Healthy, Delicious Food For You & Your Pets
by Kymythy Schultze • Seattle, WA

The following excerpts have been taken from the new book, The Natural Nutrition No-Cook Book, by Kymythy Schultze, published by Hay House (July 2005.) Available at bookstores or online at: www.hayhouse.com.

To get the most flavor and nutrients from your food, whether you’re using it to feed your pets or yourself, you’ll want to purchase it organically grown whenever possible. Organically grown food is the fastest-growing sector of agriculture today, and for good reason: It has higher levels of nutrients, including cancer-fighting compounds, than most conventionally grown produce. Organic farmers use natural substances to improve soil health and nontoxic insecticides to protect crops; while conventional farmers use synthetic chemicals that end up in our food and water supply and in the environment. Children and pets are especially vulnerable to these toxins.

As you peruse the recipes in this article, please keep in mind that all animals are individuals. Just as one of your human children may be sensitive to a particular food, one of your animal friends can have its own sensitivities. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the offending food is bad, just that it’s not tolerated very well by that pet. Also, please use the same common sense with your animal friends that you use with your human kids– for example, just because they really love the Banana-Date Shake, don’t feed them one every day! They need a well-balanced diet just as much as the rest of your family does.

Please feel free to experiment with all the recipes in this article. Change ingredients if you wish, and let your inner chef shine through!

So-Much-Better Soda
Simply blend sparkling mineral water and whole fruit juice to make a "soda pop" drink without the added sugar and chemicals.

The average American drinks about 56 gallons of soda per year! When you consume even just one soda, you’re ingesting approximately ten teaspoons of refined sugar and 50 milligrams of caffeine, along with artificial food colors and other chemicals. What you’re not getting is any nutritional value. There’s a strong link between soda consumption and many health problems including obesity, tooth decay, behavioral disorders, diabetes and bone loss. And the connection between soda consumption and childhood obesity is so strong that a few schools are now beginning to remove the vending machines from school grounds.

Diet sodas may be even more dangerous to your health: The artificial sweetener most of them contain, aspartame, may be linked to more than 92 negative health problems including seizures, brain tumors, and birth and vision defects. Furthermore, when these diet sodas are stored for long periods or kept in a warm environment, the aspartame changes to methanol and then formaldehyde. The newer sweetener Splenda, a chlorinated sucrose derivative, has no long-term safety research for humans; however, animal studies may link it to shrunken thymus glands, enlarged liver and kidneys, reduced growth rate, decreased red blood cell counts, aborted pregnancy, and other health problems.

This simple recipe provides a tasty alternative that’s safe enough to share with the kids and pets. Purchase mineral water that’s naturally sparkling and hasn’t had carbon dioxide added to it.

St. Patty’s Day Shake
6 chopped bananas, frozen or unfrozen
1 cup water or peppermint tea
1 teaspoon mint extract (can use more or less to taste)
1/2 teaspoon powdered spirulina
Blend all ingredients in food processor or blender. Garnish with a sprig of mint.

Spirulina is a blue-green microalgae whose color is as intense as its nutrient content. Spirulina is approximately 70 percent protein (that’s a lot!) and contains essential amino acids, the nucleic acids RNA and DNA, and many minerals– including calcium, potassium, magnesium, manganese, selenium, zinc, and iron. It also has B vitamins, vitamin E, carotenoids, and many pigments valuable to health. Spirulina contains important fatty acids, including linoleic, arachidonic, and gamma-linolenic (GLA). GLA helps prevent heart disease and premenstrual syndrome, and it’s an anti-inflammatory that has proved helpful in treating eczema.

Immunologists at the UC Davis School of Medicine have found that spirulina boosts the immune system by increasing the production of infection-fighting cytokines. Animal studies show that spirulina inhibits allergic reactions and increases the activity of natural killer cells, which destroy infected and cancerous cells in the body. What’s more, spirulina lacks a hard cellular wall, so its nutrients are easily assimilated.

Tea for Two and Four-Legged Friends
Herb teas are a delicious way to quench your thirst while adding the benefit of medicinal plants to your drink. Use the power of the sun to brew your tea for you, and you won’t even need to turn on the stove.

Try sharing a cup or bowl of cool tea with your animal friends and you may be surprised by how much they enjoy it! Brew up a batch for your kids and animals to have a tea party with (talk about a cute photo opportunity!) You can also pour the tea into ice-cube trays to make it more fun and palatable. If you really want to get a particular herb tea into your animal friends and they won’t drink it from that lovely teacup you’re using, you could try pouring some over their food. Here are a few herb teas to try:

• Chamomile is soothing and calming.
• Dandelion supports the liver and gallbladder.
• Ginger, peppermint, or slippery elm improve digestion.
• Licorice is anti-inflammatory.
• Marshmallow is for urinary and respiratory-tract inflammation.
• Rose hips are a good source of vitamin C.
• Sage is for mouth and throat infections and ulcerations.
• Valerian is a sedative, but smells like dirty socks (hey, the dog or cat might actually love that!)

Sarah’s Sushi
Nori sheets
1 cup sashimi-grade raw fish
1 cup lemon juice
1 carrot
1 cucumber
1 avocado
Grated fresh ginger to taste
Cut fish into bite-sized pieces and place in a bowl; pour lemon juice over it, cover, and place in the refrigerator overnight. Slice the carrot, cucumber, and avocado into thin matchstick pieces. Using kitchen shears, cut the nori into strips about half the width of the fish pieces and twice as long. Roll up the fish and veggie strips in nori, adding ginger to taste.

Okay, we’re cheating a bit because the word sushi actually refers to rice, and we’re leaving that out this time. If you’ve never used nori, give it a try, as it makes a great "wrap" for foods. Even though it’s technically dried seaweed, it’s been cultivated as food for a very long time. Sea vegetables such as nori are a very concentrated source of important nutrients including protein; folate; iron; potassium; copper; manganese; and vitamins A, C, and B.

Nori is a good source of calcium, zinc, and vitamin K, and is low in saturated fat and cholesterol. It’s a traditional Asian aid against cancer and provides nutrients needed for a healthy heart. Japanese research shows it to have antitumor compounds, and Canadian studies found it capable of binding with some toxins and eliminating them from the body.

Nori is available in different forms, but be sure to choose sheets that are shiny, green, and very thin.

Terrific Trail Mix
1/2 cup flaked or shredded raw coconut
1/2 cup dried banana chips
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup raw shelled pecan pieces
1/2 cup raw shelled sunflower seeds
1/2 cup raw shelled pumpkin seeds or pepitas, chopped
Mix all ingredients together, and store in the refrigerator. Makes about 3 cups.
This is a great snack food that’s as nutritious as it is delicious. The protein and good fat from the seeds and nuts can help bring you back into focus during a busy day, and the dried fruit provides energy and sweetness.

The sunflower has been used by humans for centuries. The name of the species Helianthus is a derivative of the Greek words helios for sun and anthos for flower. Sunflower seeds offer fiber, thiamin, pantothenic acid, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, manganese, selenium, and vitamins E and D. They contain a high level of beneficial phytochemicals, are a natural diuretic, and may help prevent and/or lower high blood pressure. They’ve also been used in the treatment of bronchitis, coughs, and colds.

Choose sunflower seeds from stores that replenish their supply often to ensure freshness, and avoid off-color or moldy seeds. Store in the refrigerator.

Since Kymythy Schultze’s book Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats: The Ultimate Diet was published, she’s been busy traveling around the world giving seminars and helping animal lovers enhance the well-being of their furry friends. In her new book, she bridges the gap between "pet food" and "people food." Contact her via Carina Sammartino at 800-654-5126 xt. 115, or csammartino@hayhouse.com.