Are fats and sugar enemies to good nutrition? Which dog food is the best: grain-free or grain? You might be confused with trending information overflowing around the internet. The key is not what nutrients to include or exclude but how balanced the meal and supplements are. Fat is ok, and so is sugar when processed appropriately and served with the proper amount.
Fats
Regarding fat consumption, eliminating the modern processed “trans-fat” and balancing Omega 3 and Omega 6 are important. Balanced fats and cholesterol are crucial for body functions and creating important hormones. However, many dog foods are high in Omega 6, an inflammatory omega, due to modern food processing and a lack Omega 3 – the anti-inflammatory fat. Hence, it is crucial to consume additional Omega 3 through supplements or specific food choices rich in Omega 3’s.
Carbohydrates
Types of carbohydrates include Sugar, Starches, and Fiber. When consuming carbohydrates, it is important to make sure that the food is high in fiber and low in sugar because fiber has limited energy and is great for gut health. The issue is that processing foods often destroys fiber and complex networking of the food, leaving high amounts of sugar in the end. Therefore, foods with carbohydrates like fruits and vegetables should be eaten whole to keep the balance of fiber and sugar.
Dog Food
When choosing dog food, one thing to keep in mind is to ensure the food has high protein and fat content. Non-protein dog foods should be avoided because they are mostly carbohydrates. Another tip is to add Omega 3 supplements to the diet because most dog foods can be very high in inflammatory Omega 6, even though they are approved by AAFCO. AAFCO only validates that all the nutrients are needed at a minimum, but it is our job to ensure our dogs get the appropriate balance.
Horse Food
Fresh grass is a good source of food with a suitable amount of nutrients such as fiber, carbohydrates, protein, fats, minerals, and vitamins. However, most owners that cannot provide fresh pasture grass depend on hay. Hay is grass, but oftentimes the minerals and vitamins are lost when turned to hay. Grass hays would be a better choice than grain hays or alfalfa hays as grass hays are lower in sugar. Since horses need low sugar and high fiber, adding fat, mineral, and vitamin supplements onto grass hays is a great option to balance your horse’s nutrition.
It is difficult to feed balanced meals to our animals when we are surrounded by modern processed foods but it is still possible. Remember to keep away from processed foods and add Omega 3 and good fat supplements to balance nutrition, and ensure suitable eating intervals to balance body functions.
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Check with a veterinarian before use. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
