Archive for May, 2010

Liposuction cost prices compared online

Monday, May 24th, 2010

Liposuction outlay will fluctuate widely according to the type of liposuction procedures performed and the body shallow is treated. Liposuction come to cost in individual area can cost as little but this cost might connect with thousands of dollars and even more considered necessary liposuction. Hip addition, the cost of liposuction will vary from individual to an added plastic medical doctor, moreover depending on the geographical location of the plastic medical doctor. However, in common, liposuction cost is based on body fat impassive after the subject. Liposuction Financing and cost there are many variables in difficult to assess the liposuction procedure and cost. While traditional liposuction cosmetic surgery performed by much plastic or cosmetic surgery might be adaptable operating cost difference connecting responsibility procedures a man or woman. Liposuction in lieu of men is more often than not more – and therefore more expensive – handling than women, partly since of differences in the quality of fat. Person common vigor and age can moreover affect the cost of the procedure. It must be distinguished to facilitate liposuction is not right and proper in lieu of diabetes or other autoimmune diseases, nucleus or line problems, with a history of blood clots or reduce blood spring to the anguish. Liposuction cosmetic surgery financing and financing in common is not widely recommended since it makes so much more expensive procedure in the long tenure. If you requirement bake arrangements to finance your operations, you must be able to lodge an effort through your doctor’s position. Liposuction routinely completed by a run to of cosmetic surgeons. When you start your search in lieu of plastic surgery, observe individual who specializes in liposuction. Liposuction assesses the difference in cost in their limited area plus nearby areas. You can observe the difference in cost connecting the practice of cosmetic surgeons in urban, inhabited and rural areas.

What is An All Natural Dog Food?

Wednesday, May 19th, 2010

What’s on your mind when you consider an all natural dog food? Could it be a commercial dog food which has the word ‘natural’ on the packet? Could it be you think of cooking your own dog food from scratch? Do you consider table scraps to be the ideal diet?

Wrong! None of the above will address your dog’s health, Why not?

Well, the commercial dog food starts off with very low grade meat, mostly meat by-products (the better quality going for the higher priced human food), high fat and sometimes euthanased animals, which contain the chemical sodium pentobarbital. Then, to bulk out the already cheap ‘meat’, a non-nutritional filler is added. That can be sugar, as there’s a world glut of it at the moment, or melamine if you live in China.

Then, to keep the product indefinitely at room temperature a preservative is added.

When you see a packet of dried dog food in the shop, with the slogan ‘preservative free’ ask yourself this question – how can dried ‘meat’ be kept indefinitely at room temperature without preservatives? Do you think you wouldn’t have heard of a new way to do this, if there was?

So either there is no ‘meat’ or there is preservative present. Trouble is, the preservatives used are very strong, cause huge health problems and aren’t allowed in human food.

So commercial dog food can be crossed off as an all natural dog food!.

I see quite a lot of ‘dog experts’ on the internet advocating you cook your own dog food. Whilst that is hugely better than commercial pet food, it’s still missing the nutrients that are lost in cooking. Typically these are vitamins and enzymes, both essential for a healthy dog. But other nutrients are altered by cooking. Fat changes during the cooking process from a beneficial food to a harmful one.

So you can cross though this one too, as an all natural dog food.

What about table scraps? That depends so much on the table scraps. If the human food is a good, natural one of lots of raw fruit and veg, with lightly cooked meat, then these table scraps have the potential of being the best dog food out of all three options, as long as there is enough left over to satisfy your dog’s nutritional needs.

If, however, your diet is typically fast food with a lot of processed food, then these table scraps will be little better than the commercial dog food.

Yet another cross through.

There is only one all natural dog food and that’s the one dogs evolved on. Nothing that mankind has done has improved one iota on that. And considerable decline has occurred.

Dogs have evolved over millions of years on an all natural dog food and it keeps them happy and healthy.

Once you get to grips with the idea of how dogs evolved, duplicating that diet within the constraints of what is available and the limits on your time, is not that difficult. However, there are a few important things you need to know such as:

what food should not be given more than once a week should bones be given what carbohydrates are the best ones and how much are there any fruit or vegetables that shouldn’t be given what amino acid is essential to a dog’s healthy skin should you supplement the diet how do you convert the diet of an elderly or sick dog safely

When you change the diet of your dog from a commercial pet food to an all natural dog food, there may initially be a de-toxing period. This is normal and natural, but can seem a bit scary to you if you don’t understand why it’s happening and the symptoms. It should be of short duration, depending on your dog’s age and level of health.

Dogs digestion is robust. They have evolved on eating raw meat and carrion. They can’t cope with preservatives, fillers, high fat or low grade protein, none of which occurs (at least in high proportions) in nature.

Once you have your dog on an all natural dog food, you’ll find fewer and fewer health problems. I’m sure you’d be as happy as anyone, to cut your dog’s professional health fees.

Madeleine Innocent is a practicing homeopath, a specialised modality of natural health care. She treats both people and animals in her busy West Australian practice. Madeleine loves to spread the good work of homeopathy and other areas of natural health care and writes extensively on the subject.

For a complimentary ebook on how to have a healthy dog, starting today, visit http://naturallyhealthydogs.com or http://www.bestdoghealth.blogspot.com

The Best Food

Sunday, May 16th, 2010

Everyone eats so everyone has an opinion about food. But if health is the objective, mere opinion doesn’t count nor does fad or majority rule.

Most people think the average cooked diet based upon official food pyramids is just fine. Some eat predominantly fast food. Others advocate veganism (eating only plant foods), or lacto-ova vegetarianism (plants plus milk and eggs). There are also proponents of special foods such as fresh juices, soybean products and macrobiotic cooked grains and rice.

Everyone can make arguments on behalf of their beliefs. They can cite examples of people who have escaped disease and lived long. Some argue morality and ethics, such as those who say sentient animal life should not be sacrificed for food. Others set their eating practices by the standards of holy writ that eschew certain forms of foods and sanctify others. Others just eat what tastes good and that’s logic enough for them.

Eating beliefs seem to take on an almost religious character. People feel guarded and pretty zealous about food and don’t like others meddling. But since health is intimately linked to what we take into our mouths, thinking, honest reflection and willingness to change are in order.

It is easy to be deceived because wrong food choices may not manifest their full impact until late in life. Nutrition can even pass through genetically to affect later generations. In this regard, food ideas are also like religion in that hundreds of different sects can each claim to have the truth. But none of them needs to fear disproof since adjudication will not occur until everyone is dead and gone to the afterlife.

The body is extremely adaptable and will attempt to survive on whatever it is given. If the food is incorrect there is usually no immediate harm. But the body will eventually be stressed beyond its ability to adapt, resulting in disease, degeneration and loss of vitality. Unfortunately, such consequences are so far removed in time from the eating regimen that caused them that few understand the relationship.

So be careful before subscribing to bold claims about what is or is not good to eat. The true test of any health idea lies too far out into the future. Our best hope then is to be well grounded philosophically before we slide our legs under the dinner table.

How do we develop a healthy eating philosophy and sort through all of the competing eating ideas? I am going to explain here a very simple principle that is so reasonable you need not even look for proofs. Follow along with me and see if you don’t agree.

Consider the following three premises:

1. Just like a tree is genetically adapted to absorb certain nutrients from soil, and a lion is genetically adapted to thrive on prey, and a deer is genetically adapted to browse on vegetation, so too, are humans genetically adapted to certain kinds of food.

2. The majority of foods we are presently exposed to are a product of the Agricultural/Industrial Revolution and occupy a small part of the genetic history of humans. (Refer back to the 276-mile time-line in which only a few inches represent industrial-type eating practices.)

3. The natural, genetically adapted to food for humans must predate them. In other words, how could humans exist before the food they needed to survive existed? We were completely developed biologically prior to agriculture and any method of food processing. That means whatever diet archetypal humans ate was the perfect diet because that was the diet responsible for the existence and development of the incredibly complex human organism. That diet was the milieu, the environmental nutritional womb, if you will, from which we sprung.

If you consider these three premises, the logical conclusion derived from them is that the best food for humans is that food which they would be able to eat as is, as it is found in nature.

Our tissues were designed to be bathed in food nutrients derived from natural living foods, not with dyes, preservatives, synthetics, nutritiously barren starches and refined sugars and oils. Make no mistake; if we are not eating according to this principle, our bodies are in constant deficiency, imbalance and toxin exposure. The result of generations ignoring this principle is an epidemic of obesity, chronic degenerative diseases and the exhaustion of our digestive processes.

A feature of all natural food is that it is raw – alive if you will. This is consistent with the Law of Biogenesis that says life can only come from preexisting life. Life begets life. In spite of scientists’ dreams to the contrary, we have never observed life springing from non-life, nor have we ever even been able to create life from non-life in a laboratory. If we eat living foods, we enhance our own life. If we eat dead, devitalized foods we become devitalized and dead. Granted, this will not happen all at once, but as the adaptive reserves are exhausted we become just like the dead food we eat.

So a fundamental feature of our natural diet was that it was raw. Yes, even the meats, organs, eggs and insects – raw. Remember, we’re far back in time, even before the use of fire (much less the microwave, stove, oven, grill, deep fryer or extruder). Studies of the diets of past cultures and today’s still-primitive societies reveals that they ate exactly as their genes and the environment dictated.

We were not suddenly dropped from outer space onto Earth with fry pans, matches and rotisseries. We began on the forest floor, not in a line to a fast food counter. We had only our natural bodies in a natural world, exactly like every other creature. Every other organism on Earth eats raw foods exactly like they are found in nature. Do you think nature doesn’t notice our decision to change all that?

Would tofu qualify? No, because tofu is found nowhere in nature. Would oatmeal porridge qualify? No, because oatmeal porridge is found nowhere in nature. Would hamburgers, French fries, pop, breakfast cereals, granola, canned foods, candy, sports drinks, muscle building powders, vitamins and minerals, mashed potatoes, carrot cake, croissants, bagels, Jolly Ranchers, Ding Dongs, Cocoa Krispies, Good ‘n Plentys or Fig Newtons qualify? No. None of these are found as such in nature.

For those of you who are by now panicking (if not gagging) at the thought of eating raw foods, yes, there is danger of food-borne pathogens. But if you are careful and clean, the danger is far less than the danger of a lifetime eating devitalized processed foods. Raw natural foods must be safe or our ancestors would have not survived and we would not exist!

It is a choice. When faced with a choice, why not opt for the wisdom of nature? Is it not strange we are the only creatures on the planet to cook our foods? Is it a wonder, given this, that we succumb with every imaginable chronic degenerative disease virtually unknown in creatures eating the raw natural diet?

Simply think of yourself placed in nature in the total absence of modern technology. Ask yourself the question, what would I eat… and what could I eat? You could eat and digest fruits, nuts, insects, a few plants, honey, worms, grubs, eggs, milk and animal flesh. These are about the only food substances in nature humans are capable of digesting without technological (including fire) intervention. These are, in fact, the very foods that are the mainstay of nomadic primitive societies. Only when these foods become scarce do unpalatable, inedible foods such as most grains and vegetables become cooked and processed to change their palatability, neutralize toxins and increase digestibility.

So that is where we have been. But does this have anything to do with us here today in the 21st century microwave age? It has everything to do with us because it is this expansive historical context that served as the womb that shaped and defined us. It is this natural wild setting that occupies the vast majority of our history and predominates our genetics. It is the incubator within which life on planet Earth has developed.

What would have been the predominant food in the wild? Likely prey. Envision yourself placed back in time in that setting with a family to feed. You would be looking for the most calorie- and nutrient-dense foods you could find. That would not be a few wheat seeds, some grass or a root. You would let the herbivores do all the grazing and digestion with their specialized stomachs that are capable of converting essentially any plant material into edible protein and fat. Then you would eat them. I don’t like that either, but that is the way it is.

Pretty simple isn’t it? We should eat what nature provides that we can digest. Yet this is not explained in nutrition textbooks, and PhD nutritionists graduate without even grasping it. It cuts through all the theory, belief, and guesswork. It matches our natural bodies with our natural food.

Our immersion in modern cookery and food processing has misled us. Foods such as granola, tofu, cauliflower and lettuce, which are marketed as the ultimate health foods, are in fact not natural human foods at all. These products either do not exist in nature, are so scarce as to never possibly be a sustaining food, or in their raw precooked form are unpalatable and even toxic.

For example, raw soybeans contain a variety of chemicals that can stunt growth and interfere with the body’s digestive enzymes. Eat enough of them and you’ll die. Modern grain products are a result of agriculture and in their raw form are unpalatable, indigestible and also toxic. In nature one would never find enough kernels of rice, wheat or barley to even make up a meal, even if they were edible in their raw form. (Sprouted seeds and grains are an exception to this since they are digestible, raw and nutritious.)

Who, if they were really, really hungry – and options were available – would eat raw broccoli, cauliflower or lettuce? These foods are only now made palatable by cooking or doctoring with manufactured dressings.

Now this creates somewhat of a dilemma. Knowing what our natural diet is and consuming it are two different things. We are so acclimated to the modern diet that the notion of eating raw meat, for example, is nauseating to most. Nevertheless, as evidenced by primitive (but nutritionally advanced) peoples, raw meat and organs can be eaten with great nutritional benefit to humans, and they are totally digestible and nontoxic. Some cultures even bury raw meats and let them rot (ferment) and then consume them with gusto. These societies are robustly healthy until modern foods encroach. Then, like a dirty bathtub ring, modern degenerative diseases decimate those people at the periphery in contact with modern foods.

It would be very difficult today to achieve the ideal raw, natural diet. But if the basic principle is kept in mind it helps remind us of our origins and points us to the appropriate, genetically adapted-to foods.

This does not mean no processed or cooked foods should be eaten. It simply means that consistently doing so will stress the body’s genetic capabilities and will ultimately result in less than optimal health.

Look around the grocery store (usually the outside aisles) and consider what it is that could be eaten in its natural state. Increase the proportion of those foods. Processed foods should be chosen that compromise natural principles the least and are as close to nature as possible. They should be whole foods, packaged carefully to protect nutrient value and be free of synthetics, refined oils and sugars.

For example, whole milk yogurt that has not been homogenized or pasteurized is ideal. The same thing pasteurized would be next best. The same thing pasteurized and homogenized next. Worst would be non-fat, pasteurized, homogenized, artificially flavored and sugared yogurt (which is, of course, what the majority eat because it tastes most like what they are used to – candy).

Eat the best foods you can find in variety and moderation and you will be doing the best that can be done.

There, you have in a nutshell what has taken me decades of research, study and thinking to discover. It is simple and obvious, but that is the way of all great truths.

For further reading, or for more information about, Dr Wysong and the Wysong Corporation please visit www.wysong.net or write to wysong@wysong.net. For resources on healthier foods for people including snacks, and breakfast cereals please visit www.cerealwysong.com.

Dr. Wysong: A former veterinary clinician and surgeon, college instructor in human anatomy, physiology and the origin of life, inventor of numerous medical, surgical, nutritional, athletic and fitness products and devices, research director for the present company by his name and founder of the philanthropic Wysong Institute. http://www.wysong.net. Also check out http://www.cerealwysong.com.

Car Loans Australia

Sunday, May 16th, 2010

Balloon payments possibly will be an option on your finance package, which is like a deposit in reverse, payable by the closing stages of the full stop.   This is widely held by individuals car title loans whose proceeds will multiply finished the full stop, and they will be in a better fiscal status to disburse a lump sum in 3 – 5 years while. This too results in either a hand down monthly refund or a shorter refund phrase. If you are purchasing a used car, your Car Title Loans Los Angeles finance attract duty can be priced very differently according to the finance company and the age of your car. Many will charge senior credit duty, and the current good name puzzle has untouched the outlook of many lenders to unsecured car loans in item. Many nix longer offer unsecured car finance due to the increased danger in the current efficient climate. However, they are still accessible, and approximately car credit brokers can ensure you search out the preeminent unsecured car credit accessible. Popular addition to the car loans attract duty, you be supposed to too evaluate the fees charged, since Collateral Loans they can take in a great outlay in favor of you in advance you search out the credit. You can now and again include insurance, registration and other expenses in the available credit, but with an unsecured car financing you necessity include the expenses on top of the amount on loan.

Food is Your Best Medicine or Your Poison

Thursday, May 13th, 2010

Food is your best medicine. Or, more accurately, the right food choices can be powerful medicine for the mind and body. A lot of people are aware of this to one degree or another, but they don’t always act on the knowledge or use it to their benefit in the fullest extent. Everything we put into our body has an effect of one kind or another. Junk foods, refined food, processed foods, foods high in sugar or laden with pesticides, herbicides, preservatives and additives… these all tend to have an adverse effect on the health and wellness of our body both physically and emotionally. Healthy foods that were given to us by Mother Nature, like whole fruits and vegetables, herbs and nuts and seeds can be much more than excellent sources of vitamins and nutrition. Many of them, can also help us fight or prevent a wide variety of health conditions or syndromes and some may even prevent or cure diseases.

Many people are beginning to realize how important their choices in foods really are as more and more research is being done to explore the impact foods have on our health. It is estimated that at least one third of American adults will now try to address their health concerns by using food. However, instead of just looking at how nutritious the foods are or whether they are low in bad fats, people have started looking at the bigger picture. They’re now buying foods which will help contribute to their overall level of health instead of looking for one miracle food that will heal everything.

For many years, health researchers were focused on trying to identify which primary constituent in a food was responsible for it’s healthy properties. In time, what became apparent is that there is no one miracle constituent. The best health and wellness benefits from food come from a variety of elements within each particular food. Isolating just one factor won’t give you the same results as eating the whole food will, and this is why there are no true miracle drugs or vitamins on the market to buy. If you want all the health benefits that garlic or blueberries have to offer for example, then you need to actually eat the garlic and berries on a regular basis.

Hundreds of studies also reveal that it isn’t just one food all by itself that is the healthiest, the nutrients in food work together to promote health and heal chronic health conditions. So it is now understood that eating a wide variety of healthy foods is much more important than one or two independently. For example, combining the healing benefits of carrots, broccoli and garlic is much more beneficial than just one. Eating a balanced meal that contains meat, complex carbohydrates, vegetables and fruit is healthier than one of them alone.

We know without a doubt, that the types of foods we eat plays a vital a role in maintaining optimal mental and physical health and it is also critical for helping to prevent and heal chronic health problems, diseases, and syndromes.

On the other hand, a food that is your best medicine for one person can also be a poison for another. We are each unique biochemically and metabolically. Different people need different things. It all depends on your particular body chemistry. Additionally, different illnesses, conditions or diseases have a different impact on nutritional needs and may result in limits that a healthier person doesn’t face.

For example, a diet that is healthy and beneficial for someone with diabetes may be completely different from someone living with asthma. Some body types do well with a vegetarian, raw or macrobiotic diet, while other body types need meat protein to function optimally and do best with steamed veggies.

Although certain dietary guidelines like removing sugar, white flour, caffeine, pesticides, herbicides, food additives and preservative will be beneficial to us all, other factors are more individualized. Part of designing a healthy diet is getting to know your body and what it needs. There is not a “one size fits all diet” and not all foods are created equally. Your diet should take into account the following factors:

- your overall level of health
- health conditions you may have
- what are you trying to achieve
- the integrity of your gastrointestinal tract
- food allergies or food sensitivities

One of the problems that many people face, is that they don’t really know there bodies or what it needs. Approximately 80% of the population has undiagnosed food sensitivities that they are not aware of. Hidden food sensitivities are often at the root of many health conditions or syndromes as well as psychological symptoms.

So, for example, garlic or whole grains may be a Superfood for a person without sensitivities, but for another person with undiagnosed sensitivities, it can unknowingly be the root of their arthritis, migraine, sinus congestion, heart burn, headaches, irritable bowel, fatigue, chronic pain, insomnia or even depression, anxiety, hyperactivity or autism and more.

A person without sensitivities may derive benefits for their colon with a diet rich in whole grains, while someone who is sensitive to gluten or grains may find that these foods are at their root of their irritable bowel or gas and bloating.

One person can thrive and benefit from the vitamins and minerals in fruits high in sugar, while for another it may be the cause of their anxiety attacks and depression.

It is crucial when choosing the foods you will include in your diet, to know which foods are the best choices for you and your body. Food is your best medicine, but only when it meets your unique biochemical and metabolic needs. By designing a diet that is right for your body chemistry, you can make significant improvements in your physical and psychological health.

Cynthia Perkins, M.Ed. is an author and holistic health counselor providing no hype, straight forward, down to earth, honest talk about holistic health, natural health and green living to improve or protect your mental and physical health. Visit her site for more free holistic health care tips or ask her a question at Holistic Health Talk Blog.

Why It’s Important – ‘best By’ Date on Pet Foods..

Wednesday, May 12th, 2010

A recent article posted on The Consumerist website brings up a very good point (and lesson) that pet owners should take note of…

The article comes from a pet owner whose Yorkie became ill, and after a couple of days in the vet’s office, the owner looked at her Eukanuba canned food and realized it had expired 3 years ago. When she checked the cupboard she discovered several other cans of dog food – all recently purchased at PetCo – had expiration dates from 2004. 

What happened to this pet owner (and pet) can easily happen to anyone. How many times have you purchased something and never looked at the expiration date? 

With pet food – somewhere on the can or bag, usually on the side or back of the bag – is the ‘Best By’ date. With most of the manufacturers that I have spoken with, this date does NOT mean the food is officially expired – it just means that the food does not provide the nutrition as stated in the Guaranteed Analysis. The ‘best’ nutrition for your pet has expired – but again in most cases – per what the manufacturers tell me – the food is still ‘good’. 

Shelf life is one of the questions I ask manufacturers about and provide in Petsumer Report. It varies greatly from manufacturer to manufacturer. The shelf life of dry pet foods can vary from 4 months to 3 years – canned and/or pouched products vary from 1 year to 5 years. Treats usually have the same shelf life as the manufacturer’s dry food – but just to keep things confusing, that can vary too. The ‘Best By’ date provided on the food – does NOT tell you how old the product is – it does NOT tell you when the food was manufactured. It only tells you the date that particular manufacturer has determined the food no longer provides the pet with the proper nutrition. While some ingredients in the food might still provide adequate nutrition – other ingredients have faded over time. 

All pet foods that are naturally preserved begin to lose their nutritional value almost immediately after they are made. This is the drawback to natural preservatives (but the ONLY drawback – you ONLY want naturally preserved pet foods and treats for your pet ). So the challenge is to find a pet food that is very fresh. Our friends at AAFCO (American Association of Feed Control Officials – rule makers of the pet food industry) have made that a little difficult for pet owners – adding to the challenge. Pet food manufacturers are not required to put the date the pet food was manufactured on the bag or can – ONLY the date that particular manufacturer has determined the food no longer is ‘best’. As I stated above – it varies a great deal from product to product – manufacturer to manufacturer. 

So here’s what you can do to assure your pet is eating ONLY fresh food – providing the best that product offers…

Call the manufacturer and ask them what the shelf life is for their dry foods and/or canned foods. Let’s say ABC Pet Food Company tells you that the shelf life of their Premium ABC dry foods is 18 months and their Premium ABC canned/pouched foods is 2 years. With that information – you then look at the ‘Best By’ date on the product. As an example, if the best by date on the dry dog food you are considering says June 2008 – knowing that ABC told you 18 months for dry food, you would know that the food was made in January of 2007. Using today’s date – October 20, 2007 – this would tell you this particular bag of ABC dry dog food is 10 months old. 

With a canned food – the ABC canned cat food best by date is also June 2008. This would tell you that this can was made in June 2006 and thus it would be 14 months old in October 2007. 

Most of the time, when pet owners look at the ‘best by’ date and they see June 2008 – they think ‘this is good – this food still has 8 months until it expires’. I was guilty of this until I learned the differences too. But the bigger picture needs to be explained. 

Using my above examples – I would NOT purchase a dry dog or cat food that was already 10 months old. Ideally – dry foods should be four months or less old and you should use them within a two month time frame. Again, with any naturally preserved dry product – the nutritional value starts to deteriorate almost immediately. Fresh is best. I would recommend purchasing and using the food within six months of manufacturing. Storing the food in an air tight container will help keep the food fresher after opening the bag – providing your pet with more quality nutrition. With canned products – it’s a different ballgame. You definitely want to purchase and use the food before the best by date expires – but the quality of the nutrition is protected by the canning process. Any unused opened can must be covered and stored in the refrigerator and used within a couple of days.

Call your pet food’s manufacturer and ask them the shelf life of dry foods and canned foods. I know it’s a chore, just one more thing you have to do and look out for – but it is very important. You want what you pay for – quality nutrition for your pet – and a fresh product will provide that (of course you have to pay attention to ingredients too – but that is a whole different subject!). Get yourself into the habit of looking at the ‘Best By’ date BEFORE you purchase the pet food and or treat. Your effort will not only provide your pet with better nutrition – getting yourself into the habit of looking at the expiration date could just save you from an experience similar to the pet owner mentioned in the beginning of this article – and a sick pet.

Wishing you and your pet the best,

Susan Thixton

Susan Thixton has worked in the pet industry for over 20 years helping thousands of pet owners enjoy a better life with their pets. She’s produced an award winning dog training video, published the tell all book ‘Truth About Pet Food’ and currently publishes the very first online pet products review magazine Petsumer Report. Pet owners world wide subscribe to her site’s free Truth About Pet Food newsletter. Archived newsletters and articles can be read in the Paws Club section of the site. www.TruthAboutPetFood.com

A Guide to Dog Food

Monday, May 10th, 2010

Dog food is the animal or plant material that is used for consumption by dogs or canines. Dog treats are the special type of foods that are given as a reward to the pet, and not as a regular diet. Many people buy the readymade dog food, but few prefer to make their own dog food as per the pet’s individual requirement, and using best quality ingredients. Best diet for dogs has always been a controversial topic. Some people argue that dogs have been thriving on scraps and leftovers from their masters for several years, others feel that commercial dog food is the best choice, and few believe that commercial foods contain additives, poor-quality meats and many other ingredients that pets should not ingest, and hence they must be fed the most natural diet.

Commercial Dog Food

Most of the pet foods available in the market are either in a dry form, known as kibble, or in the wet form. Dry dog food is more convenient for the owners, is much cheaper, and can be left out for several days. Canned food becomes unappetizing after few hours, but it has a longer shelf life, and it also contains more fat and protein as compared to dry dog food.

These days, many types of dog foods are available in the market, and some of the common alternative dog foods include frozen, dehydrated, fresh and homemade foods. Freeze-dried or frozen food comes in cooked or raw form. It skips the processing stage, hence preserving the nutritional integrity.

You can see that there’s practical value in learning more about dog food. Can you think of ways to apply what’s been covered so far?

Refrigerated or fresh dog food is produced through the pasteurization of fresh ingredients. After slightly cooking, the products are quickly sealed in the vacuum package, and refrigerated till served. Homemade dog food usually comes in the bucket type package, and is preferred by many dog owners for their pets. These diets contain raw or cooked meat, pureed vegetables, ground bone, multivitamin supplements and taurine supplements. Some of these dog foods use the vitamins specifically engineered for dogs, and other use the human vitamin supplements.

Most of the commercial dog foods contain the materials that are considered undesirable or unusable by some authorities and dog owners. Some of these ingredients include grain by-products, meat-and-bone meals, horse meat and so on. Cheaper canine foods usually have less meat, and more grain fillers and animal by-products.

There are also special dog foods that are formulated for the dogs allergic to common ingredients such as wheat, corn or chicken. These foods have substitute uncommon starches and novel proteins.

Many people believe that animals living in the wild eat the natural diet, and such diet is most ideally suited for them. These pet owners are usually opposed to the commercial pet foods, and try to mimic the natural diet for their canines.

There’s no doubt that the topic of dog food can be fascinating. If you still have unanswered questions about dog food, you may find what you’re looking for in the next article.

Rolf Joho is the owner of Internet InfoMedia and writes on a variety of subjects. For further information, go to => Dog Food.

5 Tips to Avoid Food Related Illnesses

Tuesday, May 4th, 2010

According to the FDA food borne illnesses are killing our family members at the alarming rate of 13 men, women and children per day. Not only are the foods we’re eating unsound nutritionally, but they’re also causing deadly diseases such as Hepatitis A, Listeriosis, Salmonella & Dysentery

It’s appalling that this is happening in our country every single day in this day and age.

Young children, the elderly and anyone with a weakened immune system suffer the greatest risk; however most of the above mentioned illnesses are of great risk to all of us. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that roughly 76 million people in the United States suffer food borne illnesses each year, 300,000 are hospitalized and 5,000 die. According to the CDC children younger than the age of 4 are sickened by food more than those in any other age group, but adults over age 50 suffer more hospitalizations and death as a result of food-related infections.

Food recalls and food related illnesses and deaths have increased nationwide. Food was meant to nourish our bodies; our food safety system needs to be reinvented to fit the needs of today. It’s time to rethink what we’re doing and understand why the current system is not working.

The New York Times recently quoted Dr. David Acheson, associate commissioner for foods at the FDA to say “The system needs to be modernized to address the challenges and changes of the globalization of the food supply and rapid distribution chains” and Dr. Stephen Sundlof (director of the agency’s’ food center) stated “As supply chains get longer and longer, there’s more opportunity to introduce contaminants that have a public health effect.”

Having the variety of foods we have available to us is wonderful, but the truth is that we’ve gotten spoiled. It used to be if you didn’t grow it or couldn’t buy it locally you did without it. We’re not willing to do that now; we’re not willing to make sacrifices to help ourselves, our communities, our environment or our economy. We are an instant gratification, quick fix, feel good society…but at what cost? You can change some of this, but only if you’re willing to be part of the solution.

Eating and buying locally grown and raised foods will ensure safe foods. The reason local foods will be by far the safest is because these growers are feeding these foods to their own families. Organic meats, fruits, vegetables, herbs, wine etc. can be found closer than you think…Here are 5 helpful tips to help you live a longer, healthier, safer life…

1. Plant a garden-You can construct a garden no matter how small or large an area you have. A Cinder Block garden is the easiest system I know of. You’ll use less fertilizer, less water, less tools and will produce a bountiful harvest in any size area. Buy cinder blocks to fit the area you’ll use, mix up a “no fail” soil and plant away-no drainage problems, no weeds, no failure. Row gardens are traditional but they take a lot of work, weeding, fertilizing, tilling etc. There’s also Container gardening, great for small areas (even apartment dwellers). Any style or size container you can think of will work; you’ll just need to adjust each container you use to be plant friendly. Drainage, soil, moisture levels etc. will all need to be watched closely and adjusted regularly until you find what works best.

2. Buy locally grown food-Shop at your local farmers markets, co-op, food shed, or health food store. Ask where your food was grown and if it’s pesticide free. You may not even realize how many growers are within 100 miles of your home. Do your homework, they’re out there. I guarantee it.

3. Join a Co-Op-If you don’t have a lot of time or space to plant your own, or would rather share the gardening experience, join or start a co-op. Co-ops are great because it’s a community project that you can participate in and benefit from.

4. Read labels-The little stickers on every piece of fruit and vegetable you purchase tells you exactly where it came from and how it was grown. Labels with four digits indicate conventionally grown food (using pesticides). Labels with five digits starting with an 8 indicate that the food is genetically modified (stay away from these at all costs…Genetically Modified Organisms are by far the worst foods to consume). Labels with five digits starting with a 9 indicate that the food is organically grown (without using pesticides).

5. Educate yourself-Subscribe to community newsletters. Know where your food comes from. Buy locally grown foods within a 100 mile radius of your home. Share your knowledge and speak up when it comes to asking questions or voicing your concerns about foods you and your family will be eating.

Be aware of the dangers that inhabit your cupboards, refrigerators, lunch boxes and grocery stores…Plant a garden and grow your own, otherwise buy local, buy fresh, buy organic…

Carmella lives in beautiful Western Colorado with her hubby, 3 grown children, and 6 grand children, while growing a cinder block garden of her own. Carmella also supports the locavore movement and believes that if everyone had a garden, no one would ever go hungry and suggests you build and enjoy your very own cinder block garden.

The Right Dog Food Will Keep Your Pet Happy

Saturday, May 1st, 2010

If you want your dogs to remain happy and content then you have to feed them with the best dog food. This in turn means that you will have to consider a few things that will help you pick the best foods for your dog, especially when you are planning on buying dry dog food. Though it is quite possible that your dog(s) might not have any preference between dry and wet dog foods it still pays to see which type your dog loves the most. In case of most dogs they do tend to be picky and so you have to use trial and error methods to establish which kind your dog loves the best.

Regulate His Diet

It is also a good idea to ensure feeding your dog with regulated diet so that you can choose certain dog foods that the dog will relish and eat happily. It also means avoiding feeding him with human food as this can give rise to numerous health concerns including stomach aches and obesity as too problems with behavior.

Another important consideration related to dog food is that you must ensure feeding him according to his body weight and for more information you must check the dog food label to see how much of a portion is safe for feeding your pet dog. Even when starting your pet on a new dog food it pays to start off slowly to ensure that the food goes down well with your dog and does not make him feel sick.

If you want your pet to feed on moist food you can add a little water to his dry dog food and get the desired results though be careful that by adding water to his food, it can spoil the smell of his food. And, after having fed your pet dog it is also necessary that you ensure that he gets his fair share of exercise so that he remains in shape.

It pays to also select dog food that has enough vitamin content as this will help to create a shinier coat and his nails too will grow stronger. When picking his food, you should check the major dog food brands which are well known for having a lot of nutritious content and which also come in many flavors that will appeal to your dog’s senses. Some dog lamb accompanied by rice is OK for your dog.

Choosing the right dog food can often be confusing because of the different ingredients used as too because of the terminology used. There are also foods that are suited for puppies and those that are suited for larger sized dog breeds and you will also come across foods that help control your pet’s weight and there are also wellness dog foods that suit pets that have allergies or some other kind of health problems.

Times have indeed changed since the beginning of the nineteenth century before which dogs generally subsisted on wheat, bread and barley and rye. Only rarely did dog owners feed their dogs with meat. During the nineteenth century feeding dogs with meat was something that signified the dog owner’s status – that is until the first dog food was introduced in the year 1860 when in England an American called James Spratt founded his own dog food company.

Since then dog food has become big business and of course many changes have taken place in what we can and cannot feed our pets. The fifties saw the advent of dry dog food and today there is much variety in the type of commercially produced dog food that is available on the market.

The bottom line is that you should only feed your dog the correct type and amount of food. For a ten pound dog it is necessary that he gets 850 calories on a daily basis; for a twenty pound dog the number of calories should not exceed 1400 per day while a thirty pound dog must not be fed more than 1800 calories on a daily basis and a fifty pound dog should get at most 2700 calories per day.

Rolf Joho is owner of Internet InfoMedia and writes on a variety of subjects. For more Dog Food questions visit: Dog Food