How Long Do I Have to Exercise Before I See Changes?

Exercise is a vital component of not just weight loss and weight management, but stress relief, energy, sleep, aging, disease prevention, bone health, and on and on it goes…but it’s easy (and maybe more fun) to exclusively focus on the nutrition and diet issues and forget that we have to move our lazy buns once in a while. Leaving exercise out of the wellness equation is far more destructive to your health than any number of diet “sins” you might commit. Notwithstanding the fact that I believe the standard American diet is largely responsible for most of your health problems and most common causes of death, the importance of exercise cannot be overstated.

There is some justice: the longer you exercise, the easier it will be to make changes to your shape. That said, results are different for everyone. It’s a complex equation of existing muscles, your natural build, metabolism, fat distribution and many other factors. You actually do get an immediate health boost from exercise, but let’s be honest: how many are really after that? Most of us give up on exercise after a few weeks or even a few days because we don’t see the desired physical results. People like the aforementioned young lady are rare; most of us have to put in months before seeing any real improvement.

The point is, if you’re asking that question – how long before I see results – the answer is almost always: much longer than you want, so Hang in there and remember 80% of your body composition will be determined by your diet, while exercise can and does help with these goals, at the end of the day, we’ve got to realign our thinking and remember that exercise, more than anything, is just a necessity for health, and despite what the marketers would have us feel, that is reason enough.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE MEATBALLS WITH FRESH HERBS

 

I love Italian Sausage Meatballs, they are delicious and I have been craving for them for while so I think I will make some this week ;) Here is the Recipe.. Enjoy!!!!

INGREDIENTS
▪ 1 lb100% grass-fed ground beef (or bison)
▪ 1 lb sweet Italian sausage
▪ 2 cloves garlic, minced
▪ 1 sprig fresh rosemary, minced
▪ 3 sprigs fresh thyme, minced
▪ 1 long sprig fresh oregano, minced
▪ 1/4 cup roughly chopped flat leaf parsley
▪ 1/2 small yellow onion, roughly chopped
▪ 1/2 cup almond meal
▪ 2 eggs, whisked
▪ tsp red pepper flakes
▪ A few grinds black pepper
▪ 1/4 cup cream (optional)
▪ 1/2 cup finely shredded parmesan (optional)
▪ 1/4 cup bacon fat


DIRECTIONS
Remove the Italian sausage from its casing. Mix all of the ingredients, except bacon fat, together until well
combined. With lightly oiled hands, roll the meatballs into the desired size.
To cook, heat bacon fat in a saute pan over medium to medium-high heat. Once hot, add the meatballs. Fry
5–7 minutes, until bottom is browned.
Turn meatballs to opposite side and fry until that side is nicely browned, another 5–7 minutes. Cut one open
to determine if it is fully cooked on the inside. If not quite done, turn heat to low and cover pan for a few more
minutes or put meatballs in a warm oven while you fry another batch.

Make Your Own Nut Butter

Sure, peanut butter has a certain air of nostalgia, but there are so many other (healthier) alternatives. Almond butter is perhaps the most common alternative (and the one that is easiest to find in your local supermarket), but that doesn’t mean you should discount hazelnuts, macadamia, pecans and pistachios, which can all easily be transformed into a tasty butter. And the best part? Making nut butter really isn’t that difficult at all.

To make a good nut butter, follow this simple recipe:

Ingredients:
1 cup roasted nuts or seeds
1 tbsp and 1 tsp of coconut oil

Throw all ingredients into a food processor or blender, process at medium to high speed, stopping periodically to scrape down sides. Blend until smooth or, if you’d prefer, leave the butter a little chunky. Store mixture in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator and warm to room temperature when ready to use.

It’s time you stop using that peanut butter that is in your pantry and use your healthy homemade nut butter instead!

Fat Guacamole Devil

My Favorite snack, soooo good!!!

INGREDIENTS
▪ 2 hard boiled eggs
▪ 1/2 avocado
▪ 1 teaspoon hot sauce (or more to taste)
▪ 1/2 teaspoon lime juice
▪ salt & pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
Peel and halve the eggs and spoon their yolks into a small bowl. Mash the yolks with the avocado, hot sauce
and lime juice; add salt and pepper to taste.
Refill egg white halves with yolk mixture, and enjoy!

What is Paleo Diet?

First I would like to say Paleo Diet is not a diet, it is a lifestyle!!!

From Wikipedia:

"The modern dietary regimen known as the Paleolithic diet (abbreviated paleo diet or paleodiet), also popularly referred to as the caveman diet, Stone Age diet and hunter-gatherer diet, is a nutritional plan based on the presumed ancient diet of wild plants and animals that various human species habitually consumed during the Paleolithic era—a period of about 2.5 million years duration that ended around 10,000 years ago with the development of agriculture. In common usage, such terms as the "Paleolithic diet" also refer to the actual ancestral human diet.^[1][2] Centered on commonly available modern foods, the "contemporary" Paleolithic diet consists mainly of grass-fed pasture raised meats, fish, vegetables, fruit, roots, and nuts, and excludes grains, legumes, dairy products, salt, refined sugar, and processed oils."

The Paleo Diet, the world’s healthiest diet, is based on the simple understanding that the best human diet is the one to which we are best genetically adapted, a meal plan based on the dietary habits of our Paleolithic, cave-dwelling ancestors. We're talking wild game, meat, and seafood, and vegetables, fruit, seeds, and nuts. What you won't find as part of the Paleo Diet are foods that developed during the agricultural and industrial eras like grains, dairy, legumes, refined sugars, and any other processed foods. Given the Paleo Diet's low-carb leanings, it makes sense that it's gaining popularity as an effective way to lose weight. On the calorie meter, protein, vegetables, and fruit give a lot of bang for the buck, and the elimination of grains, refined sugars, and legumes can dramatically drop a person's daily calorie intake.

Recommended great book:

The primal blueprint

 Primal body-Primal mind

The Paleo Solution

Paleo Diet

LOW-CARB STRAWBERRIES & CREAM CHEESECAKE WITH DARK CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE

This is the time of the year you have craving for sweets because of the Holiday season. So here is a great recipe that is low in carb and will satisfy your sweet tooth:

Ingredients:

9 oz raw almonds or almond flour
4 large eggs
10-12 strawberries
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
Honey or stevia
16 oz Philadelphia cream cheese (at room temperature)
Butter or coconut oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

If you don’t have access to almond flour, simply put the raw almonds in your blender and pulsate until it turns into a powder. Turn it on high for the last few seconds to throughly break up any big pieces of almond. Empty contents into a mixing bowl. Add eggs and start mixing together.
Place the strawberries and cream into your blender along with stevia and honey if you can tolerate the carb counts. The key here is to find a mix of sweetener that works for your taste buds.
Blend on high until it looks like a strawberry milkshake (it will be bright pink and thick). Pour into the almond flour/egg mixture and mix thoroughly. Add the softened cream cheese (if you pull it straight from the refrigerator, then you’ll have big chunks of cream cheese in your cheesecake) and stir with a fork like a madman until your cheesecake batter is moderately thick. You don’t want it too runny or too thick.

Grease a 9X13 glass baking dish heavily so that the cheesecake will not stick and pour the batter into the dish. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Use a toothpick in the center of the cheesecake to see if it comes out dry. If not, cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Dark Chocolate Drizzle
4 squares (50g) of 86% Ghirardelli dark chocolate or your favorite
3 Tbs heavy whipping cream
Honey or stevia

Put a saucepan on low heat (I put it on 2-3 on my stove) and pour the heavy whipping cream in which should cover the bottom of the pan. Add your favorite dark chocolate and sweetener (honey/stevia).
Allow to heat up for a few minutes and then stir constantly to prevent the chocolate from scalding. As the chocolate melts it will turn into a nice chocolately delight. When the chocolate melts completely, turn the heat off and allow to cool to thicken up a bit. This will become the “drizzle” for the cheesecake.
After the cheesecake is finished cooking, take a tablespoon and evenly distribute the chocolate all across the top of the cheesecake. When you are finished, it should look a little something like this:



Place in freezer for an hour to cool and then cut into squares. Makes 20 squares. Add fresh strawberries as a garnish and ENJOY!

Paleo Pumpkin Spice Latte

Ingredients:
1 cup coconut milk
1 ½ T. pureed pumpkin
2 T. organic vanilla extract
2-3 T. raw organic honey (optional)
½ t. ground cinnamon
Pinch of nutmeg
½ cup strong coffee
Pinch of cocoa powder

Directions:
1. Brew 2 cups of strong coffee
2. In a saucepan over medium heat, heat coconut milk, pureed pumpkin, and honey until milk is steaming
3. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg
4. Fill bottom half of cup with milk mixture, then fill the remaining space with your coffee
5. Sprinkle with cocoa powder

I don't know about you, but it sounds pretty good!!!

BANANA PANCAKES

INGREDIENTS:
▪ 2 ripe bananas
▪ 1 egg
▪ 1 heaping tablespoon of almond butter, butter or coconut oil

DIRECTIONS:
Mash the bananas, add the egg and mix well. Stir in the almond butter or coconut oil, adding more than a tablespoon if you want a more pancake-like texture.Warm butter in a pan and pour batter into small cakes. Brown on each side and serve warm.

You can whip up a batch in five minutes flat and top the pancakes with a pat of butter, a scoop of nut butter, or fresh berries.

HEALTHY AND DELICIOUS...

Feeling Good...

“No one can make you feel inferior without your permission.”

- Eleanor Roosevelt

Self-esteem is how you feel about yourself, how confident you are, how accomplished you feel. It reflects whether a person loves, accepts, and believes in who they are. For some of us, however, it can go up and down. One day you might feel really on top of everything, great about yourself, unafraid to try anything. And the next day, you’re just as likely to feel completely at the bottom, unsure of yourself, afraid to say or do anything.
Building high self-esteem is a process, not something you can develop overnight. And this isn’t necessarily easy. Yet, every single person has the capacity of high self-esteem. The question is, are you ready to make a commitment to increase your self-esteem?
If your answer is yes, here are some tips to get you started:
1. Stop comparing yourself with other people.

Human beings can amplify or reduce their value by contrasting themselves either positively or negatively with others. But if you play the comparison game, you’ll run into too many “opponents” you can’t defeat. There will always be some people who have more than you and some who have less. So stop comparing!

2. Stop the critic inside of you.

Some people have a bad habit of putting themselves down often. They say negative things to themselves like, “I’m always late. Why am I such a flake?” or “There you go again, stupid!” So get in the new habit of catching yourself saying critical things about yourself and learn to silence your inner critic. And if this is unavoidable, at least tone down the level of your criticism.

3. Forgive and forget.

Do not waste your time and energy thinking of past hurts. Your time can be wisely spent for other productive things rather than forlorn thoughts. We make mistakes, even when we’re trying our best. Sometimes you just have to apologize, let it go and move on.

4. Associate with positive, supportive people.

The “real you” is a magnificent, unique being with enormous potential and capacity for experiencing love of yourself and extending love to others. So keep your interest in life at a high level by being in the company of enthusiastic people. This way, you will get infected by their positive attitude. You will view the world in its full shining glory and move around oozing with energy. In the same manner, it would be wise to stay away from negatively inclined thinkers. When you are surrounded by negative people who constantly put you and your ideas down, your self-esteem is lowered.

5. Get involved in work and activities you love.

It’s hard to feel good about yourself if your days are spent in work you hate. Self-esteem flourishes when you are engaged in work and activities that you enjoy and make you feel valuable. And even if you’re not in a position to make immediate changes in your career, you can still devote some of your leisure time to enjoyable hobbies or activities.

6. Be true to yourself.

Live your own life – not the life someone decided is best for you. You will never gain your own respect and you will never feel good about yourself if you aren’t leading the life you want to lead. So if you’re still making decisions based on getting approval from friends and relatives, you aren’t being true to yourself and your self-esteem is lowered.

7. Talk affirmatively to others and yourself.

Words carry enough power that can either hurt other people or yourself. Similarly, words can generate enough power to give warmth and comfort. So be conscious of your choice of words. Choose affirmative words when speaking with someone.

8. Quit blaming yourself for mistakes in the past.

Many things in our lives are only minimally in our control, but those of us who develop low self-esteem take the full blame for the resulting negative outcomes. Instead, learn to honor your efforts and give proper credit for things that you have done well. Following a practical approach for managing your self-esteem will prevent it from becoming a problem and keep you off that rollercoaster.

9. Make a long list of your personal breakthroughs.

Think of times when you did something that you thought that never could do but managed to pull off successfully. These breakthroughs can generate an authentic source of never-ending pride in you. Read this list often. While reviewing it, close your eyes and recreate the feelings of satisfaction and joy you experienced when you first attained each success.

10. Make a list of your positive qualities.

Not everyone has your unique abilities and talents. Are you honest? Unselfish? Helpful? Creative? Be generous with yourself and write down at least 20 positive qualities. Again, it’s important to review this list often. Most people dwell on their inadequacies and then wonder why their life isn’t working out. Start focusing on your positive traits and you’ll stand a much better chance of achieving what you wish to achieve.

11. Figure out the hidden strengths in your so-called weaknesses.

You can’t develop high self-esteem if you constantly repeat negative comments about your skills and abilities. Remember that there is always a positive in every negative if you look hard enough. For instance, you may think of yourself as stubborn, but the flipside is that you’re also persistent and dependable.

12. Rediscover and reaffirm your personal strengths.

Sometimes you have to take a new inventory on what you like about your looks, smile, body, sexiness, health, personality, and character strengths. Don’t sell yourself short. It isn’t wrong or egotistical to praise ourselves.

13. Ignore yourself.

Sometimes the real problem isn’t self-esteem at all but a tendency toward overthinking. When you get this feeling direct your focus to other things. Give it a rest already!

14. Examine your needs.

Some of us need more praise from others than other people do. Some people need to always be accomplishing something, or they feel let down. In other words, it could very well be that you’re ok, but you’re just in a slower activity period right now, so it feels like you feel bad, when you really don’t. Relax, and take it easy!

15. Accept all compliments with “Thank You.”

Don’t dismiss or ignore them. When you do this you give yourself the message that you do not deserve or are not worthy of praise, which by the way reflects low self-esteem. Respond to all compliments with a simple Thank You.

16. Start giving more.

You must give more of yourself to those around you. Because when you do things for someone else, you are making a positive contribution and you begin to feel more valuable, which in turn lifts your spirits and raises your own self-esteem. So next time you see a downcast or downtrodden individual, pick him up from the rut. Share with him the warmth of your helping hand and watch the glow in his eyes.

17. Be your own cheerleader.

The energy and enthusiasm of a cheerleader is necessary in order to make the radical emotional changes required to raise your self-esteem. Learn how to enjoy a few minutes of self-congratulations instead of jumping right into the next task as if nothing happened, or dismissing it as meaningless. It does mean something. Being your own cheerleader isn’t silly, it’s smart and contagious.

18. Start small and do a task you can accomplish easily.

There’s no faster way to build self-esteem than to add yet another accomplishment to your roster. It always feels good to get something crossed off our to-do list. And it doesn’t necessarily have to consist of monumental accomplishments.

19. Examine the pattern of highs and lows.

Perhaps you’re just in a “praise starvation” mode – it’s been too long since you got a compliment or got to do anything that someone noticed. Or perhaps you started the downward spiral when you said some bad things to someone. It’s always good to remember that self-esteem is a mental construct. So examine your patterns and you’ll know what to do.

20. Get some exercise.

Exercise can decrease ‘stress hormones’ like cortisol, and increase endorphins, your body’s ‘feel-good’ chemicals, giving your mood a natural boost. If you’ve been focusing on one type of exercise, vary that routine and try a different type. If you don’t exercise, go for a walk. Even the change of scenery will do you good. It also forces your perspective to change a little, and you may see yourself in a better light. Also physical activity itself can take your mind off of your problems and either redirect it on the activity at hand or get you into a zen-like state.

21. Take advantage of workshops, books and cassette tape programs on self-esteem.

Whatever material we allow to dominate our mind will eventually take root and affect our own behavior. For example, if you watch negative television programs or read newspaper reports of murders and business rip off; you will grow cynical and pessimistic. On the other hand, if you read books or listen to programs, that are positive in nature, you will take on these characteristics.

22. Take action!

The universe rewards action! When you take action – regardless of the ensuing result – you feel better about yourself. When you fail to move forward because of fear and anxiety, you’ll be frustrated and unhappy – and you will undoubtedly deal a damaging blow to your self-esteem.

Consider these simple tips and try them. These activities will never fail to boost your self-esteem. And as your self-esteem grows, the “real you” emerges. You begin to take more risks and not be afraid of failure; you aren’t as concerned with getting approval of others; your relationships are much more rewarding; you pursue activities that bring you joy and satisfaction; and you will make a positive contribution to the world. Most importantly, high self esteem will bring you peace of mind – and next time you’re all alone, you’ll truly appreciate the person you’re with – YOURSELF.

What is the Primal Blueprint?

The Primal Blueprint is about helping you discover how amazingly simple and fun lifelong wellness can be. It provide a complete diet, exercise, and lifestyle philosophy with various products, services, and community support to help you enjoy effortless weight loss, vibrant health and boundless energy. The Primal Blueprint is based on lifestyle principles that have governed human health, evolution and peak performance for over two million years, and supported by respected research in the fields of epigenetics and evolutionary biology. The Primal Blueprint principles challenge many elements of Conventional Wisdom that are deeply flawed, and are making people fat, sick and burnt out - even well-meaning fitness enthusiasts who are trying to do the right thing.
It offer a progressive, free-thinking, grass roots movement that has become a true community. Besides the numerous products, services and events you see on this site, MarksDailyApple.com has hundreds of thousands of active followers who enjoy free daily health articles, a weekly newsletter, and a thriving forum.
Primal Blueprint Founder Mark Sisson has spent the last several decades on a quest for health, wellness and the truth in a world littered with flawed Conventional Wisdom. The Primal Blueprint offering of multimedia products, educational materials and service, and nutritional supplements supports the theory that health and fitness can be simple and fun, instead of the mainstream approach that involves struggle and suffering.
Mark Sisson founded Primal Nutrition, Inc. nearly 15 years ago, presenting a popular line of direct-order, premium quality nutritional supplements and supporting health education. Sisson’s publishing of the Primal Blueprint book in 2009 kick-started the evolution of the organization to become a full-service diet, exercise, and health education operation. They are committed to providing you with a comprehensive set of tools to help you navigate the hectic modern world in a way that honors your genetic requirements for health.
The Primal Blueprint is about changing lives; it’s about giving you hope if you’ve been discouraged; it’s about making health, even weight loss, effortless and enjoyable. If you’re ready to make a change in your life, please join us! They’d love to be your partner, your coach and your biggest supporter in getting you the life you want.

3 Superfoods to Eat Right Now

SMART FUEL
You’re still here? Go eat these foods!
Okay, we cringe a little bit at the word “superfood”. No food wears a cape. Still, there are foods that pack major nutritional punch.
A few of our top picks:
1. Berries, because…

- Blueberries are best, but blackberries, raspberries, cranberries, strawberries and bilberries are all excellent
- They contain antioxidants called anthocyanins
- They fight infections (especially urinary tract infections)
- How much: 1/2 cup whenever you like
2. Fish, because…

- Choose deep-’n-cold-water fish like salmon and red tuna
- Northern Pacific is better than Atlantic (less pollution)
- You can’t get enough Omega-3 fatty acids
- How much: twice a week, or more, plus an Omega supplement
- Remember: Don’t fry or bread it!
3. Dark, Leafy Greens, because…

- Pick spinach, kale, bok choy, chard, dark lettuce
- Greens contain beta-carotene, C, folate, iron, magnesium, carotenoids, phytochemicals, and antioxidants.
- Greens reduce your risk of diabetes because they’re easy on your insulin response mechanism. In other words, they won’t give you a sugar rush, jelly belly, or mood swing.
Look for more heroic foods soon. No spandex tights – we promise.

Why We Get Fat? (2011)

An eye-opening, paradigm-shattering examination of what makes us fat.
In the New York Times best seller Good Calories, Bad Calories, acclaimed science writer Gary Taubes argues that certain kinds of carbohydrates—not fats and not simply excess calories—have led to our current obesity epidemic. Now he brings that message to a wider, nonscientific audience in this exciting new book. Persuasively argued, straightforward, practical, and with fresh evidence for Taubes’s claim, Why We Get Fat makes his critical argument newly accessible.
Taubes reveals the bad nutritional science of the last century—none more damaging than the “calories-in, calories-out” model of why we get fat—and the good science that has been ignored, especially regarding insulin’s regulation of our fat tissue. He also answers key questions: Why are some people thin and others fat? What roles do exercise and genetics play in our weight? What foods should we eat or avoid?
Concluding with an easy-to-follow diet, Why We Get Fat is an invaluable key to understanding an international epidemic and a guide to improving our own health.

The Health Benefits of Raw Milk

There's little mention in the mainstream media these days, of traditional foods having healing properties. Sure, there's a ton of hype touting unfermented soy products, vegetable oils and supplements as modern saviors, but in reality, these items have risk-to-benefit ratios like many drugs do (1).
Few people are aware that clean, raw milk from grass-fed cows was actually used as a medicine in the early part of the last century (2)(3). That's right. Milk straight from the udder, a sort of "stem cell" of foods, was used as medicine to treat, and frequently cure some serious chronic diseases (4). From the time of Hippocrates to until just after World War II, this "white blood" nourished and healed uncounted millions.
Clean raw milk from pastured cows is a complete and properly balanced food. You could live on it exclusively if you had to. Indeed, published accounts exist of people who have done just that (5)(6). What's in it that makes it so great? Let's look at the ingredients to see what makes it such a powerful food (7).
Proteins
Our bodies use amino acids as building blocks for protein. Depending on who you ask, we need 20-22 of them for this task. Eight of them are considered essential, in that we have to get them from our food. The remaining 12-14 we can make from the first eight via complex metabolic pathways in our cells.
Raw cow's milk has all 8 essential amino acids in varying amounts, depending on stage of lactation (8). About 80% of the proteins in milk are caseins- reasonably heat stable and, for most, easy to digest. The remaining 20% or so are classed as whey proteins, many of which have important physiological effects (bioactivity) (9). Also easy to digest, but very heat-sensitive (10), these include key enzymes (11) (specialized proteins) and enzyme inhibitors, immunoglobulins (antibodies) (12), metal-binding proteins, vitamin binding proteins and several growth factors.
Current research is now focusing on fragments of protein (peptide segments) hidden in casein molecules that exhibit anti-microbial activity (13).
Lactoferrin (14), an iron-binding protein, has numerous beneficial properties including (as you might guess) improved absorption and assimilation of iron, anti-cancer properties and anti-microbial action against several species of bacteria responsible for dental cavities (15). Recent studies also reveal that it has powerful antiviral properties as well (16).
Two other players in raw milk's antibiotic protein/enzyme arsenal are lysozyme and lactoperoxidase (17). Lysozyme can actually break apart cell walls of certain undesirable bacteria, while lactoperoxidase teams up with other substances to help knock out unwanted microbes too.
The immunoglobulins, an extremely complex class of milk proteins also known as antibodies, provide resistance to many viruses, bacteria and bacterial toxins and may help reduce the severity of asthma symptoms (18). Studies have shown significant loss of these important disease fighters when milk is heated to normal processing temperatures (19).
Carbohydrates
Lactose, or milk sugar, is the primary carbohydrate in cow's milk. Made from one molecule each of the simple sugars glucose and galactose, it's known as a disaccharide. People with lactose intolerance for one reason or another (age, genetics, etc.), no longer make the enzyme lactase and so can't digest milk sugar (20). This leads to some unsavory symptoms, which, needless to say, the victims find rather unpleasant at best. Raw milk, with its lactose-digesting Lactobacilli bacteria intact, may allow people who traditionally have avoided milk to give it another try.
The end-result of lactose digestion is a substance called lactic acid (responsible for the sour taste in fermented dairy products). Besides having known inhibitory effects on harmful species of bacteria (21), lactic acid boosts the absorption of calcium, phosphorus and iron, and has been shown to make milk proteins more digestible by knocking them out of solution as fine curd particles (22)(23).
Fats
Approximately two thirds of the fat in milk is saturated. Good or bad for you? Saturated fats play a number of key roles in our bodies: from construction of cell membranes and key hormones to providing energy storage and padding for delicate organs, to serving as a vehicle for important fat-soluble vitamins (see below) (24).
All fats cause our stomach lining to secrete a hormone (cholecystokinin or CCK) which, aside from boosting production and secretion of digestive enzymes, let's us know we've eaten enough (25)(26). With that trigger removed, non-fat dairy products and other fat-free foods can potentially help contribute to over-eating.
Consider that, for thousands of years before the introduction of the hydrogenation process (pumping hydrogen gas through oils to make them solids) (27) and the use of canola oil (from genetically modified rapeseed) (28), corn, cottonseed, safflower and soy oils, dietary fats were somewhat more often saturated and frequently animal-based. (Prior to about 1850, animals in the U.S. were not so heavily fed corn or grain). Use of butter, lard, tallows, poultry fats, fish oils, tropical oils such as coconut and palm, and cold pressed olive oil were also higher than levels seen today. (29)(30)
Now consider that prior to 1900, very few people died from heart disease. The introduction of hydrogenated cottonseed oil in 1911 (as trans-fat laden Crisco) (31)(32) helped begin the move away from healthy animal fats, and toward the slow, downward trend in cardiovascular health from which millions continue to suffer today.
CLA, short for conjugated linoleic acid and abundant in milk from grass-fed cows, is a heavily studied, polyunsaturated Omega-6 fatty acid with promising health benefits (33). It certainly does wonders for rodents, judging by the hundreds of journal articles I've come across! (34) There's serious money behind CLA, so it's a sure bet there's something to it.
Among CLA's many potential benefits: it raises metabolic rate, helps remove abdominal fat, boosts muscle growth, reduces resistance to insulin, strengthens the immune system and lowers food allergy reactions. As luck would have it, grass-fed raw milk has from 3-5 times the amount found in the milk from feed lot cows (35)(36) See my Fat Primer for a better understanding of saturated fats and fatty acids and their impact on our health.


Vitamins
Volumes have been written about the two groups of vitamins, water and fat soluble, and their contribution to health. Whole raw milk has them all, and they're completely available for your body to use. (37) Whether regulating your metabolism or helping the biochemical reactions that free energy from the food you eat, they're all present and ready to go to work for you.
Just to repeat, nothing needs to be added to raw milk, especially that from grass-fed cows, to make it whole or better. No vitamins. No minerals. No enriching. It's a complete food.
Minerals
Our bodies, each with a biochemistry as unique as our fingerprints (38), are incredibly complex, so discussions of minerals, or any nutrients for that matter, must deal with ranges rather than specific amounts. Raw milk contains a broad selection of completely available minerals ranging from the familiar calcium and phosphorus on down to trace elements, the function of some, as yet, still rather unclear.
A sampling of the health benefits of calcium, an important element abundant in raw milk includes: reduction in cancers, particularly of the colon: (39) higher bone mineral density in people of every age, lower risk of osteoporosis and fractures in older adults; lowered risk of kidney stones; formation of strong teeth and reduction of dental cavities, to name a few. (40)(41)(42)
An interesting feature of minerals as nutrients is the delicate balance they require with other minerals to function properly. For instance, calcium needs a proper ratio of two other macronutrients, phosphorus and magnesium, to be properly utilized by our bodies. Guess what? Nature codes for the entire array of minerals in raw milk (from cows on properly maintained pasture) to be in proper balance to one another (43) thus optimizing their benefit to us.
Enzymes
The 60 plus (known) fully intact and functional enzymes in raw milk (44)(45) have an amazing array of tasks to perform, each one of them essential in facilitating one key reaction or another. Some of them are native to milk, and others come from beneficial bacteria growing in the milk. Just keeping track of them would require a post-doctoral degree!
To me, the most significant health benefit derived from food enzymes is the burden they take off our body. When we eat a food that contains enzymes devoted to its own digestion, it's that much less work for our pancreas. (46) Given the choice, I'll bet that busy organ would rather occupy itself with making metabolic enzymes and insulin, letting food digest itself.
The amylase (47), bacterially-produced lactase (48), lipases (49) and phosphatases (50) in raw milk, break down starch, lactose (milk sugar), fat (triglycerides) and phosphate compounds respectively, making milk more digestible and freeing up key minerals. Other enzymes, like catalase, (51) lysozyme (52) and lactoperoxidase (53) help to protect milk from unwanted bacterial infection, making it safer for us to drink.
Cholesterol
Milk contains about 3mg of cholesterol per gram (54) - a decent amount. Our bodies make most of what we need, that amount fluctuating by what we get from our food. (55) Eat more, make less. Either way, we need it. Why not let raw milk be one source?
Cholesterol is a protective/repair substance. A waxy plant steroid (often lumped in with the fats), our body uses it as a form of water-proofing, and as a building block for a number of key hormones.
It's natural, normal and essential to find it in our brain, liver, nerves, blood, bile, indeed, every cell membrane. (56) The best analogy I've heard regarding cholesterol's supposed causative effects on the clogging of our arteries is that blaming it is like blaming crime on the police because they're always at the scene.
Seriously consider educating yourself fully on this critical food issue. It could, quite literally, save your life. See my Cholesterol Primer to learn the truth.


Beneficial BacteriaThrough the process of fermentation, several strains of bacteria naturally present or added later (Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc and Pediococcus, to name a few) can transform milk into an even more digestible food. (57)
With high levels of lactic acid, numerous enzymes and increased vitamin content, 'soured' or fermented dairy products like yogurt and kefir (made with bacteria and yeast, actually) provide a plethora of health benefits for the savvy people who eat them. (58) Being acid lovers, these helpful little critters make it safely through the stomach's acid environment to reach the intestines where they really begin to work their magic (59) (Above right, Lactobacillus casei).
Down there in the pitch black, some of them make enzymes that help break proteins apart- a real benefit for people with weakened digestion whether it be from age, pharmaceutical side-effects or illness. (60)
Other strains get to work on fats by making lipases that chop triglycerides into useable chunks. (61) Still others take on the milk sugar, lactose, and, using fancy sounding enzymes like beta-galactosidase, glycolase and lactic dehydrogenase (take notes, there'll be a quiz later!), make lactic acid out of it. (62)
As I mentioned way up yonder in the Carbohydrate section, having lactic acid working for you in your nether regions can be a good thing. Remember? It boosts absorption of calcium, iron and phosphorus, breaks up casein into smaller chunks and helps eliminate bad bugs. (I told you there'd be a quiz!)
Raw milk is a living food with remarkable self-protective properties, but here's the kick: most foods tend to go south as they age, raw milk just keeps getting better.
Not to keep harping on this, but what the heck: through helpful bacterial fermentation, you can expect an increase in enzymes, vitamins, mineral availability and overall digestibility. Not bad for old age!
A Word About Diet In General
Use common sense and stick with whole, unprocessed foods, free from genetic tweaking (there's still just too much conflicting information out there on that topic), and you'll likely be ahead of the game.
Cook your foods minimally, and you'll be even better off. Learn about sprouting and fermentation. Question everything before letting it past your lips.
Explore what worked for countless generations before ours, and put it to work for yourself today. You can achieve great health by diet alone. I've done it, and so can you!