“Let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food.”
Hippocrates, 400 BC
While food has long been recognized as a powerful factor in health and wellness, most of us ignore Hippocrates’ advice when it comes to feeding ourselves and our pets. We opt for highly processed fast food, all the while promising ourselves that tomorrow will be different, that the food we’ve selected isn’t really all that bad, and that we just don’t have the time or money to do things any differently. Many of us won’t seriously consider adjusting our diet or that of our pet until a health issue crops up. However, by the time a health issue is evident, it may have been developing for months, years, or even decades. A healthful diet now can reduce the risk of disease in the future.
When it comes to feeding our pets, the use of fast food has been taken to the extreme and kibble has become the predominant food source. If you have any doubt about the power of food in achieving health and wellness, take a look at our cases studies. Read Wendy Volhard’s case describing how switching to a raw food diet, as part of a multidisciplinary approach, helped an 8-year-old Westie regain her health. Wendy is one of the earliest proponents of holistic dog care. She developed her natural diet in 1973 when her 6-year-old Landseer Newfoundland Heidi was given only 6 months to live. After switching her to a raw diet, Heidi flourished, living until the age of 12! Also review the case describing how diet helped transform Mad Max into Mellow Max.
There is good scientific evidence that diet has a profound impact on human health and wellness too. Let’s take heart disease as an example. In a study of Korean battlefield casualties, 77% of young men (average age 22 years) had visual evidence of atherosclerosis! Atherosclerosis has even been demonstrated in kids 10 years old and younger. These changes were taking place years before symptoms would develop! Unfortunately, by the time symptoms become evident, treatment is far more challenging than addressing the cause of the problem at a younger age. The extent of these atherosclerotic changes was directly related to cholesterol levels and cholesterol levels directly related to diet. There is clear evidence that a more healthful diet can reduce the risk of heart disease. (For more information see Heart Disease Starts in Childhood at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlubvTMLrLM)
“Let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food,” is an ancient truth that has stood the test of time. Begin taking small steps now to improve your nutrition and that of your pet – you’ll both increase your odds of living a healthier, happier, longer life!