How raw bones for dogs, ants, and a washing machine motivated me to look on the bright side
My dog Pax loves chewing on bones, and I use them to give him something to do, especially when I am busy working (find out about the best raw bones to feed your dogs here). But bones are messy, especially because dogs love to drag them on the carpet and onto the sofa.🥴 I have solved this problem by teaching Pax to chew his raw bones on a towel, and when he is done I put the towel into the laundry right away to prevent an army of ants from infesting it.
Unfortunately, the other day I had a human moment and forgot to put the towel away, which prompted an army of ants to quickly move into the territory. When I discovered them, I first poured ashes on my head and slapped myself for being negligent ( just kidding 😉), and then shook the towel off and put it in the washing machine.
When the washing cycle finished, I was shocked! The ants were still alive!
I felt bad because I couldn’t prevent myself from thinking about how horrible that must have been for them, spinning around in a washing machine filled up with soapy water!
I know I could simply put the towel in the dryer and spin them one more time, but call me crazy, I just couldn't. Instead I took the towel and hung it up outside, and gave the ants "a pardon" for illegal trespassing on Pax's property.
This ant story made me contemplate our own ability to survive. It seems that people from impoverished and war-torn regions, who face difficult life circumstances on a regular basis, are generally more courageous and resilient than folks from the so-called "developed world," who suffer from endless mental health issues, anxiety, food intolerances, allergies, and other ailments of modern civilization.
It would be unfair to say that such suffering is not real, of course it is! I am just wondering if having a more comfortable and cushy life makes people less resilient than those living in poorer regions of the world.
It almost seems that mental resilience and physical activity are similar. Without practicing and training, mental or physical abilities decline.
In fact, research has confirmed that a healthy degree of stress activates the body’s survival mechanisms and so called SIRT2 genes that support longevity. It may be similar to exposing our body to cold water on a regular basis to reduce the tendency of being cold.
In light of the above, I often wonder if many peoples’ efforts to protect their dogs or children from any form of discomfort makes them more fragile, and less capable of thriving in difficult life situations? I am not talking about withdrawing love and safety. I am talking about not always budging every time our dogs or kids whine.
To summarize: In order to survive and thrive, stress and comfort need to go hand in hand, and one extreme or another isn’t good.
In the past year, we all have been thrown into the proverbial pandemic centrifuge of discomfort. One of my antidotes for feeling down is listening to podcasts and watching biographies and documentaries about inspiring people. One piece I would like to recommend is called "Audrey" about the actress Audrey Hepburn, who said that we have only two choices: We can either hate life, or love life - and she consciously decided to love it.
Now for some good news!
In addition to GreenMin for dogs, GreenMin H+ will be available for humans starting in spring 2021.
If you have never heard of GreenMin, I consider it to be the most important essential supplement for dogs of all. It is a source of full spectrum plant-based minerals, which are much more bio-available and effective than, for example, a ground up rock.
Minerals can’t be made by the body and must come in food to meet the demand. Unfortunately, intensive agriculture and food transportation have interrupted the nutrient cycle and minerals do not get put back into the soil.
I consider mineral deficiencies to be one of the primary sources of disease. Let me give you a simple explanation. Most people understand that plants in the garden would not grow if there were certain minerals missing. If phosphorus is depleted, strawberries or tomatoes would not blossom and produce fruit.
But somehow healthcare has still not fully acknowledged that depleted food results in cell and organ dysfunction and disease. A malnourished and underperforming tomato plant is relatively easy to spot, but a body depleted of nutrients is more difficult to detect, until it is too late.
The key to supplementing minerals is to provide them in the most digestible form, and that is why I have chosen Alga Calcarea for GreenMin, my mineral supplement for dogs. This certified organic algae from Brazil has evolved to absorb minerals from the ocean and deposit them in its roots, which become heavy and anchor it to the ocean floor.
This amazing plant was first discovered by farmers who fed Alga Calcarea to farm animals and witnessed an amazing transformation. The animals were stronger and less frequently ill, which makes sense because 37 000 000 000 000 000 000 000 (37 thousand billion billion) chemical reactions take place in the body every second, and essential minerals are crucial to good health.
Since then, Alga Calcarea has been used for the treatment of osteoporosis in people, and also in GreenMin for dogs since 2012 as an essential health supplement. If you would like to read what other dog lovers have to say, or try GreenMin for your dog, click here.
© Dr. Peter Dobias, DVM
