Why this simple plan delivers great results. A health plan for you and your dog for a longer and happier life.
People often ask me where they can find help for their sick dogs without spending a fortune on veterinary care. It is true that at a certain point your pup's treatment plan may require specific steps and a unique approach. However, there are certain principles that can be applied to any disease with dramatically positive results.
For more than 30 years in practice, I focused on healing as nature intended, and I could clearly see that 80% of all problems could be solved by applying a few simple principles that make a huge difference in health, quality of life, and longevity.
You can heal any disease by observing nature.
I would not be surprised if you object to this statement. There are some medical problems that require immediate, and sometimes technically advanced treatment methods, but I strongly believe that a large percentage of medical conditions require no drugs.
About 10 years into my veterinary practice, I was shocked to see that by applying simple, natural principles of healing reduced the use of prescription drugs and invasive procedures by over 80%.
I could see that the body has a mighty power to heal itself if we simply provide the right support and get out of its way.
How does nature heal?
Every day, we witness nature's ability to heal, adapt, and restore and this process of natural restoration happens in a few steps that I call “The Healing Cycle:”
- Detox
- Nourish
- Align
- Support
In each of these four steps, I will first describe the natural processes, then give you examples from dog or human health and finally, give you examples of how you can support the body to achieve better health.
I will mark each of these three steps with the following icons:
🌱 - Natural processes
🐕 - Dog health
👫 - Human health
💡 - How to support the body
1. DETOX
🌱 Anything in nature has cleansing and detoxing processes embedded within it. The ocean cleanses itself thanks to surf, oxygenation, sand and stone wash. The UV rays and a cascade of micro-organisms serve as a cleaning crew. The trees are capable of absorbing carbon dioxide and purifying the air. Wind and rain have the ability to purify the air, thunderstorms form ozone to purify the air, and UV light keeps harmful bacteria at bay. Fungi have a great capacity to detoxify and also absorb radiation. Every single biological process has cleansing and detoxing embedded in it.
🐕 There are only a few ways your dog can detox. The ongoing daily cleansing processes involve the kidneys, liver, gut, skin, and lungs and the more intense cleansing kicks in when toxin or pathogen levels reach a certain point resulting in vomiting and diarrhea.
Note: It is rare for the conventional medicine practice to see these detox processes as positive, even though they are the protective mechanisms of the body. They are the signals that the body is attempting to either eliminate toxins or restore balance in the natural healing process. However, if this lasts for more than a few days, proper diagnostics and support must be applied.
👫 When it comes to humans, the above also applies. However, dogs, people, and other animals all evolved in a very different natural setting than our current industrialized world. In other words, foreign substances, toxic chemicals, heavy metals, radio-active pollution, processed food, and stress are the primary reasons why all creatures are excessively burdened. Thousands of billions of biochemical reactions take place in the body EVERY SECOND, and foreign substances can wreak havoc on your and your dog’s metabolism.
💡 Because of the extra burden we and our dogs face due to the industrial world and a wide range of chemicals and additives in our food, it would be unreasonable to expect the body to handle this burden completely on its own as it would have a thousand years ago when these artificial substances were not present.
Here is what I do and also suggest:
An initial cleanse and herbal detox for 6 weeks duration, followed by a recurrent semi-annual 4-week cleanse. If you have a puppy, you can begin this process at 6 months of age.
🐕 ✅ Click here for a dog cleanse and detox
👫 ✅ Click here for a human cleanse and detox
2. NOURISH
Cleansing the body of toxins and foreign substances is a good start, but even the purest and cleanest system can’t function without the building blocks it requires. The billions of biochemical processes can’t take place without the essential nutrients it needs. Also, the body is not able to make these essential nutrients and must receive them from food.
Without the essential nutrients the body may survive for some time, but similar to an engine that receives the wrong fuel, over time the body will gradually succumb to such a deficit, which will eventually lead to disease and premature death.
🌱Nature ensures balanced and complete nutrition through two main processes, a diverse diet, which used to be achieved through roaming, and completeness, which was ensured by complete nutrient recycling.
There are still some examples of the natural nutrient cycle, for example, in the African savannah.
Sadly, most of the nutrient cycles in nature have been disturbed by the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers. However, the biggest issue is that industrial agriculture does not return food remnants and manure back into the soil, which leads to further soil depletion.
Lack of nutrients is another primary cause of disease and premature aging.
🐕 There are many factors that contribute to poor nutritional status in dogs. One of them is poor quality, heavily processed food that is stored and degrades during the process. All pet food, from kibble to raw or homemade food, is made from ingredients that are depleted of natural nutrients.
This is not always the pet food manufacturer’s fault, as it is impossible to ensure proper nutrient recycling and therefore a balanced diet.
I have had the opportunity to observe both kibble and raw-fed dogs, and they all showed signs of nutritional imbalances by the time they reached middle age. From a dull coat to poor mobility, weak digestion, organ disease, and cancer occurrence, these are, in my opinion, clear signs of less than optimal nutrition.
Pet food on its own is simply not enough.
👫 What I have mentioned above also applies to people. The additional problem here is that food manufacturers take clear advantage of the addictive nature of some substances, such as sugar, salt, flavour additives, and rich processed foods.
In addition to that, it seems almost impossible to navigate through the ever-changing jungle of dietary recommendations and ensure balanced nutrition.
Fast food culture has caused an obesity epidemic in children and adults, and the only way to address this huge issue is by returning to wholesome unprocessed food.
💡What I do and recommend:
🐕 ✅ My dog Pax is on a predominantly raw, and sometimes cooked diet of meat, raw bones, and vegetables, and I suggest the same for your dog if you can afford it. If you spend more on food, you will spend less on vet care.
Diet: Here is a simple course on raw and cooked diet feeding and a link to the Recipe Maker.
Supplements: Here are the Fab4 essentials I recommend and give to my dog Pax.
👫 ✅ Here are the key core nutritional principles I follow and recommend.
Diet: It is important to have a working knowledge of what healthy food is, and perhaps familiarize yourself with Dr. Michael Greger’s book, How Not to Diet. Here is a link to his website https://nutritionfacts.org
Dr. Greger is my hero. Like me, he also believes in freely sharing health-based knowledge and education. Besides being a medical doctor, he is a genius who has compiled nutritional research into a set of principles for a healthy diet that leads to longevity and a good life.
Supplements:
There are two main groups of nutritional supplements - fermented and non-fermented. Fermented supplements, including vitamins, have increased bio-availability, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-cancer properties, plus they also improve the body’s microbiome which improves and strengthens the immune system.
Here are the supplements I take and recommend. Give them a try.
3.ALIGN
🌱Dog or human, the body is a masterpiece. There are trillions of cells in the body, all originating from a single egg and sperm. If we dissect the body beyond the cells, we get down to the molecules, atoms, protons, electrons and other energy particles.
When creating and restoring health, it is important to acknowledge the body as an electromagnetic system where unobstructed energy flow equals robust health and stagnation in flow results in disease. The blood vessels, nerves, and energy meridians act as the energy highways.
The more obvious examples of stagnation of energy flow are a stroke or a heart attack, but a more subtle slow down in flow affects almost anyone of middle age and older.
The spine and spinal column are the main “energy highway” and its segments and outgoing nerves affect the health of muscles, but also internal organs like the heart, kidneys, liver, and gut.
For example, when the back gets injured and the muscles tighten and spasm, the energy flow slows down and stops, which can profoundly affect overall health.
Here are some examples:
Lumbar spine injuries can cause diarrhea
A narrow and congested interscapular region can predispose dogs and people to heart disease
🐕 Unfortunately, many dogs often suffer from undetected injuries, or from weakness related to too much or too little exercise.
👫 I have yet to see a person whose serious health problems were not preceded by back pain or injury. Once you start seeing this correlation, it will be eye-opening.
🐕 ✅ Ensure that your dog gets the right exercise and that you have their back and spine checked regularly every 1-3 months when they are young, and monthly when they reach middle age and older. Ideally, you should walk your dog twice a day and often through hilly and more complex terrain. If your dog enjoys water, water walking is great, also make yourself familiar with core-strengthening equipment here.
👫 ✅ Yes, there can be gain without pain but not without effort. Regular moderate exercise is the way to go. Too much or too little intensity will make your body crumble, and so will a one-sided, unbalanced workout. Focus on core strength, cardiovascular fitness, and agility.
Work with an experienced physical therapist, chiropractor, acupuncturist, fitness coach and other body practitioners to keep the energy flowing.
Variety and moderation are the keys to long-lasting mobility and good energy flow.
4.SUPPORT
🌱There are many ways to interpret the term “support” but what I mean is supporting the body to slow down the aging process.
As we and our dogs age, there is a natural decline in the efficiency of DNA repair, the enzymatic system, and energy availability and processing, and this is where most healthcare innovation and healthspan extension takes place.
If you would like to get more information about what I do to extend health and life span, here is an article on A NEW POINT OF VIEW ON AGING IN PEOPLE AND DOGS.
