Since I started cooking homemade dog food for my two dogs years ago, everyone has noticed and commented on how much better they look, and I get asked what are you doing differently. Since feeding homemade dog food I can see significant changes, such as glossier fur coats, more energy, and they also smell better.

Imagine eating the same chemical filled food, day after day, for your whole life. The build up of cancer causing chemicals and preservatives is bound to affect your health negatively.

Checking with your vet or a pet nutritionist first, before starting your pet on a homemade dog food diet is always recommended. Just as we enjoy a variety of foos, so do our dogs.

Make sure you don’t just suddenly give your dog his new homemade diet in one immediate change, as this will cause stomach upset in most dogs. Slowly change him over by daily increasing your homemade food, and decreasing the old food.

A well balanced homemade dog food should contain approximately 40% meat, 30% starch, and 30% veggie/fruit on a daily basis. To ensure a healthy nutritious diet just follow the basic formula for any combination of ingredients.

Get a good dog nutrition book, written specifically by an animal nutritionist, and read up on the proper kcals (calories) per day per pound of your dog, so you will know exactly how much to feed per day. Also there are many excellent homemade dog food recipe books available now, especially since the dog food recall killed so many of our beloved pets. Many more people are making their own homemade dog food, because we have become much more aware of the commercial dog food companies practices.

Organ meat (liver, kidneys etc.) and occasionally adding eggs are very good for your pet, and as we all know variety in our diets is always nice.

There are three important ingredients that must be included in your dog’s home made dog food every day.

1. 40% meat – chicken, beef, turkey venison or other lean meat of your choice.

2. 30% vegetable/fruit combo – cooked and pureed – you can use all one veggie, a variety of cooked frozen veggies or a mixture of veggies and cooked pureed fruits. You can use frozen, canned or fresh, whichever is handy and on sale.

3. 30% starch – white or brown rice, barley, oatmeal, macaroni or other pasta, or potatoes.

The easiest and quickest way is to make what I call doggie stew. Everything is thrown into one pot and steamed together until cooked. I use just a small amount of water to start to cook the meat, pasta and veggies. Cook the whole batch in a covered pot, and add water as it is absorbed. You don’t want it to be soupy when finished. Then I use a fork and shred the cooked meat and mash the veggies all in the same pot. Done and delicious.

I also give a calcium supplement, along with a few teaspoons of flax seed oil, or a vegetable oil such a canola, drizzled over the top. An addition of iodized salt is also good for your dog in a quantity depending on your dog’s weight.

Feed two meals per day, rather than one big one.

Your homemade dog food can be prepared in larger batches and frozen in the proper serving sizes, ready to thaw and eat. Any hot food should be allowed to cool down before serving your dog. I usually leave the mixture on the counter for 20 – 30 minutes, and it is close to room temperature by then. Your dog’s stomach can be upset if they eat food that is too hot.

Give it a try, and you will find that it is not as time consuming as it sounds, once you get into a routine, and your dogs will live longer healthier chemical free natural lives.

I am an animal lover and advocate of raising healthy, happy pets, as part of the family. I truly believe this starts with proper, adequate nutrition, which in turn extends your pets life. Check out what is the best of the best for you dog here:

http://www.recipes4gourmetdogs.com

Jane_Dinunzio

A study published from the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that overweight premenopausal woman who ate low carbohydrate/high protein diets lost more bodyweight than a group eating high carbohydrate/low fat diets.  Another study published in the ADA Journal divided three groups of post menopausal woman that were overweight.  Group one reduced 400 calories per day.  Group two used less than 400 calories but, did low intensity exercises and group three ate smaller calorie amounts but exercised with high intensity.  All three groups lost weight but it wasn’t all fat.  The group that ate more protein did not lose lean muscle.  And, you do not want to lose lean muscle!  If you are post menopausal lean muscle is very important; to prevent or slow the effects of osteoporosis, making sure you are strong so you don’t fall and just being strong enough to take care of yourself.

Research after research substantiates that protein helps you lose the fat and not the muscle.  If you have more muscle you burn more calories and look better and can exercise more (burning even more calories) with a much stronger body.  Some women express a concern about getting larger muscles.  Ladies this does not mean big bulky muscles.  Women do not have the hormones to create those big muscles that bodybuilders have. Protein shakes and regular exercise means you will stick to your diet and you will only lose fat while retaining your muscle.

Protein powders help control hunger so you won’t eat as much and feel fuller longer.  Now this doesn’t mean you have to eat meat, and other high caloric proteins along with the fat they contain. Plant based diets also supply phytochemicals along with vitamins necessary for your health; this includes beans, nuts, seeds along with vegetables, chicken, fish, eggs and dairy such as cottage cheese, milk, tofu, etc.  Protein shakes help to control hunger and help maintain your muscle.

Another wonderful option that has helped women, including me, are protein powders.  I struggled for years trying to lose those last ten pounds; I gave up and even added more pounds until I got sick of how I looked.  I started using protein powders to make protein shakes, along with a healthy diet and the pounds started melting off.  I do not each much meat to speak of anymore, only fish and chicken a couple times per week; and a lot of veggies, beans and fruit.  Protein powders, rich in amino acids help me exercise longer with more energy, which of course will add to your weight loss.

If you haven’t tried the new protein powders out there today you are in for a treat.  With names like Brownie Batter, Cake Batter, Mango Magic, Strawberry Kiwi, Green Apple, Vanilla Chai and Lemon Burst you are not limited to tasteless vanilla or chocolate.  Bodybuilders have used protein for ages to get lean bigger muscles.  If you use protein shakes for weight loss you do not have to worry about getting huge muscles.  You are just drinking enough protein to maintain and firm up your muscles with your amount of exercise, helping your weight loss program and creating a much firmer and curvier body than you could without the added protein.  So if you want to be firm and not flabby, feel full and stick to your weight loss plans try a good protein shake.  It’s a healthy way to lose weight.