Over time, it has become increasingly apparent that we need to watch what we eat in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle and reduce the effects of aging and diseases in the body. Our pets are in the same position as we are. By eating foods that are hard to digest, full of chemicals or contain little nutritional value, we are reducing the quality and the length of life of mans best friend.
Just imagine if we were to live on a diet completely made from synthetic materials and empty calories, or what we would call junk food. Because of this lifestyle, our health would suffer. We would be more likely to suffer from disease and reduce our lifespan considerably. The same applies to our pets, and often without our knowing it, we are the main cause of this problem.
Buying dog foods from the supermarket shelf is much the same as buying junk food for us; many dog foods contain chemical and flavor enhancers, the food which is often poor in quality, and most definitely not suitable for human consumption.
The process in which many dog foods are made includes rigorous cooking techniques, which destroys the natural colorings and flavors in the food. The result is that your pet may be eating artificial colors and flavors as well as missing out on the nutritional value of quality wholesome ingredients needed to live a healthy life.
The best way to find out what it is you are feeding your pet is to investigate the ingredients that are in the dog food; the first five ingredients listed on the label are the main content of the food. If the dog food contains by-products this is usually parts of animals that are low in protein and not really good for your pet, for example, ground feet, bones and intestines.
Look out for chemical preservatives used to keep the food from spoiling; these are often called BHA and BHT. Grains, such as corn, wheat, gluten, and soy are also very difficult for your pet to digest, and are used as a protein source, instead of meat products.
Ideally, a pet food should contain wholesome ingredients that are easy for your pet to digest; the main ingredient should be meat, quality meat that is fit for human consumption. Vegetables, anti oxidants, bacteria cultures, and protenated minerals should also be high on the list. Grains are not ideal for pets, with the exception of whole grain brown rice, which is easy for your pet to digest as well as helping to promote a healthy coat.
All of these impressive ingredients are useless, unless a proper technique free of colorings and flavorings are used. Pet food should be cooked in a way that locks in the protein, minerals, and fibers right from the start, without the need for artificial ingredients to be added.
Your pet deserves the chance to live a healthy lifestyle, just the same as its owners do. By providing nutritional, healthy wholesome premium dog and cat food for your pet, you can show your best friends how much you really care for them.
Lori Matthews
http://www.articlesbase.com/automotive-articles/pet-food-a-decision-that-will-affect-their-health-59779.html
#1 by sahrish a - July 9th, 2009 at 06:32
eat healthy food everyday?
How did you develop you current nutritional habits?
Every individual has different nutritional habits some choose to eat healthy and some choose to eat unhealthy but the different between them is something individual are unaware. I hardly eat junks food even though they are the best things and really delicious I would love to have junks food but I don’t get time to eat. In the morning I usually have tea with a bread or cookies or probably nothing and for lunch I will have some sort of salad in school and when I go home I eat rice, chicken, vegetable anything my sister or my mom have cooked for me. Then I have to have something in the evening like fruits or juice because I usually work out in the evening so I need to have fruit or something to drink healthy and then I eat twice at night because I am awake for longer time so I need to eat and keep myself full my dinner is usually the same as lunch nothing really different unfortunately. I have developed this habit because I have been doing this for longer time and it was through my parents they cause me eat this many times but now they regret of making my habit that way because I finish everything at home.
What is the relationship of food to health?
Relationship to food to health is really big the way people act, talk or looks like really appears of what you take in to your stomach. Changes in our understanding of diet and health drive changes in the way foods are processed. On the other hand, what is available on the shelf will have an impact on the choices consumers make, thereby affecting their health. Studies have indicated that nutritional factors do contribute to the development of some of these diseases. After eating contaminated food, people can develop anything from a short, mild illness, often mistakenly referred to as "food poisoning," to life-threatening disease. Right food can make you appear healthier physically mentally and emotionally. so choosing the right food is very important.
What are the health problems that might occur from bad diet decisions?
There is many health problems that can occur from bad diet decisions such as Eating junk food during pregnancy could have a bigger impact on childhood obesity, liver disease and diabetes. Almost one-third of children aged six to 19 and 12 per cent of infants in the United States are overweight, according to a National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, and obesity is now the most prevalent nutritional disease of children and adolescents in the US. " A high-fat diet in the womb may also affect the "appetite centre" of the brain. Also eating a lot of trans fats that contain partially hydrogenated oil probably increases the risk of heart disease. some diet also effects your breathe which many people are unaware of it such as Low-carb diets may be good for your waistline, but you might not be able to say the same for your breath. Bad breath in the low/no-carb sect is often caused by certain chemicals that are released in the breath as the body burns fat. They are called ketones, and entering into a fat-burning state of ketosis is the hallmark of the Atkins diet. It’s a difficult problem to solve because if one uses any sucking candy or lozenge, one has to be careful that it has no sugar in it
Why is permanent weight control best achieved by the combination of diet and exercise?
When you eat healthy food and exercise you remain in shape and controlled and away from obesity that you might get from junks. You are much more healthier then the rest of other who choose to eat unhealthy food for there dinner, lunch and breakfast as you exercise you burn off your calories and fats which leads you to remain much more healthier then others. Your heart is healthier you remain free from being obese and any other physical or mental disease that might occur. You are just doing yourself a favor and minimize a lot of health issues and when you take in healthy food inside you remain healthy you feel better and lighter and just happier believe it or not eating healthy food really effects your brain and pressurize your mind in a healthier way.