Milk has gotten a bad name in the last decade. Here is why.
Heart Health and Butter, Is There a Connection?
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Food! Ah, one cannot live without it! It is discussed a lot…food and health, as if there was a connection…..
…..and indeed there is!
The food I think about today is butter, the real kind made with real cream, coming from real cows eating real grass!
My mother always added butter and cream to her cooked vegetables. We would slather butter on our corn on the cob. Her salad dressings were made with real cream. Strawberries -n- cream or peaches -n- cream were part of our desserts. This was how my grandmother cooked and her mother before that. And if you have read the delightful “Little House” series you will note it is also how Ma Ingalls used cream and butter. Going way, way, back to good ole Abraham in Genesis 18 you read that he served a fatted calf, butter, and milk, along with bread to his guests.
Today, butter has gotten a bad rap! When a person gets diagnosed with heart disease, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol, one of the first things the doctor tells you to eliminate from your diet is animal fats, which is what happened for my dad when his cholesterol levels were high. It was a sad day for him. He loved my mom’s good homemade butter!
Oh, and this scared people when the discovery was made that animal fats cause heart disease. So they all jumped on the low fat diet boat. Store shelves started to fill up with low fat this and low fat that.
Guess what the low fat diet offered us? Fat free products with more sugar and carbs in it, which causes fluctuations in blood sugar,which makes us hungry, which makes us eat more, which makes us bigger….
Before 1920 coronary heart disease was rare in America. By the mid fifties heart disease was the leading cause of death among Americans. Today, heart disease causes at least 40% of all US deaths.
IF, as we have been told “heart disease is caused by consumption of animal fats” one would find a corresponding increase in animal fat consumption. Actually, the reverse is true. Animal fat consumption in the American diet declined from 83% to 62%, and butter consumption dropped from 18 lbs. per person per year to 4!
The question is….. Are animal fats to blame?
The answer is, yes, and no!
Remember, by the mid fifties heart disease was the leading cause of death among Americans?
Well, prior to WW11 most US farms were small and diversified,(meaning they had cows, sheep, pigs, bees,etc, a little bit of everything) Cattle were out on pasture and supplemented with very little if any grain or corn, as their natural place in a diversified farm was to consume grass.
It wasn’t until after WW11 that cattle were first fed corn when American corn production skyrocketed. Farmers and ranchers turned to a new practice, that of fattening cattle on corn. At the same time dairy cows were also placed in “confinement” and fed corn and other grains which was cheaper and more efficient than grass.
But even before the war, feedlots for beef were in operation in OK. The first ones were opened in 1898 and were adjacent to the cottonseed oil company. The cattle were fed the cottonseed oil byproducts.
Ole Abraham’s cattle were all grass fed, as were Pa Ingall’s. My dad’s cattle were not, as most cattle are not in the US.
Studies show that people who eat grass fed butter have a lower risks of heart disease!
Let’s take a look at butter coming from grass fed cows versus butter from grain fed confined cows.
Grass fed butter has 26% more Omega 3 fatty acids than does regular butter. Our body cannot produce Omega 3 on it’s own so you must get it from your diet. It is so important for brain and heart health.
Grass fed butter is much richer in vitamin K. Vitamin K is less common in diets but, it’s very important for your overall health. It plays a key role in your bone and heart health by regulating your calcium. It signals your bones to absorb more calcium.
It is a good source of vitamin A, which is necessary for vision, reproduction, and optimal immune function. It also plays an important role in growing and maintaining healthy teeth, bones, and skin.
Our second son was born with cleft lip and our son in law was born with club feet. The question always comes up, “Are these deformities inherited?” Studies now show it is a lack of vitamin A in the mother’s diet during pregnancy.
Higher amounts of beta carotene are found in grass fed butter. This helps to reduce risks of several chronic diseases, one of which is type 2 diabetes.
Unsaturated fats are higher in grass fed butter, which are linked to heart health benefits.
Another helpful acid found in grass fed butter is conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) which helps to prevent type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers.
A quick look at what butter or cream does for you when you add it to starchy veggies such as corn or potatoes. It helps to curb those hunger inducing blood spikes because you don’t have the sugar jetting up your blood. That way you end up eating less, because your mind and body are satisfied. It works the same way when you put butter on your bread!
That’s why fats are your friends! They help keep those cravings in check!
Here is another amazing thing!
The presence of fat in the diet increases the absorption of fat soluble vitamins in other foods, which simply means (If you’re like me you like things explained simply:) when you add butter to your corn, not only will it help to avoid a sugar spike, you will also absorb more nutrients from the corn!
The question again, “Are animal fats to blame?” I think the answer is……”Depends on how they are grown!
From my heart to yours-Louise
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What Is Milk Kefir
In a nutshell, Kefir is a fermented milk product full of friendly yeast and bacteria that is so good for your gut. The word Kefir comes from the Turkish word, Kief, which means,” Good Feeling.
Wow! now that is something we all want, not only for us but also for our families, right? I know I do!
So let’s take a deeper look at what Kefir is and what Kefir does
As I mentioned before, Kefir is a fermented milk product, and possibly you immediately think of yogurt. Yes, it is somewhat like yogurt, but it has way more Probiotics than yogurt does. Yogurt only helps to clean the colon and provides food for the existing microbes that are in your gut, whereas Kefir actually grows new friendly bacteria and yeast in your gut. It is loaded and that is why I’m so excited about it! It is one of the most potent Probiotic foods available.
Pro, means for life. Anti means against life. How many rounds of antibiotics have you had? Did you know… every time you take a round of antibiotics you not only kill the bad bacteria, but you also kill the good bacteria in your gut?
Yes, that’s right! You have both good and bad bacteria in your gut and depending on which one is thriving will show up in your health. The bad will thrive if you eat sugar, unfermented grains, and processed foods. Once you stop eating these foods, the good bacteria can thrive!
That is what I ask my kids a lot when it comes to food, “Does it feed the good guys or the bad guys?'“
Most people in America have a much greater percentage of bad bacteria in their gut, while people who drink Homemade Kefir have a greater percentage of good bacteria in their gut.
You may have noticed how I threw the word Homemade in there. That is because store-bought Kefir is very unlike homemade. Lots of times the store-bought Kefir is pasteurized after it is fermented, totally killing off any good bacteria. It may also contain sugar. Homemade Kefir is as alive and kicking as food comes!! My kind of food!
Can lactose-intolerant folks drink Kefir?
Absolutely! The Kefir grains break down the lactose in the milk making it one of the easiest of foods to digest. Many people have healed their gut of irritable bowel syndrome, colitis, and leaky gut by incorporating Kefir into their diet.
Allergies and asthma
Kefir is very effective for allergy and asthma symptoms. Your immune system, the most important part of your body, is in your intestines. That’s where the probiotics need to do their work. So many people are experiencing allergic reactions to certain foods and substances. People with overly sensitive immune systems are more prone to allergies which can provoke conditions such as asthma.
Kefir has potent antibacterial properties. These Probiotics inhibit the growth of various harmful bacteria such as salmonella and e coli.
Osteoporosis
This is for the older folks, or before you get there! Kefir will also improve your bone health and lower the risk of osteoporosis. Full fat Kefir has plenty of calcium, but what’s more important is, that it has vitamin k2. This vitamin k2 helps calcium metabolize to get into the bones to prevent fracture and keep your bones strong.
I could go on and on, about preventing cancer, all the minerals it has, how it produces the happy hormone in your gut, and kills candida…. All in all, it is so good for your gut where your immune system is and that in turn helps you feel good!
Since introducing Kefir into our family’s diet in late November we have seen a tremendous improvement in our resistance to the flu and colds. For once our colds have been only slight. No coughing our insides out, no fevers, aching bones, or headaches, and no stomach bugs! But most important of all, no croup! Our 2 youngest have scared me so often with croup! Other winters they would’ve had it at least 2 times by now. This is now mid-February, so we still have March to go through…
A Word of Caution
Having said all that, I want to add a word of caution. As with anything, always start out slow when trying something new. I had always thought that going the fermented route is the answer for all of humanity’s health ailments! I have learned otherwise.
I have learned about histamine intolerance. Everyone has histamine in their gut, but not all people’s gut absorbs it properly and thus they get a histamine overload. Histamine is found in all fermented foods, molds, etc. and thus when a person has histamine intolerance he will have a reaction when ingesting fermented foods.
Where do I get Kefir Grains?
Look no further! Since I make 2 gallons a day we have plenty of grains right here.
Check out the video below. As you will see, it is very simple to make, but it takes commitment. I make 2 gallons a day, but if you want to take a break simply put your grains in a jar, cover them with milk, and set it in your fridge. They will simply go to sleep, but shouldn’t die. If you keep them in the fridge for more than 2 weeks, strain out the grains and refresh with fresh milk.
Kefir grains are very prolific. When you make a fresh batch daily they will multiply rapidly.
Do not use metal bowls or utensils as the kefir does leach metal.
So take a look and may good health be yours!
Blessings, Louise
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