Serious Love For Milk

[Jib]

I'm not new here. But I have newly introduced milk to my diet after something like a 12 year hiatus.

It's been a few weeks, and I feel like I'm in a chrysalis or something undergoing a transformation. For the very first time in recent memory, I'm able to have stable energy throughout the day by keeping up with a steady supply of milk. No particular schedule at all. Just going by desire.

I've mostly been using store bought pasteurized/homogenized whole milk. Was doing fine with that. Recently I picked up some raw Jersey milk from a local farmer, and pasteurized it at home after the first pint of raw milk had my feet glued to my Nature's Platform all morning.

It's been great. Went through nearly an entire gallon today with absolutely zero gas or bloating or GI distress at all. Just smooth, stable, warm energy all day. All I've had aside from the milk today is a little dark chocolate, a few eggs fried in coconut oil with some cheese, a couple bananas, and a good amount of fresh mandarin oranges.

Anyway. I'm absolutely blown away. I feel like this could really be the beginning of metabolic recovery for me. It was a slow start, and the gas and bloating has gone down significantly after a couple weeks of having a lot of milk, so hopefully my digestive system has gotten the message and ramped up its enzyme production as a result.

My life may not be very exciting, because this is just about the best thing that's happened to me this year. For some reason, I was 100% convinced I could not drink milk, because it would immediately give me diarrhea and sinus issues. At this point, I don't even remember when that happened, and what made me think that I had a dairy allergy or intolerance of some kind. The very first time a few weeks ago I warmed some skim milk and fearfully drank a cup, I had no issues at all except a tolerable amount of gas and bloating some time later.

And now that doesn't really seem to be an issue at all. Very happy about this.

It's also basically eliminated my desire for fruit juice, and encouraged me naturally to eat only whole fruit.

Milk, as a primary beverage, possibly due to the high protein/fat/mineral content, seems much more hydrating than juice, and does not even remotely cause energy crashing like juice did for me. It could be poor metabolic health causing crashing from fruit juice, and I'm not opposed to it at all, but for the time being, this milk and whole fruit thing is making me feel like I'm in heaven.

My desire to eat meat has also almost completely vanished. I could easily eat an entire pound of grass fed beef in one sitting before. I recently made a meat loaf with mushroom gravy, using only 1 pound of grass fed beef, and it just lasted me 4 days.

As far as I can tell, milk has been the main missing key in my approach to a Peat style diet. As soon as I started drinking milk, I felt something click. And when I got more bold and started liberally consuming milk, all this other stuff started falling into place. And all of a sudden, after many years of reading Peat's work, it's like, "Oooooohhhhhhhhh. Oh. So that's what he was talking about. I think I get it."

Theoretically understanding stable, smooth energy on a biological level is one thing. Actually feeling it is another. And milk, at least for me, seems to be the golden ticket here.

So just here to celebrate the awesomeness of milk. Even the lowly grocery store pasteurized/homogenized stuff. Liberal milk drinking has just made the rest of my diet make sense: small amounts of meat and seafood, moderate to significant amounts of fresh, whole fruit, and a very small amount of starch here and there as tolerated/desired, or many days, no starch at all.

This is all based purely on desire and convenience, not even thinking of a "Peat-inspired diet." I buy fresh fruit and milk and since they're like nature's fast food, I just go at them as desired without even thinking. And finally I don't have to worry about going through meat so often and spending so much on it, because my desire for it has diminished to almost nothing. Little treats like dark chocolate here and there have truly become little treats; instead of binging on them, I'll just have a square or two here and there, and I'm good.

So I'm stoked. Drinking milk again after avoiding it for 12+ years. For whatever reason got it in my head that I could never drink it again for the rest of my life. Replace "magnets" with "milk" and this is how I'm feeling right now:

 

[Samya]

That's basically the diet I'm naturally gravitating towards, raw whole milk and raw whole fruits. I can't always eat that way when travelling though, so try to keep some potatoes in my diet and sometimes I just crave a warm meal. I've also lost the taste for meat which is wonderful, the only time I eat meat now is when eating with family/at restaurants. :)

 

[Greg]

Thank you for this testimony, its very helpful. I am also thinking about reintroducing milk on a larger scale. Im very interested: in the beginning when you reintroduced milk, did you have much gas? You don't have it anymore at all? Was the accommodation steady and quick? Im asking because in me drinking milk causes much gas, I don't have any diarrhoea at all, just lots of gas. When I drink lactose free, no problems at all. This tells me that inability to digest lactose is a problem in my case.

 

[Nebula]

I like heated raw milk a lot too. It digests a lot better than commercial milk. I’m not sure I’m fully pasteurizing it, but probably a little. I frequently get this euphoric, loving emotion on pasture fed raw milk that I don’t get with other milks. Not sure why, but it’s no surprise cows loved like pets on a little farm make better milk.

 

[Korven]

Nice write-up!

I've had a very similar experience with reintroducing milk into my diet. It just feels so damn nourishing + I have nice stable energy throughout the day and I consistently get warm hands and feet from just plain, warm whole milk.

My diet is 80-90% whole milk and that seems to be working very well for me together with some occasional meat and fruit. No starch.

Before I used to correlate milk consumption with some skin issues I was having (buildup of weird looking keratin plugs and cystic acne on my face and back), but now my skin is the smoothest it's been since puberty and I'm averaging 3-4 liters of milk per day.

People on here who have gotten great results from 'peating' (tca300, Waremu, Velve921 etc are really inspiring) have one thing in common, and that is that they all drink a lot of milk and really make it a staple in their diet. There's just something magical that happens when milk makes up most of the diet, not sure what is is, perhaps C/P ratio, reduced endotoxin, beneficial gut bacteria, extremely bioavaiable nutrition, I don't know, but I'll keep drinking milk until vegans make it illegal!

 

[Jib]

Thank you for this testimony, its very helpful. I am also thinking about reintroducing milk on a larger scale. Im very interested: in the beginning when you reintroduced milk, did you have much gas? You don't have it anymore at all? Was the accommodation steady and quick? Im asking because in me drinking milk causes much gas, I don't have any diarrhoea at all, just lots of gas. When I drink lactose free, no problems at all. This tells me that inability to digest lactose is a problem in my case.

It's hard to say. Over the past few weeks it's improved. I started with 1 cup a day then went to two cups a day after a few days.

TMI but for me the fact that it causes foul smelling gas is a giveaway. Normally when I'd have gas it would be odorless. With the milk...not good lol. Strong egg smell. Very gross.

I think I was getting that a little with eggs before I implemented dairy again though. Either way it isn't a huge issue. But for the first week or two I did have some nights with an awful amount of gas and that seemed to have lessened a lot by the third week for me.

This hasn't 100% gone away. But it's lessened a lot. FWIW I didn't experience this at all from the Jersey milk when I had it that one day.

But it's lessened to where I'm not afraid to drink milk and then go somewhere. I used to worry it would cause uncontrollable bloating and gas and diarrhea.

Once in a while I take a small swig of Lifeway kefir before drinking milk. Just once in a while. May be this helps. But is probably irrelevant.

I'm not sure how important the lactose is. But it's probably worth experimenting to see if you can come to digest it well.

Maybe you could try half lactose free and half normal milk to ease your body into digesting lactose. Occasionally supplementing with lactase or a broad spectrum digestive enzyme might also be a good idea. Not sure if the body "recycles" enzymes but if it does then maybe occasional supplementation will give you a boost.

I take a digestive enzyme pill if I'm having a lot of milk at once, like a quart.

Regularity might be key. Would be interesting to see if you could tolerate something like a half cup of lactose free and a half cup of normal milk three times a day with meals. And gradually reduce the amount of lactaid milk until you can try a full cup of normal milk.

 

[Inaut]

I’ve tried everything from skim to full fat milk. Full fat is the most satisfying and the bloating I got from lesser fat milks is non existent with full fat. New fav day time bevie is cocoa, instant coffee, collagen, maple syrup in 750ml milk. Da best !.

 

[Greg]

It's hard to say. Over the past few weeks it's improved. I started with 1 cup a day then went to two cups a day after a few days.

TMI but for me the fact that it causes foul smelling gas is a giveaway. Normally when I'd have gas it would be odorless. With the milk...not good lol. Strong egg smell. Very gross.

I think I was getting that a little with eggs before I implemented dairy again though. Either way it isn't a huge issue. But for the first week or two I did have some nights with an awful amount of gas and that seemed to have lessened a lot by the third week for me.

This hasn't 100% gone away. But it's lessened a lot. FWIW I didn't experience this at all from the Jersey milk when I had it that one day.

But it's lessened to where I'm not afraid to drink milk and then go somewhere. I used to worry it would cause uncontrollable bloating and gas and diarrhea.

Once in a while I take a small swig of Lifeway kefir before drinking milk. Just once in a while. May be this helps. But is probably irrelevant.

I'm not sure how important the lactose is. But it's probably worth experimenting to see if you can come to digest it well.

Maybe you could try half lactose free and half normal milk to ease your body into digesting lactose. Occasionally supplementing with lactase or a broad spectrum digestive enzyme might also be a good idea. Not sure if the body "recycles" enzymes but if it does then maybe occasional supplementation will give you a boost.

I take a digestive enzyme pill if I'm having a lot of milk at once, like a quart.

Regularity might be key. Would be interesting to see if you could tolerate something like a half cup of lactose free and a half cup of normal milk three times a day with meals. And gradually reduce the amount of lactaid milk until you can try a full cup of normal milk.

Thanks a lot for sharing this and for the advice. Much appreciated. Maybe I'll give it one more try, and try to persist throughout the first difficult period.

 

[tca300]

14 gallons per store trip for me.. I could fit more but unfortunately I have to share space

 

[Aymen]

14 gallons per store trip for me.. I could fit more but unfortunately I have to share space
View attachment 16910

that's great man, enjoy !
there are some bottled water in the fridge, watch out for the plastic

 

[tca300]

that's great man, enjoy !
there are some bottled water in the fridge, watch out for the plastic

Well... my milk is in plastic as well. Honestly I'm more concerned with whats in my city water than the plastic in my spring water.

 

[Aaron]

14 gallons per store trip for me.. I could fit more but unfortunately I have to share space
View attachment 16910

I see a lot of Darigold. For years I've avoided Lucerne milk because it has a uniquely offputting flavor and texture I've never found in other milks. Lately I've noticed that Darigold uses the same plastic jug and the milk now tastes the same as Lucerne too. Curious if you've noticed this. Could be regional, but it's sad for me since Darigold used to be one of the better distributers.

 

[tca300]

I see a lot of Darigold. For years I've avoided Lucerne milk because it has a uniquely offputting flavor and texture I've never found in other milks. Lately I've noticed that Darigold uses the same plastic jug and the milk now tastes the same as Lucerne too. Curious if you've noticed this. Could be regional, but it's sad for me since Darigold used to be one of the better distributers.

Its consistently the best tasting in my area. Most dont taste very well, and I find pretty much all the organics with the exception of organic valley have a extra powerful barn like taste. The thinner plastic is of concern, but with my personal situation, it's the best choice I have, and I'm grateful.

 

[Jib]

I’ve tried everything from skim to full fat milk. Full fat is the most satisfying and the bloating I got from lesser fat milks is non existent with full fat. New fav day time bevie is cocoa, instant coffee, collagen, maple syrup in 750ml milk. Da best !.

Same. I also like avoiding the synthetic Vitamin A by choosing whole milk.



That's an interesting video. Obviously eating as liberally as you want can be done while still avoiding overdosing on PUFAs. I wonder if simply liberally drinking whole milk could achieve similar results? Obviously other foods are more than acceptable, but milk is such a convenient and easy to consume source, it seems ideal for metabolic rehab.

I have a history of severe anorexia that did a lot of damage. That gives me hope though.

The Jersey milk is likely even higher fat than whole milk. That stuff is really delicious. No response yet seeing if the local farm can do a custom-order pasteurized version of their milk for me. If they would, I might just make the switch to that. The quality difference is very noticeable to me.

Thanks a lot for sharing this and for the advice. Much appreciated. Maybe I'll give it one more try, and try to persist throughout the first difficult period.

Sure thing. Worst case scenario, if you can drink Lactaid milk, I'd say stick with that. Milk is just such a great and convenient source of nutrients. I would consider looking into buying lactase enzymes separately and possibly making your own Lactaid milk if money is a problem. If I really could not tolerate lactose, I would just make the switch to that and stick with it. As long as it's affordable. Just because milk is nearly a perfect food and even in smaller quantities (like even 1 or 2 cups a day) it can really help round out your diet and help cut back on meat and the temptation to binge on PUFA laden fast food or other restaurant food if you're hungry and not in the mood to cook.

 

[Jib]

14 gallons per store trip for me.. I could fit more but unfortunately I have to share space
View attachment 16910

That's impressive!

 

[Jib]

Thanks a lot for sharing this and for the advice. Much appreciated. Maybe I'll give it one more try, and try to persist throughout the first difficult period.

Bloating and gas tonight. Not sure how much I've had today. I'd say a half gallon or a little more. Regular pasteurized/homogenized store bought whole milk. Didn't take any digestion enzymes. I use "Digest Gold" which does have lactase in it.

I did have a bit more at once than usual. Not sure how much at once. But perhaps it overwhelmed my body a bit. FWIW, I had a cup or two of Greek yogurt today, just to try it. Not sure if that's affecting anything at all.

I'm gonna keep trying too though. Persisting through the first difficult period.

Milk in context: allergies, ecology, and some myths

Besides the idea of milk allergy, the most common reason for avoiding milk is the belief that the genes of some ethnic groups cause them to lack the enzyme, lactase, needed to digest milk sugar, lactose, and that this causes lactose intolerance, resulting in gas or diarrhea when milk is consumed. Tests have been reported in which a glass of milk will cause the lactase deficient people to have abdominal pain. However, when intolerant people have been tested, using milk without lactose for comparison, there were no differences between those receiving milk with lactose or without it. The “intolerant” people consistently tolerate having a glass with each meal.

When a group of lactase deficient people have been given some milk every day for a few weeks, they have adapted, for example with tests showing that much less hydrogen gas was produced from lactose by intestinal bacteria after they had adapted (Pribila, et al., 2000).

Bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine can be caused by hypothyroidism (Lauritano, et al., 2007), and the substances produced by these bacteria can damage the lining of the small intestine, causing the loss of lactase enzymes (Walshe, et al., 1990).

Another hormonal condition that probably contributes to lactase deficiency is progesterone deficiency, since a synthetic progestin has been found to increase the enzyme (Nagpaul, et al., 1990). The particular progestin they used lacks many of progesterone's effects, but it does protect against some kinds of stress, including high estrogen and cortisol. This suggests that stress, with its increased ratio of estrogen and cortisol to progesterone, might commonly cause the enzyme to decrease.

Was definitely more stressed than usual today as well.

 

[Summer]

It’s great that it has done all that for you. Wish I could say the same. High quality milk tastes great but nything more than a glass gives me some digestive issues. I have access to raw A1 and vat pasteurized A2. Both taste so good but still cause gas depending on what I consume them with.

 

[Jib]

It’s great that it has done all that for you. Wish I could say the same. High quality milk tastes great but nything more than a glass gives me some digestive issues. I have access to raw A1 and vat pasteurized A2. Both taste so good but still cause gas depending on what I consume them with.

Have you tried having it consistently for a few weeks?

I'm pretty bloated and have a lot of gas today after having maybe a quart of store bought milk within a couple hours. Discouraged, but not giving up yet. For whatever reason this wasn't an issue with the non-homogenized Jersey milk. I find it hard to believe that the homogenization or the milk quality is playing such a big role here, though.

Whatever it is, it appears I'm not out of the woods yet. I did have a bunch of bananas and mandarin oranges along with the milk today. I wonder if that has anything to do with it?

Either way, I'm determined. We'll see if I can hang in there. I just feel like the benefits of dairy are too great to give up on this yet. I also did try warming the milk in the beginning, and that seemed to help. Have been drinking it cold lately. Not sure if that has anything to do with it.

 

[GreekDemiGod]

Used to love milk as a child.
What is your muscle mass status?

 

[Ableton]

That's basically the diet I'm naturally gravitating towards, raw whole milk and raw whole fruits. I can't always eat that way when travelling though, so try to keep some potatoes in my diet and sometimes I just crave a warm meal. I've also lost the taste for meat which is wonderful, the only time I eat meat now is when eating with family/at restaurants. :)

This is exactly my diet right now. Not even drinking water anymore.

Same as OP, I avoided milk like the plague before.

Whats big about milk is that it's an easy way to ramp up your caloric intake to 3k cals and beyond. Also lots of micros and calcium of course.


Regarding digestive issues, here are my 2c:

never have more than 0,5l milk in one sitting. the more you spread the milk consumption, the better. this might account for liquid consumption in general, not sure. When I chuck down 1 liter in an hour I easily get diarrhea, still.

I am usually having around 0,4L L of OJ, then maybe half of that in milk, 1,5% fat. Also rinses your mouth from the acids. Every couple hours. Accounts for two thirds of my caloric intake probably.

quality of milk does seem to make a difference. From my experience, organic and fresh 1,5% milk is much easier to digest than milk that does not need to be refrigerated (not sure about the termini here in english), you get what I mean. I have access to organic local milk in glass bottles, non homogenized. Great stuff.