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Freedom
From Illness:
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July 2019 | ||||||||||||||
Welcome to the monthly Freedom From Illness
wholistic newsletter from Russell Louie and Margaret Auld-Louie at Optimum
Choices. To receive this newsletter by e-mail or to unsubscribe, see the footer
at the very bottom. Contents NEW WEBSITE coming-
please read if you order online
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Current News
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FDA Investigates Potential Link Between Certain Diets and Canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM)The purpose of this newsletter article is to share our holistic insights and give you suggestions on how to raise healthy, thriving pets and not let them become a Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) statistic. The following is a summary of an FDA investigation in progress. In July 2018, the FDA began an investigation into reports of canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs eating certain pet foods, many "grain-free" labeled, that contained a high proportion of peas, lentils, other legume seeds (pulses), and/or potatoes in various forms (whole, flour, protein, etc.) as main ingredients. Main ingredients are listed within the first 10 ingredients in the ingredient list (before vitamins and minerals). The FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) and the Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network (Vet-LIRN, a collaboration of government and veterinary diagnostic laboratories), believe the potential association between diet and DCM in dogs could be caused by multiple factors and requires scientific investigation. For the purposes of this report, cases include an illness reported to the FDA involving a dog or cat that includes a diagnosis of DCM. Many of the reports submitted to the FDA included extensive clinical information, including echocardiogram results, cardiology/veterinary records, and detailed diet histories. The numbers below only include reports in which the dog or cat was diagnosed with DCM by a veterinarian and/or veterinary cardiologist. It is obvious just from the number of cases reported, there was a sudden spike in 2018.
If you want to know which specific breeds are most affected and which brands of food are listed most often, go directly to the FDA report at: Here is our holistic perspective. We all remember the massive pet food recall in 2007 involving wheat gluten, laced with melamine, from China. This scared many people into investigating a more "holistic" dry food for their pet. Grains became a holistic "dirty" word and rightfully so. Consider these facts:
Substituting one group of undesirable ingredients with another questionable groupWhy do pet food manufacturers add grains to pet food? In order to get the dry kibble to stick together, they must add grains, a starchy vegetable or other carbohydrate as a binder. They also use vegetable ingredients to boost up the nutritional value of their nutrient-deficient meat by-products, meat meal and other indigestible materials such as beaks, feet, feathers and hair that they are allowed to put into pet food. Since carnivores do not have the necessary enzymes, stomach acid and other nutrients to properly digest a large amount of grains and vegetable ingredients, the usable biological nutrient value they actually receive is questionable. The main benefits are to boost the nutrients' value on the label, to meet the minimum AAFCO standards. So pet food manufacturers just substituted the undesirable grains they used, with another group of questionable foods, namely peas, lentils, other legume seeds (pulses), and/or potatoes, without safety or nutritional studies substantiating if these new ingredients were safe in the long-term for your pet. In essence, they rushed to market a "grain-free" alternative and used your pet as the proverbial experimental "guinea pig." Legumes not prepared in a holistic mannerHere is a holistic fact you will not learn from the FDA. Dr. Weston A. Price studied the diets of traditional cultures all over the world, from remote villages in Switzerland to Eskimos to the South Pacific. His work is now being carried on by the Weston A. Price Foundation. Sally Fallon summarized Dr. Price's research by identifying the 11 underlying characteristics of healthy traditional diets. One of the characteristics of traditional diets is that they took great care in preparing their seed foods. Seed foods include any nut, grain (such as wheat) or legume (bean). Unlike modern diets, where we eat seeds whole with no preparation or just grind them up (as in flour), traditional cultures would sprout, ferment and soak their seed foods before eating. The reason for this special care is that these foods contain enzyme inhibitors that block digestion, as well as phytic acid which blocks mineral absorption. Also, they can contain gluten, a protein that is difficult to digest. The reason for all these anti-nutrients is that they act as a natural system of preservatives, to keep the seed from sprouting until it is in the right environment. A seed will sprout given moisture, warmth, slight acidity and time; then these preservatives get deactivated. So it is much easier for humans and carnivores to digest seeds if we provide them with these four factors for sprouting, instead of eating them full of their natural preservatives. Herbivores are able to digest seed foods because they have stomachs with two to four chambers and bacteria, where they can soak and ferment the seeds. Omnivores (humans) and carnivores (dogs and cats) do not have this type of digestive tract and traditional cultures intuitively understood this. Therefore, traditional cultures would soak and ferment seeds before eating them. In the 1950-60's, Russell's mother soaked cereal grains and beans before cooking them. Wild carnivores would only get pre-digested (soaked) grains from the stomach of their herbivorous prey. Do you think pet food companies know this holistic fact and are soaking the grains and legumes before using them in pet food? Could the enzyme inhibitors that block digestion, as well as phytic acid which blocks mineral absorption in grains and legumes be the cause for this sudden spike in Canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM)? In our "wholistic" opinion feeding any dry kibble (even grain-free) food is nutritionally equivalent to feeding meat- and vegetable-flavored cookies to a child every single day as their main food and wondering why they are lethargic, obese and pre-diabetic after 10 years. Do not let your dog become a Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) statistic. Uncover our holistic requirements for our pets on our web page, Pet Food. Our good colleague and great animal communicator, Kate Solisti, has more details and holistic solutions on her July blog: Update on DCM and Dog Food Worries
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General Information:
info@OptimumChoices.com Location (available by appointment ONLY)416 Plateau Pkwy
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