In my last article I wrote about Chinese food therapy and how foods have innate warming, cooling, or neutral effects on the body. We can use these food properties to balance an animal’s energy system. “Hot” pets (those who seek coolness, overheat easily, are experiencing inflammation, or are in a hot climate) can be fed […]
For the ancient Chinese, the maintenance of health was of supreme importance so much so that healthcare was not something they went to a doctor to get; it was a way of life. These wise people meditated, used massage, herbs and acupuncture, and did tai chi on a regular basis not just to treat disease, […]
I am all for natural care for the body, mind, and spirit. Unfortunately the word “natural,” especially when applied to all things related to pet diet and health, has become a bit of a meaningless buzzword. We have natural pet foods with natural ingredients like natural flavors. There are also natural supplements, natural shampoos, and […]
Nutritional supplements can be very beneficial to our pets because most pet foods are deficient in certain nutritional factors. Conventional pet foods are especially devoid of nutrients because the high-heat processing destroys most of the vitamins, enzymes, and phytochemicals foods naturally contain. The synthetic vitamin/mineral mix that pet food manufacturers add back is a poor […]
On February 22, I gave a day of lectures on traditional Chinese veterinary medicine and food therapy at the Midwest Veterinary Conference in Columbus, Ohio. While I was at the conference I went to a lecture on “Unconventional Diets” given by one of the nutritionists at the OSU vet school. The term unconventional diets refers […]
In a previous post I mentioned my encounter with a veterinarian (Dr. EBM) who argued with me all though a presentation on holistic medicine I gave at a veterinary conference. He loudly found fault with just about everything I said. For instance, as a case example of the tendency of veterinarians to over-vaccinate our patients, […]
I recently gave a day of holistic lectures at the Iowa State Veterinary Medical Association Winter Conference. I was warmly welcomed by the meeting staff and just about everyone who attended my lectures. I say “just about everyone” because there was one veterinarian in the audience of about 50, who for the entire morning portion […]
The importance of a diet’s macronutrient balance cannot be over stated. Studies show that the percentages of protein, fat, and carbohydrate in an animal’s diet affects their grow rate and size, level of obesity, longevity, and disease resistance. In fact, research shows that predators select food on the basis of the macronutrient balance that enhances […]
One important way of looking at the quality and appropriateness of a particular diet is to analyze the percentages of macronutrients. The term “macronutrient” refers to the main components of any diet and includes protein, fat, and carbohydrates. Looking at the macronutrient content of a pet food is invaluable but does not tell the whole […]
A few years ago I went to a nutrition program at the Hills headquarters in Topeka, Kansas. At this “educational” (read “promotional”) conference I had the opportunity to speak directly to one of Hills’ lead nutritionists. I phrased the burning question on my mind at the time like this, “I understand that there is no […]