Chapter 1 Modern sub-healthy dogs
We support diets with minimal processing, fresh and rich variety, but even replacing 10% of dog food per day with fresh food will have a positive impact on the dog's body.
The same factors that affect human lifespan also affect dogs: lack of a diverse, minimally processed diet; overeating; sedentary; chemical toxins in the environment; chronic stress (dogs will bear our stress).
Chapter 2 Evolution with dogs
Many genetic diseases are the result of ancient gene mutations and are widely distributed in all dog breeds, but some genetic diseases increase frequently with the breed of dogs, but their performance levels are different in different dog breeds. If a dog is found to have some susceptible DNA mutations through genetic testing, it can be preemptively initiated to affect gene expression.
Food not only provides energy, but also sends signals to our DNA that have the power to influence our genetic behavior DNA expression. These changes caused by external influences are called "epigensitization."
Pro-inflammatory diets rich in refined carbohydrates reduce the activity of important genes associated with brain health, called "brain-derived neurotrophic factor" and BDNF for short. This gene encodes a protein, also known as BDNF, that is responsible for the growth and nutrition of brain cells. BDNF cannot be obtained from food, but we can do something to make the dog's body produce it as it ages. The right food can support the body's own ability to produce BDNF. Exercise can increase the production of BDNF. Stress levels and sleep factors also affect the production of BDNF; in fact, the decrease in BDNF levels is now related to insomnia, and studies have shown that this may be a vicious cycle, with high stress levels inhibiting the production of BDNF, thereby disrupting good sleep. The study further showed that people with cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases had lower BDNF, while those who maintained high levels continued to improve their learning and memory while avoiding brain disorders.
Chapter 3 The science of aging
Facts that affect epigene expression:
Nutrient levels in food Nutrient levels in food
Polyphenol levels in food
Chemicals in food
Physical activity
Stress
Obesity
Pesticides
Metals
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals Endocrine-interference chemicals
Physical activity
Stress
Stress
Obesity
Pesticides
Metals
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals
Particulate matter (secondhand smoke) Particulate matter (second-hand smoke)
Air pollutants
Chapter IV Resistance to Aging by Diet
Diet Best Practices Summary of Two Ts: Type and Timing
Type: What Types of Nutrients Ideal? 50/50 Protein and Fat
If there is a choice, the dog will first choose the calories from fat and protein and finally the carbohydrates. This is why many formulators recommend that about 50% of calories (not the volume of food) should come from protein, and 50% come from fat
Compared to dogs fed with dog food, raw food stresses on metabolism and has lower levels of inflammation and disease markers, including homocysteine levels.
Starch: Chronic, low-grade inflammation is the beginning of most diseases. Inflammation is partly caused by pro-inflammatory foods, especially sugars in refined carbohydrates.
Excessive starch in pet food can cause blood sugar levels to continue to rise, which itself will produce a pro-inflammatory state.
Corne, wheat, rice, potatoes, cassava, oats, lentils, chickpeas, barley, quinoa and other carbohydrates found in pet foods can also promote the internal production of AGEs in the body, stimulating permanent and progressive systemic inflammation. Just as athletes have a much lower resting heart rate than ordinary people, fasting blood sugar levels are much lower than dogs who eat raw food. Maintaining low and stable levels of insulin and glucose in the body is good for dogs and has less metabolic stress for dogs.
Fat: Fat can also be divided into good or bad. Bad fats such as saturated or trans fats can cause inflammation and often appear in highly processed foods. Healthy fats are monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, rich in anti-inflammatory omega fatty acids. Sources of healthy fats include cold-water fatty fish such as nuts, seeds, avocados, eggs, salmon and herring, as well as extra virgin olive oil. Fats should be unfinished, unheated and raw, and heated fats will produce ALE (lipid version of AGEs).
Food and microorganisms
Microorganisms can help digest food and absorb nutrients, support the immune system (in fact, 70% to 80% of the immune system are located in the intestinal wall), produce and release enzymes, preventing other disease-causing bacteria; help regulate the body's inflammatory pathways, which in turn affects the risks of almost all chronic diseases, deal with stress through its effects on the hormonal system, and even ensure a good night's sleep. The synthesis of some key vitamins, fatty acids, amino acids and neurotransmitters is also carried out by microorganisms.
Bacteria in the gut produce vitamin B12, thiamine and riboflavin, as well as vitamin K required for blood clotting. Good bacteria also reduce stress by turning off cortisol and adrenaline. In the field of neurotransmitters, gut bacteria play an important role in providing serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, acetylcholine and gamma-aminobutyric acid.
Having a diverse colony is key to health, and this diversity depends on dietary choices that provide food for microorganisms and lay the foundation for whether the microbiome works properly.
Exposure to environmental chemicals, fertilizers, contaminated water, artificial sugars, antibiotics, NSAIDs, emotional stress, trauma (including surgery), gastrointestinal diseases, lack of nutrition, or inappropriate diet (metabolic stress foods) can all affect the healthy microbiome.