Raw food diet for pets:
My parents have two Pomeranians and have recently switched them to a raw foods diet due to health concerns. In a few weeks most of their respiratory problems have disappeared and they are starting to loose a bit of the fat that canned/bagged dog food (and too much snacking) has deposited on them. These are all good things.
Myself a proponent of Natural Rearing, the inquiry into the dogs health concerns sent me back to my copy of The Complete Herbal Handbook For Farm And Stable by Juliette de Bairacli Levy. Like any medical book, one needs to ask proactive questions and do research to make sure what you are reading is accurate. Personally, I scan 4-5 medical and non-medical websites and any of my other herbal books to cross check before enacting a medical plan. It is due diligence and one should not be remiss in this step. It is cheaper to spend an extra half-hour checking than hours and monies paying for a mistake.
The thing about homeopathic medicine is that it really puts the onus on the individual to manage their own well-being. If you are lazy about your research, your results will fail and potentially make you sicker. I use herbs for health all the time, but that is because my body chemistry rejects modern medicine. On the contrary, my father can only take one or two herbs, as his body chemistry is more acclimated to modern pharmaceutical drugs. It is all about knowing yourself and your bodies' preferences.
For example, if I am getting sick, I sleep. Sleep normally fixes most of my issues within a day or two. More serious concerns for me are debilitating migraines that are typically caused by atmospheric pressure changes. I suffered very few when we lived in San Francisco due to the lack of rain, on the other hand, since we moved to New York, I get them at least once a month. Some of it is also due to eye strain from fluorescent lights and computer usage. I understand this, so I tend to prefer darker rooms and more natural light settings. Nature knows how to diffuse light through trees, good sunglasses and a broad-rimmed hat help in areas of openness.
Part of knowing yourself, in my opinion, is also knowing your own failings and strengths. I tend to eat too much meat and sugar, I know this, and am working on adding more greens to our diet and only eating natural sweet products like fruit, versus processed items like chocolate. You can't go cold turkey though, or at least I can't. I find if it's not in the house, I'm too lazy to go out an buy it, so I try not to have soda or chocolate in the house. It kinda works. I also know though, that if I'm craving something weird, like chips or popcorn, it's probably an imbalance in my diet, in this case, a lack of salt (I don't cook with salt or pepper normally). Oddly enough, a pickle typically satiates the craving.
Overall I think you just have to actively watch what you eat and drink and how you generally live. I know if I don't sleep most of the weekend, I'm absolutely useless at work on Monday. Likewise, if I'm exceptionally irritable for several days running, it's time I got out of the city and sat in a park or went to the farm and got my monthly dose of 'nature'. The fact that there are so many health problems now-a-days compared to a hundred years ago, I think, corresponds directly to our lack of green spaces. I was much better when we lived in Florida or California, because every day I was outside for at least an hour, typically many more, and I tended to visit farms and shop organic farmers markets in California. Our food was definitely healthier out there.
I'm not saying I want to move back and more than likely we never will, but I will miss the "proper" food I was able to purchase. Until we have our own farm at least, then I should be all set.
On a completely different matter...
Totems-What animal are you?
Bear Totem: Industrious, instinctive, healing, power, sovereignty, guardian of the world, watcher, courage, will power, self-preservation, introspection, and great strength.
My husband thinks I'm a bear totem as I like to hibernate in bed during the winter. :)
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