Pet parents are increasingly concerned about preventive health care, and nutrition is a major factor.

It’s safe to say that a well-balanced diet comprised of essential nutrients is key.

Pet Food Trends

• Current Buying Habits

  Research shows that consumers are spending more money on their pets’ food than ever before, with the aim to keep them healthy and happy.

  According to recent data, Americans spent more than $103 billion on their pets in 2020. With each consecutive year, US pet industry expenditures have gone up.

• Upcoming Products

  In the next few years, we will likely see more pet food and supplement brands utilizing functional ingredients that offer proven health benefits.

  The inclusion of nutraceutical ingredients such as probiotics, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamins will become the norm. It’s very likely that these ingredients will rank at the highest quality, comparable to human-grade level.

Omegas for Pet Health

Every pet food formula contains fats, which should be a balanced combination of the essential omega 6s and omega 3s. Omega-3 fatty acids are among the most important nutrients to support long-term health for humans and pets.

Since pets and people cannot produce omega-3 fatty acids in their bodies, we all need to include them in our diets.

There are many omega-3 choices on the market, making it essential to understand the important differences in sources and how they are delivered in the bodies of animals.

Omega-3 fatty acids can be plant-based from sources such as flaxseeds (in the form of ALA) or can come from a marine source like fish or krill (in the form of EPA and DHA).

Krill-Based Omega 3 Supplements

Krill is increasingly popular. The tiny crustaceans called krill make up one of the largest biomasses on our planet.

Krill happens to be an increasingly popular option in the pet nutrition space for many health benefits, including skin and coat; liver, joint, brain, and heart health; and immune system function.

In fact, krill may be more efficient than other omega-3 options and can start to show results for pets at an early age. Its high incorporation and uptake of EPA and DHA into your pet’s cells makes it a great option for pets of all ages.

In addition to its many health benefits, krill is a sustainable ingredient. People consume omega 3s as part of their healthy lifestyle, but at the same time, it’s important to know that these supplements come from sustainable sources.

Pets can now benefit from all the same omega-3 benefits from krill as their human companions.

Avoiding gluten isn’t just about monitoring what you eat. It’s also about making sure there are safe areas where you store, prepare, and eat food.

You don’t need to renovate your kitchen to ensure it’s free of gluten. Here are some helpful steps to make the area a safe zone for all—whether some or all of your family are gluten free.

Steps to a Gluten-Free Kitchen

1. Get Rid of Products

   If you’re going for a completely gluten-free kitchen, start by getting rid of the obvius.

   • Donate Unopened Products

     Donate any unopened gluten-containing foods to a food bank. Or give them away to friends, family, or co-workers.

     Common foods include:

     • flours
     • mixes
     • pastas
     • cereals
     • breads
     • cookies
     • crackers

   • Discard Opened Products

     Discard any gluten products that have already been opened.

     Handle items with care, so flour particles won’t become airborne and potentially swallowed.

   • Beware Cross-Contamination

     Keep in mind that opened gluten-free pantry items like sugar, baking powder, and baking soda may have been contaminated at some point with a measuring cup or spoon.

2. Clean Away Gluten

   This step is crucial for making a space safe for celiacs and gluten-intolerant individuals.

   Even a single lurking bread or cracker crumb contains harmful gluten proteins and can inadvertently end up on someone’s plate.

   To rid the area of gluten:

   1. Clear Out The Kitchen

      Remove all items from the cupboards, pantries, silverware and utensil drawers, and the freezer and fridge.

   2. Wipe Down Surfaces

      Wipe down surfaces with a mild soap solution. Rinse and then dry.

      Pay special attention to spots that are sticky or greasy, as flour and crumbs tend to stick to these areas.

      Don’t forget to clean the tops of kitchen cupboards and light fixtures as well as cupboard and drawer handles.

   3. Do The Kitchen Laundry

      Launder aprons, dish towels, and cloth napkins. Scrub the oven—including the racks and oven drawer.

   Mind Your Sponges

   Sponges can be a problem if they’re used to wipe up areas where there’s gluten.

   To safely mop up spills, assign one color sponge for gluten-containing messes and another for gluten-free zones.

3. Maintain It

   • Keep Items Isolated

     • Purchase a toaster that will be used only for gluten-free foods, since it’s almost impossible to clean an old toaster of all its crumbs. Store and use the gluten-free toaster in a separate area.
     • Use separate butter dishes, flour sifters, pasta colanders, and cutting boards for those eating gluten free.
     • You may also want to consider another set of roasting and baking pans, measuring cups and spoons, utensils, and can openers.
     • Be sure to purchase and label brand-new storage containers for all gluten-free flours.

   • Keep Appliances Clean

     Appliances such as bread makers and food processors can contain hidden gluten. Clean paddles, blades, and crevices very carefully.

     If possible, have a second set of blades or—even better—different machines.

   • Avoid Using Plastic

     Be wary of using old plastic bowls and utensils. They scratch easily, and the scratches can harbor tiny amounts of gluten.

     It’s best to discard or donate these items. Replace with stainless steel or glass bowls that are washed carefully between between uses.

Tips for Kitchens with Gluten

• Storage

  • Label Containers

    If it seems that some family members are (still!) dipping their gluten-containing utensils back into condiment jars, put Post-it notes or a label maker to use.

    Label which condiments are gluten safe and which aren’t.

    Label gluten-free flours and grains, whether they’re stored in the pantry, fridge, or freezer. Mark with the date of purchase and the expiration date.

  • Use Squirt Bottles

    Squeeze-top or squirt bottles of condiments make a good choice for avoiding cross contamination, and they’re some-thing every family member can use safely.

    Just remind everyone not to touch the bottle tips to gluten-containing foods.

  • Separate Items

    If some family members eat gluten, be sure to put their items on a separate, labeled shelf. Better yet, store these foods in a separate cabinet.

    Make sure everyone knows where their own snacks are kept, and make sure they return items to their proper place.

• Gluten-Free Kids

  For a fun family activity, let youngsters choose stickers of their favorite color or animal. Use these to label packaged items that are safe for them.

  When there’s a visitor or babysitter in the house who doesn’t understand the gluten-free diet, the stickers will help them identify snack items that are safe for each child.

• For Pet Owners

  Most pet food (including fish food) contains wheat, and if it’s stored and portioned out in the kitchen, particles can end up on counters.

  Keep it safe by storing it in a separate area away from where meals are prepared and enjoyed.

Keeping hormones in balance can be a tricky business for women throughout the lifespan.

Starting at puberty and continuing until about age 40, many women experience symptoms related to excessive estrogen—namely PMS.

Hormone changes around pregnancy can also create challenges.

Then, from age 50 onward, too little estrogen can lead to discomforts associated with menopause.

Fortunately, a few key supplements can help women reach that elusive sweet spot of hormonal balance—no matter which decade they’re in.

Whether hormone changes take place during the reproductive years or as those years come to an end, there are many natural tools to bring hormones back into balance.

The PMS Rollercoaster

“Estrogen, although it is ‘friend,’ can also be ‘foe,’ in that too much at the wrong time can cause hormonal havoc,” explains Laurie Steelsmith, ND, LAc, author of Growing Younger Every Day: The Three Essential Steps for Creating Youthful Hormone Balance at Any Age (Daily Wellness Company, 2017).

In women from teens through menopause, estrogen dominance contributes to the PMS symptoms of irritability, weepiness, moodiness, bloating, breast tenderness, and fatigue.

Lowering estrogen and enhancing production of another hormone, progesterone, can reduce these symptoms.

Tips for Lowering Estrogen Levels

• Exercise

  To lower estrogen, Dr. Steelsmith recommends exercise. “Work out, sweat, and move every day to help your liver do its job of detoxifying your body, including estrogen,” she explains.

• Nutrition

  In addition, choose foods that help the liver break down estrogen; these would be cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts.

  These veggies contain compounds like indole-3-carbinol that convert unfriendly forms of estrogen into friendly forms.

• Herbs and Supplements

  “Consider boosting your liver function with beets and dandelion tea (an herb known for its ability to help your liver make bile) and it has the bonus as a slight diuretic that helps with bloating,” says Dr. Steelsmith.

  She’s also a fan of vitamin B6, since it helps the liver break down estrogen, acts as a natural diuretic, and can enhance mood by activating “feel good” brain chemicals such as serotonin.

Chasteberry to Boost Progesterone

For the second half of the estrogen/progesterone equation, Dr. Steelsmith suggests boosting the body’s ability to produce progesterone with chasteberry.

This herb can alleviate PMS symptoms and restore progesterone balance.

New Moms’ Ups & Downs

New mothers are at the mercy of a hormone carnival ride after delivery, and it can take several months for the ride to stop.

This hormone imbalance can manifest as mood swings and headaches; you may see it on your skin with conditions like acne.

Suggested Nutrients

• Fiber Intake

  Increasing fiber intake helps restore hormonal balance because fiber enhances estrogen excretion.

  Most women don’t even get half of the 25 grams of fiber they should eat every day.

  Increase your fiber intake over a couple of weeks since a sudden surge in fiber intake could leave you bloated and gassy.

• Liver Health

  Keeping your liver in tiptop shape—since your liver is where hormones are processed—can get you off the hormone rollercoaster more quickly.

  Milk thistle is the go-to herb for a well-running liver. It contains a compound called silymarin that is considered responsible for the herb’s detoxifying power.

Menopause: Another Wild Ride

Menopause does bring an end to those troublesome PMS symptoms. However, new hormone imbalance issues can crop up during the natural process of menopause

• hot flashes
• headaches
• muscle aches
• weight gain
• mood swings
• vaginal dryness
• insomnia
• hair loss

Tips to Reduce Hot Flashes

Hot flashes create a lot of unpleasantness for many women around the time of menopause.

• Maca

  Maca, an herb from Peru, offers hope for hot flash sufferers.

  Maca’s long history of traditional use in the Andes region has linked this herb to female hormone balance for centuries.

• Pycnogenol

  Pycnogenol, an antioxidant-rich extract from the bark of French maritime pine trees, may also help with peri- menopausal symptoms.

  A study of 170 women taking 30 milligrams (mg) twice a day found that after three months of use, the women taking this supplement—compared to those taking placebos—experienced significantly fewer hot flashes and better sleep.

  In other research on postmenopausal women receiving 100 mg of Pycnogenol daily, the women reported reduced hot flashes, improved sleep, reduced irritability, and less vaginal dryness.

• Omega-3 / DHA

  Perimenopausal women who get plenty of the omega-3 fatty acid DHA appear to be at a lower risk of hot flashes, or if they do get them they aren’t as severe.

  These benefits are seen with omega 3s when the supplement is used for four months or longer.

Moringa likely won’t show up on anyone’s top 10 list of beautiful trees. It’s nicknamed “the drumstick tree” because of its long, skinny seed pods. What it lacks in good looks, though, moringa makes up for in nutritional power.

“If there were a top 10 list of plants that are going to help feed the world over the next hundred years, I would say moringa should be on that list,” says Carrie Waterman, PhD, a researcher in the department of nutrition at UC Davis’s Institute for Global Nutrition. “Moringa can help us address food security,” she says.

Nutrient Profile of Moringa

It makes sense that researchers are looking at moringa as a nutritious food source that could help ease world hunger. While there’s still some controversy about the roots, every other part of moringa, called the “miracle tree,” can be eaten, and the leaves are full of protein (close to 30 percent by weight). Its flowers also can be used in tea form.

Vitamins A and C, along with minerals calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc, are plentiful in moringa leaves as are good fats known as PUFAs (polyunsaturated fatty acids), including linoleic, linolenic, and oleic acid. Its seed oil contains about 76 percent PUFA, which recommends it as an alternative to olive oil.

Health Benefits

Frequently used in powder form, moringa can be used in smoothies, curries, soups, or in baking. “Among the many potential benefits of moringa,” says chef and nutritionist Jackie Newgent, RDN, CDN, “two standouts to me are its potential to help in managing blood glucose and blood cholesterol levels.”

Moringa’s nutritional profile also suggests it may help with bone health. Because its use is largely traditional, more studies are needed to confirm the efficacy of its use for various health conditions, many of which have not been subjected to human clinical trials.

The antioxidant profile of moringa, which includes beta carotene, vitamins A and C, and quercetin, makes it a natural for neutralizing free radicals in the body. One study found it increased postmenopausal women’s antioxidant levels.

In addition to its antioxidant effects, moringa shows antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties. Moringa seed powder, used in a small study of patients with asthma, showed an improvement in only three weeks.

Dosage and Cautions

In supplement form, generally leaf or seed powder or extract, a frequent dosage for adults is 6 to 10 grams per day, according to WebMD.com. Newgent says that those who took 8 grams per day for 40 days showed no adverse effects. However, moringa may cause an upset stomach or diarrhea.

As with any supplement, always consult your healthcare practitioner before taking it. Moringa may increase the effects of certain medications used to treat high blood pressure, diabetes, and thyroid disease.

This spring will be perfect for you—if you’re a bird or a bee.

If you’re a human who suffers from allergies, it has the potential to be a nightmare.

After we suffer through the tree pollens in March and April, grass pollens hit most of the country in May and June.

But, Mother Nature has a way of balancing things out. Even as she challenges your sinuses, she offers remedies to ease your pain.

Allergy-Fighting Foods

Try some of these foods known to naturally help with hay fever, congestion, and other allergic reactions when spring is in the air.

• Broccoli

  ​Bring on the broccoli when your sinuses are blocked.

  This member of the crucifer family is high in vitamin C: one cup of raw broccoli contains about 80 milligrams (mg).

  Research has shown 500 mg of Vitamin C daily can ease allergy symptoms.

• Citrus fruits

  Thanks to their mega-doses of vitamin C, citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, and grapefruits are good weapons in the quest to breathe freely when pollen and other irritants are in the air.

• Collard greens

  Collard greens offer allergy-fighting carotenoids.

  To help your body absorb their nutrients more readily, eat collard greens with a fat. Try sautéing them in extra-virgin olive oil.

• Elderberries

  Elderberries contain flavonoids that reduce inflammation.

  Ease your suffering by imbibing some elderberry wine, enjoying a glass of juice, or spreading some jam on toast or crackers.

• Garlic & Onions

  The quercetin in onions and garlic (apples too) acts like an antihistamine so it minimizes allergic reactions.

  Try roasted garlic or carmelized onions on a slice of pizza or with bruschetta.

• Miso soup

  Miso (and other broths) are known to help mitigate the mucus that builds up in the nasal passages during allergy season.

  Other mucus-clearing foods include spicy foods, such as horseradish, cayenne, or chili powder.

• Beets, purple/red grapes

  The anthocyanins that give certain foods, such as beets, purple or red grapes, berries, and cherries, their dark violet-like color have anti-inflammatory properties that can reduce swollen membranes that make breathing difficult.

Tea for Allergy Relief

A wide variety of herbal teas can ease seasonal allergy symptoms. Here are a few to try.

• Rooibos Tea

  Rooibos has components that naturally block the release of histamines.

  Rooibos is even thought to help allergy-sensitive systems to metabolize the irritants.

• Ginger Tea

  Ginger tea is a natural antihistamine that helps reduce nasal inflammation.

• Peppermint Tea

  Peppermint tea is a natural decongestant that can slow the production of histamines and the symptoms that go with them.

• Green Tea

  Green tea is rich in antioxidants and helps block the body’s reaction to allergens like pollen, dust, and animal dander.