This article is a bit off topic but I really liked it so i thought that I would share it here. It  basically talks about some of the features of tea, goji juice and othere nutritionally powerful foods...enjoy!

Recent research has shown the proven properties in specific fruits and vegetables which have antioxidants that they have run complete campaigns to promote their eating five a day of these foods for good health. This is their way of educating the common person who may not have an avid interest in reading about nutrition.
   While wellness is extremely important and these servings are indeed vital there is also the additional benefits which they do not currently publicize but which are also a major concern to many individuals. These benefits generally have to do with our looks, such as healthy nails.
   Antioxidants can be found in a number of different foods or can likewise be taken in supplements and it can be found in tea. Both black tea and green tea has antioxidants that can be beneficial to the body by drinking a cup of tea at anytime of the day.
   When it comes to tea many people believe that green tea is better for health than black tea which is made from Orange Pekoe and Black Pekoe and touts it amount of antioxidants at 175 mg per serving.
   Green tea comes from the plant Camellia Sinensis and is processed differently than black tea; the leaves are dried; however they are not fermented. This is what gives green tea its lighter color and flavor and it also leaves more of the natural antioxidants that is found in tea leaves.
   By drinking tea there is approximately eight to ten times the power of eating fruits and vegetables and this amount of antioxidants attacks the free radicals in the body, along with detoxifying toxic chemicals in the body.
   There have been many studies done on tea and countries that are known for substantial tea consumption such as Japan and China. It has been found in these countries that there is less heart disease, cancer and other diseases.  
   Himalayan goji juice is indeed quite rich in these particular free radical destroying antioxidants. They way these antioxidants work is that they tend to literally 'soak up' the excess free radicals......Also, because ofvarious key advances in the technology for extracting the juice from the plant without actually destroying the goji berries' very powerful nutrients,  goji juice is more potent than ever in this day and age. Himilayan goji, also referred to as wolf berries, have long been an important part of the nutritional basis for East Asian peoples. At times like this we are well advised to follow the ancient spiritual saying which goes like this: "A physical body was given to us by Nature at birth. Somewhere exists the original Divine spark launched from God and which refound, will be his conscious spirit."

Hyperthyroidism has become an oft-diagnosed sickness in felines in recent years, unfortunately.  New research studies appear to implicate an environmental source, according to the September 2007 Healthy Pet Net newsletter.

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers, also known as PBDE's, are chemicals used only in recent years as a flame retardant. It has have been proven to cause injury to the feline nervous system, while also interfering with the production of various hormones.
Scientists are worried that these chemicals may also lead to similar symptoms in humans as well. Go to the Cat Blog for more information,
Although they have now been eliminated from current production, many products which contain them, such as fabrics, furniture, foams, some plastics and other items, nonetheless still have them, sadly enouph.
The evidence appears to indicate that if your cat or kitten is suffering from hyperthyroidism, it may be because of an object in your huse – one that could be removed, and perhaps decrease the severity of the illness.

Out of an abundance of caution and to give concerned pet parents added peace of mind, we had our pork products, training treats and products containing grain ingredients tested for the presence of melamine. The chemical analyses were conducted by Eurofins Scientific, a leading international group of laboratories providing testing to numerous worldwide industries and governments. We are unsurprised, but happy to report to you, the results of these exhaustive tests confirmed what we’ve been saying all along – that our products are completely safe. We remain absolutely committed to providing you and your companion animals with truly superior, health-promoting products.

Never before has the pet-food industry been rocked by widespread contamination and rampant recalls. In all, more than 5,600 products by dozens of pet food makers have been recalled, from chain supermarket brands to prescription-only foods. This is a staggering number of products, and is unprecedented in this business.

Thousands of deaths are due to the contamination, and many thousands more have suffered illnesses. We shudder to think of the long-term impacts of the compromised liver and kidney function and how this will affect thousands of companion animals in America.

Leading experts believe that the severe reactions experienced by some cats and dogs were the result of an interaction of chemicals, between the melamine and a list of other culprits, including cyuranic acid.

The recent food recalls have truly hit North America by storm.
Merely a day after the first
dry food was added to the more than fifty dog brands and forty plus cat brands affected by the recall,
the list was further expanded on March 31 to also include a new brand even as authorities were baffled as to why the substance would kill dogs and cats, according to a report on Excite News.

Nestle Purina PetCare Co. said it was recalling all sizes and all varieties of the Alpo Prime Cuts & Gravy wet dog food with certain date codes. They stated that some of the food had a contaminated wheat gluten that was from China.
This gluten is supplied to numerous brands in fact.

For instance this same U.S. supplier furnished wheat gluten, which is a protein source, to a Canadian firm, Menu Foods, which this month recalled recalled some million containers of wet dog and cat food it produces for sale under nearly one hundred brand labels.
On April second another major supplier took a hit when the Science Diet announced a recall.
This was particularly significant because this was a brand that many veternarians had been recommending for some time.
The next day Yahoo News reported that many dog and cat owners were cooking or otherwise preparing their own food for their animals.
Menu Foods and the FDA, which regulates the pet food industry, have refused to identify the firm which supplied the contaminated wheat gluten in question.
Does this indicate menu Foods and other big suppliers are policing themselves?
In this era of Enron, Worldcom, and corporate greed in general, is it a good idea to let the big boys police themselves?
Is that fair to our pets, who cannot speak out on their own? To me, the fact that the powers that be who regulate the industry refuse to disclose the name of the Chinese forim providing the badingredient seems to
reinforce some suspicions that I have. Protecting this company but not protecting our pets? I am recommending to everyone that will listen to buy a premium dog or cat food for their pet.Additional details can be found over at  Premium Cat Food from Life' Abundance/Dr. Jane ......Hill's Pet Nutrition has stated on the 30th of March that its Prescription Diet m/d Feline dry cat food included the tainted wheat gluten. The FDA said the source was the same unidentified company. Hill's, a division of Colgate-Palmolive Co.
Meanwhile, a May 6 article in the Progressive Grocer stated that Wegmans cat food had also been 'pulled into the web of the notorious Menu Foods pet food recall'.
This firm has added to it's rather extensive recall list some items that do not have wheat gluten.

House Training 101 

It is vital that you feed your pup on regular basis.  Resist feeding by leaving food out all day as this is rather counterproductive, for the most part.......  This is because it will only server to keep your animal's system in constant function.  There will never be times his system is empty and thus it becomes nearly impossible to control the bathroom times. This is a difficult situation indeed....

Now if your dog happens to have a gassy stomach then you might wish to look at changing his/her dog food.

Another thing to consider about food is the amount of filler in the form of wheat and corn.  The top premium dog foods simply have no corn or wheat in them, including no corn meal.

I would try Premium Dog food formulated by Life's Abundance

or another good premium brand which is not on the recall list.

Take your puppy out early each morning, if at all possible.  Take him to your specified location designed for potty time.

Give him or her about fifteen minutes to do the business, or bring back and place in the crate.

·       Bathroom visits should take precedent over all else at this point.  No play is important to keeping your pup from becoming too distracted and forgetting why he is there in the first place.

·       You definately don't want to give your dog the benefit of the doubt here.

·       Placing back in the crate eliminates the option of going in the house and teaches him there is a task first.

·       Not allowing him free access will keep him from going where ever and when ever he wants.

You will only be leaving him there for about 5-10 minutes, then take him back out again.  Repeat this until he goes outside.  Your time schedule will tell you what he should be doing at what time.

Once he goes outside, tell him "Good Boy" in very pleased tone (because you really are) and bring him back into the house.  At this time he gets free time, fed and played with for 20-30 minutes. Then back into the crate.

Set your timer to alert you to the next out time.  This way if you get busy and forget, the timer will remind you.

Set the timer to as close as possible for the next "out" time.  Your time frame will tell you what this should be.

Do not give the pup treats for going outside.  Many dogs do will not understand what they are being treated for and think being outside or coming back in is what get them the treat.  These dogs grow up to be very annoying door dogs, barking to go and come in a hundred times a day just to get a treat.

His reward will be free time in the house.  He will learn that going outside gets him free time, not going outside removes him from the house.  The pup will understand what gets his four paws in the house and what does not!

·       Putting him back in the crate prepares him for the next out time.  This is where you are building physical control.

·       Teaches him to quiet and settle down.

·       Prevents having in between accidents.

Follow you schedule.  Your pup will be in and out of the crate through out the day.  Have play time, sleep time and learn House Training rules of the road.

As your pup gets older and develops more control, this time frame will change accordingly.

  There will be more free time, the outside runs will lessens and before you know it the dog is going out when you need it to and your house will potty free.

Jeanne Perciaccanto is a Professional Dog Trainer with 25 years experience in creating proper behaviors.  She also holds a degree in Health Education with 20 years experience in the education field.

For more information on puppy raising visit: www.caninehealthy.com

The pet food recall scandal continues unabated. Just a day after the first
dry food was added to the 50 plus dog brands and forty plus cat brands affected by the recall,
the list was further expanded on March 31 to also include a new brand even as authorities were baffled as to why the substance would kill dogs and cats, according to a report on Excite News.

Nestle Purina PetCare Co. said it was recalling all sizes and all varieties of the Alpo Prime Cuts & Gravy wet dog food with certain date codes. They stated that some of the food had a contaminated wheat gluten that was from China.
This gluten is supplied to numerous brands in fact.

Here is a free-Reprint Dog Article!  You may publish this article free of charge, as long as the byline or resource box is included and the website is hyperlinjed at the bottom. Feel free to edit it otherwise. You may use this article on any e-newsletter, print newsletter, ezine, print magazine, journal, blog, website or other venue that you may choose.<br>

Title:

Some things You should not feed your Dog

Unfortunately, there are a number of household items which we tend to take for granted that  can be exceptionally dangerous to your
dog's health. It is especially important to be cognizant of this fact as dogs are quite the little scavengers and will  eat almost anything
they can sink their fangs into. My own dog is more like a mobile garbage disposal. It is also very important to be aware of these items
since their sense of smell is so well developed that your pooch will be able to find what you may think is well hidden.
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One of these dangerous household items, it turns out, is chocolate. While chocolate has been reported  to be very high in healthful antioxidants,
it can be  lethal for our animals, and specifically our dogs. Cats are mostly unaffected since they do not care for the taste of chocolate, but dogs tend to
be crazy about it. Some  types of dogs react differently to chocolate. The root of the problem is that chocolate contains  various chemicals which are called methylxanthine alkaloids(sometypes have more of these chemicals than others)
Small miniscule amounts of these chemicals can actually cause naasty effects like constriction of the arteries and  increased heart rate. Larger amounts could cause worse symptoms and a pound of milk chocolate could even kill a sixteen pound dog.
If you find that your dog has eaten chocolate then by all means take note of the it's type and try to estimate the amount eaten. Then get on the phone with a veternarian or an emergency facility. Be sure that your children know how important it is to keep chocolate out of your dog’s reach.
If you are not aware that your dog has consumed chocolate, the consequences could be severe. If consumption is not found within 4 to 6 hours without the right treatment, cardiac failure, seizures, coma and death could result, according to veternarian Dr. Jane Bicks.
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In addition to seemingly innocent chocolate, there are a number of other common household items that may seem safe for our dogs but that can be downright dangerous.

Some mushrooms, for instance, may produce abdominal pain, liver andd kidney damage and amenia. So be aware of wild mushrooms when you are out walking your dog in wooded areas. Garlic may seem benign but can cause vomiting, liver damage, anemia and diarrhea so do not give your pet baby food since it can contain garlic.
Anti-freeze can shut down your dog's kidney and they tend to love the taste. Miscletoe can cause vomiting, abdominal pain and depression. Onions can causeliver damage, anemia and diarrhea. Onion can also sometimes be found in baby food. Cats are actually somewhat more sensitive to this one so keep out of the reach of both.
Coffee, like cocoa, is especially dangerous, and may cause heart rate increase, diarrhea, seizures, coma, death. Caffeine just does not have the same effect in dogs.
When outside be careful around apple and cherry trees. While the fruit is safe, the leaves and roots are not.
And be very careful about Moth Balls. it's primary chemical naphthalene is extremely toxic to dogs and can result in tremors and seizures.
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 Dr. Jane Bicks claims that when
studying dog food, one should be be on the lookout for dyes, 
 and other  such chemicals as much as possible.
Many conventional dog food brands have large quantities of sodium to make them palatable, and this can be quite harmful to a dog.
Other ingredients to wary of are dairy, by-products, chemical preservatives and artificial colors. For more information go to http://www.dog-food-nutrition.com/ and find out more.

Aaron Wilmont is an author and researcher in the fields of
human an pet health. For more info. go to
http://www.dog-food-nutrition.com/