"Clean Eating"
It’s a term we are hearing more and more these days, but what does it mean?
The term "Clean Eating" was first used in reference to a human diet that was removed of processed food. It's essentially referring to a diet that will mainly consist of eating whole or ‘real’ foods that have endured as little processing and handling as possible before reaching your plate.
We now know that an excessive amount of colourings, additives, chemicals and preservatives used in processed foods are associated with health and behavioural issues. An excessive consumption of such foods in humans has been linked to all sorts of horrendous health conditions. The solution? We try our best to eliminate as many of these foods as possible and replace with whole and natural foods that have been minimally processed.
What Is "Clean Eating" For Cats And Dogs?
It’s with this question the term Biologically Appropriate Raw Food (BARF) comes up which essentially is a pet version of ‘Clean Eating’. The idea behind BARF is dogs and cats are biologically programmed to eat a non-processed, raw meat-based diet.
When we impose modern diets onto our pets, with all the refined ingredients, additives, preservatives, and chemicals, they suffer. Their health gradually declines, their teeth and bones degrade, their coats don't shin, they're more vulnerable to skin and digestive issues, and the list goes on.
How To Implement A ‘Clean Eating’ (BARF) Diet For My Pet?
Easy! Just start with some small changes.
Rather than giving your pooch a whole bowl of dry dog food (which typically is highly processed and contains preservatives, additives, and fillers), try lessening the kibble amount and add FRESH dog food instead. Perhaps some raw mince? Or a raw brisket bones?
Over time, increase the amount of fresh food intake and decrease the amount of highly processed foods like kibble.
People are often surprised how quickly their pet takes to a more natural way of eating and are usually amazed at the health and behavioural changes they start to see almost immediately. Here is a list of some of the improvement that you can expect to see:
Mental Health Improvements Include:
- Generally a more calm and more relaxed dog (free of preservatives).
- Ability to focus and learn better.
- More content and naturally fulfilled dog (supplying a species-appropriate diet = an overall happier pet).
- Chewing bones is fantastic mental stimulation for bored dogs.
Physical Health Improvements Include:
- Skin and coat quality
- Better digestion
- More energy
- Healthier organ functionality
- Decreased thirst due to your dog hydrating through eating fresh foods
Is My Dog Getting All The Nutrients They Require?
Balance is the key to raw diets. It is essential that the food is made up of the correct ratios of fats, protein, minerals, and vitamins. At Raw & Fresh, we carefully construct our raw pet food meals to match these optimally balanced ratios, taking the guesswork out of it for you.
For more information speak to our team and we can get you started on a balanced raw diet. And do be aware, not all raw pet food is made the same.