As consumers, we have been conditioned over many decades to believe that the brands these companies make, when it comes to foods that are highly processed and packaged for convenience, are better for us than the real thing. So much so that we don’t even recognize the benefits of real food any more. Isn’t that sad? Why would we ever question the makers of top brands when they are made by household names that we grew up with as kids? Brand names we have come to know and love and consume every day. I mean come on, the maker of M&Ms candies, Milky Way, Snickers and Skittles (Mars Inc.) is the number one maker of pet food in the world. So, certainly they MUST have our pet’s health and well-being at top of mind. Right? Think again, Mr. or Ms. Consumer.
REAL FOOD IS ALWAYS BETTERTHAN PROCESSED FOOD. Real food is always better than processed food, for humans and pets. Period. Right now, there are grassroots movements sweeping across the nation with a big push to buy fresh, buy local, and “NO GMOs (genetically modified organisms).” We have all heard of at least one story of how a person
was able to beat cancer (or any number of debilitating dis- eases) by radically changing their
diet.There are countless tes- timonials of how eliminating processed foods and eating a whole food diet rich with dark leafy greens, plenty of clean water and devoid of sugar and white starchy foods helps slow the growth of, if not eliminate cancer altogether. Google “why Venus Williams became a raw vegan;” or “organic food vs. Ritalin.” A clean diet based on natural whole foods can diminish the impact of Diabetes, Arthritis and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children and many other chronic diseases. One of my favorite veterinarian resources and author,
Karen Shaw Becker, DVM, says in the introduction of her book Dr. Becker’s Real Food for Healthy Dogs & Cats, “The truth is, food is just food. There is no ‘dog food,’ ‘people food,’ ‘cat food,’ ‘bird food’ – it’s all just food, with the balance and ingredients differing depending on the species. A fresh food diet is best for all living beings. A fresh, species-appropriate diet provides support for the body to maintain a vibrant state of being for many years.” Raw feeding isn’t for everyone. It does take time,
patience and a little elbow grease. It goes beyond just throw- ing some raw meat and veggies in our pet’s bowl and calling it a day. Whether we decide to feed raw or not, it is essential to learn how to read labels and understand what it is we're reading. Talk to people, listen, do some research, find one or two industry experts that you can trust, stay on top of indus- try trends and watch your pets flourish once you begin to introduce more natural foods into their food bowl. Interested in learning more on feeding a raw food diet
to your dog? Visit
www.TheNewBarker.com and click on Raw, Part 2: I’m ready to try raw feeding for my pet. Where do I begin? We'll discuss safety concerns and the different options available – dehydrated, freeze-dried, raw frozen, and raw meaty bones. Yvonne Guibert is the owner of Groovy Cats & Dogs in Tampa. For a personal consultation, she may be reached at 813.265.1333. U
www.TheNewBarker.com Summer ~ 2013 THE NEW BARKER 71
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