My diet & detox journal

The B.A.R.F diet: Biologically Appropriate Raw Foods

I was thinking that some might want to share their experience with feeding their pets a raw diet. (As opposed to the typical dry kibble bought from stores.)

My cat, M.Kitters has been fed a raw diet since the first of June. We buy premade packets from a local manufacturer here in FL. They are made with raw meat, bones and greens. Prior, we fed him an organic kibble from the health food store.

This diet has cured up some nasty skin issues, including hotspots, kitty acne (caused by caustic drool , really, this is a real condition) , cured his overweigh condition, and returned his kitten energy. His fur is also much thicker, fluffier, and cleaner.

I am in such wonder that for years people have fed thier pets the dry kibble, and it was just par for the course, you know? Just normal. There is a huge industry behind dry kibble, so it is not unlike the junk food industry for humans. They even make those little pouches of treats for them! In shapes that only thier mommies and daddies would appreciate! Then there is the food coloring they add to make it look pretty…

A funny story about kibble: Last year we were trying different dry foods to find one kitters would like. We tried one, that had these little black pellets in it, that supposedly were “vitamin pills”. We came home the first day, and the kitchen was covered with little black pellets, all over the floor! He had rejected them! Day two I watched him eat, and sure enough, he would pick them out with his tongue, and drop them to the side of his bowl! Cats can certainly be picky!

Because the raw diet is naturally wet and hydrating, kitters doesn’t need as much water through the day. Has anyone else noticed the health benefits of sharing the raw experience with thier pets?

You might be able to find what you want at a holistic pet store or vet. There is a store near me, (although I do have to drive 20 minutes to it) where they sell a locally made raw pet food for cats. It is just meat and bones and greens all ground up and packaged in little pouches. They sell the major players as well, (like the Praire frozen raw which is even sold at places like whole foods) but we opted to start kitters on a local company. I have spoken with the owner of the company, and it is nice having that relationship, seeing as we aren’t ready to do it ourselves. Someone Pm’d me that there is someone who does something similar and sells it through their vet.

My husband, wants to move toward buying direct from a butcher or fish monger as well for our cat, but agrees that it means time and yes, additional appliances! We often wonder & discuss, however, which types of animals kitters would eat if he were wild. Certainly fish would be a long shot…(Insert image of kitters with waders and a pole…)and large game animals is another one of those “hummm” moments. (Insert image of kitters chasing down a bull or lamb~)

However, I did some research! You can click here for info on wild cats that DO fish. This is a pic of a male fishing cat at the National Zoo snaging an unsuspecting goldfish.

Don’t let the fishing cat’s name fool you: its diet also includes birds, small mammals, snakes, and snails. According to this site, fishing cats are also powerful enough to take down large prey like calves and dogs.

On the other hand, kitters is a domesticated feline, despite being found in the wild as a “throwaway stray” and since the first days of his life has been fed by humans. Although he is an avid lizard chaser, I guess the biologically appropriate natural food for a small cat in the wild would be small rodents and reptiles… It is an interesting thought though!

I was pm-ing someone today about cleansing, and wanted to include part of my letter here, since it addresses cleansing. I often get PM’s about this subject, so by putting it here, I won’t lose the answer, and others can read it as well.With regard to detox, our body has 7 channels of elimination, the liver, lungs, lymphatic system, kidney, skin, blood and bowel. This means, when you start to “clean house”, you will often see or feel the release of toxic “sludge” from many or all of those organs. Hence, runny nose or mucus, skin breakouts, stinky sweat, hives, stinky bm, etc.

With regard to quiting smoking, one of my collegues here at work said that she did a cleanse recently, and although she hadn’t smoked in over 10 years, she could taste the cigarettes in her saliva, and smell smoke in her urine…WHat happens is that toxins are stored in our fatty tissues, and around our body. This happens when our liver is overloaded, or when the needed tools such as nutrients and minerals (that are lacking in our diets) to assist our body in detoxification. So, when we start helping our body to cleanse (by giving it those tools,) the toxins are finally able to be released. This is good, because when they are stored, they are essentially sitting in our tissues setting off a cascade of free radical damage…foods and nutrients high in antioxidants reverse this, but unless we get rid of the toxic buildup, they continue to plague us…

You will want to look through any supplements you take and see if they use fillers or binders. SUch ingredients are extranious, and are often added to bulk up the product, and save the company money. Look for pectin, and lecithin for example. These are decent ingredients, but they cost less than a few dollars a pound on thier own. The greens companies add them, and then charge $30 a pound…

Really, some additives out there can be toxic. (they are foreign to the body.) When we are cleansing, the last thing we want to do is to introduce substances that burden our liver, and subsequently must be eliminated as well. Many tableting techinques are such that up to 40% of the pill is binder and or filler.

The thing with cleansing is, that you are eliminating junk, and this very release puts a burden on your system. In the big scope of things, this is good, as you want the junk to be on its way. In the short term you may have cleansing reactions, and, you may see a short term affect on your immune system. This is why some practitioners recommend physiological rest (fasting and bedrest) while you cleanse. Others suggest starting out slow, such that you are not overwhelmed. After all, many of us have a life to live…

Raw is a great way to feed your body what it needs to get clean and well… Eat plenty of fiber, such as flax seeds, and that will help bind up the toxins, and escort them out of your body. Less free floating toxins during a cleanse, means less cleansing symptoms, such as flu like symtoms or malaise.

Happy cleansing.
Cassy Smile

Hello everyone. I wanted to drop a quick hello, and let you know I am still around. I have been committed to work and home, so I have had little time to sit and chat here online. From Dec of last year, until nigh on April I was on here night and day, so no doubt several wondered if I had fallen off the wagon…lol

I am still around, still high raw, and still working in for the digestive care company here in sunny Florida. Smile I promised myself that I would cut back my web surfing time, so that is why I stopped blogging here and chatting on RawFoodTalk. However, I continue on this journey, and want to make an effort to stick around here and on Alissa’s site. I know how much a good support system means when you are on the path toward wellness!

I noticed that many of the regular faces have changed online, so I wish everyone who has joined much success in the challange of a healthy diet, and for those who have been around a while, I say hello again & best wishes for continued success on the raw journey!

My T and I recently moved into a house in a lovely little neighborhood, so I am able to spend more time out of doors walking. I have a delightful open floorplan, which means that being in the kitchen is more enjoyable than it was in the apt. I much prefer the counter space here, on which I am able to prepare lots of lovely raw treats. A favorite these days is strawberries, and I still consume my favorite homemade kimchi, at least 4 days a week. Recently I inagurated the house with its first batch of the infamous onion bread. Luckily here, the stove exhaust actually vents out the roof, so the house didn’t have to reek of the bread for days! I have been also eating carrots with a nice nut pate made from veggies, pinenuts and almonds.

I am as always struggling to keep wheat out of my diet, but I have remained mostly on track. I have also been back on the coffee bandwagon, a habit I resumed during my vacation in April. oops. But, then, in the scheme of things it isn’t as bad as other things that I could consume.

I am still high raw, 80% most days, sometimes 100, and at times lower due to a bit of millet bread, coffee or animal products. However, I celebrated 2 years high raw in April, and hope to continue on this track. I am not sure I will ever truly stick to 100 raw one hundred percent, but I am mostly there, most of the time. Smile

I will continue to try and drop in, and update my journal when I can.

Hello again everyone, and happy 4th…

Cassy:)