Tuesday, May 6, 2008

The Kenyan Runner's Edge: Don't try this at home

Notes from a university nutrition course I'm currently filming.

Their calories are 50% what?!
"In the ten year period from 1988 to 1998, athletes from one tribe of 3 million people in Kenya (Kalenjins)have won about 40 percent of all the highest international honors available in men's distance running. Their success has cut across all three of the sport's disciplines - track, cross-country and road racing."

"There are five major distance events in track - 800, 1,500, 5,000 10,000 and 30,000 meters. At the Olympics and World Championships during the ten-year period, Kalenjin runners won 31 medals, with 12 golds - 34% and 40% respectively of the available totals....

"These figures represent a geographical concentration of achievement that is unprecedented in the history of any sport. It is all the more remarkable in a sport in which success is a measure of pure speed, strength and endurance." - Ron Schmid, 2003
What's their secret?

Well, part of it is their unusual diet.
"Kalenjins...obtain over half their calories from a soft cheese-like fermented raw milk product called mursik...basically raw milk, which they ripen and ferment for up to a year..."
Bottom dietary line for these super performers:

HALF of their calories come from raw milk products
they grow and make themselves on their farms.


And that's not all...
Have you heard of the total raw milk diet? It's a therapeutic method that was used in the U.S. at the turn of the 20th century, says professor Heidi Dulay.
Some people do the total raw milk diet today as a serious therapeutic method.

But, cautions professor Dulay, don't try any big raw milk diet at home. Because, she told the class:
"You need access to high quality 100% grass-fed clean raw milk - only available from local farmers who do NOT sell their milk to pasteurization plants or other conventional milk distribution companies (and sometimes, Whole Foods)."
I had no idea what a role quality raw milk could have in peak performance or health. You?

Now, to make it more easily available. One way, check your local farmers here for clean raw milk, among other things.
---

P.S. Heidi Dulay buys raw milk (and pastured (NOT pasteurized) eggs) from local farmers and Amish families. You can find local farmers too, go here.

P.P.S The raw milk diet is just one of the "diet types" covered in the nutrition program I'm filming. The students in the class are trying different approaches to 1)lose weight, 2)get their energy back (I was amazed that 30-year olds would need energy back - where did it go so soon?) 3) get rid of allergies, and 4) get their drive and motivation back.

P.P.S. Disclosure: Dr. Dulay is the designer of a whole food multi that Whole Food Nation, a company I own part of, markets. I am filming a nutrition course she's giving currently for a Master's program in NO CA.

6 comments:

Windyridge said...

The problem with raw milk is the contamination factor. It's become quite an issue here as what is on the barn floor can end up in the milk and you can get very sick.

Fascinating story though.

Kim Klaver said...

Hi windyridge:

Thanks for you comment. You write:

"The problem with raw milk is the contamination factor."

Many people believe that, but it may not be true anymore. Here's why.

According to Dr. Ron Schmid, modern pasteurized milk, which everyone drinks, has a much greater risk of transmitting salmonella, ecoli, campylobachter and other dangerous bacteria than raw milk.

This is because pasteurized milk no longer has the 'good bacteria' that kills off the dangerous, bad bacteria.

There is a body of research that supports these findings.

So that's the other side of the raw milk story.

Robin Plan said...

Kim I did a post about raw milk and got this website from a comment.
It's how to find raw milk in your area. I haven't used it yet so I don't know how good the info really is.
http://www.realmilk.com/where2.html
Robin

Michael said...

Hi Kim,

I know Dr. Schmid. He and I are both actively involved in the Weston A Price Foundation (www.westonaprice.org). My ex-fiance also maintains his website.

The Price Foundation hosts a website called www.realmilk.com which has information as to where to safely buy raw milk.

I myself have done the milk diet or the milk cure as it is often called on several occasions. In fact I plan on doing it again very soon. I love the results and it has made a marked difference in my health.

I wrote about raw milk a few years back and I think I even sent you the link:

http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig3/miles2.html

take care,

Michael

Kim Klaver said...

Thanks, Michael. I am making a little short video clip from Dr Heidi's milk lecture. All kinds of little surprises.

Since I am Dutch, I have been a milk/cheese lover forever. And I drink only raw milk now and eat only raw cheeses.

What is your heritage? Anything that would draw you to dairy or the milk cure? Or are you just educated re that?

Michael said...

Hi Kim,

I got interested a couple of decades ago when I read a book by Dr. William Campbell Douglass, "The Milk of Human Kindness is Unpasteurized." It was an eye opener on many fronts nutritionally speaking.

Today it is available as "The Raw Truth about Raw Milk" from http://drdouglass.com/

It has been a long and exciting journey since the early days of seeking how to improve my health, even coming back from the brink of death, which is what got me started on this journey as a 19 year old. And it has been well worth it.