As you may know, dairy continues to be a 'gray' area for us. We still recommend eliminating dairy out of your diet for 30 days and then slowly adding it back in. Most folks are able to add dairy back with no ill effects and they tend to have pretty good results with it.
But once again, quality is the main concern with milk. Just as with grain-fed beef, grain-fed dairy can cause potential health problems. Ideally, raw milk from pastured, grass-fed cows is best but unfortunately we cannot purchase it in North Carolina. 2nd best choice is organic milk from a quality company. One of our favorites is Organic Valley. Their dairy cows are pastured and grass-fed and they are committed to regional production, which means the milk you buy is as close to local as possible. You can find Organic Valley at Harris Teeter and other stores around the area. Whole milk should be your first choice but if it is just too rich for you, 2% is the minimum percentage of milkfat you should drink. Skim and 1% has no health benefits whatsoever.
A side note: never buy milk or dairy products that are labeled 'ultra-pasturized'. This milk is heated to such high temperatures that almost all nutritional value is removed. Did you know that ultra-pasteurized milk doesn't even need to be refrigerated, but grocers sell it in the refrigerated section because they know consumers won't purchase milk off the shelves? Something to think about...