Raw Milk

Well anyone who has been involved in the health food industry for a few years has to have heard about raw milk and the raw milk controversy. Raw milk is a new 'natural' trend that involves drinking milk unpasteurized or as it came from the cow. Raw milk is currently illegal to sell in Canada but you are able to drink it if you own the producing cow. The issue presented with raw milk is the fact that by being unpasteurized any bacteria that could have contaminated the milk (potentially causing diseases such as salmonella) remain alive; whereas when pasteurized milk is boiled so all bacteria are killed.

So this really forces one to wonder why then do people choose to drink raw milk if it is so dangerous? Well through pasteurization many good bacteria that help us fight infections and disease are also exterminated and beneficial enzymes are broken down. Still one might think it could kill you so why take the risk? Raw milk still contains all the enzymes and beneficial bacteria which aid the body in defending against harmful bacteria. 

The nutritional value and health benefits of raw milk are unquestionable,

however if you are looking for raw milk it must be from a small producer whom you know runs a cleanly operation and takes care to make sure the milk is uncontaminated, because raw milk does run the risk of spreading infection, even though it is a healthier alternative.

To read a it more about raw milk visit:Health benefits of raw milk from grass-fed animals by Ron Schmid, ND

Organic Alcohols

This was a great story published in Acres USA. 

A test was done by Sean Evans of the New York Daily News to determine if there are actually benefits to drinking organic alcohol instead of its conventional counterpart. He controlled as many of the variables as possible: diet, alcohol amounts, drink types, post-inebriation activity ect. On the first night of his test he visited an all-organic bar and restaurant. After eleven drinks in three hours[of many different types] he was slightly dizzy. Although he did notice big differences in taste; the next morning gave him the biggest surprise, he did not have a familiar headache he associated with hangovers though still slightly groggy a shower quickly fixed that.

The next night he repeated the experiment drinking only conventional alcohols and sure enough the morning after he awoke to a splitting headache and all the usual side effects of a hangover. This was just a test but similar experiments have been carried out with similar results and it is believed that the chemicals found in conventional alcohols are responsible for causing the majority of pain felt in a hangover. Though he also noticed how much lighter the organic alcohols left his wallet, depending on whether or not you like pain, it might be worth it. So next time your out with your buddies for a drink you might want to consider making it organic!

information from Acres USA.