! I am leaving my guilt behind and trudging forward. Now I just wish I could have my own dairy cow for milking. One day:)
I have access to raw milk from cows that are pastured but also fed grain though no soy or corn; and milk that if from cows that are only fed grass but that is pasturized but non-homogenized. Is one better than the other? My family currently consume the raw milk. I understand the benefits of raw milk over pasturized milk but I am also aware of the benefits of grass fed milk over grain fed. I’d be interested to hear what others think. Thanks!
It was so good to read this – I switched to a Paleo diet a couple of months ago and the only thing I really missed was the dairy! I live in New Zealand and have access to fresh raw milk and cream so I just couldn’t go without it any longer. I have done so much reading of blogs over the past months and everything Paleo screamed no dairy! So it’s really good to read someone that does think it’s ok as I am not ready to give it up. I can also leave the “paleo” treats, although we have had 2 birthday’s since I started this so I did have to make cakes, but I swapped out the sugar and flour for honey and almond meal, it was absolutely delicious!!! But definitely a special occasion treat!
While I agree with a lot of what you are posted, I would argue one thing. I am from Hereford, Texas. Dr. Heard definitely argued that raw food was important in dental health. In later years, he also discovered that the reason so many people here had healthy teeth was because we once had incredibly high levels of flourine in our water. In fact, our parts per million were some of the highest in the country. Today, there isn’t a place within 2 hours of us where a person can actually purchase raw milk.
I have a similar question as Julie, I have been researching to find raw milk in my area. Where we live we have to get raw milk from our own cow or cow share. A farm I am looking to purchase a share from supplements the cows with “a small amount of organic, non-gmo grain supplement (for starch requirements).” I guess I am wondering if this would still be considered a good source of raw milk. Being from a conventional food background the one thing that has me the most concerned about the whole, real food switch is the raw milk. I have grown up to think it is such a bad thing that will make you sick. I want to start giving it to my two young children and want to make sure I am giving them the best possible. Thanks!
I give my goats a small amount of grain…most farmers do! Especially in the winter…or while you are milking them, it makes it easier. I would not be concerned if it was non-gmo grain and would say that it was a safe source as long as the farm looks clean and the animals look happy!
I agree. I have my own dairy goats and do not pasturize. I have been on the paleo diet but have trouble digesting meats so find my own milk and eggs help with my protein needs. I need kefir due to needing probiotics and can make that with my goat milk. I also was using a lot of almond flour making almond flour pizza and had a terrible stomach reaction in severe pain for over 12 hours. It is not natural food to make all of these “so called goodies”. You are right and thank you for your post. Vicki
Thank you Vicki
I like your reasoning. I’ve been researching Paleo more and there are just too many irreconcilable things in my mind to go strictly Paleo. I do a lot of consulting to nutritional supplement companies too and know a little bit about that space. Glutathione can be improved with drinking undenatured whey protein. As a matter of fact, the only supplement that is in the Physician’s Desk Reference is a branded undenatured whey that they’ve shown can improve health conditions like cancer, chronic fatigue. If dairy is so bad, why is undenatured whey (and not all brands are good ones) that is processed (or I should say, underprocessed) the right way – from organic, grass fed cows and minimally processed – good for you??
Some things I’ve never been able to understand when it comes to very strict paleo. I like a lot of the concepts. I acquired MRSA a few years back. It went to my blood stream and I got very sick (hospital sick). MRSA is killing more people in the US than AIDS. I got it from cutting my foot in tropical waters in Belize (it’s not just in hospitals any more). After three rounds of antibiotics failing, I basically started eating Paleo (without knowing I was). I just did research on my own about the “pH Diet” and gave up dairy and grains, sugar, sweetener and processed foods. The MRSA went away without any more antibiotics destroying my system any more. Along with probiotics and eating the right fermented foods, I got back to optimum health.
I think people just need to do their own research and make more common sense decisions. I’m eating too much dairy again and shouldn’t. I wish I had easier, cheaper access to my own raw milk. I know you can join coops now and own shares to have access, but it’s very expensive, but maybe I’ll consider that. It’s less expensive than losing your health.
I was very excited to read this post. I have been doing paleo for about two years. I have not done very well with paleo but its because i have always thought how can this be caveman like if chocolate is involved? I think its awesome that there is another mom out there that is pushing the envelope of whats healthy. We will hopefully have our own milk goats in the near future!
Jackie, I love your web site! But for some reason I’m just stumbling across this particular post. I am so nervous for the hateful feedback that is sure to come my way when I launch my own site next month! For what it’s worth, we are a “paleo” family doing the best we can, just like you, and we eat everything you listed! From coconut flour birthday cupcakes to raw cheese and sometimes even store-bought, pasteurized yogurt!!! … and I LOVE your site. You’ve been a huge inspiration to me. Thank you!
I’m a little late to the party, but I sure appreciate your no-nonsense approach to this! We have dairy goats, and I could not reconcile myself with the idea that something so perfectly created by our maker could be bad. Containing all of those lovely, beneficial bacteria, and digestive enzymes— our raw goat’s milk has very little in common with it’s store-bought cousin!
I felt like I had to “cheat” to have our lovely homemade cheese, which I make RAW. (It’s never heated above 100 degrees.) But seeing my daughters—who both have “dairy issues”—thriving… Well, it changed the way I think about Paleo. Body aches have left us, and we sleep better. Another surprising benefit? No more bloody noses! Weird. I wouldn’t have figured that out, but a friend who is (also) into holistic health, asked me if we had bleeders, and how long it had been since we had bloody noses. I was astonished to realize that it had been MONTHS (since we started drinking raw milk and eating raw cheese!)
I’m astonished that people have been hateful, but I guess it just goes to prove what I always say… “People are stupid, that’s why we need grace!” I loved Chris Kresser’s post, “Beyond Paleo: moving from a ‘paleo diet’ to a ‘paleo template'” It supports the assertion that we all have to find what works for us, not blindly following a diet, but being aware of our own needs and food sensitivities. Well done.
Thanks again!
Eating raw dairy puts you at risk for serious illness. This is not a matter of “contented cows” or farmers taking good care of their livestock. Cows are harbingers of E. coli and other pathogenic bacteria and they excrete it in their poop. And the anus is right next to the udders. That means that some pathogenic bacteria WILL get into raw milk no matter how careful the farmer is. It only takes 10 E. coli bacteria to seriously injure a person. Pasteurization has saved countless lives over the years.
It’s very foolish indeed to give raw milk or raw milk products to your children. If you want to do it, go ahead and take the risk. But kids under the age of 5 are at high risk for developing hemolytic uremic syndrome, a complication of an E. coli infection, that destroys the kidneys and kills. Many children have been sickened after they consumed raw milk. One child had strokes and had to have part of her intestines removed AND lost the use of her kidneys. Is that really what you want? Are you willing to risk that??
I milk my own goats and know how healthy and clean they are. My kids are thriving.
Hi there. Just go ahead and drink raw milk! Who cares what people think. Good luck to you!
These Paleo fanatics were not around 10,000 years ago to say whether people drank milk? I follow a low-carb lifestyle. I eat dairy and I have never suffered intolerance or had ill-effects from it. The problem is that people get so caught up with having to fit into an image – ie, I’m Primal/Paleo and all who eat anything other than what we say should be eaten are herectics!! It’s ridiculous. Every now and then I have a the odd plate of pasta or a slice of wholewheat bread with some jam and butter. My body can deal wth these foods and is designed to eat all foods… it’s just that some are higher carb than others so we need to steer clear of them. But the odd cheat is not detramental to my life. I’m sorry but a lot of these Paleo facists need to get a life!
I wish you the best and love your blog!
Sean
Thanks for this reasoned sane post. I love my two cows and they give us healthy delicious raw milk. I couldn’t imagine not enjoying the gift of their milk, yogurt and butter in our diet.
Thank you for this post!!! As you know, raw milk is a completely different food than pasteurized milk. Real food, including and especially raw milk CURED me from a 6 year debilitating battle with microscopic colitis. I’m interested in a Paleo(ish) lifestyle, but I refuse to give up my raw milk. IMHO, it’s an amazing SUPER FOOD! <3
I have to say that I agree with you completely… I’m pretty overweight, and have been trying to find a decent food lifestyle for years, and have been experimenting with various diets for over 35 yrs. I have drunk raw milk from early 2013, and only a over a month ago, turned from being vegetarian to incorporating bone broth and a little meat into my lifestyle ( i don’t use the word ‘diet’ )… And now love a lot of the Paleo food, I don’t eat sugar or grains..
A little over two years ago, my stomach was in such a terrible state, I was virtually eating nothing, and I came across an article on Facebook that mentioned Raw Milk : an old man had lived on raw milk all his life because from birth, he could digest nothing else, as he had a stomach defect of some kind. So I thought, ‘What have I got to lose’???.. So I bought some ( hard to find though, in the city!!)..
I lived mostly on raw milk and bottled water for over a year, and nothing much else, except a few fermented products, when my stomach could take them. Raw milk had done something wonderful to my stomach ( and the fermented products ), that I had never thought possible..
The raw milk was practically my only food for over a year, and if there was something wrong with that, I would have been much more ill than that, I tell you!!! I would have been in hospital!!
I recommend the use of raw milk for many health problems, it is a full food product, and every one if they can, please give it a try… I’m not a doctor, but having lived on raw milk for that long, I’ve seen and felt the benefits of raw milk… I still drink raw milk, and love it, because I know there are many benefits from drinking it, and I can feel it doing my stomach good.. I also have lactose intolerance, but with raw milk, i don’t have a problem… I hope you all found this missive useful, and helped someone to at least give it a thought!!! It’s definitley a superfood, and I reckon I proved it!!!
Thank you for your article! I was following a keto diet, but the very low carbs was affecting my health and I was not sleeping well and had other health issues as well. I started researching Paleo as it includes higher carb fruits and veggies. I get such contradictory info around fruits and veggies, but I find the sweet potatoes and bananas are a good addition to my diet. I don’t believe in following Paleo strictly as many have mentioned above, as you need to find ways to make a way of eating work for you. Please correct me if I am missing the point, but I enjoy a slice of wholegrain toast now and then and love steel cut oats perhaps once or twice a week. I definitely stay away from processed foods, too much sugar and highly processed carbs like cakes, white bread etc. I would like to embrace Paleo without being criticised for not following 100%, but rather making it work for me and how my body feels. Any comments will be highly appreciated.
There’s nothing worse than rigidity to make you fail at following an eating plan. I am openly 80 percent Paleo, and I use raw milk, and occasional “no” things…and don’t feel a bit guilty about it. I commend you for trying to find what is just the right combination of nutrients for you, and you should find that, stay with it, and ignore any “Paleo police” or any others who try to criticize you. The important thing is eating whole, natural, organic foods as much as possible, and determining just what foods contribute most to your good health. I don’t think you will find many criticizers on this blog, so just stick with us and do what feels best and brings you to optimal health
Thank you so much Jackie! I have subscribed to your newsletters and information. So glad I found your blog and looking forward to keeping up with you!
I absolutely agree with you that the Paleo diet (or any diet, for that matter!) should always serve as a guideline for our eating habits, not a restrictive set of rules.
But, as an archaeologist, it really bothers me when people say they’re choosing to eat a “Paleo” diet and then eat all the wrong things. No, nut butters and smoothies and store-bought chicken don’t match an authentic Paleolithic diet. Even grain is out of the question if you’re trying to emulate a Paleolithic diet, since it wasn’t domesticated until the Neolithic. I understand that it’s not always practical to eat strictly raw nuts, fruits, wild veggies, and hunted game, but anything else really should be called a modified Paleo diet, especially if it includes dairy (which, even if it was eaten by the Neolithic, would have been long after the PALEOlithic).
I’m all for eating what best suits you and your family, and if that includes raw milk, great! And honestly, you can call it anything you like, but understand why people would be put-off by milk in a Paleo diet. While the underlying intentions are there (to eat a clean and nutritious diet), it’s several millenia too late to be called a “Paleo” diet. But it makes for a great “Neo” diet!
Thank you for your comments. I have always said I was only 80% Paleo, and raw milk is one of the additions that my family has chosen to make. I have also always believed that the Paleo Diet (while not a true Paleolithic diet) is so healthy and nutritious for people, that adopting it and adapting it as best suits your family is a great decision to make. I am totally against the legalities of “Paleo police comments,” and recommend that all my followers be the same.
Completely agree! I have eaten paleo for a few years, done a few whole30s but we have loved our raw goat milk from a farm in the town we live and also the fresh chevre they make! To me this is much healthier than almond/coconut milk as a substitution! Love the post 🙂
I agree 100%. My daughter keeps insisting even raw(real) milk is acidic and will cause inflammation but after sticking in the strip, it comes up smack in the middle. Key is knowing your farm.