Page 11 - Winter2014

Letters

back your life and your health: grow The difference has been remark- gan Health Department. Susan Daly
your own pharmacy, and eat a WAPF- able. People often comment that I have from the Charlevoix Health Depart-
structured diet. such warm hands whenever we shake ment called me back and asked what
Thank you again to Stephen Harrod hands. I'm curious to know why adding my concerns were. I told her babies
Buhner for saving my life and to my dripping to the diet has made such a and children (not to mention adults)
plant allies who are always ready to give huge difference. need good fat, like the wholesome fat
and never ask for anything in return. Many thanks to the WAPF for all in milk, to keep them from getting fat,
Erika Leifson your great work. and that the children on WIC need fat to
Barnard, Vermont Michael Seymour absorb vitamin D and calcium. I told Ms.
Melbourne, Australia Daly I was horrified the WIC program
BACTERIAL ORNs was cutting out fat and only allowing
I was intrigued by William Mar- THE WIC MILK PROGRAM two-year-olds to drink skim milk and
shall’s article on bacterial ORNs (Fall On August 7, 2014 I went with a 1 percent, which taste gross and nasty
2014). It’s fascinating that when we friend to her WIC (Women, Infants compared to creamy, good whole milk.
consume something produced by lacto- and Children) appointment in Pellston, Ms. Daly said the USDA sets the
bacilli (the ORNs), they can affect our Michigan. At that appointment my guidelines for WIC, and they took the
immune system's reaction to a toxin, friend found out that the WIC program fat away from WIC children—no excep-
causing an immediate and appropriate is cutting out whole milk and 2 percent tions! This mandate from the USDA
response to dispose of the toxin, rather milk to two-year-olds and older. Only commenced on September 15, 2014.
than the delayed hyperimmune response skim milk or 1 percent milk will be I told Ms. Daly about studies show-
that can lead to a cytokine storm that available for children as young as two ing that children, especially two- to
causes deadly septic shock (sounds like years and up! four-year-olds, need whole fat milk. She
Ebola). It makes raw milk, kefir and The WIC program was started in asked me to send her a link to the latest
sauerkraut sound pretty powerful for the late 1960s to provide fresh milk study I found. The study comes from
avoiding deadly infections! and other dairy products to pregnant the Archives of Disease in Childhood.
Kris Johnson, chapter leader women, infant babies and children under The title is “Longitudinal Evaluation of
Toledo, Ohio five years. The program is overseen by Milk Type Consumed and Weight Status
the USDA, which sends mandates such in Preschoolers.”
WARM IN WINTER as this one. The states run the program The study followed 10,700 pre-
Earlier this year I learnt how to through state and local health depart- schoolers and concluded that kids who
make my own dripping. My local butch- ments. drink whole milk and even 2 percent
er was kind enough to put about one kilo On August 11, 2014, I called several milk were slimmer, while the kids who
of beef fat through the mincer so that it state agencies and voiced my concerns drank skim and 1 percent milk were
was easy to render. I then started to add about the WIC program cutting chil- fatter. And that is just one study out of
some dripping whenever I made a beef dren off of whole milk. I explained many. Kids who drink whole milk end
stew for dinner. that children need fat in their milk to up slimmer than kids who drink skim
I noticed three benefits: improved absorb vitamin D and calcium and all milk. Whole milk is good not only for
taste, a greater sense of fullness and— the other good nutrients in milk. And kids but for adults too. When a person
most surprisingly—I have felt warmer children need fat in their milk to help drinks whole milk, the fat in the milk
throughout winter. This is in stark them not get fat. “All this lowfat diet turns to brown fat and that brown fat
contrast to my former vegetarian days food is wrong and bad for you,” I said. keeps us warm and helps minimize
when I would always be freezing during “We need fat, good real fat, to keep us the white fat, which is why whole milk
winter and always wanting to move to a slim and healthy.” drinkers weigh less than skim milk
warmer climate. I then called the Northwest Michi- drinkers.
Wise Traditions WINTER 2014 Wise Traditions 7

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