Why fermentation is no joke, and why I love it
more than ice cream! — I am serious!
The market is full of supplements and products, but there are just a few companies offering fermented supplements for humans, and as far as I know, we are the only dog-centric fermented supplement line available.
I suspect the main reason more companies do not use fermentation is that it is more labour intensive and less profitable, but we use it because it makes a big difference!
What does fermentation do?
- It transforms vitamins into whole foods, which the body uses differently than synthetic vitamins
- It increases the potency and bioavailability of the nutrients and herbs in SoulFood
- Fermentation increases anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects
- Fermented products do not cause nausea, which is typical for non-fermented vitamins
- SoulFood is the only certified organic multi-vitamin for dogs.
- SoulFood also contains organ supporting ingredients such as turmeric (anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer), alfalfa, apple cider vinegar and dandelion.
You can definitely find cheaper vitamins out there, but I dare say — with confidence, that it would be hard to find any fermented dog specific vitamin and organ support comparable to SoulFood, which currently holds a 4.9 out of 5 star rating on Trustpilot.
But!
There are four more ingredients used in the creation of SoulFood and all of my products, and they cannot be found on the ingredients list.
Some of you might expect me to list four more herbs added to my formulas, or emphasize the quality of the ingredients and high standards for safety and testing that we adhere to, but these four ingredients are a little different.
They are not a secret, yet many companies struggle to include them. In fact, these four ingredients should be part of any great service or excellent product.
THEY MAKE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEDIOCRE AND GREAT!
It may surprise you to hear, but I was not consciously aware that these four ingredients were part of every jar and bottle of SoulFood, GreenMin, GutSense, FeelGood Omega, FleaHex, TickHex and SkinSpray!
Let me explain why you need to know about these four ingredients in order to have a successful product, service, and a fulfilling life.
I will start with the story of an unnamed friend.
About 15 years years ago, I discovered kiteboarding. For some people, the sport appears downright crazy! Being hooked up to a giant parachute-like kite that drags you on a board attached to your feet!
To me, kiteboarding was a perfect way to de-stress and relax after a long, and often stressful week at the clinic. Another great part of sports is meeting like-minded friends, and I did that too.
Let’s call my friend Xavier, for privacy protection, and the fact that none of my friends have that name.
Xavier was a well accomplished accountant, working for a big hotel chain on acquisitions, in what was then a booming industry. By the time he was 40, he and his wife had amassed a significant wealth of a couple million dollars.
The only problem was that Xavier didn’t really enjoy his job. I remember one day he came up with the idea that he was going to invest all of his savings into a new oil fracking company that someone was starting in Alberta, Canada, and he asked me if I wanted to join.
I had put all of my money into my start-up, and even if I had any savings to invest I would not invest in an oil company. I remember asking him why he would take such a risk, and his answer was “To make money.”
“Oh man, I don’t know, it sounds risky, plus oil companies have bad karma.” I remember saying, “Why don’t you take at least half of your money and invest it in businesses that are passionate about making a difference, like Tesla?” This was around 2008 and Tesla was selling for less than $30 a share, and almost nobody knew who Elon Musk was.
Soon after, the house of cards that was the Alberta oil sands came crashing down, and my friend lost his money and his marriage. It was difficult to watch.
I just couldn’t understand why a smart and well-accomplished man would make such a blatant and unfortunate mistake.
Despite all of this, Xavier kept his passion for kiteboarding and became much better at it than I will ever be. He was passionate.
He also started a new project making software for annual inventory counting at stores and other companies, but when I asked him why, his answer was the same as a few years ago when he invested in oil, “To make money.”
“You mean, you don’t enjoy working on it?” I asked. “Not really,” he shrugged, “I just want to retire, travel around, and kiteboard.”
As time progressed, I saw Xavier less frequently, and when I called him, he sounded low and depressed. His software project also tanked and he went on to join a CBD oil producer that went under too. This was all followed by business dealings in Columbia and Africa where he was buying and selling commodities. The stories he told me about the dangers of doing business in Africa and Columbia were frightening, and the corruption was beyond our imagination.
Xavier and I rarely speak now, but I wish I could share with him what I am about to share with you. I would like to tell him about:
The four ingredients that are almost guaranteed to create contentment and success.
Ingredient 1:
Curiosity
I would like you to think of at least 10 things that you are curious about.
- Are you curious about how to feed your dog healthy natural food, or how to make your dog live longer?
- What about exercising your dog?
- How to take better photos?
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Or perhaps how to achieve better energy and overall improved health?
- Maybe you want to learn about cooking great meals, or how to be better at chess, crossword puzzles, or gardening?
- What does infinity look like in the universe?
The list is endless, and I am sure that I have missed out on many things you are curious about.
The important part is that your curiosity is in fact an evolutionary trait that was originally intended to make you explore and find new resources to survive, thrive, and ensure the continuity of our species.
Nature has made us prone to curiosity by releasing serotonin, the feel good hormone, to make it an enjoyable experience.
Being curious feels good.
When I started my current company and journey, I was curious about nutrition and how to create better health and a longer life specifically for my canine patients, and my dog Skai. It was so hard to watch dogs age, and see my clients going through losing their beloved pets. This propelled me to look further into creating health through nutrition and natural supplements.
And so, initially without full awareness, I added curiosity as an important ingredient in creating each and every product.
Ingredient 2:
Passion
I am certain that there are a few activities and hobbies in your life that make you forget about time. Suddenly, hours seem like minutes, and minutes seem like seconds. Passion is when money doesn’t matter, because you just love doing what you are doing. It is when you lose yourself in painting, playing music or a computer game, biking, dancing, cooking, playing sports, flying, writing, or reading.
What is on your list?
Personally, I love discovering how simple creating good health can be. How seemingly insignificant changes in nutrition, a few supplements, or changes in spinal alignment and energy flow, can allow dogs and people to recover from health challenges.
I enjoy seeing the connection between spinal and organ health, or hypothyroidism and collar injuries, because knowing this makes prevention or recovery much easier. I love knowing that back injuries often lead to diarrhea, and that correcting this can provide relief to so many dogs and their people — who have reached their limit.
I never stop being intrigued by the body’s intelligence and nature’s wisdom, and I respect and admire the power of plants and food in healing.
I am also passionate about freedom of choice, and ensuring that people and dog lovers in our society will not be taken advantage of by big pharma. I love discovering natural ways of creating health and preventing illness that you can easily apply, before it is too late.
If you wish, take a pause here and ask yourself what you are most passionate about.
Ingredient 3:
Purpose
If you have been around for more than a couple of decades, you have most likely noticed that there are two groups of people:
- Those who don’t necessarily like what they do, but work to make a living with the ultimate goal of gaining status, money, and power.
- Those who love what they do, and do not care much about power, prestige, and making millions. However, their passion inadvertently leads them to financial success, which is the byproduct of their love for what they do.
Research has shown that once people reach an income of about $75,000 per year, their material needs are generally met, and they begin looking for a greater purpose in order to achieve satisfaction in life.
Nature and evolution have a clear intention: First, make sure that you have food and shelter so your species can procreate and survive, and after that you can help others be well and have their needs met.
If you look at nature, you will see this is how it ensures the survival of many species.
Some people find purpose in helping homeless animals or people, others love playing music to make people feel good. Scientists, doctors, and researchers spend their lives solving the puzzle of creating better health and longer lives. Some people find purpose in protecting wildlife, defending human rights, free speech, and democracy.
I hear some people in our community complain about their vets being too busy, overcharging, and perhaps not caring as much. I am quite certain that at some point, they weren’t like this.
However, as time progressed, they may have become stressed about money, burdened by running expensive veterinary hospitals and clinics, and worrying about their essential needs being met.
Most vets make a conscious and ethical decision to separate work from money when they are with their patients, and will suggest a $50 solution over a $2000 surgery, but not everyone can do that during times of financial pressure.
Evolution has shaped our species to focus on purpose mainly after our primary needs have been met, and this is why so many people focus on money and status.
It gives them the illusion of security.
For me, a sense of purpose comes from helping dogs, because they are, in my mind, leading the way towards a better, less materialistic, and more meaningful, happier existence.
I love seeing happy and healthy dogs, and the difference they make in your life. I enjoy witnessing the love you have for them, and helping you ensure that your dogs have everything they need to thrive. And I love learning from my own dog, Pax, who is always teaching me new things, for example, how to be happy and comfortable anywhere.
I know that when you learn about how to feed your dog well and keep them healthy, you begin to think about your own health and wellbeing. When we are healthy, we are more able to help those around us and do the things we are most passionate about.
When our dogs are healthy and happy, and we are are too, finding purpose is a piece of cake!
I also find purpose in working with my amazing team, offering you the best products you can trust, and providing customer service that exceeds your expectations.
We have all had our fair share of bad customer service experiences with government institutions, airlines, banks, courier companies, internet providers, or trades.
They consciously make the choice of putting us on hold for an hour or more when we try to get ahold of them, because they haven’t created a culture of purpose.
Why?
Because those in charge do not care about you and I as much as they care about money, shareholders, and the bottom line — and it shows!
Ingredient 4:
FLOW
When I worked at the clinic, the workload was super high because there were only a few holistically minded practitioners around. My team and I loved our work, but eventually fatigue and stress took over and it was difficult to find a flow.
I had to find a way to have all four ingredients blend, and that led me to create the products, company, and service we have today.
Of course, shit happens, but my team is amazing, and together we are in the flow because we are curious, passionate and have a sense of purpose. We also cultivate a culture of openness, embrace our differences, and do not shame others for having a difference of opinion.
This is when good things happen, and if any of you are in the process of building your own mission, product, or service, remember that:
Curiosity + Passion + Purpose + Flow = A Good Life
Take care, and give your dog a hug for me! 🐶❤️
PS: Here are some links you may want to check out
- A link to a post on Giardia
- A research study on fermentation
- SoulFood for dogs
- And a registration link to receive news, updates, specials as well as an announcement about the launch of SoulFood H+.
