Where’s the Beef?

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What’s in your burger?

That’s a good question!  If your meat comes from the third biggest seller of meat, United Kingdom based Tesco, it might contain some horse meat.  And not traces!

In an effort to revive consumer faith, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland revealed 37% of its hamburger meat contains horse DNA in the Everyday Value line of the company’s products.

Burger King revealed that it employs the same beef supplier.

Let’s not even debate if horse meat is good for you or on the same par as cow.  I think it’s a matter of trust.  When I order a burger I expect it to be from a cow.  I think most people who eat meat from this supplier expect the same.

Tesco has a horsemeat problem

Be Fit, Stay Strong!

Marc David – CPT

View the original article here

Feeding a Raw Food Diet

About a year and a half ago, my two dogs and I made the scary transition to a raw food diet. It was scary for me because I didn't quite know what I was doing. Upon reflection, however, I find that I never should have put my two dogs on the kibble that's available, as it is entirely unnatural for their systems and provides very little over all nutritional value.

Even though the kibble producers try very hard with science and the latest available information, there's still nothing really out on the market that can replace real nutrition available through real food. Dogs, even my toy poodle, have in their genes the nutritional requirements that only raw meat, fruits, and vegetables can give them.

When I first switched them over, I was terrified about giving them bones and raw meat because I was afraid that the bones would splinter, then get caught in their throat and my dogs would end up dying without me knowing what to do. Worse, they would die because I made the choice to move them to a raw food diet. It would be my fault!

I decided to start them off with very large bones. I selected beef ribs because at least that way they'd have to work at getting the bones to splinter. What I didn't realize was that raw bones don't splinter, only cooked ones do. Of course, the cow ribs were way too big for my toy poodle, though she sure gave it a good shot to break into them and get the marrow. I refused, at the time, to even entertain the thought of feeding chicken wings or chicken bones of any kind, as there's a lot of hype around chicken bones splintering in the throats of dogs in particular.

My next selection of raw meat was pork chops. Pork chop bones were much easier for my toy poodle to munch on, but I found that it gave her terrible indigestion. About that time, I found some friends who were also feeding raw food to their animals, and they have some suggestions for me about the indigestion. First, I shouldn't feed just raw meat. I needed to include raw fruits and vegetables. The only raw fruits and vegetables I shouldn't include were onions, lots of garlic, and grapes. They also suggested that I include a probiotic, a digestive enzyme, and a source of the omega 3, 6, and 9 oils. As soon as I got those into my dogs' system, all traces of indigestion went away.

It was also hard to figure out how much raw meat, vegetables, and fruits I should give my dogs. I figured it was related to their weight somehow, but humans are supposed to eat no more food than the size of their fist at any given meal. But the size of the dog's paw is pretty tiny, and I really thought they needed a little more than that. So, I talked with my friends again, who told me that an active dog should have 10% of its weight in meat, a senior or inactive dog should have about 5% of its weight in meat. They should have complete access to at least three different kinds of vegetables at all times. They should also have at least one, preferably two, different fruit choices at all times. That sounded like very sound advice to me, so I immediately implemented it, much to the delight of my dogs.

The benefits that I've seen, directly, from feeding a raw food diet include the dog's body's ability to find and maintain it's ideal weight. I also discovered increased energy, more zest for life, and fewer cases of unknown vomiting episodes. I also witnessed faster healing times. Another benefit of feeding the raw food diet is far fewer visits to the vet's office than ever before. I used to take my two dogs to the vet, on average, about once every three months. We went for outside of the routine checkups, for blood work, for trying to figure out the latest stomach upset, as well as for normal checkups. They've been in to the vet's office only once, since we switched their diet, for their routine checkup - where they both got a completely clean bill of health.

My current recipe for their raw food diet is between 7% and 8% of their weight in raw meat, but I adjust that up or down depending on the weather and how busy they are. On any given day, I make sure they have access to four different types of vegetables and up to three different kinds of fruits. Each morning, they get one teaspoon of flax oil, one vegetarian digestive enzyme pill, one Sun Chlorella tablet, and a tablespoon of a liquid probiotic. This combination of raw foods and human quality supplements, has given my dogs the nutritional value their systems require. Not only did I completely avoid the rat poison in the kibble products that scared the nation for the past year, but my dogs are now far more healthy than when we began.

You can see more about how I take care of my own dogs and the tools I use by visiting my website at http://www.furheads.com

Disclosure Statement: I am not a veterinarian; I do not diagnose medical issues, offer medical advice, prescribe drugs, or perform surgery. I am a freelance journalist writing about my experiences with my own dogs, incorporating many different complimentary tools found for my own dogs to overcome potential health concerns I have for them. I have been keeping a journal of my findings since July of 1996; I have been privileged to work with several hundred other canines and their families in a wide range of life situations as of the writing of this statement and will gladly provide references should you desire them. Your dog(s) may benefit from the care I've provided my own dogs, based on knowledge gained through this experience, courses taken/taught, and animal communication. My role is that of facilitator, assisting you and your dogs to attain or maintain a naturally healthy state. The specific results you may see, should you decide to try some of what we've done in our family, will be different for each animal. In addition to the articles I write and publish, I also teach massage, Usui Reiki, Quantum Touch, and Animal Communication to owners, caretakers, and practitioners; sell products for animals in these and other holistic and vibrational modalities; provide references to other animal communicators and practitioners.

Example Raw Food Diet Menu For Dogs

Many people, after they've decided to move from a kibble diet to a raw food diet, haven't any idea where to start in order to select a healthful meal for their dog.  Considering this, I thought I'd share an example meal I give my own older (age 10 and 12) dogs and why I decided on those items and times.  My dogs are older and don't need as much as a pup would.  So for an older dog, the menu looks like:

Unlimited throughout the day

Fresh water in a glass bowl


Cauliflower


Carrots


Tomatoes


Asparagus


Green Bell Pepper

Breakfast

3-5% of their weight in pork riblets
Training treats

Apricots

10 raw almonds

Afternoon

2 tablespoons pumpkin

2-4 ounces organic cranberry juice

Evening

1 Turkey tail ( if they've been active or if it's very cold outside)
Supplements


1 Digestive enzyme tablet

1 Chlorella tablet

1 Flax oil tablet

1 Fish oil tablet

1 Brewer's Yeast tablet

For my older dogs, I make sure they've got a 40-30-30 ratio of meat-bone-fat.  The meat gives the building blocks for new muscle to develop as well as a stringy consistency for cleaning back teeth.  Bone provides the right kind of digestible calcium for a dog's body.  Fat, thought to be a bad thing in human diets, provides the opportunity for a dog to floss" their front teeth and helps their digestive tract get the right pH level.

The veggies are selected from all colors available and should include at least one from each color family.

Tomatoes are high in the antioxidant vitamins beta-carotene, vitamin C and vitamin E, as well as the carotenoid lycopene. This means that tomatoes are helpful in preventing heart disease and cancers. Tomatoes are also high in potassium but very low in sodium which means they help combat high blood pressure and fluid retention.

Asparagus is one of the most nutritionally well-balanced vegetables, providing potassium, fiber, folacin, thiamin, vitamin B6, rutin (an antioxidant).  It also contains glutathione (GSH). GSH is one of the most potent anti carcinogens and antioxidants found.

Cauliflower provides indole-3-carbinol (13C), the photonutrient sulforaphane, vitamin C, folate, vitamin E and betacarotene.

Carrots provide beta-carotene, which turns into Vitamin A in the intestines.  They also provide fiber, antioxidants, and crucial minerals.

Our selection of fruits are used mostly as treats more than an unlimited sort of food.  I select fruits that are easy to carry around for training needs, as well as for digestive and taste preferences.

Apricots are a preferred fruit and make training easy.

Pumpkin is a unique food in that it regulates the stool consistency to a happy medium.  I use this fresh if I can, but will also get it in a can (Libby's) if necessary.

Cranberry juice has some surprising benefits including anti-inflammatory for arthritic joints.  It does, of course, also deliver the same urinary tract benefits as it does for humans.

Raw almonds provide protein, calcium, B vitamins, and healthy fats.  My dogs love them, so I use them as a training sort of treat, as well, since they're do just about anything to get me to part with them!

If cold, or if my dog was exceptionally busy, I'll add a second meat meal, in the form of a turkey tail, too. Supplements included provide various benefits, too, such as

Flax oil provides Omega 3-6-9.

Fish oil provides Omega 3-6-9.

Brewer's Yeast keeps fleas and ticks at bay.

Chlorella is a natural superfood and provides a gentle detox.

Digestive enzymes ensure the flora of the digestive system remains in tip top shape.

Lastly, I need to reiterate a warning about what foods your dog(s) should never, never, never eat.

Chocolate
Onions
Macadamia nuts
Raisins
Grapes

You can find out more about how I take care of my dogs by visiting my website at http://www.furheads.com

Disclosure Statement: I am not a veterinarian; I do not diagnose medical issues, offer medical advice, prescribe drugs, or perform surgery. I am a freelance journalist writing about my experiences with my own dogs, incorporating many different complimentary tools found for my own dogs to overcome potential health concerns I have for them. I have been keeping a journal of my findings since July of 1996; I have been privileged to work with several hundred other canines and their families in a wide range of life situations as of the writing of this statement and will gladly provide references should you desire them. Your dog(s) may benefit from the care I've provided my own dogs, based on knowledge gained through this experience, courses taken/taught, and animal communication. My role is that of facilitator, assisting you and your dog(s) to attain or maintain a naturally healthy state. The specific results you may see, should you decide to try some of what we've done in our family, will be different for each animal. In addition to the articles I write and publish, I also teach massage, Usui Reiki, Quantum Touch, and Animal Communication to owners, caretakers, and practitioners; sell products for animals in these and other holistic and vibrational modalities; provide references to other animal communicators and practitioners.

Live Food Diet The Plan, The Benefits

The most natural and healthful way to make sure our bodies are getting all of the nutrients we need, is to enjoy a mostly raw food diet. Our bodies were built to convert fresh, natural foods into energy with ease. A live food nutrition plan (or simply increasing the amounts of raw foods you eat on a daily basis) will not only help one achieve natural weight loss, but it will also improve natural energy (no energy drinks or caffeine needed) as well as provide more oxygen for cells to function properly helping to prevent many diseases and cancers.

The concepts behind a raw food diet are based on enjoying a nutritional plan that consists of at least 75% raw or live foods. Now I know some people go a bit overboard and eat 100% raw food diets, but there are some vegetables that are actually more nutrient dense after being heated up! So enjoy your raw foods, but don't be afraid of having cooked foods as well.

Another component of this type of eating is to eliminate all processed foods from your diet. If food needs to be processed in some way then you should process it yourself.

Dehydrated fruits and veggies are a staple of most raw food nutrition plans. Doing it yourself keeps your foods natural and healthy without a lot of unnecessary, vitamin killing additives.

The foods that make up the bulk of this kind of diet include fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, raw nuts, raw seeds, raw grains, dried fruit, and fresh fruit juices and purified water.

Why Should You Increase The Raw Foods In Your Diet?

This may sound suspiciously like a vegetarian diet, because at its core, it is. Vegetarian diets promote enjoying foods in their most natural state while eliminating most if not all animal products. Let's face it, a live food diet and a vegetarian diet go hand-in-hand due to the fact that animal products are either processed, cooked or both.

Most raw food chefs suggest heating foods to 116 degrees and no higher. The more heat used the more digestion aiding enzymes are destroyed from the foods. Good digestion is imperative to the absorption of vitamins and nutrients that our meals provide for us.

A Few Unexpected Benefits Of a Live Food Diet Plan!

A natural increase in energy, glowing skin, natural weight loss and maintenance, better digestion, a steady metabolism, better joint mobility and a reduced risk of diseases such as cancers, diabetes, heart disease and hypertension.

Raw food plans are the perfect way to rid your body of the additives and chemicals found in most foods today. This is commonly referred to as a detoxification diet because the focus of this type of eating is to rid your body of all the garbage processed foods leave behind.

A healthy detox plan with live foods will not only make sure you don't go hungry, but it is very low in sodium and saturated fats while providing your with high levels of magnesium, potassium and fiber.

There is an unlimited variety of meals to enjoy on this sort of diet plan. Whether you decide to have more of your meals juiced, dehydrated or "natural" any combination of these healthy nutrient dense foods will help to cleanse the colon, kidney, liver and skin!

Raw Food Diet Plan Basics

I wasn't kidding when I said this sort of eating plan offers endless variety. You will enjoy fresh fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, legumes, seeds, grains, almond or coconut milk and so much more. Did you know that

- sprouted brown rice slows down the glucose absorption and helps to improve metabolism

- cabbage has been found to support healthy cellular function; radish leaves and Shitake mushrooms are natural anti-oxidants.

-we all know carrots are a great source of vitamin A as well as encouraging healthy vision but did you know that carrots also help promote a healthy cardio-vascular system

Organic sprouts are often called 'super foods' because of the incredible levels of vitamins, minerals, trace minerals, enzymes, proteins and chlorophyll pigments that are naturally found in spouted foods. Spouting isn't nearly as hard as it sounds. You can easily find a sprouter for your seeds, grains and beans.

You can enjoy spouts in soups, salads, juiced or as a snack. This is one energy power packed food you definitely want to add to your live foods plan.

Studies have shown fennel to help control the painful inflammation of arthritis, control mood fluctuation and even helps to alleviate depression. Fennel also contains a rare yet necessary nutrient called manganese along with vitamin B complex and zinc.

There are even gadgets on the market that lets make your own soy milk from beans, seeds, grains, rice and nuts. You can even make your own tofu which goes wonderfully in soups and salads as well as smoothies!

Many people enjoy raw soups, but remember, it is perfectly o.k. to enjoy some cooked foods on this nutrition plan. Getting 70% of your nutrition from natural raw sources is perfect. So if you want your soups hot, heat them up. If you want to try your soups raw but don't like the idea of cold soups, heat them up to 116 degrees. This will allow your raw soup to be warm to the tummy without losing any of its nutritional value.

A Word of Caution

It is always a wise idea to check with your physician before beginning any sort of diet plan. Even though eating natural foods in their most natural state is a very healthy way to eat, everyone is different. There is the possibility that children, women who are currently pregnant and those with a pre-existing illness or condition may be advised against undertaking this type of nutrition plan at this time.

In Closing

A raw food, live food, natural food or vegetarian diet is the best way to improve your wellbeing, emotional state and health naturally.

Start by replacing one meal a day with a raw food meal. Believe me, it takes time to break ourselves of the nutrient-lacking, high-processed eating habits we have developed.

Because many of the foods for this particular type of diet are made from scratch there is some preparation time involved for some meals. There are many great products on the market that can help you prepare your own living food and save you some time as well.

Buy one item at a time and get comfortable using it to prepare your live food meals and snacks. Don't feel as if you need to completely restock y our kitchen right out of the gate. Take your time and over a year or so you will suddenly find that you have a wonderfully supplied raw food kitchen with a power blender, processor, sprouted, pasta maker, dehydrator and much more!

There are also tons of great raw food recipe books out there from some of the most talented raw food chefs. Don't be surprised when you run into raw food recipes for chocolate cake, pumpkin pie, delectable breads and delicious muffins.

Just add in consistent exercise plan, and your raw food diet has just become an excellent weight loss method to help you reach your natural weight without the stress, worry or pain of a traditional diet.

Subscribe to my free Raw Foods Diet Newsletter and learn the many benefits of a raw food diet as well as the dangerous secrets the food industry doesn't want you to know about. Enjoy more Raw Foods Articles and a raw food life!

Maintaining a Raw Food Diet and Things to Think About

Each and every day we are constantly scrutinized and bombarded with media about our eating habits and what we should or should not be eating. While we know the right's and wrong's of what we should or should not be eating and that it's unhealthy but it's so good that we find it hard or we're unable to stop. You physical health then takes and turn for the worst because we cannot or will not change our exercise or dieting habits.

Two things that have are an integral part of our nutrition are physical fitness and our emotions. Each plays a roll in how our body takes in and processes food after we eat. When people get some bad news most suddenly loose their willingness to eat. Our emotions clearly play an important roll in our ability to assimilate food. Our overall health is very dependent upon it.

Even if you're a veteran raw-foodist, hopefully you will find some key thoughts in this article that will help you refine your diet and improve your overall health program. Here are some things to consider

1. Cravings

As we make the decision to start a raw food diet we feel the need for processed and cooked food. This need is persistent and hard to resist but is a perfectly normal experience.

In has been my experience that there are two reasons for our cravings: our nutritional and emotional responses.

Addressing the nutritional points are fairly simple: You'll continue to have cravings for processed cooked foods if you fail to get into a routine of eating your fruits and veggies.

The toughest part of trying to get enough minerals from your veggies while not taking in too much fat from all the fruit.

A low fat diet is always the best way to steer you away from the cravings. While we unknowingly like fat it also increases our cravings. A nutritional and healthy path is always the best defense against the feared "cravings".

But keep in mind though, that the average active woman should consume between 1800 to 2500 calories each day, and the average active man should consume between 2500 to 3000. A visit to http://www.fitday.com will be able to show you if you're consuming enough vegetables and fruits to maintain you daily calorie intake.

2. Always Incorporate Fitness into your daily routine

Did you know that physically fit people are not necessarily healthy? Have you heard of athletes that have died of heart attacks? You can be physically fit and not healthy but not healthy without being physically fit.

Your health may still suffer even though you are watching your diet. You need to get to where your body fat index is optimal and you are above average in your fitness routine or you won't get the results you want.

People who are physically fit not only digest their food better, the whole process of nutrition is dramatically improved with an improved fitness program. This means the food you eat will be assimilated better, you're blood sugar will be more under control, and numerous other health advantages.

As always, improve on your areas of weakness first as these will be the hardest to overcome and bring greater joy early on when you achieve your goal but most of our weakness resides in the fitness portion of our lives.

3. Eating fruit before every meal is ideal

Making the move to a raw food diet can be made easier by including fruit first in your diet before each meal. Including fruit when you get hungry before linch and dinner will reduce the amount of food you eat during your regular meal. Eat as much fruit as you feel comfortable with for the best benefit.

This is what is called the transition strategy. Just get started by getting the raw food in by eating fruit at the beginning of each meal. Do you remember your mom telling you not to do that when you were a kid? But as we've all grownup and found out that the Standard American Diet didn't work, we need to get back to our natural instincts to satisfy our natural sweet tooth craving by eating as much fruit as we need at the beginning of every meal.

4. Including Whole Grain in Your Diet

The benefits of including whole grains into your diet are widespread, from the toxic waste flushing antioxidant and fibers to the slow metabolizing carbohydrates that keep us going all day long. Experts have long agreed about the affects and benefits. Including 100% whole grain products into your diet will only do your body good. Our ancestors can't all be wrong can they? As they lived very long and busy lives due to a high fiber grain diet.

You can either take the next 2 to 20 years to get your health in check or you can take a little time and do it in the next 2 months. You can't argue the health benefits of a raw food diet.

Want to find out more about Raw Food Diets? [http://www.raw-food-diet-book.com/], then learn how to choose the best Raw Food Diet for you.

Bob Hirt