Healthy Choices For Your Furry Friends....

I know that you love your furry friend so why wouldn’t you give the best quality foods possible? Do you know that most generic brands of food contains meat bi-products from overseas, GMO corn, BHA & BHT preservatives, artificial flavoring and color dyes? For a few dollars more than the grocery store brand pet food you can buy whole grain, organic vegetable and human consumption quality meat. By changing your pet’s food and adding some small additional supplements you can extend the quality and lifespan of your pet.

There are many books and online resources to find specific needs for your pets however this post will help you with an outline of every day healthy diet. This blog is for you to know that your pet’s food alone is not enough. Your pet needs vitamins and minerals as part of their everyday diet in low but constant concentrations. Its important to include an everyday multi-vitamin that has a well rounded range of essential vitamins and minerals such as A,D,E,K,B6, calcium, magnesium and more. Omega 3 is also important for your pet as it helps promote a healthy coat and helps joint function. This is extremely important for older pets to get proper lubrication for arthritic and aging joints.

Currently this is what I use for my pets:

They receive dried food twice a day and that is typically Wellness brand Whitefish and Sweet Potato Blend. This combination has proved to be effective with my Boston’s sensitive stomach. Wellness uses high quality ingredients and includes a nice blend of ingredients that is called 5 for Life and has added antioxidants, omega 3 & 6 and probiotics. There are many other high quality brands available at specialty pet food stores and natural health stores. Be sure to read the ingredients and that is does not contain any synthetic fillers or animal bi-products.

My Boston Terrier Lily has a very sensitive stomach and I have added a digestive enzyme powder to her diet to help her break down her meals. This power is called Pet Digest. Taken from the www.enzymedica.com website:

 Studies have shown, however, that animals, just like people, suffer from digestive issues when they eat a diet that is processed, cooked and devoid of essential nutrients and enzymes. Among other health issues, poor digestion can cause pets to suffer from constipation, diarrhea, itchy skin, and excess shedding. Adding Pet Digest,  digestive enzyme formula, to your pet's food not only promotes healthy absorption and digestion but may also strengthen their immune system. Pet Digest contains enzymes such as protease to digest protein, lipase to digest fats, and amylase to digest carbohydrates which are imperative for proper absorption and assimilation of nutrients vital to good health. 

My Boston Terrier/Beagle mix, Chloe is very sensitive emotionally and is easily affected by loud noises. I have supplemented Bachs Rescue Remedy Flower Essences specially made for pets. Its a unique combination of homeopathic flower essences that work on the emotional level of your pet. I put a couple drops in her water daily and this has seemed to help calm her nerves. This is a safe option for any emotional furry friend…I used to use it on my pet rats!

They both get a few teaspoons of green powder added into their food daily to get some whole food, raw and those beneficial living enzymes for overall wellness. The powder is called Amazing Grass Greens.

I also supplement them with a  ¼ tsp a day of Nordic Naturals Cod Liver Oil for healthy coat, gums and joints. Cod liver oil is known for the nourishing and healing benefits of omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA and the naturally occurring vitamins A and D.

Last but not least I add a high quality multi-vitamin in their food called Canine plus from Vetri-Science of Vermont. They are small beef flavored wafers that offer a well rounded balance of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes to enhance the physical and mental well-being.

If you know of any supplements that have helped your pets, feel free to share below.  Be sure to check out an awesome animal specific blog that has lots of healthy wellness alternatives for your pet. Her name is Dr. Becker and she is an integrative wellness veterinarian. http://healthypets.mercola.com/

A sample comparison chart of dog food brands

Quote:"Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened. " (Anatole France)

This Trace Mineral Packs a Punch Aganist Free Radicals...

That mineral is Selenium.....

It is one of the families of trace minerals and as such, the body only needs a small amount. Nevertheless, the Selenium mineral is an essential mineral which the body requires on a daily basis. It’s a key trace mineral that is an important nutrient to fight heart disease, cancer and even dandruff. This mineral is essential to our body especially in kidneys, liver, spleen, pancreas and testes. It’s found that in almost half of male bodies selenium concentrate is in the testicles, therefore being even more important to make sure you have healthy levels of this mineral. One of the most important characteristics of selenium is that it acts as an antioxidant by protecting the cells inside the body from the damaging and potentially dangerous effects of free radicals. Cell membranes are responsible for the passage of vital nutrients into and out of all cells. Over time, damaged cells can lead to the development of many illnesses and diseases including heart disease and cancer.

Selenium detoxifies toxic metals that are present in the body like arsenic and mercury. They also have the ability to restore youthful elasticity in the tissues, support a healthy anti-inflammatory properties, healthy heart, cancer support and prevention, help women with hot flashes and menopause, help with viral infections, dandruff, arthritis, sperm production and more.

Raw Brazil Nuts

There are many natural sources of selenium, the most popular being Brazil Nuts. Selenium is also found in oats, brown rice, garlic, wheat germ, mushrooms, grapes, sesame seeds, broccoli and more. Although I don’t support the animal bi-product sources for other reasons you can find them in shellfish, liver, fish, eggs and various meats.

The guidelines for the consumption of Selenium vary from 50-200mcg a day. After 600mcg it can be considered toxic and there are some serious side effects. As with any supplement its my belief that its better to take whole food vitamins and supplements as opposed to synthetic isolates. I currently consume one tablet a day of New Chapters Organic Whole Food Selenium.

There are others out there as well, but this one has a blend of active pro-biotic selenium as well as 9 free-radical herbs such as cinnamon, oregano, rosemary, ginger and turmeric.

Excerpts:

The statistics for breast cancer are particularly striking. "The higher the selenium, the lower the breast cancer," said Prof. Ladas. Similar associations have been found with leukemia, as well as cancers of the intestines, rectum, ovary, prostate, lung, pancreas, skin and bladder. In Yugoslavia, scientists studied 33 patients with breast cancer. These women had selenium levels in their bloodstream only half those of healthy volunteers.
Cancer Therapy by Ralph W Moss PhD, page 112

The safest antioxidants are vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium, and beta-carotene. Together, they block the chemical reactions that create free radicals, which can damage DNA and promote a variety of degenerative changes in cells. Chemotherapy and radiation generate free radicals; that is how they kill dividing cells.
Ask Dr Weil by Andrew Weil MD, page 47


Quote:"Every human being is the author of his own health or disease."- Sivanada

Whats your Type?

Carl Jung

If you haven’t heard of Jung Personality test, or have and don’t know your type, take 20 minutes out of your day to complete the test. I completed the test and was amazed how accurate the outcome was. I found it also helpful doing it alongside someone who knows you really well to help you determine your answers, sometimes we aren’t the best judges of ourselves.

A little bit about the test: The Jung personality test created by Carl Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist was the founder of analytical psychology. He believed that the human psyche is “by nature religious” and explored it in depth. He was also well known for dream analysis. Jung's work on himself and his patients convinced him that life has a spiritual purpose beyond just material goals. Our main task, he believed, is to discover and to fulfill our deep innate potential, much as the acorn contains the potential to become the oak, or the caterpillar to become the butterfly. Based on his study of Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Gnosticism, Taoism, and other religious traditions, Jung perceived that this journey of transformation, which he called individuation, is at the mystical heart of all religions. It is a journey to meet the self and at the same time to meet the Divine. Unlike Sigmund Freud, Jung thought spiritual experience was essential to our well-being and also our work environment.

When breaking down the test there are four temperament categories: Guardians, Artisans, Idealists and Rationalists. Then there are four sub categories for each key temperament. This will determine your personality on several different levels. You can complete the test by clicking on this link.

And when completed it will take you to various websites to find more information on your specific type. It’s an interesting reflection of how we perceive and act throughout life in our personal and business worlds. Please share below in the comment section your personality type.

Mine: ISFJ: The Guardian Protector

Quote: Mother Theresa is one of my famous guardian portraits and she is quoted saying, "Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person."

Lashing a Whip...

…at all of those "drug prescription-pushing" doctors right after you get a whiplash. For those of you who haven’t noticed, I have been a little absent from this blog for the past last few days. I was down in Los Angeles visiting my sister and the first night I was there, we were involved in a car accident. I have experienced whiplash before but had not been prepared with the right post-accident knowledge that I have now. I wanted to share some information regarding natural anti-inflammatory products that can be used for whiplash or any moderate trauma to the body before taking those "Percosets" or "Vicodin".  If you have a serious condition, PLEASE seek a health professional first. First of all, ice is so important for any part of the body that has been affected with trauma and will help with the natural anti-inflammatory process. Ice the area for 15-20 minutes and wait an hour before applying ice again. It is also important to get plenty of rest as your body will recover quicker if you allow yourself the appropriate healing time. For products topically and internally, it’s better not to consume over the counter drugs when possible...they simply cover up the symptoms allowing the underlying problem to continue to degenerate. Currently, I am in a considerable amount of pain but have eased it with the proper rest, icing, supporting of my back and neck and applying Traumeel on the affected areas. Traumeel is a homeopathic blend of Arnica and Calendula as well as several other homeopathic ingredients that help with muscular pain, joint pain, sports injuries and bruising. You can also take this sublingually, under the tongue a few times a day to help support the naturally inflammatory process. Another great product is by Aloe Life called Vanilla Heat rub, if you’re a fan of Icy Hot, you will LOVE this product. It has all the good stuff in it with great healing properties of Menthol, MSM, Whole Leaf Aloe Vera Juice, Arnica and other herbal extracts to help support the relieve of tension and soreness due to athletic injury, physical exertion, gardening, arthritic aches, broken bones, shoulder tension, old injuries, carpal tunnel, daily stress and fatigue. It smells great with the vanilla extract although it does have a strong smell of menthol, it works! You can also take natural herbs such as Turmeric or Ginger to help with any inflammation. There is a great product from New Chapter that has a combination of these two “miracle” spices called Zyflamend. In Zyflamend there is also a blend of herbs such as Holy Basil, which is great anti-inflammatory and Green Tea, promotes a healthy eicosanoid (EFA’s, which you can also find in Omega 3 and 6) balance and contains 51 phytonutrients to promote healthy inflammation. This product has been one of the few herbal medicines to be used in clinical studies and have shown amazing results. It has also been used to help treat prostate cancer.Their scientific studies has shown that an enzyme known as cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) may affect the inflammation responses and may serve an important function in promoting normal cell growth in the colon, pancreas, breast tissue, and other organ systems. I have noticed in the first few days of taking this blend that it did cause my stomach to be a little upset because it heats up your internal sauna. Be sure to take it with food and a full glass of water and you should be fine. I have felt that it has been helping me tremendously so far. Aside from the slight muscle soreness from the accident, I am grateful that my sister and I are in one piece and are still able to enjoy the holidays.  Hopefully, I will be back to normal soon with some help of cranial sacral therapy, massage, yoga and lots of rest! If anyone has good recommendations for natural pain relievers and inflammation support feel free to comment below.

Products: Traumeel, Vanilla Heat Rub by Aloe Life and Zyflamend by New Chapter

Quotes:" He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has."  ~Epictetus

"For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends."
~Ralph Waldo Emerson
 

Holiday Tokens

This day in age everything is digital: email, social networking, web searches and even your birthday or holiday “e-card”. I agree that the internet offers us amazing ways to connect, learn and share, just as I am doing with this blog, but I also think it’s nice to still receive some good old snail mail. What happened to the days of birthday cards, a thank you note or post cards from friends or family visiting exotic locations? Now that the holidays are upon us I think it’s nice to embrace the giving and receiving of holiday cards. It’s really the little joys of the holiday season when opening the mail box and receiving a handwritten card from a loved one. However, I do know the two advantages of e-cards, cost efficiency and they are also not consuming paper. On the flip side I found an awesome card company that I got my cards from this year called, Smock.  They are the first print shop in the United States to use bamboo paper. Bamboo paper is completely sustainable and from a renewable source. It’s the fasted growing plant without the use of any pesticides, uses minimal use of water and produces 35% more oxygen then hardwood trees! The ink is only vegetable-oil based and low-Volatile Organic Compound (VOC). They also recycle their photo chemistry, film, paper off cuts, and photopolymer printing plates. The retail packaging is biodegradable, tree-free, and even petroleum-free. It gets even better, not only do you have high quality beautiful cards, a portion is also donated to the Pesticide Action Network and the Amazon Conservation Association! They make everything from beautiful wedding invitations, holiday cards, announcements, gift wrap to even notebooks. Check out their website for more information on their products, www.smockpaper.com and take the time to write your friends and family during this holiday season and they will appreciate it more than you know. Happy Holidays!

Quote:“What a lot we lost when we stopped writing letters. You can't reread a phone call.”- Liz Carpenter

 

 

Get Cultured!

I am sure most of you have heard of probiotics, you know those friendly bacteria that can be found in yogurts, fermented foods or in pill form. Let me introduce to you a 100% natural dairy-free, gluten-free, soy-free, and certified vegan probiotic that we can all enjoy, its called Inner-Eco. This is a young coconut water probiotic kefir that is created with fermented young green coconuts(at this state they have the most health benefits). If you’re familiar with Kombucha or drinking coconut water, this is a perfect harmony of both. The taste is a little shocking at first, kind of like a vinegar taste, but once you swish the liquid in the mouth for 30 seconds before swallowing, you naturally feel a surge of energy and that its working already! You only need about ½-1 ounce of the beverage a day and your getting trillions of healthy bacteria that is not only reaching your oral bacteria but working in your stomach and digestive system as well. These are the strains of probiotics that are in the drink: Lactococcus lactis subsp. Lactis,
Lactococcus, lactis subsp., Cremoris,
Lactococcus lactis ssp diacetylactis,
Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. Cremoris,
Lactobacillus kefyr
,Kluyveromyces marxianus var. marxianus,
Saccharomyces unisporus. These cultures help aid in the digestion and help control bad yeast (Candida) found in our body. The probiotic cultures have the ability to colonize and become established in the intestine allowing them to repopulate in the digestive track, giving you long term benefits. Drinking probiotics are especially important during the flu/cold season to help support your immune system. They also help anyone with suppressed immune systems already such as cancer, cardiovascular, severe candida, digestive disorders and more. There have been reports on this particular probiotic to also help children that are diagnosed with autism. My personal experience with it so far has been successful in suppressing my appetite and sugar cravings!I met the co-founder yesterday, Barb Vogel and she told me that the original flavor, Inner-Eco can be put on the skin to help with acne and it can also be feed to pets that have sensitive digestive systems. She also had the whitest teeth and hasn’t had them professionally whitened in years, and attributes it’s all from the keifer. Hopefully this is all reason enough for you to go out and buy some...$15.00 for 2-4 weeks worth is not bad, when you consider how much a cup of coffee costs. Oh and a little bird also told me that it can be a good hangover cure, perfect for the holidays;) So drink to your health!



Inner-Eco comes in Original, Berry and Tropical.My personal favorite is the berry, sweetened with a touch of Stevia (a natural sweet leaf plant).

Quote:
Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.
- Buddha

Cracked, Flakey, Itchy...

Borage Plant

Your skin is screaming for some moisture during these dry winter months and I know just the thing to help that! After spending hundreds of dollars on trying everything under the sun, I finally found something that is not only affordable (under $15.00) but works like a charm! What’s so special about this lotion? This particular brand has ingredients such as Borage oil and Oatmeal. Borage oil is extracted from the seeds of the borage plant and is a natural source of (GLA)Gamma-Linolenic Acid, a very important OMEGA-6 fatty acid which is required for healthy skin cell membranes. If you are not getting a sufficient amount of GLA, then your skin cells can’t retain enough of that moisture we all need ie. symptoms of dry, cracked, itchy skin to more serious cases of eczema or psoriasis. This oil naturally penetrates deep, and helps restore healthy skin cells. You’re left with feeling more moisturized and silky smooth! Best of all there are no harsh sulfates, perfumes, parabens or any of that garbage. I recommend this lotion as the perfect gift idea for anyone who suffers from dry skin! They also have an awesome hand cream and a Children’s specific lotion. See yah later Alligator skin ;)


 
Product: SHIKAI Borage Dry Skin Therapy
You can purchase this at most health food grocery stores such as Whole Foods or online

*****  5 Stars!

Quote: "Chop your own wood, and it will warm you twice."-Henry Ford