Juice Feast

As we talk about a lot on here, we are vegan.  We have a pretty good diet in that we don't eat any animal based foods, we make our own vegetable stock and are working to lower oil usage.  So we're not getting any external cholesterol (only animal based foods have that), we're getting good amounts of fiber and we're not adding a lot of salt.

But we know that we can improve how we eat.  We're bad about planning our meals.  We eat out a lot and, yeah, we end up eating the same meals out of laziness and convenience just like everyone else.

We figured we needed to get in more nutrients, especially greens.  So what does that mean???

JUICE FEAST!!!

The good thing about juice feasting is that you get tons of nutrients in an easy to add way and lots of stuff I don't like to eat, like carrots or kale, I'm happy to drink.   For the past week and a half, most of our calories have come via juice.  Good thing they sell 25 lb bags of carrots!

Each day we're making enough juice so that each of us drinks at least 3 - 4 quarts of juice.  We tend to do a mix of our favorite ingredients, including:

• Carrots
• Apples
• Oranges
• Grapefruit
• Mango
• Lemons
• Limes
• Pineapple
• Celery
• Ginger
• Parsley
• Kale
• Spinach
• Cucumber
• Beets
• 1 tbl of ground flax seed added to the completed juice

It's actually really surprising how easy this can be.  I find that I'm not hungry afterwards at all.  My cravings for junk food goes away and I'm not dizzy or headachy or anything.  Plus, I tend to be very bad about drinking enough water.  This way I'm getting plenty of fluids so that helps too.

We haven't had many "detox" issues because we already eat pretty well, but if you did plan to do a juice feast, it's best to know what to expect.  You are more likely to work through any icky feelings if you know they are going to pop up.

One logistic that can make things easier is to make up your juices for the day and then vacuum-seal them for transport, just shake them up before you open them.  We use 1-quart mason jars and drink one for breakfast, one for lunch and then one late afternoon around 4pm or 5pm.  Then I might be set for the night.  We have been having a few "meals" here and there, as well as some solid snacks, so it's not a 100% thing for us.

Some people will go through some weight loss when doing a juice feast, especially if they have had a poor diet or health prior to making this change.  We may have dropped a few pounds but overall our goal is to add nutrients which we definitely are doing.

Juicing can be anything from adding a juice to your meal all the way up to a 100+ day juice only program.  It's always best to have a doctor's review before you make a major switch, especially if you have any health issues.  If you're just supplementing your diet, then juice away!  And have fun with it.  Mixing up flavors is the best part.  You don't know how delicious it can be until they go through the juicer and mix with the other flavors.  It's like a fun surprise in a glass.

Veggie Dogs

So, we've started a new "experiment" here in the house.  Basically, our dogs love to eat veggies and often fruit.  Carrots are their particular favorites but they'll eat bites of apples and bananas, etc.  Knowing that dogs can be somewhat omnivorous (unlike cats that are obligatory carnivores, dogs are preferentially carnivores) and that many of the commercial dog foods found on the market today have a mix of vegetable and meat ingredients, we thought we would supplement their diet with fresh veggies and grains cooked ourselves.

As people spend more time and money on their pets, now fully members of the family, we are right to be concerned about the quality of their foods. The problem is there is not a lot of education on what a dog "food pyramid" should be and not a lot of transparency around the source or percentages of the ingredients in their kibble. 

We've been reading more about the meat industry and have found that not only is the meat people eat of poor quality and sanitation, what goes to our beloved pets is even worse.  What they are getting, often the scraps or 4 D's animals  - dead, downed/dying, diseased, disabled - is considered unfit for human consumption and not what I want to feed my pups.   Dog food can be substandard nutritionally, filled with corn, little meat, etc.  How are we to know that what they are getting is healthy?

We've decided, after reading a few books on the subject, to try out giving the dogs veggie meals just at dinner.   They will remain on their regular kibble for breakfast but have home-made meals at night. That way they will at least be getting what they've had in the past 50% of the time.  We've kept the ingredients simple and prepare them simply too - mostly through boiling or steaming and not adding salt or oil.  We'll probably look more into fatty supplements very soon, just to be sure we're covering all the bases.  Here is an example meal mixture:

 - Steamed carrots - carrots chopped, then steamed until soft and mashed
 - Carrot water from the steamer to add moisture
 - Black beans (or lentils or any bean) - soaked as needed, boiled until tender and mashed
 - Organic no salt/sugar puffed millet or puffed brown rice
 - Rice (brown preferred) - steamed
 - Green beans or peas - bought frozen, steamed until soft and mashed in
 - Sweet potato, pumpkin or other squash - steamed or microwaved until cooked/soft

I use my hand masher to blend all this together and add some of the saved carrot water to make it moist and sticky, very much like the consistency of canned dog food.   But there is no added salt or oils so my pups aren't gulping water after they eat.   A bonus. I make a good amount and give the dogs about 1 to 1.5 cups for their meal, so this batch will last about 3 meals for two dogs. 

I've been keeping a close eye on their energy, behavior and bathroom habits.  They haven't had any stomach issues and seem to be going #2 okay as well. 

As far as I can tell they LOVE IT!  I mean, check this out:

One of the books we read is this one - The Simple Little Vegan Dog Book.  It's not a nutritionist book.  Mostly it gives high level information and some good recipes plus foods to avoid.

After seeing how this goes and talking with our vet, we may try out a commercial food like V-Dog to replace their kibble.  But our first goal is their health.  We want to make sure our pups get what they need before any other concerns or issues.

If you have any experience with dogs eating an omnivorous or vegan/vegetarian diet, I'd love to learn more so please share.

For additional options (I have not checked these out), PETA listed Companies That Sell Vegan Dog and Cat Food:

Evolution Diet
Dog and cat kibble and canned food, ferret kibble, fish food
651-228-0632

F&O Alternative Pet Products
Vegan dog and cat kibble and canned food
1-877-376-9056

Harbingers of a New Age
Vegecat™, Vegekit™, Vegedog™, Vegepup™, and digestive enzymes
406-295-4944

Natural Life Pet Products
Canned and kibble dog food
1-800-367-2391

Nature's Recipe
Canned and kibble dog food
1-800-237-3856

Newman's Own
Organic vegan dog treats

Pet Guard
Canned dog food and biscuits

Wow-Bow Distributors
Canned and kibble dog food and biscuits
1-800-326-0230

Wysong Corporation
Dog and cat kibble
989-631-0009

If you decide to prepare your own vegetarian dog or cat food, we recommend that you read Vegetarian Cats & Dogs to ensure that you understand the nutritional needs of dogs and cats. Do not rely on this factsheet for complete information. The book has several recipes and helpful hints. If your library or bookstore doesn't have it, you can order it from Harbingers of a New Age.