Keywording and SEO

Professional herbalists offer natural, holistic, herbal healing remedies, recipes, tutorials and nutritional information to help support healthy living.

Page Tabs

October 22, 2011

A Natural Hairball Remedy for Cats


TOXIC INGREDIENTS IN MOST HAIRBALL REMEDY FORMULAS

This time of year, cats may be shedding their warm-weather coats to grow in their cold-weather coats. The seasonal shedding period leaves more pet hair than usual floating around.

I believe it is most helpful to offer some additional assistance simply by brushing them more often, continuing to vacuum and sweep for pet hair regularly and supplement them with a beneficial remedy that helps them to pass the additional amounts of hair they are ingesting.

I went looking into quality hairball remedies for my own cats to see if any of the products might offer extra support for their seasonal shedding period. I was shocked to find out that many of the commercial hairball remedies contain ingredients toxic to the species which can compromise a cat’s immune system and organ functions over time with regular use.

Before going into the ingredients on the list of things to steer away from, I would like to explain that frequent and recurring hairball and vomiting issues in cats are not normal for them and are often the result of one or multiple underlying causes. With regular coat grooming and a healthy, species-appropriate diet, hairballs should not be an issue for any cat.

Dr. Karen Becker, a holistic veterinarian who shares valuable information about pet care at Mercola Healthy Pets has an excellent video and article regarding pet problems involving regurgitation. The information can be found here on their website. If you do not have access, the video information is located here.

 

On to the hairball remedies that are on the market:

SentryHC Petromalt and a couple of other major brands have just changed their formula to include corn syrup or corn products. These are absolute no-no’s to give to cats if your goal is to keep them healthy. They can actually make your cats sick.

The use of corn and corn products in cat foods is linked to pancreatitis, diabetes, kidney failure, liver disease, bladder inflammation, bladder and kidney stones, IBD (which also includes chronic vomiting and diarrhea) and dental decay. It has been removed from many cat food brand formulations with only the lowest-end food brands continuing to use it as an ingredient.

Sentry HC Petromalts

Some of the "natural" brands I checked use either petrolatum or hydrogenated/hydrolyzed vegetable oil as one of the main ingredients. Petrolatum, also known as petroleum jelly (which is also a popular marketed brand named Vaseline) is refined crude oil. It contains contaminants called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). These contaminants are linked to cancer, reproductive/developmental toxicity and endocrine dysfunction, among other things.

Nutri-Vet Hairball Paw Gel also contains parabens

Hydrogenated/hydrolyzed oils are highly processed chemical products derived from refined petroleum and gas. (Petrochemicals.) The hydrogenation process of unsaturated fats produces saturated and trans fats. To produce a hydrogenated oil, a component of gasoline; hexane, is part of a chemical solvent that is used along with high heat, pressure, and the addition of a metal catalyst. At the end of the process it is then deodorized, bleached, and a small percentage of the solvent is allowed to remain in the finished oil.

The dangers of trans fat oils are well documented for humans, however the FDA still allows it in the production of foods...in large quantities even. It is present in some hairball remedy formulas in place of petrolatum, but the fact remains even without the labeling, that it is engineered using a petroleum product. There is no nutritional or health benefit to offering these ingredients to your pet. In fact, just the opposite; the body becomes stressed trying to process and purge out the toxins that are in them.

Random Store Brand

Soybean oil, soy protein and other soy derivatives including lecithin are also ingredients used in some brands of hairball remedies. Cats are particularly susceptible to harm from soy products. Soy contains compounds that may negatively affect cats by interfering with nutrient absorption, normal growth, thyroid function, and hormonal development. Cats also do not have the liver enzymes to deactivate the phytoestrogens in it. The processing of soy foods produces a free glutamic acid; a potent neurotoxin which has been linked to causing brain damage. In recent years, soy-based ingredients have been removed from many cat food brands.

NaturVet Hairball Aid

I found methyl cellulose in some brands. Methyl cellulose is a non-digestible, chemical compound derived from cellulose (plant fiber). Industrially, cellulose is obtained from saw dust (wood pulp) and cotton. It is then synthetically produced into methyl cellulose by heating cellulose with caustic solution. These types of solutions are corrosive and destroy living tissue. The result of the process causes the plant fibers to break down and emulsify into a gel used for delivery of the other ingredients in a hairball remedy product.

Grass Gel by Gimborn

Other questionable ingredients include mineral oil (a mixture of hydrocarbons also derived from crude oil), and non-specific or unspecified animal digest. Unspecified means it is likely derived from a diseased, disabled, dying or already dead animal in this condition before going to the slaughter-house. It also includes sourcing from miscellaneous roadkill and shelter-euthanized animals, all of which are approved for use in pet products.

If any of the above-mentioned ingredients are on the list of your own store-bought hairball remedy, please consider discarding it. Take care to do extra grooming, and go with natural ingredients that have a benefit to your pets’ health.

I was unable to find a single commercially distributed hairball remedy that I felt was completely safe, natural and healthy for my cats to ingest. What is out on the market is thoughtless and unkind to our beloved companions. It is my hope that hairball remedy formulas will evolve to become truly beneficial.


Herbalogue’s Species-Appropriate Natural Hairball Remedy Recipe for Cats:

This recipe is primarily for hairball control and also works to condition their skin and coat while promoting organ and joint health as well as cognitive function. It is loaded with vitamins and minerals the cats actually use and need to maintain good health.

The exact recipe is:

- 1 Raw egg, yolk only (organic, cage free, brown egg is best to use for avoiding foreign hormones and antibiotics from being passed on to your pet)

-  Cod liver oil  30g / ~1 oz. (plain, unflavored, no additives, etc. There is a brand by Nordic Naturals named Pet Cod Liver Oil specifically for cats and dogs.)

Combine the yolk and cod liver oil together until it is evenly mixed.

The dose given to a healthy adult cat should be approximately 1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon total product with a meal or afterwards. Depending on the frequency of hairball problems, at the lower end of measurement, it can be given daily (and also find out what the real root of the problem is!) The supplement should be refrigerated, stored out of the light for up to 10 days and offered at room temperature. (Gently shake or turn your product to re-combine before serving if there is any separation.)

For assisting my two girls by using this supplement after more frequent grooming, they would get this once every 7-10 days regularly and twice per week during their seasonal shedding periods.

Wishing good health and happiness to you and your furbabies!

June 9, 2011

One Ingredient Ice Cream. Only Made With Bananas.

One Ingredient Ice Cream Made With Bananas and a Blender / Food Processor Simple, Easy

Around this time last year I opted into an "adventure" to craft up some One-Ingredient-Ice-Cream. It is a crazy-healthy ice cream treat made with one ingredient: Bananas. Not all of my experiments in the kitchen go so smoothly the first time around. Making the banana ice cream worked my nerves that afternoon as you will soon read about.

By the look of the recipe, there was no need for me to follow elaborate instructions. I figured I would peel and freeze some bananas and then throw them into the blender or food processor and that would be the end of it.
 
Q: Why are bananas never lonely?
A: Because they hang around in bunches!

Bananas are an excellent source of vitamin B6, C, manganese potassium and fiber. They are commonly noted for their benefits to heart-health, gastrointestinal and kidney functions.
IMG_4206s_herbalogue
So here we go! Last year I bought a bunch of bananas from the grocery store while they were very green. The weight of them was 2½ lbs. It took them five days to yellow up and get close enough to the peak of ripe as shown in the photograph. Even after nearly a week in my fruit basket they were still a little bit green at the top!

IMG_4214s_herbalogue
They were peeled and broken into mostly ⅓ chunks, and then placed into a plastic storage container. They made their way into the freezer next. I had other things come up and they ended up hanging out in the freezer for a good 7 days before I could return to this project.

IMG_4238s_herbalogue
My food processor was not loving the idea of these frozen bananas at all. The texture made it weird for the blades to cut through them. The blades would go through but the bananas weren't so dense that the processor could continue to "puree" them.

IMG_4239s_herbalogue
AHAHAHAA!!!!! The food is looking scary. I was having such a hard time with these, I was starting to get really aggro. I was totally afraid I was going to burn the motor on my appliance trying to get it to cut through bananas of all things. LOL. *snort*

IMG_4240s_herbalogue
So, eventually I got enough of the banana spun around in the processor and scooped out. They looked like mashed potatoes. Nowhere did I recall any of the recipe photos online showing that the bananas were supposed to look like this.

I went upstairs to my computer to find the recipe on the website and read everything over again. There is a small section I had missed that said step-by-step instructions. When I clicked on that, I found a different way of doing it. I went back downstairs to my kitchen to give that technique a try.

IMG_4245s_herbalogue
I should have cut the bananas into bits like this before starting as it turns out. And also, the recipe page said that the banana only needed to be frozen for 1-2 hours. I had frozen them for seven days. LOL.

So here is where I also give you all my excuse: I didn’t know the "rules" of using a food processor. I rarely used it, and for that matter, I had only really used my blender to make smoothies at the time. There are a lot of ways for me to mess up in the kitchen with this specific appliance. I just don't have enough experience with it.

Anyway, between letting the bananas thaw and trying to scoop and stir and everything, I was getting banana all over the kitchen counter and it was dropping all over the food processor and everything. The melting banana bits were getting very slimy and runny. (ACK!) *sigh*


IMG_4246s_herbalogue
The tips that I read from the website for making the banana bits smaller did help a lot. The texture of the processed bananas ended up looking like frozen yogurt or like a sorbet.

IMG_4250s_herbalogue
Actually it was fascinating because in the processor container, it looked soft and very mushy like baby food. Once I poured it out into a different container, it was very icy and creamy. The look of it was so deceiving!

IMG_4252s_herbalogue
I put a lid on the container and put it back into the freezer for a while to firm up a bit more. It took about 2 hours to get it frozen where it was icy and not just mushy. I didn't add anything this time around. It was 100% banana.

IMG_4255s_herbalogue
I took he final photo in the early evening when the sun was setting so the photo came out darker than I wanted to. The texture and consistency of it was much like a sorbet. The flavor was really super delicious. The banana-banana flavor and the banana sweetness couldn't have been balanced any better.

There you have it! Ice cream made from one ingredient. All silliness aside, I am not the biggest fan of bananas and somehow the flavor of this treat was one of the best icy treats I think I have ever had! I never imagined it would taste that good.

I made this on another occasion and had to show off to everyone at home how interesting it was. I terrorized friends and family to eat my creation!

I believe this bunch of bananas was $2.50. For the price, the flavor, and it being natural with options for me to add other things, (nuts, other fruit topping etc.)  it is definitely worth trying all sorts of different ways! And now that I know how to put them through the food processor and for how long to freeze them, it will be really easy the next time around. :)

I wish the end result photo turned out better! Have you tried this one yet?


Violet

Increase Libido / Sex Drive Completely Naturally - For Real

Natural Herbal Remedies for Sexual Libido for Men and Women

What is a natural remedy to increase libido/sex drive and sexual dysfunction? Will a supplement really work? I will share notes about how to naturally enhance libido without the side effects of getting jittery or having a crash that follows a high.

Too many sexual enhancement supplements, especially for men, create side effects which are reported to feel like being over-caffeinated, or cause a jittery-feeling anxiety that seems to affect the heart rate.

Some libido supplements have ingredients in them that cause what is similar to a sugar high; stimulation that causes the metabolism to spike and ends up burning out quickly causing an energy crash. Many consumers looking for sex drive and performance support supplements report hit-or-miss results about the products.


So here is where I come in to let you know; the way to really get libido going is to adjust your diet. It will take care of whatever ails you at the source. No more buying combo-pills that have 'secret' natural herbal blends.

The formulated combo-supplements out on the market are rated to have mixed results with consumers. Why? Because herbal supplements work with what you eat. What you eat needs to be harmonious with what you are trying to accomplish.

The labels on the packaging do not say it, but that is how it always goes. The industry has capitalized so much on putting together secret proprietary formulas; tree barks from Africa, bushes from India, roots from China - there really is a lot of craziness going on to make money on it, even fraud. A good herbal nutritionist will not treat you like a pharmacist and hand you this or that supplement without also telling you what needs to change about your diet to get everything into sync to start working with you and for you.

The best way to start improving your sex drive is to adjust your diet. Restrict your intake of the following:

Anything Fried. Yes, that includes donuts. It also means french fries, potato chips, KFC, Gorditas and Chalupas. Fried foods affect the circulatory system. The foods also affect the performance of other major systems to stay clean and work the way evolution intended. The consumption of fried foods is a foe to sexual staying power and does not help with endurance or energy stabilization either.


Additives and Preservatives. This is the stuff that keeps your bread and cookies from becoming novelty paperweights in a short period of time. Excessive consumption of foods with preservatives causes oxidation of cells in the human body. Oxidation is the cause of cellular damage. It leads to the creation of free-radicals roaming around in the body. Without in-taking enough antioxidants, the body is likely to feel run down and fatigued pretty consistently.


If you are looking to eat a pre-packaged dry snack food or frozen meal, it is likely to have loads of preservatives in it. Many processed foods, unsuspecting snacks such as 'healthy' granola and protein bars, candies, crackers and certain cereals have them. We cannot avoid them entirely. In the modern world they are regular ingredients in foods we purchase. Do what you can to avoid packaged foods with additives and preservatives. Counteract their negative effects by increasing your consumption of antioxidants and freshly made foods. One can never get enough antioxidants, even on the cleanest of diets.

We may be so accustomed to the tired and run-down energy from processed foods, we don't even recognize it. Once you get off of the processed foods for a while and let the body experience running on 'clean energy' it really is a breath of fresh air for all of the systems in the body.

Refined Sugar. With as many pages that exist on the internet about why consumption of refined sugar is evil, I could add a few more, myself. There are too many options these days (especially natural alternatives) to continue to be using refined sugar for anything. Alternatives are worth researching.

Sugar causes hormonal fluctuations to swing up and down so wildly, all the body can do is try to deal with the fluctuation. If sugar shocks are a regular occurrence, the body tries to cope by going into overdrive to keep all of your organs and other systems running clean. The body becomes too busy with cleaning up after sugar to start serving up the hormones which regulate the sex drive. Give it a chance to produce them.

By restricting those three items from the diet alone: within two weeks, sustained energy will be a notable. Possibly for some, it will be a very radical improvement. It is the first step toward rejuvenating libido and correcting some issues associated with sexual dysfunction.

Next, limit the intake of dairy. Take a break from consuming :

•Cheese
•Cottage Cheese
•Milk including Lactaid
•Creams primarily milk-based

It may be a shocking surprise to have to put the brakes on dairy after the health agencies keep pushing to consume more. Really you don't need the dairy. You need the vitamins and minerals added to it when it is fortified.



Approximately 85% of the world population has some level of intolerance to dairy. As we age, the body's ability to digest it becomes more and more difficult. But the symptoms of intolerance are not the reason to give it up for sex. Here is what is:

These dairy foods are high in casein which breaks apart during digestion. When casein is broken down it produces copious amounts of compounds called casomorphins. They are morphine-like opiates which stimulate a part of the brain that signals indulgence. When exposure to casomorphins becomes regular or even becomes excessive, the brain becomes suppressed from needing or wanting to engage in sexual activity. Casomorphins are so powerful they are known to be the trigger for eating disorders which can lead to obesity. They can increase addictive behaviors and aggravate psychological disorders. Moderating consumption of commercial dairy should be a practice always.


[ When I shared this information with my husband; letting him know what I was about to post to my blog, he freaked out that I would mention to anyone to 'give up the cheese.' He protested with utmost passion about the unfairness of removing a food group that gives so much pleasure! He then posited a question to me after reading about the other preparations of food on the restriction list, "Will anyone want to have sex anymore in exchange for having all of their eating pleasures completely obliterated?!" He was hilarious, but was also serious.  My response: I can only hope... ]

To further express how powerful casomorphins are, in scenario-polls asked of men and women about which they would give up for a year, sex or cheese, in exchange for a large monetary reward (a million dollars?) a majority of people will respond that they would give up sex and keep their option to eat cheese. No joke! For many, coming to a final decision about which to choose is a really difficult conundrum. (It really can be an amusing topic of discussion to explore with a group of friends.)

More seriously however, excessive amounts of casomorphins firing through our system is not so amusing. The opiate has negative effects on mental health and mood stability as well as sexual health more than we might be willing to accept. In this case here where I really am talking about enhancing the sex lives of people who may be struggling with lack of sexual desire, not wanting to give up the cheese and dairy in exchange for having their sex-life back can be an eye-opener about just how much control over habit and behavior the casomorphins have. It is a drug misused and abused to feel the 'food high'.

Now that we have yanked all the of stuff to live for out of the regular diet, what's next? (Those are the casomorphins talking, by the way.) Well, all is not lost! These are foods you can eat and reliably expect to support you with enhancing your sex life. I hope the options don't make you cry.


Consume More Amino Acids and Protein Rich Foods

Oysters anyone? Amino acids and proteins are the building blocks of every cell in every system in the human body. It is critical to have plenty of protein to remain functional and healthy in every way. Protein builds and repairs tissues, makes enzymes, hormones and other chemicals. It builds bones, muscle, cartilage, skin and blood. Increase your intake of fish, poultry, legumes, nuts and whole grains and you will be amazed at what kind of sustained, consistent energy you'll have throughout the day, every day. When the body has energy and is producing necessary hormones in abundance (especially sexual hormones), it won't be long before sexy-time is all the time!


This prime vegetable is awesome for your love muscles.

Eat your spinach. Popeye had it right all along. Have it in a salad with different types of nuts. Steam it and serve it with tomato. Sauté it in a pan with some garlic.

...And then start kegeling! For sexual enhancement, spinach is a super-food. Along with its many other nutritional benefits, spinach also contains an opioid peptide that influences the brain to want to get active.



For men, the addition or increased consumption of this food into your diet may significantly improve some symptoms of erectile dysfunction.

An interesting factoid reveals that spinach positively affects muscles to need less blood flow to perform efficiently while at the same time improving circulation and muscle efficiency. One recently published article shares information about it here. I love this information! Go read more about it.

Spinach should be added to a diet balanced with omega-3, garlic or tomato to help eliminate iron (especiallly for men). The zinc in it helps produce testosterone and helps promote healthy prostate function and sperm count. For women, the zinc is important for regulating hormones associated with sexual health including sex drive. Other foods high in zinc include those darned oysters again, asparagus, broccoli and green peas. Anyone taking certain medications for cardiopulmonary or blood-related diseases may be advised to not consume greens such as spinach.


Now Let's Spice It All Up!

Spices are the aphrodisiacs that can entice the sex drive to wake up. Common or exotic, many of them send signals to the part of the brain that stimulates arousal. The dishes don't need to be peppery-hot. The foods just need a variety of flavor and aromatics.

Cajun and Creole preparations, Thai dishes and Indian and Middle Eastern cuisines are among the many types of foods with recipes that offer richness and diversity in the use of flavoring and aromatic spices. Coriander, cardamom, cumin, turmeric, curry powders, red chilis (such as cayenne), garlic, onions, ginger and nutmeg are excellent. The brain is often stimulated by combinations of spices in a way similar to how it responds to opiates. The resulting stimulus it triggers in the brain can be associated with being subtly and sometimes not-so-subtly hypnotic, euphoric, erotic and aphrodisiac.

The key is to have a small-to-medium portion of a dish that is rich with a combination of different spices or peppers. Be warned, eating too much in a sitting may cause you to feel tired.

Aside from the benefit of kick starting sexual arousal, depending on which cultural cuisine you choose, the array of spices may open up the blood vessels all the way to the smallest capillaries and the bronchial airways in the lungs, stimulate brain activity, cleanse the blood and tissues, are anti-inflammatory, might aid with digestion and even have cancer-fighting properties, promote heart-health, positively affect prostate health and other reproductive and breast health for women. The list could go on. Big thumbs up to spices.


Lastly, the Information About Supplements.

If you are looking for a remedy that will specifically isolate the function of one single body part and keep it levitated for hours, you are asking for something unnatural. You would be asking for Viagra. After the relatively short-term effects it has, it is a drug that doesn't fix any issues and compounds other ones. Herbal Viagra is pretty much a marketing buzzword. The products labeled like that do not work like actual prescription (or black market) Viagra pills. They won't.

Herbal supplements interact with the whole body and all of its systems. I treat them similarly to pharmaceuticals in that; their use must be respected. I warn that herbal supplements may have interactions with food, prescribed medications, specific diagnosed ailments and chronic ailments just like a synthesized pharmaceutical would. I believe the nature of our bodies appreciates a more natural approach. Going herbal is less likely to present side effects unless misused.

For both sexes:

Gender-based multivitamins help fill in some holes that even the healthiest of diets will not provide with regularity. Vitamins A and zinc as libido boosters for example, work cooperatively with each other as do calcium and magnesium. Trying to balance the intake of all of them with meals is not easy, especially when exposure to stress and not having a long enough, restful amount of sleep causes the use of one or the other to go out of balance.

The recommended daily allowance of vitamins and minerals (RDA) on packaging information is misleading. RDA only expresses what the minimum necessary allowance of nutrients is to avoid deficiencies which cause illness. It is incredibly easy to fall below the RDA suggestions for any number of vitamins and minerals. This is the reason many adults today suffer from chronic illnesses including depression. The truth is, consuming the minimum RDA barely crosses the line toward sustained good health and it barely keeps busy adults going. Please take your vitamins.

Ginkgo biloba and panax ginseng are a combination of herbs that does wonders for cognitive focus, blood flow and for promoting healthy brain cell communication through neurotransmitter pathways. The combo really should be part of the modern multi- complexes because of the benefits it has shown in numerous research studies. So much of what goes on in the brain and the hormones released from the glands in the brain have a direct effect on sexual desire, a ginkgo and panax ginseng combination is a must-have to help support an increase in libido.



Men:

For men, as you age, no matter what you do, the prostate is prone to becoming enlarged. It is a natural process of aging and can hinder sexual performance. The natural enlargement of the prostate is not in itself dangerous. It is when it is enlarging abnormally that is cause for concern. Stinging Nettle is a supplement that aids with improving prostate health, reducing prostate enlargement and regulating and improving cardiopulmonary and respiratory health. This one supplement combined with the diet I have proposed above may improve your sex life with dramatically surprising results. Some people are allergic. Please do your research on the benefits and side effects of its use.

For women:

Hormonal fluctuations in females will start at the onset of puberty. Interest in sex may repeatedly diminish and return in cycles naturally over the course of a lifetime. A woman's reproductive hormone health can best be supported by supplements of either Red Clover, Black Cohosh or Wild Yam. A Black Cohosh and Wild Yam combination is sometimes sold and marketed to relieve hot flashes, however, the combo also aids with libido and fertility. My personal suggestion for balancing hormone health is to start with Red Clover. Depending on your situation with menopause and if any other prescription medications are being taken, I suggest researching between them all to see which feels best to use first.


Healthy sex drive and reproductive function are important to keep in check. Personal esteem as well as emotional, spiritual and physical well-being are connected to the sexual experience. With just a few adjustments to the normal intake of nutrients, we can insure that one of our major systems in the body remains in good condition and is ready to perform.

Questions are always welcome and comments appreciated.
Wishing you all happiness and good health.

Violet

June 6, 2011

U.S. Food Pyramid to be Replaced With the New Model: MyPlate

News: The U.S.A. Hacks the Food Pyramid Into a Plate the British Served Up Years Ago


The Food Pyramid is about to undergo its biggest change yet, and for many the symbol will not be missed. The familiar icon formerly used as a basis to teach a proper and balanced diet will cease to exist. The latest reports on the new visual model created to replace the Food Pyramid in the U.S. is called, MyPlate.

Over the last generation the USDA Food Pyramid has undergone several re-writes and do-overs in its layout and composition. Doctors, nutritionists, dietitians and scientists together were able to determine at best; the Food Pyramid was confusing.

The American Food Pyramid insisted that complex carbohydrates were the basis of what should fuel our energy. Nutritionists would argue that what we need from the complex carbohydrates is fiber and physiologically, protein is a significant requirement for cell-building and fuel (energy).

Informal and sporadic articles across the internet spread some hush-hush noting that carbohydrates were the very cause of the wave of obesity and diabetic problems; not helping with keeping healthy weight under control here in the United States. In fact, within the last two years, experts have been leaning towards promoting more high-protein and low carbohydrate-based nutrition, similar to the South Beach and Atkins diets. Studies would show overall weight loss and internal health on these diets was proving to be more effective and beneficial for long-term health than other diets and weight loss programs.

In other news, the low fat diets people have grown to believe are good for weight loss are actually causing weight gain in casual dieters over the long term. Low fat and reduced fat foods often have significantly higher carbohydrates than foods prepared and packaged without alteration. The new U.S. MyPlate now omits the word 'carbohydrate' to generalize the name of a base fuel source and urges consumers to eat more grain.

In late 2007, the British Nutrition Foundation launched their visual model of balanced nutrition called the Eatwell Plate. It is similar in appearance to a pie chart, dividing servings of different food groups into sections we would normally see as percentages of a whole.


The concept and design of the U.S. MyPlate are described to be similar to the Eatwell Plate in the UK. If you have a moment, the following video introducing the UK version and how it works is worthwhile to spend some time with and spread the news about. Detailed information about it can be found at food.gov.uk



It makes too much sense, doesn't it? We can look forward to finally being able to identify with a visual model that will appear to be more realistic to consumers. Hallelujah!

Does the MyPlate concept work for everybody? With or without the help of The Food Pyramid, the Eatwell Plate or MyPlate, choose a diet that matches your lifestyle. Models may be helpful but never fit everyone perfectly. Putting common sense to work will help you on your journey to keeping and maintaining great health. More about the new U.S. model replacing the Pyramid can be found at choosemyplate.gov


As a general rule of thumb, base your intake of nutrients and calories on your level of activity to keep weight and health managed.
  • If you are sedentary, limiting your intake of carbohydrates and refined sugar is the way to go.
  • If you have a tendency to over-eat, portion control and points programs such as Weight Watchers will help you become more accustomed to consuming a more balanced and healthy amount of food and support making it a habit.
  • Only active lifestyles need even more protein, fiber and adjusted carbohydrates than what is listed as typical servings.
- According to current research, all diets regardless of lifestyle require more vitamins B (complex), C, and D3 than the 100% recommended daily allowance (RDA). Enjoy plenty of vegetables, fruits and your home-made almond milk!

Happy eating,

Violet