Thursday, January 19, 2012

Our Perfect Diet

We always thought that it was funny that some people had pets that ate better than they did and we believed our pooches were perfectly happy and healthy eating high quality kibble. When we received some bad news about our pooches health, we were forced to change their diet to high quality protein in lean meats, vegetables, fruits, fish oil and probiotics, and even then, I still thought we ate better than our pooches.
 
I was perfectly happy thinking that our dogs were so simple enjoying their hodgepodge dinner, while I got to eat an Italian beef with hot peppers, a Maxwell Street polish, a Chicago hot dog, large fries, a strawberry shortcake and a large vanilla malt and this was all for one dinner. 
Then came the fateful day when A had that conversation with Katherine from Two Kitties One Pittie and the SociaBulls new member coordinator, about her vegetarian lifestyle and how much healthier her husband, K, felt while testing out her lifestyle for a year. In addition, I happened upon a TED talk by Dr. Terry Wahls, and I realized that our pooches ate better than us. 
 
This was further validated when I thought back to Miss M and Mr. B's blood test results demonstrating that their kidney levels, previously at alarming values, have all decreased to normal, which the veterinarian attributed to their change in diet. And finally, foster dog Miss Sweet Bessie-Belle, who was only with us a short two and a half weeks, lost 6 lbs and now has a renewed jump in her steps, which is probably due to A replacing half of her high-quality kibble with Sojos Turkey complete diet. 
Now, I realize that the pooches eat better than we do and that has nothing to do with the cost of our food but with our quality of life due to our food. Though A eats largely fruits, vegetables and beans, she will indulge in crispy fried and super sugary foods just because of me. So I have decided to do an experiment on myself and try a whole-foods (mostly plants-based) diet for at least two months.

24 comments:

TheQueerBird said...

Good luck! My "new diet" is mostly just trying to actually cook... every time I try something more structured, it falls apart. I'm hoping that actively cooking will at least make me more conscious about what I'm eating. Keep us updated!

Two Grad Students and a Pittie said...

Wow! Im really curious how this will turn out. Go E!

SWK said...

I actually started that a year ago and it really makes a difference. At first, eating all those vegetables at once was somewhat overwhelming for me. I decided to start juicing them instead and now I drink 16 oz a day like a breeze. Have you seen that documentary "Fat sick and nearly dead?" Try it and see what you think. Although, becoming a vegetarian was a challange/struggle, I'm satisfied knowing now I get enough of my raw veggie intake.

P.S. You guys are great! Even though this was my first time commenting, I have been following your adventures ever since I stumbled upon it through apartmenttherapy.com. Oh, and did I mention that I don't even have a dog.....(but was once a loyal pit owner) Keep doing what you do! You two are great and such an inspiration.

Antoinette Errante said...

I endorse the whole foods approach. You know white rolls are simply a delivery system for the protein and veggies in the sausage and peppers. You wouldn't discard the capsules vitamins came in would you?

Sarah said...

I would be vegetarian if it weren't for bacon. I love me some bacon!

Good luck! We do a pretty good job eating healthy except for the aforementioned bacon...and cheese. If only I could cut those 2 out, I would be golden.

Claudia said...

Eat like your dogs and you'll notice a difference - good meats, veggies, whole, real, unprocessed foods. We've been going down this path for about a year and it's made a HUGE difference. I hope it does for you too.

Millie and Walter said...

Good luck on the new regimen. It sure looks like Bessie is in love with someone in that household and I suspect it goes both ways.

Cindy

In Black and White said...

Bilbo definitely eats better than me. I've started overhauling my kitchen contents though and will hopefully be on track with some good habits soon.
Good luck with your new diet plans - let us know how it goes.

Christine said...

Good luck! We joined a CSA (community supported agriculture) about 2 years ago, and it made the biggest difference by forcing us to incorporate a lot of different veggies in our diet. Woo hoo to Bessie for her weight loss and increased energy!

sweetemaline said...

I tried doing the vegetarian thing and Daniel made it pretty difficult with his love of all things meat. We need to get back in the habit though of being a mostly-vegetarian household, with meat as a "treat."

Two French Bulldogs said...

sounds interesting. Hope it works out. All our itchies etc, Natural Balance Limited, Duck and Potato works for us
Benny & Lily

Two Kitties One Pittie said...

YAY! Thanks so much for mentioning us. :) And if you need any ideas about vegetarian meals, you know who to ask. :)

Kolchak Puggle said...

The dogs at Kol's Notes eat FAR FAR better than the humans, for sure. They ate high quality kibble for a few years, then we switched to a high quality cooked and finally, back in August to a great raw diet and the change in health with each food upgrade has been AMAZING. Felix, who was previously an allergic hot mess, is now off all of his allergy medications and itchy free. Like, you, their improved health ahs really forced me to look closer at my own lifestyle and see if I can improve it. Kudos to you for recognizing the importance of superior nutrition for the four legged and the two legged too.

Shannon said...

We did whole food veg and it didn't work well for us humans, but a whole foods, grain-free diet (lots of meat and veg but zero grains at all) really worked. I think whole foods is the key for most people - and animals! A coke and some processed food in a bag is always going to pale next to fresh foods cooked at home, no matter what those foods are (veg, meat, etc).

Good luck with your diet change!

Emily said...

Funny how true this can be! I study and read labels for any food or treats our dogs get-- when it comes to my own food, not nearly as much! I have to read labels due to being vegetarian but I never bat an eye at any ingredients that might be fillers or unnatural for myself. But for my dogs, food comprised largely of unhealthy ingredients would be totally unacceptable. Interesting to make those comparisons!

Tucker The Crestie said...

I know my dogs (and cats) eat better than I do ... or at least they did. I've been really trying to eat better myself and I am amazed at how much of a difference it makes in the way I feel.

pibble said...

Good for you!

I will confess that a few years back, I tried a vegetarian diet. After about seven months, I nearly died of boredom. My problem is that the kitchen is a very foreign place for me. I have no cooking skills and not much desire to learn beyond the basics. I have a feeling you'll have much better luck than I did!

And, I'm so happy to hear that the dogs' kidney values are back to normal! That is great news indeed.

Kate said...

Good for you! That's great!

A Wonderful Dogs Life said...

lean unprocessed meats, fruits, veggies, whole grains sounds like a wonderful start for the new year and a new healthier life. Best Wishes!

Emma

Debra@Peaceabull said...

Did the veg thing myself and loved it. Took some great guidance from a book callled "Eat to Live" by Dr Joel Fuhrman. Never felt better than when I did that. Slipped considerably over the holidays, though.

Brenda said...

My dogs probably eat better than me too. But not of their own volition. Heaven knows, they'd eat anything and everything and then some if allowed to do so.

I'm a big fan of the CSA movement myself. I follow (loosely) the Paleo diet, which is similar in a lot of ways to the whole foods diet. It's basically about eating what we were genetically made to eat, and not subsisting on so-called "convenience" foods made up of unpronounceable ingredients, sugar, and such. I love eating healthier, and I love how it makes me feel. It DEFINITELY takes more planning and preparation, but it's worth it I think. :)

Two Pitties in the City said...

Thanks for all the great advice (and so cool meeting so many new commenters!).
We just went to our local produce store this morning to stock up, and E is buying a juicer. Also thinking about joining a CSA.
Will keep you updated!

RachaelRei said...

This is so crazy!! I've been following you guys for quite a while since I adopted a shelter dog here in the Windy City, and just this month started a whole foods plant-based diet with my boyfriend (a hardcore meat & potatoes guy). We were convinced after watching 'Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead' and 'Forks over Knives' - we just had to give it a go for our health!!

So far he's impressed with my recipes, especially my lime kale tacos. :-) And we've found some great places in the city to eat, like Amitabul (Vegan Korean) on Milwaukee.

Good luck and keep us posted!!

PS - I'd love another post about what you feed your pitties to keep them healthy?? :-)

Two Pitties in the City said...

Rachel Rei,

How strange, E was also inspired by Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead as well as Forks Over Knives which he watched a couple weeks ago.
Also, we just went to Amitabul two days ago, and we really enjoyed the food.
We would love to get the recipe for the lime kale tacos.
I think E is going to write another post on the pooches diet this week.

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