Which Food Is Better For Your Dog Or Cat?

Food is any material consumed to supply nutrition to an organism. Food is generally of animal, plant or microbial origin, and is made up of necessary nutrients, including proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, or other minerals. The term food comes from the Latin word ‘famine’ which means ‘to suffer loss.’ In addition, food refers to the food we eat and the processes by which it is prepared, eaten and stored. In order to survive, humans need a varied diet to provide energy, the vitamins needed to help build our bodies and a variety of other things that are needed for optimal health.

Humans are omnivores, which means that they eat both living and non-living things. Plants, meat, fish, dairy products, fruits, nuts, and legumes all fall into this category. Among the foods we eat that are alive, many include complex carbohydrates such as breads, cereals and pasta, legumes such as beans and lentils, nuts and seeds, vegetables and fruit, and cooked or processed foods. Plants, animals and sometimes even fungi all contain nutrients that humans need. Animal products are the only ones that cannot be digested easily by the body’s cells.

It is important to eat a wide variety of foods so that the body gets the variety it needs to perform at its best. For example, a child who eats too much sugar, finds their energy depleted quickly, becomes overweight, has learning problems, and becomes tired or irritable at school will usually get the disease called hyperactivity, diabetes, and obesity very quickly. A pregnant woman eating too many carbohydrates also makes her more susceptible to the disease called diabetes. So, if you want to stay healthy and happy, eat enough vitamin D, which is produced by sunlight, in your diet.

Vitamin D is found in fatty fish, beta-carotene in orange and yellow vegetables, and in fortified dairy products, such as milk and cheese. Most people eat little amounts of vitamin D on a regular basis. Some people need less vitamin D than others, depending on their skin color and certain factors. A person who lives in a cold climate and lives outdoors for most of the year should consider taking a vitamin D supplement to help ensure they have enough of this powerful vitamin. If you don’t take a vitamin D supplement, your body may not get enough of this important nutrient to help keep your immune system working properly and your bone strong.

The second vitamin D that your body needs is phosphorus. This nutrient is not stored in the same way as the other two, so you must obtain it from an appropriate food source. Milk and some cereals are good sources of phosphorus, as is broccoli. But just about any type of fresh vegetable, fruit, legume or grain can provide this nutrient. In fact, most grains and most fresh vegetables contain a form of phosphorus that can be converted into vitamin D. If you eat less calcium and more phosphorus, you may be less able to produce new bone cells, which can lead to weak bones and a lack of energy.

Animal origin foods are full of fat and sugar, which is why they are often listed first when you check out the nutrition facts on a food package. The problem with this approach is that the higher the fat and calorie content in animal-origin foods, the less vitamin D your body will receive. Also, animals are often fed with hormones and antibiotics, both of which rob the vitamin D in plant foods. Instead of giving your dog or cat table scraps, why not give them whole, nutritious organic food that supplies all of the nutrients your animal needs and a little bit of Vitamin D too?