Clients bring patients to me for many of the same reasons they would seek medical attention themselves. In animals we refer to it as ADR...ie..Doc, he "ain't doin' right". The equivalent in people is stress, fatigue, digestion or hormonal problems. They are not feeling good and are not themselves and this is the time they seek a wellness practitioner. Traditional Chinese medicine helps to balance the body and provide energy and nutrients to allow the body to heal itself. Acupuncture, Herbs, Chiropractic Care, Tui Na massage are all important modalities for this, but for long term wellness and vitality, Nutrition must be part of the equation.We have been trained to feed our pets processed foods out of a bag or can made up of corn, grains and ash as fillers. These little dry nuggets are then sprayed with what I like to call "dorito"powder. The delicious golden powder on the surface of the Dorito chip has been carefully manufactured to stimulate all the tastebuds on your tongue. Your tastebuds are nerve endings that send chemical signals straight to your brain and make you feel good, happy, more hungry, ect. Our pets co evolved with humans, eating what the humans ate. Historically our diet consisted of fish, poultry, red meats both muscle and organ meat, vegetables and starches like rice and potatoes. Today our diet consists of processed foods which are heavy on the carbs and the most common meat in our diet is mass produced chicken breast. White food. We, as a society, are suffering the consequences, obesity, cancer, arthritis, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke and neurological disease. We have seen an increase of these same diseases in the pet population. If you have made the change for yourself and your family to a healthier lifestyle, you owe it to your pets to do the same.
Nutrition is the key to longterm vitality and wellness but it is not easy to accomplish or understand. There are so many sources telling you add this amino acid, this molecule, this protein and then how many mg of this or that. We can not even claim to understand the intricate biochemical reactions that go
on in our bodies and our cells. They are all inter related and we may be able to define 1 reaction in a test tube but then we are making a major assumption as to that same reaction within the environment of the cell, communicating with other cells in a matrix of tissue, inside a body exposed to our modern environment. It can become overwhelming....but don't give up !
We have all heard of phytonutrients. These are molecules found in plants that protect them from fungi, bugs and oxidative damage. Consuming these plants help give you the building blocks to help protect your cells from everyday wear and tear....ie they are anti oxidants.
Ok but why is oxygen damaging ? Oxygen is necessary in the body to produce energy from the food and water we consume but during this process, some oxygen molecules become charged particles called "free radicals" because they are highly reactive and looking to bond with other molecules to get back to a neutral state. These free radials can cause damage to proteins, cell membranes and even your DNA. This is called oxidation. Rust forming on metal is a form of oxidation. High levels of oxidation cause thing to age more quickly.
Phytonutrients are antioxidants. They happily accept the charge of the free radical and let them go back into their neutral state.
When a higher oxygen demand is called for (exercise, stress, toxins, inflammation, poor diet) the ratio of free radicals vs antioxidants becomes out of balance the free radicals can damage the body and we see the signs of fatigue, malaise, poor coat, dry skin and chronic disease.
There are many antioxidant supplements on the market but the best way to incorporate these into your body is by eating whole foods. Chinese medicine theory classifies the foods by taste. Each of the the 5 flavors correspond to an organ system. Here are some examples :
I also recommend Standard Process formulas to balance the diet. Even if you can't get rid of the kibble, adding some broth and whole body support can give your pet a nutrient boost. Standard Process formulas are made from whole foods that are either juiced or dried and concentrated into a powder. This is done at very low temperatures to keep the phytonutrients in tact. Many of the formulas are based on traditional chinese theory mixed with modern biochemistry.
Experiment with adding some new tastes to your pet's diet. Start slowly to avoid dietary upset but try to add all 5 tastes his meals over time. Your pet will thank you for it.
Visit my web page for more info or contact me for an appointment or consultation.
Dr. Wendy
www.DrWendyYing.com
Looking for Nutrition info for yourself ? We have Standard Process supplements for people too !
Contact Kyle Swanson, DC
www.DrKyleSwanson.com
