The great Milk Diet experiment results are in

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November 1, 2019

Being in the dairy business, we hear a lot of rumors about milk on the farm.

One particular rumor really got us curious: You can live on only milk.

So, is this true? We had to look into it more.

We found that some people go on periodic milk only diets to lose weight. We also found that many toddlers go on food strikes, refusing food but gulping down milk. We found a bodybuilder who attempted this to gain weight with no success. We also heard a very strange story about a man who damaged his digestive system as a toddler and drank raw milk only his whole life and was very healthy.

There wasn’t much definitive info out there. So, the only “logical” thing to do was to try it ourselves.

Three of the ladies who work on the farm and myself did a milk diet experiment. We consumed milk only for 7-10 days.

It’s important to note that we are all in good health and eat wholesome omnivorous diets that include dairy and fermented foods. None of us take any medications, just some natural supplements like cod liver oil and elderberry syrup.

We all had similar experiences. Here’s how it went.

On the first day, it felt weird, like we should be eating. Food is so very psychological.

I personally struggled a lot in the middle of the first day. I was tired and started to get a headache. This was strictly due to not having caffeine. I caved and drank a cup of coffee, which I thought was acceptable. So for me it ended up being a milk and coffee diet. Food is psychological, but caffeine dependency is very physically real.

On the second and third day, the smells of food really got to me. I so wanted to eat the salty buttery popcorn my kids were eating. I so wanted to take a bite of braised short ribs, smoked cheddar cheese, and fermented pickles.

All of us reported the biggest struggle of the milk diet being restraining from eating what others were. It felt unsociable, and solid food is yummy.

By day 3, it was simply normal. There was no hunger, no thirst, the same level (or slightly more) energy. It was the same all the way through.

Hmmm. This really gets me thinking. Does milk actually have everything you need to survive?

In case you’re wondering, a gallon of conventional whole milk is about 2,400 calories. Conventional whole milk is 88% water and has 7.7 grams of protein, 11.7 grams of carbs, 12.3 grams of sugar, 0 grams of fiber, and 8 grams of fat. It’s also a good source of Vitamin B12, calcium, riboflavin, phosphorous, and other vitamins and minerals.

And, I assume that, if you’re sourcing from a small farmer that’s monitoring soil quality and producing 100% grass fed milk, many of those numbers will be boosted.

During the milk diet experiment, each of us drank between ½-1 gallon of milk per day.

Over the course of 10 days, everyone, including myself, reported losing weight. Nothing significant, anywhere from 1-8 lbs.

For me, I think it was due to the lack of empty calories. My body was using everything it took in.

Also, when you take the psychology out of eating, you eat what you need, nothing more and nothing less.

So, what did we learn?

We learned that milk satisfies hunger completely. We learned that we consume more food than we need to. The ladies on the farm all reported the biggest success was practicing self discipline.

My biggest takeaway from the milk only experiment is that milk is a great and wholesome snack.

My kids seem to always be hungry. Ten minutes after a meal, they want a snack. So now, I offer them a glass of milk! It’s filling. It’s nutritious. And, it will certainly tide you over before the next meal.

Would I do the milk diet again? Probably not. But, I am glad I did it once. The ladies on the farm all gave an emphatic yes to doing the milk diet again, especially if they’re dealing with a chronic disease or are struggling with gut/digestive issues.

What do you think? Would you do the milk diet?

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Natural animal fats from happy, healthy animals are good. It's those highly processed hydrogenated saturated fats that are bad. In other words, eat all the pork fat! 2- Worry about disease. People still seem to think they can get sick from pork. There's fear of parasites (like the roundworm Trichinella spiralis that can cause trichinosis) or bacteria or other things. The reality is that getting sick from pork is really rare nowadays. If you cook pork properly, you don't need to worry about disease. Muscle meat (like chops or tenderloin) should be cooked to 145F. Ground meat and organs should be cooked to 160F. 3- Worry of bad ingredients. This only relates to processed pork like hot dogs and bacon and ham. There's truth to this one. Nitrates and nitrites, commonly used in curing conventional pork, have been shown to cause cancer and other health issues. And stabilizers, artificial colors, preservatives, and other additives have been linked to negative health outcomes, too. But, this isn't the case for all pork. How meat it's processed matters a lot. At Miller's, we don't put any of that yucky junk in our meat, even the salami and bacon and sausages (more on that below). 4- Worry that eating pork will have a negative affect on your blood. The Weston A. Price Foundation did a bunch of research on this. It's true that plain pork can cause blood clotting and inflammation. However, properly preparing pork (by marinating it in vinegar or naturally curing it) or by eating pork with fermented veggies like sauerkraut removes these negative effects. Read more about pork and your blood in this blog post. 5- The belief that pigs are "dirty". I think this one mainly comes from the fact that pigs roll around in mud. They do this to protect their nearly hairless bodies. It's like natural sunscreen. It doesn't mean the meat is dirty at all. It may also come from the fact that pigs are often treated as garbage disposals. They will literally eat anything. And that includes kitchen scraps, meat processing scraps, curdled milk, and more. But again, not all pork is created equal. When you source from trusted farms, you can actually know that the pigs are eating clean food and are rolling around in chemical-free mud. 6- Strange rumors that pigs are deformed. This one came from Nailea on the farm. At some point, she watched a video about how some pigs are born without buttholes or have odd deformities or become cancerous. Yet, despite their weirdness, they're still raised for meat. I don't know how true this is for conventional pigs. But, it's certainly not true for our pigs. They are intact and happy and healthy. And our processor would never give us meat that's weird or cancerous. Why you should eat pork. I'm here to inform you that, when produced naturally and properly, pork is pretty awesome. It's high in protein, zinc, iron, and B vitamins (particularly the "anti-stress" vitamin B1 - read more about thiamine and pork in this blog post). It's packed with quality, healthy saturated fats. And it's the most affordable meat and can be produced year round. This is why people around the world love pork. I think you should love pork, too! Miller's pork is not just any old pork. Here are 6 quick reasons it stands above the rest: 1- Woodland raised. Our pigs get plenty of exercise and forage for countless nuts and grubs and roots. This diverse diet gives our pork some extra flavor. And you can be assured that the environment is free of chemicals and is a happy place for our pigs to live. 2- Corn & soy free. This means low PUFA and no chance of GMOs. We haven't tested our pork like we did for our chicken and eggs. But, if we did, I assume we'd get similar results with our pork having balanced omegas and packed with vitamins and minerals. 3- Heritage breeds. Our pigs are Berkshire, Duroc, Red Waddle, and Black crosses. These heritage breeds are known for their intensity of flavor, juiciness, marbling, and tenderness. It's nothing like the bland, dry pork you often get at the grocery store. 4- No junk like nitrates or additives. We reduce toxins and anything unnatural as much as possible. Our bacon is cured simply with Celtic sea salt (in a store it would have "uncured" on the label). Our sausages have clean ingredients, no weird thickeners or preservatives. Our salami is cured naturally with celery juice powder. 5- Washed in organic apple cider vinegar. No harsh chemicals like bleach or citric and lactic acids touch our pork. We are so fortunate to have a naturally minded processor! 6- No drugs. We don't vaccinate. We don't give antibiotics or hormones or anything like that. Through a natural diet and lifestyle, our pigs stay naturally healthy. Do you eat pork? Why or why not? What do you look for when shopping for pork? I'd love to hear from you. Comment below - no account required (start typing for the guest option to appear). 😊 ----- SOURCES: UN Report: Livestock commoditiesUSDA: Chicken leads U.S. per person availability of meat over last decade False Facts About Pork Everyone Actually BelievesIs Pork Bad for You? Here's What a Dietitian Has to Say

The great Milk Diet experiment results are in

More from the blog

Should I choose animal rennet or vegetable rennet in my natural cheese?

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