HEALTHY PETS WITH THE RAW FOOD DIET

Through evolution, the bodies of dogs and cats have superbly adapted to maintain health on the foods that were most easily available to them in the wild. These would have been raw foods, also known as a biological diet. It goes without saying that the foods our pets bodies have evolved to thrive on throughout millions of years are not the processed commercial foods of the last fifty years.
Look inside your dog or cats mouth. Their teeth are designed for tearing into flesh, not tearing into kibble.
Natural, raw foods set up and maintain healthy, natural biochemical reactions. These biochemical reactions set up a natural line of defense - a healthy immune system - that fights off bacteria, viruses, and parasites many times a day.
So by restoring your pet to his natural diet, healthy-giving diet, you can restore the myriad natural biochemical reactions that give strength to his immune system. This is the magic that keeps pets who are fed natural diets free of todays inevitable diseases.
But why include bones?
Bones are living tissue comprised of living cells. They are a complex source of a wide variety of nutrients. They contain minerals AND fat-soluble vitamins A, D and E. Bones provide natural antioxidant and anti-aging factors including enzymes. Bones also contain a perfect balance of calcium and phosphorus, which is vital to the health of your pet.
Vegetables and fruit
Vegetables play an important role in a pets diet. Vegetables contain many important health-promoting nutrients. They also contain carbohydrates, but they also supply fibre. The fibre found in raw vegetables is important in both preventing and treating certain diseases of the digestive tract.
Dogs and cats dont have the ability to break down vegetable matter, so in order for our pets to benefit from the vitamins and minerals in produce, they need to be pureed to expose the cell walls.
What about salmonella?
According to an FDA news release, "salmonella is not harmful to dogs". The danger of uncooked meat is to us, not to natural carnivores who have a highly acidic digestive system. Dogs and cats bodies have a short digestive tract and a simple stomach - carefully designed by nature to thrive healthily on meat.
Employ basic hygiene practices, wash your hands and keep surfaces clean - just as you would when handling your own food.
Myths about feeding raw meat
One of the most common misconceptions is that your dog or cat will become bloodthirsty. Actually the opposite is true. The informal research we have done indicates that pets become calmer and more satisfied eating raw foods. It would stand to reason that a diet, which is closely mimicking the diet eaten by their wild cousins, satisfies a deeply ingrained need for raw meat and fresh foods.
How to feed a raw food diet
We recommend chicken (necks and backs) comprise about 60 per cent of the meat portion your pets diet. You can also substitute with duck (necks) or turkey necks. Vegetable matter will comprise about 25% of a dogs diet, while only make up about 10% of a cats diet.
Include muscle meat and organ meat to the diet a few times per week. This will make up about 15% of a dogs diet and about 30% of a cats diet.
Raw bones
A recreational bone would be a beef, lamb pork, or any other large mammal bone and it should be uncooked of course.
If you have access to fresh/frozen fish, you can include that in the diet.
Making the switch to raw food
Most dogs and cats cannot make the switch to raw foods cold turkey. It is best to start with a few days of ground chicken only. Get their bodies used to raw foods with few variations, we can add variety in time. You should also include a digestive enzyme, which can be purchased at your pet supply store or health food store. Sprinkle this on the raw food, to help with digestion. After two or three days on chicken only, start including vegetables and fruit. Start with half the recommended portion of vegetable matter. Increase slightly every few days, until youre at the recommended portion. Mix the vegetable content with the meat portion for each meal. If your pet is straining to defecate, increase the vegetable content and reduce the meaty bone portion of the diet. Conversely, if your pet is having too many loose stools, reduce the vegetable content and increase the meaty bone content.
Add supplements, such as kelp and an essential fatty acid after getting your pet settled on raw foods. We recommend adding back digestive enzymes for a couple of days each time you introduce a new protein source.
You know your pet best, if you feel your pet suffers from any severe illnesses, it may be best to make a slower transition. Talk to your veterinarian (who is not opposed to raw food feeding) on how to make the switch.
Never fast cats in order to make the transition to raw foods. Cats should never go more than ½ a day without food. If your cat is not accepting the raw food, just add the tiniest amount to their kibble or canned meal and try to make the transition slowly. Some cats can be tricky to switch to raw food. The benefits to cats are well worth the trouble.
Recommended supplements
Kelp contains vitamins A, B1, B3, B5, B6, B9, B12, C and E, plus zinc, biotin, bromine, calcium, choline, copper, inositol, iodine, PABA, potassium, selenium, sodium and sulphur. Its iodine content is very good for glands and organs, especially the thyroid and liver. It can bind with chemical pollutants in the gastrointestinal tract and prevent their absorption by the body. It increases the contractile force of the heart, improves circulation and is often used for hair loss, goiter, ulcers, obesity and mineral defi­ciency.
Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) are extremely important for health and vitality. EFA deficiencies are correlated with degenerative diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, skin afflic­tions, dry skin, behavioral problems, poor wound healing, arthritis, and weakened immune functions.
Alfalfa For dogs, if youre not feeding a variety of vegetables and fruit, we suggest supplementing with alfalfa, which contains vitamins A, B1, B6, B12, C, D, E, K and U, plus beta-carotene, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin, folic acid, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, iron, zinc, copper, protein, amino acids, trace elements and fibre.
Benefits of feeding raw food
Most people believe their pet is healthy, but they just don't have a healthy animal to compare it to. A raw food diet will:

restore and strengthen immune system
eliminate or greatly reduce allergies
get rid of that "doggy" smell
eliminate fleas & parasites
reduce shedding
enhance skin and coat condition
cure the pickiest of eaters
reduce and/or eliminate tartar build up
restore vitality and energy
reduce excess weight
eliminate bladder and urinary problems
substantially reduce the volume of fecal matter
This article is from Healthy Paws.
See www.healthy-paws.ca

Dr. Sharon Kopinak will be at Total Health 2003 Sunday March 30 to talk about homeopathy and herbs for pets.

For more information on a raw food diet:
Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats The Ultimate Pet Diet by Kymythy R. Schultze
Describes how a diet of raw, natural foods can lead to an enhanced quality of life for your pet and teaches you how to easily prepare a nutritious homemade meal, which will help your dog develop a shiny coat, healthy skin and digestion, clean teeth, bright eyes, and reduce flea problems and bad breath.
K9 Kitchen: Your Dogs' Diet: The Truth Behind The Hype
by Monica Segal $23.90
Talks about commercial dog food, cooked food and/or raw and nutrients in raw meaty bones.
The BARF Diet by Dr. Ian Billinghurst
THE BARF DIET Raw Feeding For Cats and Dogs Using Evolutionary Principles is a book for the beginning BARFer.
All You Ever Wanted to Know About Herbs for Pets
by Mary L. Wulff-Tilford & Gregory L. Tilford
Holistic herbalism; natural nutrition; homeopathy; and how to treat diseases, ailments, and medical conditions herbally.
Foods Pets Die For by Ann Martin
Learn the real story behind commercial pet foods and the meat "by-products" they are made from. These products are not fit for humans OR ANIMALS! They contain diseased meat which is irradiated to kill the disease agents. This is a horror story. Find out what you are feeding your pet!

Marie Herrell's Personal Journey with Hidden Allergies

My childhood was peppered with a litany of common ailments: eczema, nasal polyps, and sinus congestion for which I received conventional medical treatments such as cortisone cream and nasal surgeries. Otherwise, my health was excellent, except for persistent nasal congestion.
In my late twenties, I underwent a two-month period of extreme stress, after which I started experiencing debilitating headaches and intense facial pain, which compounded my sinus congestion. And so my three-year journey for answers began.
Initially, I consulted my family doctor who prescribed painkillers, but to no avail. Subsequently, I consulted an allergist, an optician, a TMJ specialist, as well as trying alternative therapies, namely acupuncture and homeopathy. No allergies were detected by the tests. The other treatments I received met with little success.
Because of this, I consulted an ear, nose, and throat specialist. I underwent a time-consuming, invasive procedure called spheno-palatine ganglion block treatment. The treatment consists of dipping long wires covered with cotton swaps into Novocain, and inserting them through the nostrils, into the base of the skull. The wires were removed one hour later. This treatment gave me relief, even if only for a few days. The doctor also inquired if I had food allergies. I told him no. I had been tested twice previously, by the conventional scratch method, and was told that I had no allergies. As well, I was told that my symptoms could not possibly be allergy related.
By now, things were really out of hand -- I was clenching my teeth, I was depressed and I often had swollen eyes and red blotches on my face. If I heard one more time that everything was stress-related, I was going to&&.!
By this time, I had been suffering for over two years, feeling totally confused and demoralized, and so I followed my gut feeling about possible food allergies. I undertook the trial and error method of food elimination. If I ate tomatoes, the inside of my mouth would instantly blister. I found that if I totally avoided dairy products, my headaches disappeared. I had finally made the connection between my suffering and what I put in my mouth!
I discovered the hard way that conventional allergy testing only allows for an accuracy rate of about thirty percent, because food sensitivities do not show up consistently.
I started to see a light at the end of the tunnel. Still desperate for greater relief I sought out a medical doctor who specialized in allergies and an alternative approach. This is where my life started to turn around. We worked on strengthening my immune system rather then treating the symptoms. I was still suffering physically and mentally even with the awareness of the allergies. Within 6 months I had felt better than I had in years. The doctor used more sophisticated and accurate allergy sensitivity testing which validated what my gut was saying all along. Even thought I felt stronger and healthier in many areas of my life, I still had allergies!
The doctor suggested E.P.D. (Enzyme Potentiated Desensitization ) shots since many of his patients did well with this type of treatment. I tried it numerous times but for me it wasnt the answer.
During the next four years I avoided all known food sensitivities. However, in spite of my hyper-vigilance, I still reacted constantly to unknown allergens. In 1995, I was introduced to a woman who practices Health Kinesiology (HK). When I asked what it was, I was told that HK, among other things, corrects allergies, intolerances, and sensitivities to food, pollens, dust, moulds, pets, and chemicals. She explained that when she corrected the food to which I was allergic, I would be able to eat them without any adverse reaction. HK uses muscle testing. The muscular system is directly connected to the bodys subtle energy system. If you are exposed to the energy field of a substance to which you are allergic, it disturbs your energy flow. The result will be a weakened indicator muscle. I still didnt get it, but because I knew exactly which substances were the culprits, the whole process only required two visits. On the first visit, she corrected 80 foods, and the following visit, dealt with mould allergies. It changed my life.
It seemed like such a simple treatment. I couldnt imagine that it would have such profound results. There were no needles or drugs; it was a gentle, non-invasive energy treatment that allowed me to eat anything without fear or discomfort. A correction is done by a trained practitioner. They release any energy blockages that are responsible for allergies or intolerances. This is accomplished by tapping or stimulating specific acupuncture points along the meridians (energy pathways) or other energy reflexes in the body.
Dr. George Goodheart, Jr. discovered the connection between muscle testing and the energy system in 1964. He found that manual muscle testing to evaluate a client could be used to ascertain information about a variety of physical ailments. In HK, one muscle is chosen to represent the bodys entire energy system. This is referred to as the indicator muscle. With feather-light touch, information is obtained through muscle testing. Specifically for allergy testing, the allergen is placed on a particular acupuncture point on the body and a special energy reflex point is touched. If the clients indicator muscle weakens, the weakening is interpreted as an allergy. HK can also detect intolerances and sensitivities.
Muscle testing can be an extremely accurate tool for evaluating allergies/intolerance. HK is an art, science, and skill for both the evaluation and treatment of multiple ailments. Following my HK treatments, I no longer suffered from my allergies that I had had for over six years. Once again I can eat dairy, chocolate, wheat, and tomatoes without the headaches, skin problems, or my gums peeling. As well, I no longer suffer any adverse reactions to dust, moulds or pollens. My childhood sinus congestion of over 30 years finally resolved itself! Having found this new freedom to enjoy all foods once again, in addition to no longer suffering from migraines, my life was vibrantly renewed. I previously had no clue that my food cravings, skin rashes, depression, and shoulder tension were symptomatic of food allergies. They also were eliminated. In retrospect, my childhood health issues were typical allergy symptoms just tragically not recognized as such.
HK opened up a world of healing Id never known about, and consequently, I decided to study it. As a client and practitioner, I know first-hand how life changing it can be. Although HK is a broad field, I decided to specialize in allergies. Most people recognize allergies by their traditional symptoms: tearing, itching eyes, running nose, and sneezing. However, allergies can manifest in a plethora of symptoms such as food cravings, migraines, asthma, bloating, skin problems, muscle tension, fatigue, sinus pain and congestion, and candida. They can also manifest psychologically: depression, anxiety, ADHD, and brain fog. In reality, symptoms can be unlimited because allergies can manifest in so many different ways.
Like me, many of my clients have suffered terribly because they have been misdiagnosed, and have not been informed that there are safe, effective, non-invasive alternatives such as HK to provide relief. My clients write:
" After one session with Marie, my severe pollen allergy was eliminated. I discontinued the use of nasal sprays, eye drops, and anti-histamines. I experienced immediate relief following the session from all my symptoms: runny nose to general lethargy. I feel as if I received a miracle! Donna M., M.Sc.
" Cats used to cause sneezing, teary eyes, and congestion. I no longer have any reaction. I am now a proud cat owner! Nick J.
" For the first time, after 25 years of chronic nasal blockage, I can now breathe through my nose, and sleep on my back, restfully and continuously through the night. I saw Marie three times with drastic improvement. I was truly amazed! Kevin M.
" My doctor recommended Marie for my food allergy-induced migraines, since Marie had corrected her allergy to cats. 14 years of ineffective medications and shots versus 4 visits to Marie over the course of a month, resulting in a complete cure. No needles, no drugs, no pain. Michael B.
In North America, 40 percent of the population now has recognized allergies. It frightens me to think how many people are suffering from unrecognized allergies. If you suspect you may be one of them, could Health Kinesiology be the answer youve been searching for?

PACIFICISM IS NOT PEACE

Dr. David Hawkins, author of Power vs. Force.
March 4, 2003

Peace is something that does not come about through marches and demonstrations. It comes from inner states of consciousness, and when we collectively really want peace, it comes as a natural manifestation of such states.

There is a critical difference, between political peace and spiritual peace. They are sometimes externally divergent, meaning they may look quite different in the manifest world. Subtle discernment between the two is needed. There are spiritual warriors and political warriors; these, too, are quite different. The difference between the two comes from intention, motivation. Sometimes stands taken for peace have more to do with positionality, the need to be right, than with a true desire for peace. *To not take a stand against a spiritual aggressor is to side with him.* That is to say, the integrous cannot accommodate the non-integrous.

When the spiritual "warrior" is spoken of, spiritual integrity is not considered to be equal to warlike positionality. With spiritual integrity comes the responsibility to take a stand, to refuse to share the same spiritual space with non-integrity. There is a difference, between true peacefulness and passivity; Chamberlain passively acquiescenced to Hitler just prior to World War II as an example of misguided passivity in the guise of trying to accommodate peacefulness. Essentially, the confusion people experience related to issues of world peace have to do with confusion of levels of consciousness; we cannot presume that one level applies to all. This is what Jesus meant when he said, "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's." Jesus did not confuse the level related to Caesar -- world politics -- with the level of things related to God. Jesus was saying, don't mix levels.

It can be quite appropriate to pray for peace. It can also be quite appropriate to arm your country to defend integrity against non-integrity. This doesn't necessarily mean war is inevitable America's greatest wrongdoing, in terms of its foreign policy, is its astonishing arrogance. It's the holier-than-thou sanctimoniousness of America that so angers the rest of the world.

To demand peace at any cost is mixing levels.
To bring peace through enlightenment is true power.
The theme of Total Health 2003 is The Healing Power of Peace
" "Peace is the place we all come from. It is the feeling we all search for during our lifetime. It is the place to which we all return." E. Pearl
" "Peace is not something that happens to you but by you. It is a process that happens from the inside out, not the outside in." J. Twyman
" "Peace is something that has to be experienced in the heart. If ever the war begins on the outside, it would have begun on the inside first." P.Rawat
" "Peace is not something that comes about through marches and demonstrations. It comes from inner states of consciousness and when we collectively really want peace, it comes as a natural manifestation." David Hawkins

An Appeal from Dr Helen Caldicott to the Pope

Dear Friends

I write this appeal for your help as a pediatrician, a mother, and a grandmother -- and I am writing about the lives of tens of thousands of children.

Although the current administration has demonstrated it has no reservations about slaughtering up to 500,000 innocents in Iraq, there is one person whose life they absolutely will not risk. That person is Pope John Paul II. While the Pope has already formally denounced the proposed war, calling it a defeat for humanity, as well as sent his top spokesperson to meet with Saddam Hussein, he now must take a historically unprecedented action of his own and travel to Baghdad. The Pope's physical presence in Iraq will act as the ultimate human shield, during which time leaders of the word nation can commit themselves to identifying and implementing a peaceful solution to this war that the world's majority clearly does not support.

To persuade the Holy Father to take this unusual but potent action, he must hear from you and millions of others around the world who have already been inspired to stand up and speak out for peace. A mountain of surface mail, email, faxes, and phone calls are our devices to inspire him. Please understand that your taking just a few minutes right now to communicate with him may ultimately spare the lives of thousands of innocent people who at this moment live in complete terror from the threat of an imminent U.S.-lead military strike on their homeland.

So here is what you can do to be a part of this powerful final action to stop the march to war in Iraq.

1. Do not forward the letter below. Its power depends upon your sending it directly, as a personal communication to the Pope.
2. Simply cut and paste the letter below into a new email. Also cut and paste the Vatican email address we have provided.
3. At the close of the letter, type in your name, city and state--no need to include your address.
4. Either email, (accreditamenti@pressva.va) FAX ([from USA] 011-39-06698-85378--(Click here to send a fax for free from your computer) from other countries drop the 011 prefix -- or send a hardcopy of this letter to the addresses in the letter below. DO NOT put "Italy" anywhere on the envelope, as this will send your mail into the Italian mail system which is independent of the Vatican system. Should you wish to phone the Vatican directly, (from USA) dial 011-39-06-69-82--all other countries must use their appropriate international prefix.
5. Pass this original email on to as many people you can so as to assure a critical mass is reached in this action.
6. Note that as you and others begin sending your letters, faxes and emails, there will be a simultaneous effort to alert the media of this action, so as to be sure it is publicly known throughout the world.
Thank you for participating in this formal request of the Pope. We just may stop this war in Iraq -- and save these childrens' lives.

Dr. Helen Caldicott

Dr. Caldicott is the author of a new book: The New Nuclear Danger: George Bush's Military Industrial Complex

His Holiness John Paul II
Apostolic Palace
00120 Vatican City State
Europe

"Father, why has thou forsaken me?"

Your Holiness:

I write to you today out of a sense of great urgency. As you know the United States of America is on the verge of launching what may be one of the most cataclysmic wars in history using weapons of mass destruction upon the Iraqi people, fifty percent of whom are less than 15 years of age.

Conservative estimates are that such a war will result in the death of 500,000 Iraqis. It seems clear that, at this time, you are the only person on Earth who can stop this war. Indeed, your physical presence in Baghdad, will prevent the impending slaughter of hundreds of thousands of human beings, and force the international community of nations to identify and implement a truly peaceful resolution to this unprecedented, preemptive aggression.

I implore you to travel to Baghdad and to remain there until a peaceful solution to this crisis has been implemented. The lives of the people of the people of Iraq rest in your hands - as does the fate of the world.

With hope,

(your name)

WEBSITES:
www.peacefultomorrows.org
www.affs.org
www.unitedforpeace.org
www.emissaryoflight.com
www.uppeace.org
www.permanentpeace.org
www.peace-action.org
www.earthfuture.com

Sometimes in the name of Peace, we must fight a "just war". Just as Lord Krishna instructed Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, "You must stand up and fight", even though standing on the opposing battlefield were uncles and grandfathers. When the war is not just, we must do everything in our power to prevent it. And if we are to act wisely, we must understand the truth of what is behind that war.
First of all, we must find peace within ourselves so that we may allow that peace to spread throughout the world and hope for "a new earth and heaven".