Flaxseed Meal
Flaxseed meal is the richest plant source of antioxidant lignans and Omega-3 fatty acids, which both help support an active immune system. The high levels of Omega-3 fatty acids in flaxseed meal also help promote healthy skin and a shiny coat.
Flaxseed meal also has a very high level of highly digestible protein and essential amino acids needed to keep dogs fit and healthy. In addition, flaxseed meal contains high amounts of fiber that helps aid digestion.
Barley Grass Powder
Barley Grass and the very similar Wheat Grass (and their juices) are the young (gluten-free) grasses of the wheat or barley plant. They are different from the wheat grain or barley grain that grow on the same plant and DO contain gluten. Barley Grass and Wheat Grass are grain-free.
Many pet owners mistakenly believe that their dog eats grass because its digestion may be upset. Sure, their digestion could be out of balance from having to eat processed pet food, but that's not the reason they eat grass.
When dogs first inhabited the earth - before they became man's (and woman's) best friend - they had to fend for themselves and forage for in-the-wild, raw, nutrition-rich foods. They ate grass and other vegetation because they wanted that green stuff, chlorophyll, vitamin C, other nutrients in the coloring matter (i.e., beta carotene), and especially enzymes. Barley grass contains amino acids, vitamins, and minerals that are necessary for a dog's nutrition.
Barley grass contains enzymes that help digestion in dogs. These enzymes also help to metabolise nutrients. Barley grass is a natural cleanser. The enzymes contained in barley grass detoxify the dog's organs, especially the liver and intestines. It rids the dog's body of waste matter, therefore promoting a healthy, well-functioning digestive system.
Because of the cleansing properties of barley grass, the dog's digestive system distributes the nutrients it obtains from its food and from the barley grass.
Arrowroot Powder
Arrowroot is also known as the obedience plant and is a herb found in rainforest habitats. It is a white powder-like material that is obtained from the root of the Marantha Arundinacea plant. The old Caribbean Arawak people used the arrowroot plant as a staple. These plants are found in the West Indies, Florida, Australia, South Asia, Brazil, and Thailand. Arrowroot is essentially a type of starch that is extracted from the West Indian arrowroot rhizomes.
The Arrowroot is low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol, and Sodium. It is high in Vitamin B6, folate, thiamin, niacin, iron, phosphorus, potassium, and manganese. It is a great substitute for humans and dogs that have allergies to wheat.
For many years, Arrowroot's benefits have been centered on the remedy for diarrhea. Many studies have been performed on the possible remedies of Arrowroot for digestive discomfort and distress. On the one hand, the high starch in arrowroot powder has a laxative effect and is often used as a mild laxative for those suffering from irritable bowel syndrome; however, there are also many others who claim that Arrowroot's starch makes it an effective remedy for diarrhea. It is possible that the demulcent effects of the arrowroot powder may soothe the bowels in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. It is from here that the common use of Arrowroot as a remedy for diarrhea has emerged. In a lot of gastrointestinal ailments, arrowroot powder is consumed orally to improve the symptoms.
The mashed rhizomes of Arrowroot are used on septic wounds and scorpion and black spider bites as it draws out the poison from the injured area.
Some key uses:
- Arrowroot is also traditionally used to cure gangrene.
- It is a powerful antidote for poisonous plants.
- Aids digestion and helps to regulate bowel movement.
- Arrowroot powder mixed with water is cooled into a jelly-like substance that is used to wean infants.
- Used in the treatment of smallpox.
- Widely used as a medicine by people having dietary restrictions.
Sesame Seeds (ground)
One of the first oil seeds known to humankind, sesame seeds are used in culinary as well as in traditional medicines for their nutritive, preventive, and curative properties. Its oil seeds are sources for some phytonutrients such as omega-6 fatty acids, flavonoid phenolic antioxidants, vitamins and dietary fibre with potent anti-cancer as well as health promoting properties.
Sesame seeds are one of the richest vegan calcium sources. They are especially rich in mono-unsaturated fatty acid oleic acid, which comprises of up to 50% of the fatty acids found in them. Oleic acid helps to lower LDL or "bad cholesterol" and increase HDL or "good cholesterol" in the blood. Research studies suggest that the Mediterranean diet, which is rich in mono-unsaturated fats, helps to prevent coronary artery disease and stroke by favoring a healthy lipid profile.
They are also a very good source of dietary proteins with fine-quality amino acids essential for growth.
Sesame seeds contain many health benefiting compounds such as sesamol (3, 4-methylene-dioxyphenol), sesaminol, furyl-methanthiol, guajacol (2-methoxyphenol), phenylethanthiol and furaneol, vinylguacol and decadienal. Sesamol and sesaminol are phenolic antioxidants. Together, these compounds help stave off harmful free radicals from the body.
Sesame is amongst the seeds rich in quality vitamins and minerals. They are very good sources of B-complex vitamins such as niacin, folic acid, thiamin (vitamin B1), pyridoxine (vitamin B6), and riboflavin. They also contain folic acid which is essential for DNA synthesis.
Niacin is another B-complex vitamin found abundantly in sesame. It helps reduce LDL-cholesterol levels in the blood. In addition, it enhances GABA activity inside the brain, which in turn helps reduce anxiety and neurosis.
Sesame seeds are incredibly rich sources of many essential minerals. calcium, iron, manganese, zinc, magnesium, selenium and copper are especially concentrated in sesame seeds. Many of these minerals play a vital role in bone mineralization, red blood cell production, enzyme synthesis, hormone production, as well as regulation of cardiac and skeletal muscle activities.
Chia Seeds (ground)
Chia Seeds are a powerhouse nutritional food with benefits superior to flax seeds. Chia has a very mild flavor (and no "fishy" taste like other foods high in Omega-3 fatty acids). Chia seeds are the highest known wholefood source of Omega-3 fatty acids and are an excellent source of fiber, calcium, iron, and manganese. Chia seeds are 30% oil, of which 30% is omega 3 and 40% is omega 6. Chia seeds have a long shelf life (4-5 years), and they also have approximately two times the protein concentration and up to ten times the oil concentration of other grains. Other seeds with harder shells, such as flax seeds, require grinding to make them digestible and have a very short shelf life in the ground form.
Chia has three times more iron than spinach. Chia's protein is complete with all essential amino acids and is gluten-free. Chia has 19 to 23% protein content, more than that found in traditional cereals such as wheat (13.7%), corn (9.4%), rice (6.5%), oatmeal (16.9%) and barley (12.5%).
Chia seeds have become very popular in recent years because they offer balanced omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, soluble and insoluble dietary fiber, high-quality protein, antioxidants, and many other nutrients.
Turmeric Powder
Turmeric is reported to have anti-inflammatory properties. Curcumin (the active compound found in turmeric) is believed to be a potent anti-inflammatory, according to professionals at the University of Florida's Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. This can be helpful for painful inflammatory conditions.
Curcumin is believed to stimulate bile production in the liver, essential to the digestion of dietary fats. As working dogs need their diets to consist of at least 20 percent fat, healthy bile production is paramount to good health. Pregnant, nursing and underweight dogs also need a diet fairly high in fat, which means they need healthy bile production to digest it all.
Turmeric is also high in antioxidants. Antioxidants are substances such as vitamin C or E that remove potentially damaging agents, called free radicals, from the body. Free radicals can wreak havoc in the body and possibly lead to such conditions as cardiovascular disease and cancer. Dogs need antioxidants just as humans do to mitigate this free radical damage. There are many options for providing antioxidants to your dog, including fruits and vegetables. The active ingredients in turmeric, though, will also provide an antioxidant boost to your dog's food.
Curcumin can provide a synergistic effect with other herbs, which means the herbs increase each other's beneficial effects. Bromelain, an extract of pineapple stems, is a herb that works well in this way with curcumin. Bromelain can decrease what is known as "circulating immune complexes", which can cause immune system damage. When combined with curcumin, the two increase each other's absorption in the gastrointestinal tract. In other words, by taking both curcumin and bromeliad, the body will absorb more of both herbs than if they were taken alone.
Lecithin Powder
Phospholipids (commonly referred to as lecithin) are natural compounds found in plant and animal tissue. Phospholipids, in simplistic terms, are composed of fatty acids (linoleic (omega-6), oleic, palmitic, linolenic (omega-3) and others), phosphorus, choline (a B-vitamin), and other lesser compounds. Phospholipids are essential components of cell membranes, are synthesized in the body, and are the most abundant lipid component in animal cell membranes. Adding additional lecithin to human diets, as well as animal diets, is proving to be very beneficial as its value as a "functional food" is being discovered.
Enriching dog diets with lecithin can result in better-looking dogs, mentally sharper dogs, and dogs that perform at a higher level. Dogs receiving additional lecithin are known to have a healthier coat and better skin condition compared to dogs not receiving lecithin. Research has demonstrated that supplementing dog foods with 1% to 3% lecithin provides the phospholipids and essential fatty acids needed to maintain membrane fluidity, permeability, and integrity, as well as the synthesis of some other metabolically active compounds. Dogs with healthy skin are more resistant to irritations, infections, allergens, and scrapes, and cuts heal more quickly. Likewise, their coat has the sheen and luster that just radiates "healthy dog."
Cell membranes throughout the body are affected by greater lecithin consumption. The impact on skin and hair is visually apparent; however, virtually all cells return to "normal" when a more optimal level of lecithin is consumed. The synthesis of certain metabolically active compounds returns to normal, permitting more normal overall metabolic function and, put simply, "Things just work better!". Dogs maintain their appetite and keep better condition during heavy training and work; not only do they look better, but they also respond and perform better physically.
Choline, a component of the phospholipid phosphatidylcholine, is a B vitamin. Choline has long been known as a component of acetylcholine - the chemical compound essential for nerve impulse transmission. Also, choline, when supplied in sufficient amounts, "spares" methionine, a dietary essential amino acid needed for protein synthesis. By sparing methionine, choline indirectly aids in normal protein synthesis.
New research shows that choline (from lecithin) probably is essential for normal brain development. Research at Duke University indicates that offspring from bitches fed diets supplemented with lecithin during gestation and lactation were, in effect, "smarter" than offspring from bitches fed un-supplemented diets. Brain development studies with rats tend to support the findings of the Duke researchers. These researchers found that in laboratory rats, choline supplementation is critical during certain periods in gestation and lactation. Actually, supplementation during days 12-17 (embryonic) and days 16-30 (postnatal) is critical in rat brain development. These time periods coincide with cholinergic neuron (neurons requiring acetylcholine) formation (prenatal) and nerve-nerve connections (postnatal) in the memory area of the brain. Similar critical periods for choline (lecithin) supplementation may also exist in dogs.
Trainers report that dogs fed lecithin-containing supplements for several weeks before starting training are easier to train, learn more quickly, and "know what is going on" better than dogs not fed lecithin until they arrive at the kennel for training. These trainers also recognize that dogs getting lecithin-based products are in better condition and have more stamina than un-supplemented dogs.
While lecithin can also be derived from sunflower, we purposely stick to soy lecithin as it is a better quality product; despite being derived from soy, it is not soy and is not considered to be a soy allergy risk. Additionally, the process in which sunflower lecithin is derived and stabilized contains chemicals that we do not have to use for our soy lecithin. Please note that even the certified organic lecithin out there is not always truly lecithin. For example, lecithin granules can be made up of approximately 80% stabilizers, and while these may not always be harmful, you are not really getting much lecithin, and in turn, the efficacy is greatly reduced.
Maca Powder
Maca Powder from the Maca root is an excellent natural source of vitamins and minerals, and it grows in the mountains of Peru. Modern scientists find that it regulates the hormone system, resulting in numerous health benefits, such as increased energy and decreased stress.
Maca Root is rich in plant chemicals that provide the body with a boost resulting in greater capacity for endurance.
Maca root has the capability to affect and balance the production of hormones, which has an anti-aging effect.
Research carried out on Maca root has demonstrated its huge amounts of nutritive elements, such as a rich variety of minerals (iron, sodium and calcium), vitamins B1, B2, C and E, and amino acids.
Wakame Powder
Wakame has one of the highest nutrient-to-calorie ratios (from a vegetarian source) of anti-inflammatory Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acid (EPA). The salty taste is not just salt but a balanced, chelated combination of sodium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorous, iron, and trace minerals.
The tiny calorie content in wakame is due to its low levels of fat and carbohydrates. It's also rich in vitamins and minerals, folate, and soluble/insoluble fiber.
Minerals and vitamins aren't the only thing scientists have found in this brown seaweed. It is said that chemists in Japan have discovered that wakame contains a compound, fucoxanthin, that seems to reduce the accumulation of fat in animals. Fucoxanthin gives wakame its brownish appearance and aids in photosynthesis. This compound appears to stimulate fat oxidation and encourages the liver to produce more DHA, a type of omega-3 fatty acid that helps reduce the bad cholesterol associated with heart disease and obesity.
Wakame also seems to help prevent cancer. A 2003 article in "Breast Cancer Research" reported that the sea vegetable is also rich in iodine. In a previous Japanese study on breast cancer, this trace element was found to suppress and even kill mammary tumors. It is speculated that the iodine in wakame and other seaweeds that are so prevalent in Japanese cuisine are responsible for the relatively low breast cancer rate in both human males and females in Japan. This hypothesis is based on the observed increase in breast cancer rates among Japanese women who turned to a Western-style diet with less seaweed intake.
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