Healthy Fats and Oils.......IMO!

[freemotion]

And don't forget the saturated fats!!!!

ETA: it has become a very long thread, but some good points are brought up many posts into the thread, so it is good to take the time to read through the entire thread.....

 

[Wifezilla]

He was on the stuff the vet recommends for several years, with no change. And then I studied a bit more about it, and realized that that food wasn't good for a number of reasons. He, and the rest of my cats, is now eating a better quality food, but also low calorie. It doesn't seem to make any difference with him, though the others are all at a healthy weight on it. I am seriously concerned that he will keel over and die in the not too distant future, and I don't know what to do about it. Do you have any advice for me?

Yes...avoid cat food who's main ingredient is corn, wheat or soy at all costs for starters. That includes pretty much all commercial cat food including the expensive vet prescribed stuff

 

[freemotion]

There should be NO grains of any type, even rice, and definitely no soy. Vegetables should be at a minimum. Cats are true carnivores and eat very little vegetable matter.

Check out the catfood thread, let's talk about this over there....

 

[hennypenny9]

Okay, caught up on this thread! I must say that I've learned SO MUCH from everyone here on SS. You're a nice bunch. I've been slowly but surely trying to cut soy and canola oils from my diet. The science backup is good, but to me, the bottom line is that those oils come from genetically modified plants, and are not something anyone ate in history. (soy was not eaten in Asian countries as it is now) So I don't need to eat them, either! I will allow a little leeway if I'm eating out (which I very rarely do), or for certain things that I can't find without those oils, and that I can't make myself. I started making my own coffee creamer because the pre-made kind has soy in it. And more things that sneak those oils in.

Ahhh, I need to get on the catfood bandwagon! I have two chickens frozen waiting...

Wifezilla- Okay, I have NO basis for this question, so don't hate me! But I always thought that cooking foods like fruits and veggies somehow destroyed certain nutrients that the raw food has. Did I dream this up myself or what? Just like pasteurization. I know there's a massive debate over this, but pasteurization destroys some nutrients... Right? When I was little I HATED any cooked veggies, like carrots or mushrooms. I thought they were mushy and gross. I still only like them gently steamed.

Keep the info coming, I love it! I'm fresh from the Farmer's Market today, and feeling good!

 

[freemotion]

Until WZ shows up, here are my thoughts on this, and how we eat here. I try to eat something raw every day, for just that reason....enzymes and some vitamins are destroyed by cooking, and raw fruits and veggies are very valuable.

Other nutrients can be unlocked through cooking. Some things are more available to us in dried form, made into tea or soups. Some things are more available with very long cooking times, such as the minerals from bone broths.

So a variety of methods and a variety of foods is my daily goal, but I also look at the weekly, monthly, and yearly diet. We eat more fresh, raw foods during garden season, when they are at their peak of taste and freshness and nutrient density. In fall, more root veggies, a little raw and mostly in soups and steamed and roasted. In winter, more home-canned goods. In spring, more of the same, but adding each fresh item as it becomes available.

 

[Wifezilla]

Freemotion has it. There are many foods where nutrients in them are not bioavailable until they are cooked. Swearing off all cooked foods means you are robbing yourself of some good nutrition.

Now, as for some enzymes being destroyed through cooking, this is also true. Sometimes it is a matter of what temperature and for how long they are cooked. So cooking the beejeezus out of everything (like my grandma did ) ALSO can rob you of some good nutrition.

I have a pretty good variety of cooked and raw every day. My favorite raw stuff is home grown lettuce, cucumbers, red and orange peppers, and jicama. I eat tomatoes raw and cooked. I like my beef rare. Dairy...well...I don't have a cow share and can't buy raw milk. I do what I can (avoiding things that are ultra-pasteurized is a start).

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

What is jicama?

 

[freemotion]

It is a tuber that looks like a big, round potato but you can slice it and eat it raw with dip or julienne it for salads or whatever.....it is yummy, pronounced HICK-ama. Easier to find in stores that cater to a latin or Spanish population.

 

[Wifezilla]

I use jicama as a potato chip replacement

I love it dipped in homemade bleu cheese dressing or spicy queso dip

If you get a nice big one and slice it thin, you can use it as a taco shell replacement.
http://www.examiner.com/x-798-Denve...2009m1d17-Jicama-fills-in-for-fattening-chips

 

[hennypenny9]

I always watch for things that don't seem to make sense, and ONLY raw diets just don't. Same for ONLY cooked food. Variety makes sense! Of course, this sometimes means that I don't agree with the majority. Like people who only eat egg whites. Why take your food apart? Why cut off the fat, or take OUT the fat? It doesn't make sense. Nature provides a food source, leave it alone! I realize that that's not "science" or anything, but it works for me.

And possibly we scared off Loveschooks... It's just strong opinions! I enjoy reading different thoughts, and lively discussions!