Tag: Nutrition

Dandelion Root Coffee

Dandelion Root Coffee

 

Author

 

  1. Find dandelions which should be easy. The best plants are at least two years old because big roots are the best. Autumn is a good time to harvest as they have been storing nutrition in the roots all summer.
  2. Dig up dandelion roots using a narrow trowel or you can use a shovel to loosen the roots. If there is not enough in your lawn, go to a country place where weed killers are not used. Best not to go to city parks as they often do use weed killers.
  3. Soak the roots in water to loosen the soil.
  4. Wash the dandelion roots to remove all of the soil; you can use a vegetable brush.
  5. Then rinse them well.
  6. Cut the roots off just below the tops. Save the flowers and leaves.

The leaves are nutritious; they can be steamed or small amounts added to a salad. The flowers can be made into dandelion syrup and pancakes.

 

  1. Rinse the roots well outside to get rid of most of the soil.
  2. Slice the roots into sections.
  3. Chop up the roots coarsely.
  4. Spread the chopped roots thinly on cookie sheet.
  5. Roast in at 275 degrees Fahrenheit for about 2 hours.*
  6. They are ready when the roots are dark brown the colour of coffee beans. Take care not to burn them.
  7.  Store roasted roots in an airtight container in a very cool place until you are ready to make dandelion coffee.
  8.  Grind them up in a coffee grinder and brew them just like you would with coffee grounds.
  9.  2 Tbsp of grounds for 3 cups off beverage.
  10.  Add the grounds to simmering water and simmer while covered for 7–15 minutes.
  11.  Serve with your choice of milk (almond, rice, soy, cows, goats) and sweetener of your choice.

* Alternatively you can dry roast the dandelion root after it is fully dry and chopped in a frying pan (cast iron pan is best) until it has become dark brown

Food Can Nourish the Spirit

Food Can Nourish the Spirit

by Sarah Cooke

Today, a friend and I had a conversation about the role that relationships  can play in our enjoyment of food. For example, when I prepare dishes using my  mother’s recipes, the flavor is the same but the experience is often less  fulfilling than enjoying a meal she has prepared for me. Similarly, when I  prepare a meal for my fiancé and myself, I often enjoy the dish more than I do  when I am the only one eating.

It is not only the flavor of a dish or the quality of the ingredients that  contributes to our enjoyment. It is the energy surrounding the food – and the  consumption of it. When a meal is prepared and eaten with love,  it is generally more enjoyable.

Yes, this phenomenon can lead to emotional  eating when we try to recreate the positive memories and feelings associated  with particular foods. But it also has the potential to be quite beneficial.  When we enjoy food on the level of the spirit, we are often more likely to feel  more fulfilled, meaning we consume fewer empty calories than we do when we eat  processed foods, which are less fulfilling. When we eat processed food, we often  must eat more to feel fulfilled. In addition, when we learn to appreciate the  deep, emotional nourishment that food can offer us in a balanced way, we are  likely to choose high quality foods that can offer that kind of sustenance.

 

Celestial Homemade Food for Cats

The feline has emerged through the stages of evolution as an obligate carnivore, which means that all cats, from the domestic house cat to the Bengal tiger, are creatures whose carnivorous nature is 100 percent dependent on their species-specific diet: fresh raw prey. Everything about the cat, from its unique physiology to its behavior, demonstrates that what it needs to achieve optimum health depends on fulfilling its strict dietary requirements.

The Carnivore’s Teeth
A cat’s mouth contains four long teeth called canines at the front of the jaws. He has sharp serrated teeth at the back of the jaw, which are used to grasp and tear the meat from the bones. These teeth contain an array of pressure-sensitive nerves. When a cat grips a mouse with his canines, his teeth find the space between the mouse’s vertebrae and deliver a quick, clean, killing bite. Remember, in the wild, the cat only gets to eat and feed its young when they win the battle and manage not to have dinner whisked away by another predator. Survival of the fittest is the law of the jungle even if the jungle is your own home.

The cat, both large and small gets its nutritional needs met secondhand through the prey animal! It serves as a kind of processing plant for everything the feline needs nutritionally. The cat has myriad receptors for certain chemicals found in their meal of raw meat. Cats can taste if their meat is fresh killed, or if it comes from the meat department of your local health food store. Cats know (in their brain stem and cerebellum, which govern instinctual survival behaviors and thinking) whether the prey is a minute or a day from its end. They may even be able to detect how the prey died if they didn’t kill it themselves.

Cats, if given the choice, would prefer their mice (as it is the natural diet of our cats) to our modern store bought meat, but I am not suggesting that you turn your house cats out into the wild and allow them to fend for themselves as for sure it’s a jungle out there today. A mouse in your house may seem like a golden opportunity to test your cat’s natural instincts. But please note that many house mice have ingested rat poison, and field mice can carry infectious diseases and parasites.

DRY FOOD: ONE CONVENIENCE YOU CAN DO WITHOUT
When cats first began to live with humans and rely on us for their food, they took a huge and risky step. This is because the feline is completely dependent on his prey for his nutrients. The feline has discarded many important biochemical mechanisms that would allow adaptation to other foods (such as carbohydrates, which in nature would only be found in their predigested form in the prey animal’s gut). The feline is bound by his obligate carnivore nature, and he thrives only on meat based foods. Why then do we see so many carbohydrates in commercial pet food?

Unfortunately, real meat is very expensive for commercial pet food makers to use, and they must limit their costs to make a profit. Since we don’t care about their profit margi, we can learn to make our own food for cats instead!

You may still be asking why it’s so important to feed a diet that mimics what they would eat in the wild. Isn’t dry food the best for cats? Let’s keep in mind that dry food, which many people have become addicted to feeding, as well as the cats themselves, because it may have seemed convenient, but there’s been a terrible trade-off: your cat’s health and well-being. If good nutrition is compromised, your cat is likely to develop one of the following dry-food-related syndromes such as: obesity, diabetes, chronic vomiting, constipation, chronic diarrhea, hepatic lipidosis (liver failure), pancreatitis, arthritis, heart disease, asthma, allergies, inflammatory bowel disease, chronic renal failure, lower urinary tract disease, hyperthyroidism, high blood pressure, Viral conjunctivitis, skin and coat problems, and of course cancer.

And what about feline obesity?
Thanks to the free feeding of dry food, nearly 50 percent of cats in the United States and Europe are overweight. Obesity is a contributing factor to nearly all of the diet-related diseases listed above. Fat cells produce inflammation, and chronic inflammation ultimately produces disease. Cats require a steady supply, just like us humans of Omega 3′s from marine lipids to keep inflammation at bay.

Free-choice feeding of dry food (pouring it into a bowl and leaving it out all day) is without a doubt the single biggest factor affecting our cats’ weight. Getting cats off dry food and onto their species appropriate diet of raw meat, raw bones and state of the art supplements including cold extracted, organic Omega 3′s is the key to weight control.

How does a farmer fatten his cattle? The answer is by feeding lots of low fat grain!
In most mammals, carbohydrate digestion begins in the mouth with the enzyme amylase that is secreted in saliva; you have to chew for a while to distribute the enzyme. Not only do cats lack salivary amylase, they don’t chew! Cats, after they shred, tear, and bone crush, swallow their food in large chunks. Cats have no dietary need for carbohydrates (except as young kittens, which is why there is lactose in the mother cats milk). Most other mammals (humans included) use carbohydrates as their bodies “highest octane” fuel. For these animals, the energy system is based on an enzyme called glucokinase, which we think of as the feast or famine mechanism. This system is used by athletes who “carbo-load” (eat a big pasta dinner the night before an event). The glucokinase system is kicked into high gear, sending a massive dose of energy to the body, which in the athlete’s case is stored in the liver and muscles as glycogen. The day of the race, the body has extra glycogen to use as fuel–a big advantage for the athlete.

Cats do not operate on the glucokinase enzyme system; they use protein and fat directly for energy. The small amount of carbohydrate they get in their natural diet is handled by hexokinase, an enzyme system that cannot speed up to handle large meals or slow down during a fasting interval.

When fed carbs such as those found in nearly all dry foods and many canned as well, cats store them primarily as fat, not glycogen. The purpose of carbohydrates in commercial cat foods is a source of “energy,” which simply means calories and is also just a cheap filler to save money on meat.

For cats, these carbs are empty calories. This is why cats that eat dry food so often get fat! Just like Farmer John fattens his cattle on the low fat grains!

The cat uses dietary fat and protein for energy; if these are not supplied, it must break down fat and protein stored within its own body. Be he wild or tame, large or small, the cat’s basic structure and function have not changed through the ages.

ESSENTIAL NUTRIENTS FOR CATS
When preparing a homemade raw food diet, it’s vital to remember that cats cannot live on just meat alone. There are many case histories of unfortunate cats who suffered and died from being fed only meat (or fish or liver). As an example, there is virtually no calcium in meat. A cat fed a meat-only diet must satisfy its calcium requirement by stealing from its own bones and ultimately can fracture a leg just walking across a room.

Using the prey animal as our model, and taking into account the vitamins and minerals found not only in its meat but its blood, bones, glands, and organs, we can formulate a balanced homemade diet for our cats without the help of a pet food company! There are several nutrients found only in meat and organs that the cat must get from the diet and are the key to its status as an obligatory carnivore. Our feline diet, must include the following very specific nutrients that other carnivores, such as dogs, meerkats, raccoons, and bears, do not require.

Before going on to discuss the species specific nutrient requirements for cats, I must address “the elephant in the room” because everyone of us humans can decide for ourselves through our own research or philosophy what is the best diet we can eat ourselves but this is not the case for our carnivore companions, who live under our control in our homes. We need to face the fact whether we like it or not that cats are not vegetarians!

If you are vegan or vegetarian and you want a vegetarian animal companion that you can feed according to your personal philosophy, you can get a rabbit, rodent, bird, or goldfish–but please do not feed a carnivore a vegetable based diet. If you want to share your life and home with a cat, you need to honor his “obligate carnivore” nature which has been his birthright for 20,000,000 uninterrupted years of evolution. A non-meat-based diet is not appropriate for a cat. A vegetarian diet will leave your cat malnourished with no reserve to fight injury, stress, or disease no matter how earnest the formulator of the vegetable based diet is. I know vets who would not even perform surgery on a cat fed a vegan diet because they may not survive and if they do won’t heal well. So please give your personal philosophy a good think when it comes to the feeding of a cat.

 

TAURINE
The amino acid taurine is essential for the health of cats eyes, skin and especially their hearts. We find taurine abundantly in their mother’s milk and then in rich supply in muscles, eyes, and brain. The prey animal’s heart is a muscle, this is a good source of taurine. Unlike dogs, cats cannot manufacture taurine from other amino acids, and they depend on a steady stream of it in their meaty meals. Taurine is not found in plants. Remember that the prey animal is the processing plant for the cat’s nutritional needs. Pet food companies supplement with taurine and I include extra taurine in my homemade recipe, even though it is found in abundance in the raw meat. I feel it is such a critical nutrient for cats that I prefer to err on the side of safety and just add some extra to their food.

Before pet food manufacturers added taurine to their prepared foods, thousands of cats died of heart failure due to taurine deficiency. Isn’t it amazing that they advertised their food to be 100% balanced even then? They found out the hard way that their cooking and processing destroyed taurine’s bioavailability. Because taurine is found in between muscle cells, it is often lost in the meat grinding process. When meat is defrosted and the blood drained off much of the taurine is lost this way as well.

ARGININE
Another amino acid essential for cats is arginine. Mammals use arginine in one pathway to metabolize ammonia, a toxic waste product of protein digestion. Only the feline relies on arginine as its sole pathway for this reaction. A single low arginine meal will poison a cat on its own wastes, causing it to drool, stumble, and possibly seizure or die. Its mother’s milk and meat are the cat’s natural source of arginine.

VITAMIN A
Vitamin A is a feline requirement that can’t be met by beta-carotene as it can in dogs. If you feed your cat carrots, he won’t be able to get any vitamin A out of them. There is no pre-formed vitamin A in carrots; only beta-carotene, which cats cannot convert. Cats get their vitamin A needs met through their processing plant, the prey animal. The prey’s liver is a rich source of pre-formed vitamin A.

VITAMIN D
People can turn precursors into biologically active vitamin D via the skin when it is exposed to sunlight. Cats love to spend hours laying in the sun, but they do not get any vitamin D this way because they do not have the right enzymes in their skin.

The prey animal’s liver is the cats’ natural source of vitamin D.

NIACIN
Niacin, also known as vitamin B3, plays many roles throughout the body, including production of hydrochloric acid, formation of red blood cells, and generation of energy from foods. Most animals can make niacin in their own bodies from tryptophan, which we find in meat and the mother cat’s milk. Cats have a very high need for niacin; they cannot create enough on their own and must consume it daily.

ARACHADONIC ACID
Arachadonic acid is a fatty acid essential for cats, arachadonic acid plays an important role in maintaining healthy skin and coat. It’s critical in reproduction and in healthy kidney function. Most animals can convert linoleic acid, which is found in animal fats and healthy oils, into arachadonic acid. Cats cannot manufacture arachadonic acid, which they primarily get from organ meats, such as heart, liver, and kidney. Cooking meat degrades arachadonic acid.

LOVE
Love, although I have listed it last is certainly not least! As far as I am concerned it is the most important component in our homemade species specific feline diet! When we add love as an ingredient while making our cats’ food, we are actually doing something quite scientific.

A series of experiments studied rabbits that were fed a high-cholesterol diet (and there is much debate on the cholesterol issue these days but that is another discussion) intended to cause atherosclerosis. One group of rabbits received standard lab animal care (fresh food and water but minimal handling) while another group received daily visits from an experimenter who petted, handled, played with, and talked to the rabbits, essentially making them pets. The pet rabbits, who ate the same food as the other experimental rabbits–and whose blood cholesterol levels, heart rate, and blood pressure were also the same00had 60 percent less damage to their arteries. Hmmmm, me thinks love is pretty essential but how much love went into the making of that food at the pet food factory or goes into opening a can of food or tearing open a bag of kibble in our homes?

 

THE RAW FACTOR: AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT IN YOUR CAT’S FOOD
Many people become very squeamish when they first hear about feeding raw meat and raw bones. Remember that this would be the cat’s choice in the wild, if they were given one. Now that cats live with us in our homes, we have removed that choice and forced them to eat things they would never find in the natural world, like kibble! There are no kibble bushes out side for them to graze on!

Bacteria and parasites found in raw meat mandate safe meat handling procedures (by humans). The cat itself has its own natural defenses. First, saliva contains an enzyme called lysozyme that attacks bacteria and other pathogens as the raw meat enters their mouth. After this, any remaining contaminants must pass through the cat’s extremely acidic stomach where the vast majority of bacteria are killed. The cat’s very short small intestine pushes the raw meat through their system quickly so invaders cannot get a foothold. (The cat’s body length-to-digestive tract ratio is only 1:4, compared to 1:6 for the dog and human, 1:12 for the horse, and 1:20 for the cow.) Another great bit of information for why it is imperative to feed cats raw meat! This short intestinal tract is one of the hallmarks of a carnivore.

Finally, the undigested portion of the food passes through the large intestine, where competition from normal resident bacteria protects against invaders. These defenses destroy approximately 98 percent of bacteria such as Salmonella.

Freezing raw meat for seventy-two hours at 24°F (-4°C) kills protozoal parasites such as Toxoplasma. While it’s true that bacteria aren’t affected by freezing, consider that a mother cat licks the backsides of her kittens, and she ingests what comes out of them for several weeks following their birth. Cats lick their own bacteria-laden backsides and bodies for the rest of their lives, so you can appreciate the natural cleansing ability of the cat. However, depending on the health of your cat, you should proceed cautiously to introduce a home-made diet. If your cat is extremely immune compromised by cancer or another serious condition, you may need to begin by cooking the meat a little bit at first and proceed to the ultimate goal of 100% raw with your vets approval.

A PROPERLY PREPARED HOMEMADE DIET
Okay, now you have decided for all the right reasons to make your own cat food. You may have performed independent research or perused some books, hopefully my own Complete Guide to Holistic Cat Care, which I co-authored with Jean Hofve, DVM.

Be cautious about some diets you might find on line and the recipes found in pet “cookbooks” as many of these are not complete or balanced nor have they been adequately tested over long periods of time on multi-generations of felines. Serious problems can arise from simply feeding raw meat without bones or bonemeal for a source of calcium. The feline diet needs to consist of raw meat, organ/glandular meat and raw bones/bonemeal, but also whole food supplements that provide all necessary nutrients, including vitamins, minerals (besides calcium), trace minerals, co-factors, healthy fats, enzymes, amino acids, pro-biotics and possibly a few other super-nutrients which may be helpful for individual conditions. Please don’t add a human supplement without clearing its ingredients because several super foods such as alpha-lipoic acid and resveratrol are dangerous for cats.

Here is the diet that I raised 11 generations of my beloved Tonkinese Cats on for nearly 20 years with incredible health results as the reward for this effort.

 

MY CELESTIAL RAW MEAT AND RAW BONE RECIPE
YIELD: Approximately two to four days worth of food for an average ten-pound (4.5 k) adult cat. Increase for kittens and pregnant or lactating queens who require more meals per day.

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. (0.45 kg) raw coarse ground, or diced beef or poultry, up to 25 percent fat (Do not use pork or fish) Try lamb, venison, elk, bison, ostrich, quail, and alternate and/or combine meats for variety if you wish.

1⁄4 lb. (100 g) raw diced organic, organ meat, such as liver, kidney, heart, and gizzard, spleen, etc. (turkey, chicken, beef, or lamb).

8 ounces (250 ml) purified water combined with 4 drops of grapefruit seed extract (GSE) liquid concentrate.

2 level tablespoons (20 g) of a feline supplement vitamin/mineral mix, made for a homemade raw meat diet which contains organic bone meal preferably from New Zealand. Note: Cut the amount of feline supplement in half if using bone-in ground meat or just add a pinch of organic spirulina and/or cholorella. Probiotics are also a wonderful addition as are digestive enzymes. (Follow the amounts recommended on the label)

One small tin of organic sardines in extra virgin olive oil,

or EFA (essential fatty acids) Oil supplement designed for cats,

And/or one cold extracted, organic, Omega-3 and antioxidant capsule containing a combination formula consisting of a marine lipid from New Zealand greenlip mussles, kiwifruit seed oil (which contains all the known forms of natural Vitamin E) and white grape seed husk extract.

Or if unavailable use 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of fermented Cod Liver Oil, or cold pressed organic salmon oil, which must be refrigerated after opening, plus 100 IU of Vitamin E oil.

One drop of liquid garlic extract such as Kyolic Aged Garlic Extract.
(Too much garlic can cause serious health consequences. Do not over-supplement and never use raw garlic or raw onions.)

1⁄8 to 1⁄4 teaspoon digestive enzyme supplement made for cats or one human digestive enzyme capsule.

500 milligrams taurine (powder or capsule).

OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS
Many people swear by adding 2 to 4 ounces (60 to 120 g) food-processed raw zucchini (or pureed steamed), food-processed or pulped raw or baked yams, canned organic unsweetened pumpkin, or organic baby food vegetables such as sweet potatoes (yams), carrots, or winter squash. (No corn or white potatoes, please.) However, I only feed the meat mixture as described above with the raw bone ground right into it. I have found a butcher who does this for me and he includes the appropriate organ meats, such as a bit of kidney, liver, heart, gizzards, etc.

PREPARATION

1. Because all whole bones (including vertebrae) can possibly splinter, (it is said by many that only cooked bones splinter) you can have your butcher grind chicken backs and necks or even a whole chicken. Be sure the butcher runs them through the grinder at least three times. This is what I have my butcher do for me with the organ meats included. You could also purchase your own meat grinder and grind your own meats and poultry.

2.You may also use a mallet to crush whole chicken necks and cut into thirds and tuck them into their food to give them something to “bone crush” which also serves to clean their teeth naturally. Do this if you are nervous about feeding them cut into good size chunks, but feed the chicken necks with food as it helps them to have food in their stomach already. This is the order in which they eat in the wild, bones are their desert!

3. Treat the raw meat/poultry with the purified water/ grapefruit seed extract liquid concentrate as described in the recipe above.

Note: Never use grapefruit seed extract straight (internally or externally). It will cause serious chemical burns. It must always be properly diluted.

4. Place the meat in a bowl and pour the liquid over it in small amounts, blending it into the meat as you go. Use only enough of this solution necessary to make the food the consistency of a thick chili. (Alternatively, you could let the meat defrost from its frozen state, in this solution, with your supplements included, placing it in the refrigerator, but again do not drain off this liquid.)

5. Cut the organ meats and any other larger pieces of meat into bite-size chunks. A combination of some ground meat helps the supplements mix nicely and then chunks of meat of cut chicken necks give them the chance to bone crush. Liver can be cut partially frozen and cut into cat size bites. Chicken necks can defrost and marinate in this solution as well rendering them a little softer until you are ready to serve them.

6. Mix all ingredients.

RAW FOOD RECIPE NOTES

SWITCHING FOODS can be dicey, if you are just starting your cat on raw meat and raw bones you will find that many cats and kittens immediately love their new homemade diet. It’s a good sign to have a cat with a hearty appetite. But for others it takes a bit of strategy to accomplish this goal. Here are some tips for making this transition.

For cats who have had food available day and night (free choice), the first step is to go to a timed meal schedule, where you leave the food out for an hour in the morning and again for an hour in the evening, but put it away the rest of the time. Believe me, your cat will not starve to death in twelve hours. The eat-fast-eat schedule is more natural to carnivores, and it gives them time to digest between meals. Also with this schedule, you don’t have to worry about restricting the amounts you feed; the cat will eventually self-regulate on this schedule. The other big advantage of timed meals is that your cat will be hungry at mealtime, and thus more willing to try new things. This is particularly critical when switching from dry food.

Increase portions or feed more small meals if your cat gobbles it all up and wants more; amounts can vary from meal to meal. About two heaping tablespoons per cat twice a day for adults, (3 to 4 times per day for kittens, pregnant queens and nursing mothers).

Do not overfeed because cats have a mechanism that will cause them to throw up their entire stomach contents if it is over filled even by a tiny bit and over 2 heaping TBSP’s at one serving, is over filling. Better to feed more often then risk this. But cats don’t always want to eat every meal you serve them. Give them a little flexibility to make their own decisions. Some times, at some meals, you are not so hungry, right?

Leave food down to begin with for approximately an hour. If it’s too warm in your home, or if flies are a problem, shorten the time. If ants are a problem set the cats flat plate on another slightly larger plate with a little rim, filled with purified water. Ants don’t like to cross the moat! Many people, myself included have left the food out for hours, even all day without incident but again err on the side of caution and do what you feel comfortable doing. So much of this is merely common sense.

I recommend that cats be fed on flat plates (a slight rim is fine as cats hate to have their whiskers touch the side of a bowl) and let them eat at their convenience in peace. If they walk away, so be it. They’ll be back when they are ready!

Cats and kittens want their food very fresh. Therefore, keep food in the refrigerator for no more than three to 4 days. Store the food in glass bowls with tight fitting lids. Plastic off-gasses organo-chlorines, which are toxic to people and pets and alters the taste for the cats. (Always defrost meat in the refrigerator, not on the kitchen counter. And never microwave it, (that is a whole other story). Keep in mind you can make up large batches of this recipe and freeze for later meals, too! Freezing is fine in plastic but change to glass to defrost.

Safe handling of raw meat is imperative. Wash hands, dishes, and utensils in hot soapy water. Clean surfaces with environmentally safe cleaning products, such as a solution of 1 drop of (GSE) grapefruit seed extract per ounce (30 ml) of water.

Try to use a vitamin/mineral supplement designed for a homemade carnivore diet. Because noting existed for this purpose when I began making my own food, I designed one with a holistic veterinarian formulator as I simply couldn’t find anything suitable and easy that met my requirements for my own animals and my clients. I will only use human grade ingredients and I am very picky about everything that goes into their body and mine. This particular supplement that I have used for nearly 20 years includes correct proportions of bone meal, super greens, plus gland and organ powder to balance this raw meat and raw bone recipe properly. Check my website or your own internet sources as new products come and go all the time.

Please remember that there is nothing better than a properly prepared homemade diet but nothing worse than an improperly prepared one! You may have already worked all this out for yourself, but if not and you need help…I’m here for you!

Budget-Friendly Cat Food Guide

By PetMD

When considering the cost of feeding your cat along with all of your other expenses, it can be difficult to find that balance between what is best for your cat and what is best for your budget. Fitting everything into a tight budget can be a trial, and many families are having to make the very difficult decision of either giving up a member of the family — that is, the family pet — or switching to a low quality food. Finding the best quality food that is available, at a reasonable price so that you do not have to consider giving your cat up, is possible if you follow some basic parameters.

Price is Only One Objective

Grabbing a bag of the cheapest food on the shelf is often not a good plan for the long term since it can lead to unintended consequences, such as vitamin and mineral deficiencies, or unhealthy weight gain (for grown cats). These health consequences alone can lead to clinical health problems requiring medical care, and now is not a good time to be taking chances with your pet’s health. Before deciding on the most economically viable food brand, do your research to make sure you are choosing the best formula at the best price.

Hunt Down the Best Prices Before Buying

Discount stores are a great place to begin comparison shopping, but before you decide on a brand or store, make notes of the prices offered at the big discount/super-stores as well as at the bulk and warehouse stores. In many cases, the prices are comparable, or one choice may be more convenient in terms of travel and location.

There is also the web to take into consideration as you hunt down the best food at the best price. Some web-based companies will offer loyalty discounts, discounted or free shipping, and even coupons for free samples of products. It can be worth it to invest the time in searching for the best deals.

Reducing costs does not only mean looking for the cheapest price, though. You might find that something as simple as switching from a wet food to a dry food can save quite a bit of money, since wet foods cost considerably more due to the type of packaging. Some cats will not miss eating wet food, while others have to be patiently weaned from wet food to dry, and still others have to be fed a mix of the two.

Read the Labels

The ingredients listed on the label can differ significantly from brand to brand. Generally speaking, your pet needs a food with high levels of protein, as well as some fat. The first ingredient listed on the bag should be an animal protein source, such as chicken, beef, lamb, or fish. Fat sources include oils, tallow, and lard. It is important to keep in mind that cats are strictly carnivorous and do not need carbohydrates or grains to be healthy. While a dog can not only subsist, but thrive on a food that is made with a high proportion of carbohydrates and grains, a cat can suffer significantly, even fatally, if fed the same formulas.

However, a lot of cat food makers will add a carbohydrate source, such as corn meal, sorghum or barley, rice, or berries. While experts agree that cats do not need these ingredients, there is some disagreement over whether these ingredients can be problematic. If the carbohydrate content is more than the protein content, your cat will be hungrier because he will need to eat more to get the needed animal protein content. This of course will result in more carbohydrates being ingested, and the possibility of excess weight gain as a result. In the end, the lower priced, carb-rich cat food is not an economical choice at all. The best thing is to do your research, know how to read a label, and make an informed decision.

Ideally, you should feed your cat a food that has been certified “complete and balanced” by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). This certification means that the food has been tested by a board of veterinarians and has been shown to be a nutritionally complete food for your cat.

 

Talk to Your Doctor

Changing the diet is not for everyone, and it may not be the solution that will best serve your family’s needs. If your cat is on a prescription diet or is being treated for a long-term medical condition, ask your veterinarian for advice on whether another brand can be substituted to reduce your household costs. It is possible that there is no other food that can be fed to your cat because of an underlying health condition, but in most cases, a way can be found so that you can feed your cat the food he needs while keeping him with the family.

Finally, while table scraps and leftovers of your family’s food is a good treat for your cat, they should not take the place of formulated animal food that has the added minerals and fats your pet specifically needs. Cats in particular need taurine, arginine, niacin, preformed vitamin A, and specific types of essential fatty acids. Cats that are deficient in any of these food ingredients can suffer severe health problems.

Do not be shy about asking your veterinarian what you can do to make your situation easier to handle. You are not alone, and veterinarians encourage families to stay together, even during the rough times. Your vet may know who you can contact for cat food assistance, if needed. Again, research is key. Call around and see if there are any pet charities or shelters that are having pet food fund raisers or food collection drives to help families in need.

Today’s I Ching Hexagram for May 13th is 27: Nourishment

27: Nourishment

Hexagram 27

General Meaning: Nourishment refers to more than a healthy diet. It is the care-giving function. Eating properly implies care for oneself; providing healthy meals in the home is a sign of caring for the family. The writer of a great book or composer of an inspiring piece of music also provides nourishment, by caring deeply about the quality of his or her work and offering it to the world.

We can know others by observing what they choose to nourish in their lives. Do they properly feed and develop their bodies? Do they cultivate their spirits, their intellects, their moral values? Do they nourish and care for those around them? If so, to whom do they devote their energies? The most successful people are temperate in eating and drinking, thinking and dreaming. They strengthen the world by nurturing everyone’s higher nature.

Pay heed to your thoughts and impulses, ignoring those that undermine a healthy and persevering attitude. A wise person is temperate in the consumption of food and drink, because to be otherwise only leads to discomfort; the fact that temporary pleasure may precede the discomfort does not influence the person of mature character. In the same way, be discriminating in your words and actions, lest a desire for temporary advantage lead you to cause pain for yourself or others. Enrich your character and you will naturally nourish everyone around you.

St. John’s Wort Salve

St. John’s Wort Salve

Great all purpose salve. Use for insect bites, itching, wounds, burns ,and on fungal infections.
1 part St. John’s Wort
1 part Calendula flowers
1 part Comfrey leaf
1 400IU Vitamin E oil capsule (optional)
Make an infused oil using the above herbs. Proceed as directed above, adding the vitamin E oil, if used, after removing from heat. To do this, poke the capsule with a sterile needle and squeeze the oil out.

Today’s I Ching Hexagram for Jan. 13th is 36: Darkening of the Light

36: Darkening of the Light

Hexagram 36

General Meaning: When light becomes dim, it may be wise to become invisible. The image is of fresh darkness, the period after the sun has gone down or the fire has gone out. There is still much activity left over from the light of day, while movements in the outer world become more dangerous. Even the smallest sound, the faintest glow of light, can attract unwanted attention.

When the darkness of stupidity reigns, it is best that your own brilliance stay ‘hidden under a bushel basket.’ That is, your thoughts and efforts should be quiet and self-contained, and protected, as much as possible, from disruptive influences.

Whatever you do, don’t let yourself be swept along on the current of conventional wisdom when dangerous uncertainties exist. Try not to become too depressed or anxious; this period will pass. Just endure it for now and inwardly preserve your self-confidence, while outwardly remaining cooperative and flexible. The time to assert yourself will come. Avoid looking too far ahead if you have not yet achieved your goals. That only feeds regret and longing, which can eat away at your inner resources.

Be cautious and reserved. Control yourself. Do not needlessly awaken dormant forces of opposition. During dark, unsettled periods, it is best to step gingerly around the sleeping dogs.

Today’s I Ching Hexagram for January 6th is 27: Nourishment

27: Nourishment

Hexagram 27

General Meaning: Nourishment refers to more than a healthy diet. It is the care-giving function. Eating properly implies care for oneself; providing healthy meals in the home is a sign of caring for the family. The writer of a great book or composer of an inspiring piece of music also provides nourishment, by caring deeply about the quality of his or her work and offering it to the world.

We can know others by observing what they choose to nourish in their lives. Do they properly feed and develop their bodies? Do they cultivate their spirits, their intellects, their moral values? Do they nourish and care for those around them? If so, to whom do they devote their energies? The most successful people are temperate in eating and drinking, thinking and dreaming. They strengthen the world by nurturing everyone’s higher nature.

Pay heed to your thoughts and impulses, ignoring those that undermine a healthy and persevering attitude. A wise person is temperate in the consumption of food and drink, because to be otherwise only leads to discomfort; the fact that temporary pleasure may precede the discomfort does not influence the person of mature character. In the same way, be discriminating in your words and actions, lest a desire for temporary advantage lead you to cause pain for yourself or others. Enrich your character and you will naturally nourish everyone around you.

Today’s I Ching Hexagram for January 2nd is 50: The Cauldron

50: The Cauldron

Hexagram 50

General Meaning: The cooking pot symbolizes nourishment and rejuvenation. Sooner or later, good comes to those who do good; joy comes to those who bring humor to others; opportunity comes to those who persist in their dreaming. Rejuvenation is a returning to innate desires — and a re-charging of batteries through the fulfillment of these wishes. This reading suggests nourishment and transformation for people of goodwill. Great good fortune and success are indicated for nourishing relationships.

Healthy, regular sustenance is important, as symbolized by the cooking pot, which provides nourishment to all. When a cycle of humanity reaches its peak, each person’s sustenance comes in the form of his or her deepest needs and highest aspirations.

Rejuvenation means that men and women of talent and insight are being properly nourished and valued. When a society or group is functioning properly, these people are supported, and encouraged to contribute to their best abilities. A fresh approach to old habits is indicated in a period of rejuvenation. Look for ways of putting new life in old forms. Only when great vitality is present can breakthroughs be achieved.

Today’s I Ching Hexagram for November 3rd is 27: Nourishment

27: Nourishment

Hexagram 27

General Meaning: Nourishment refers to more than a healthy diet. It is the care-giving function. Eating properly implies care for oneself; providing healthy meals in the home is a sign of caring for the family. The writer of a great book or composer of an inspiring piece of music also provides nourishment, by caring deeply about the quality of his or her work and offering it to the world.

We can know others by observing what they choose to nourish in their lives. Do they properly feed and develop their bodies? Do they cultivate their spirits, their intellects, their moral values? Do they nourish and care for those around them? If so, to whom do they devote their energies? The most successful people are temperate in eating and drinking, thinking and dreaming. They strengthen the world by nurturing everyone’s higher nature.

Pay heed to your thoughts and impulses, ignoring those that undermine a healthy and persevering attitude. A wise person is temperate in the consumption of food and drink, because to be otherwise only leads to discomfort; the fact that temporary pleasure may precede the discomfort does not influence the person of mature character. In the same way, be discriminating in your words and actions, lest a desire for temporary advantage lead you to cause pain for yourself or others. Enrich your character and you will naturally nourish everyone around you.

Today’s I Ching Hexagram for August 31 is 27: Nourishment

27: Nourishment

Hexagram 27

General Meaning: Nourishment refers to more than a healthy diet. It is the care-giving function. Eating properly implies care for oneself; providing healthy meals in the home is a sign of caring for the family. The writer of a great book or composer of an inspiring piece of music also provides nourishment, by caring deeply about the quality of his or her work and offering it to the world.

We can know others by observing what they choose to nourish in their lives. Do they properly feed and develop their bodies? Do they cultivate their spirits, their intellects, their moral values? Do they nourish and care for those around them? If so, to whom do they devote their energies? The most successful people are temperate in eating and drinking, thinking and dreaming. They strengthen the world by nurturing everyone’s higher nature.

Pay heed to your thoughts and impulses, ignoring those that undermine a healthy and persevering attitude. A wise person is temperate in the consumption of food and drink, because to be otherwise only leads to discomfort; the fact that temporary pleasure may precede the discomfort does not influence the person of mature character. In the same way, be discriminating in your words and actions, lest a desire for temporary advantage lead you to cause pain for yourself or others. Enrich your character and you will naturally nourish everyone around you.

A Cherokee Feast of Days, Volume II” – July 14

A Cherokee Feast of Days, Volume II” – July 14

Eating the greens Grandmother gathered was a trial, an imposition on a
child remembering the fried or roasted meats of wintertime. But she
persisted in gathering them and she insisted that I eat them because
their medicinal properties would ward off many diseases. Grandmother
would have been appalled at many things from fast-food to the tasteless
cooking of greens. She was the matriarch and in many ways remains so,
because her mindset set our minds and even now an unwanted salad comes
with the command, “Eat!” We remember and are the better for it.

~ Our village was healthy and there was no place in the country
possessing such advantages. ~ MA-KA-TAI-ME-SHE-KIA-KIAK ~ SAUK AND FOX CHIEF
.
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler

Today’s I Ching Hexagram for April 27 is 42:Increase

Today’s I Ching Hexagram for Everyone:

42: Increase

Wednesday, April 27th, 2011

Hexagram 42

General Meaning: Substantial progress and increasing prosperity is pointed to. In whatever forms it takes, periods of increase are exhilarating, as long as you go with the flow while it lasts and keep the interests of others in mind. Like white water on a river, periods of increase are often of short duration; it furthers one, therefore, to shoot the rapids now, while the opportunity is there.

A good sense of direction in times of opportunity involves commitment to the needs of one’s cohorts and dependents. Only by realizing that to lead is really to serve, can an effective leader contribute to a lasting increase in prosperity for all. In times of general increase, those who contribute most directly to the common good will also receive the greatest rewards.

When opportunities for increase arise, supreme good fortune comes to those who act swiftly and boldly, while avoiding the trap of letting their actions be only self-serving. If you aspire to a position of prominence, the most enduring strategy is to work to raise the tide of your entire pond, rather than to try to swim upstream on your own.

When the times favor prosperity, and when leadership is in the hands of the broad-minded, supreme good fortune results.

Today’s I Ching Hexagram for April 26

Today’s I Ching Hexagram for Everyone:

3: Difficulty at the Beginning

Tuesday, April 26th, 2011

Hexagram 3

General Meaning: Difficulty at the beginning. The birth of anything new – including any new venture or relationship — is an entry into the realm of the unknown. Strange new feelings can seem to be rushing upon you, and confusion can easily take over. But even chaos is full of potential if you harness it properly. Don’t rush things. Do not let events overwhelm you. Stay calm and persevering, but do take the first step. And get whatever help you can.

Challenges lie ahead. Now is a time to gather your strength and find courage. Like a newborn fawn, the opportunity for rapid development is real, but only by being determined can the fawn rise to its feet and survive to grow to full stature. Keep going despite difficulties and you will manifest the success you desire. One primary challenge is maintaining personal clarity. Avoid lunging at seemingly perfect solutions; wait until a good practical course of action becomes clear. Do not start a new venture before thinking it through. A careless step in the beginning can easily cause events to spin out of control later. Enlist the aid of experienced people.

Today’s I Ching Hexagram for April 25

Today’s I Ching Hexagram for Everyone:

27: Nourishment

Monday, April 25th, 2011

Hexagram 27

General Meaning: Nourishment refers to more than a healthy diet. It is the care-giving function. Eating properly implies care for oneself; providing healthy meals in the home is a sign of caring for the family. The writer of a great book or composer of an inspiring piece of music also provides nourishment, by caring deeply about the quality of his or her work and offering it to the world.

We can know others by observing what they choose to nourish in their lives. Do they properly feed and develop their bodies? Do they cultivate their spirits, their intellects, their moral values? Do they nourish and care for those around them? If so, to whom do they devote their energies? The most successful people are temperate in eating and drinking, thinking and dreaming. They strengthen the world by nurturing everyone’s higher nature.

Pay heed to your thoughts and impulses, ignoring those that undermine a healthy and persevering attitude. A wise person is temperate in the consumption of food and drink, because to be otherwise only leads to discomfort; the fact that temporary pleasure may precede the discomfort does not influence the person of mature character. In the same way, be discriminating in your words and actions, lest a desire for temporary advantage lead you to cause pain for yourself or others. Enrich your character and you will naturally nourish everyone around you.