Vegetables

Brassicas Sweeter in winter because to withstand colder temperatures they convert starches to sugars. Arugula and Bok Choy are in the brassica family.

Feeding Cats

Number 1 tip for feline weight management: switch to a raw fur/feathers diet (or at least a grain-free, high quality canned food). Cats are obligate carnivores with bodies evolved to process small animals such as rats, rabbits, and birds (e.g. chicken) – including the (raw) bones and organs. A grind of whole (flesh, bones, and…

Emergency Preparation

Pet Emergency Forms, courtesy of FAAS: wallet card, pet care instructions, owner consent form, pet disaster kit checklist. Fire safety: Petplan, American Red Cross, pet rescue notice. Disaster preparedness: PetCareRx. Estate planning – wills and trusts: Nolo Press, PetMD, Forbes. Pet insurance: Consumer Reports review, Consumer Reports video. Microchip Helpful infographics.

Diabetes

Cats suffer from Type II diabetes but not Type I.  A small percentage develop insulin resistance.  Rapid weight loss, increased thirst and urination, dehydration, dizziness, vomiting, and staggering are all symptoms which may be associated with diabetes.  A blood test at the vet’s will determine if diabetes is the cause or if further testing should…

Food Tidbits

Lunar New Year dishes. The 100 pleats on a chef’s hat are said to represent all the ways you can cook an egg. Waffle House has its own record label: Waffle Records.

Living With Meaning

When Meaning Has Waned Being Mortal by Atul Gawande Musings on California’s new doctor-assisted suicide law – San Francisco Magazine 2016 February 11. Does It Dignify? God’s Hotel by Victoria Sweet

Desensitizing Your Sweet Tooth

The article Hooked on sweets? in the March 2015 Kaiser Permanente of Northern California newsletter recommends reducing your cravings for sweets by eating no or very little sugar or artificial sweetener for two weeks.  Theoretically I agree with that recommendation – but in practice many people are going to switch to fatty and salty food…