Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Introduction to an Developimg Online Nutrition Course

“To repeat what others have said requires education; To challenge it requires brains”  Mary Pettibone Poole

Nutrition affects every living organism from the time of conception (mitosis) to the time of death (apoptosis). To understand the fundamentals of nutrition one has to explore it from the perspective of a single cell;as a cell is the beginning of life and the end of life as we know it. Life is as simple as a single cell or as complex as a multicellular organism where cells are programmed genetically to coordinate the metabolic processes that sustain the wellness and the health of the organism. As organisms become more complex the metabolic process controlled by the cells becomes more specialized, but there still exists, the stem cell which when properly stimulated can rejuvenate the specialized cell line. 
 Nutrients comsumed and digested supply the carbon skeletons, the nitrogen and the energy to maintain the function of the cell and replace it when it is damaged prematurely or dies naturally. So how can something so simple be so complex and difficult to understand with so few direct answers and many diverse opinions? 
Other questions that arise about nutrition are:
·        If nutrition is so important, why do veterinarians and medical doctors know so little about it?
·        Are veterinarians and medical doctors the ones who should be advising us on our nutrition?

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Dietary Supplements for Pets an Introduction



Pet Supplements is a rapidly growing and  profitable sector of the pet food industry. However, why market supplements if the food we are buying our pets is “complete and balanced”, “nutritious” plus many other descriptive terms?  Because it is trendy and the concept is marketable and some supplements are beneficial. 

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Micheal W Fox Speaks Out


Martha Stewart

                     IS “MARTHA STEWART LIVING” GOOD FOR ANIMALS?

                                                    By Dr. Michael W. Fox*

In October 2010 my local newspaper dropped my syndicated Animal Doctor column and replaced it with a new column by a writer with no veterinary or animal-behavior science background -- only the media touted title of Martha Stewart’s “Resident Pet Expert.”

 So I made my first visit to Martha Stewart’s website and immediately found and read the lead article on her pet section, “Pet Food Basics.” But the article (dated 1994) was seriously outdated, and my interest in what kinds of pet foods and pet supplies were being promoted by Ms. Stewart was piqued.

The Pet Food Industry

div class="DefaultText" style="tab-stops: 36.0pt 72.0pt 108.0pt 144.0pt 180.0pt 216.0pt 252.0pt 288.0pt 324.0pt 360.0pt 396.0pt 432.0pt;"> The Pet Food Industry is changing  with pet food manufacturers focusing on :
·       New product development that takes advantage of trendy human diets
·       The expansion of premium diets, and healthy treats and snacks
·       Diets that address special pet needs such as joints, teeth, coat etc.
·       Small and giant dog requirements
·       Increasing palatability and maintaining freshness
·       Convenience for the pet owner