Balancing Corporate & Homesteading Lifestyles
Today’s Deals (9.3.2022)
Check out today's special deals available for a limited time or while supplies last. From children, toys, household products, and more, we will share some great deals daily. Please note these are affiliate links and if you choose to purchase a product, we may make a small commission at no extra cost to you. (Yesterday's deals (9.2.22))
Today’s Daily Deals (9.2.22)
Check out today's special deals available for a limited time or while supplies last. From children, toys, household products, and more, we will share some great deals daily. Please note these are affiliate links and if you choose to purchase a product, we may make a small commission at no extra cost to you. (Yesterday's deals (9.1.22))
Daily Deals (9.01.22)
Check out today's special deals available for a limited time or while supplies last. From children, toys, household products, and more, we will share some great deals daily. Please note these are affiliate links and if you choose to purchase a product, we may make a small commission at no extra cost to you. (Yesterday's deals (8.31.22))
Today’s Deals (8.31.2022)
Check out today's special deals available for a limited time or while supplies last. From children, toys, household products, and more, we will share some great deals daily. Please note these are affiliate links and if you choose to purchase a product, we may make a small commission at no extra cost to you. (Yesterday's deals (8.30.22))
Today’s Deals (8.30.2022)
Check out today's special deals available for a limited time or while supplies last. From children, toys, household products, and more, we will share some great deals daily. Please note these are affiliate links and if you choose to purchase a product, we may make a small commission at no extra cost to you. (Yesterday's deals)
Pawsome Deals (08.29.2022)
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Today’s Deals (8.28.22)
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Healthy Flours For Dogs
Making treats for your dog is an easy and healthy option when compared to many of the commercial treats available on the market. Best of all, this allows you to choose the best ingredients that are right for your dog.
Just some key things to remember when making your dog treats
- Always use moderation when feeding treats.
- Possible allergies: Some dogs may be allergic to some flours like pea or wheat.
- Buy organic: Many of the flours are simple to make at home but if you choose to purchase then best to choose organic flours.
- Meal replacement: Treats are not meal replacements.
- Consultation: Always consult with your veterinarian for questions or concerns.
- Mixing: I find mixing different flours to achieve the benefits and consistency is your best option. We do this all the time.
- Feed any treat sparingly: too much of anything is not a good thing.
Grain-Free Flours
- Almond Flour: packed with nutrients and can make at home but use in moderation because of the high calorie content.
- Quinoa Flour: a great source of fiber and iron but doesn't hold it's shape well and not the best choice if using with a cookie cutter.
- Coconut Flour: high in fiber and not the best choice for dogs with allergies or IBS and can be sometimes hard to digest. It's heavier than some flours so you may need to add extra water to your recipe.
- Arrowroot Flour: rich in iron, B vitamins and potassium. Used alone it does not make a good dough but is best mixed with other flours. Many have found that it helps with upset stomach, diarrhea, and constipation.
- Tapioca Flour: easy to work with and a nice texture but contains little nutrients and is primarily used as a filler mixed with other flours.
- Potato Flour: a natural source of iron, B vitamins and fiber, it is a good thickening agent but it's high in carbs and not the best choice for overweight dogs. Potato starch is a lighter option.
- Chia Flour: is a great egg substitute and packed with nutrients but can be extremely drying and expand when wet. Provide plenty of water because it can cause bloating.
Pulse/Legume Flours
- Chickpea Flour: high in fiber and protein, often used in gluten-free recipes. It's great for constipation or firming up diarrhea but has a nutty taste and not loved by all dogs. It's a heavier flour so best to mix with another flour, like almond flour.
- Lentil Flour: is nutrient dense full of fiber and protein, a great source of iron with a low glycemic index so it's good for dogs trying to lose weight. As with anything, too much can upset your dog's stomach.
- Pea Flour: a rich plant-based protein, iron, calcium and protein. It's easy to use and most dogs like the taste but do not use if your dog is allergic to peas.
Pseudo Grain Flour
- Teff Flour: is rich in fiber and protein and can be easily mixed with other gluten-free flours. It is a great choice for dogs that have sensitive stomachs since it is high in fiber and gluten-free.
- Millet Flour: is not the highest in fiber or protein but has a great consistency to work with. It is a source of carbohydrates and is high in B-vitamins, phosphorus, and iron, and easier to digest than whole wheat. It is mostly a filler because of the lower nutritional values.
- Buckwheat Flour: is a great source of dietary fiber, carbohydrates, and plant proteins. It has been shown to lower blood sugar levels by 12-29% and could be beneficial when included in treats for dogs that have diabetes.
- Amaranth Flour: is rich in vitamins and fiber with many micronutrients and is gluten-free. This flour is expensive with a high glycemic index so not a good choice for dogs with diabetes. This flour has a grassy earthy taste. It's a heavier flour and best mixed with another flour.
Grain Flours
- Brown Rice Flour: is easy to work with and may give similar results as regular white flour when baking. There is also not a strong taste to deter picky eaters.
- Oat Flour: has protein and fiber which makes it good for dogs that may have digestive upset with other flours. It has zero calories making it a great choice for pups on a diet. Don't use if your dog is allergic to oats.
- Sorghum Flour: is an ancient grain and is a good source of vitamins, minerals, plant-based proteins, and antioxidants. It has a super-fine texture and best used with other flours.
- Whole Grain Wheat Flour: is cost-effective and excellent for baking because it holds shapes well and is easy to work with. There is little taste so most dogs like it.
Flours To Avoid
- White Flour: no nutrient value for dogs.
- Soy Flour: processing not safe for dogs.
- Corn Flour: no nutrient value for dogs.
Check out some of our previous posts:
- Easter Treats For Your Pup :Treats for any occasion.
- Ingredient Splitting: What you need to know.
- Delight Your Dog With A Natural Treat
If you are looking for more information on feeding your dog, healthy dog foods and treats you can make and what to look for if you are using commercial dog food, then you will want to check this out.
Benefits of Water
Keeping hydrated is very important for a person's good health and well-being, but many people do not consume enough fluids each day.
For many, drinking enough each day is not at the top of priorities but it should be. Many of the benefits are often overlooked.
Dehydration and Its Effects:
- Dehydration affects your mood.
- Dehydration reduces your cognitive and motor skills.
- Dehydration makes you more sensitive to pain.
- Dehydration affects your memory.
Facts on drinking water
- Adult humans are 60 percent water, and our blood is 90 percent water.
- There is no universally agreed quantity of water that must be consumed daily.
- Water is essential for the kidneys and other bodily functions.
- When dehydrated, the skin can become more vulnerable to skin disorders and wrinkling.
- Drinking water instead of soda can help with weight loss.
Here is an easy calculator that you can use to determine your daily water requirements (if you don't want to do the math)
This page contains affiliate links meaning I get a commission if you decide to purchase something through my link (at no extra cost to you.)
A fruit infusion water bottle is one suggestion for creating healthy infused waters to keep you hydrated. We recommend this bottle from Amazon.
Tracking Your Water
I have found tracking my water is necessary and helps me to meet my daily goal.
There are many apps available that you can use to track yours.
I use Carb Manager because it helps me track my diet, macros, and water. Available in your app store, this has a "free" and "premium" version. I use the free version and it does everything that I need.
If you prefer to track your water with a chart, here is a free downloadable tracker.
Start today and drink your water!
Ingredient Splitting
Finding the right food for your dog is difficult enough, if all foods were created equal, but they aren't. In fact, some dog food companies spend a disproportionate amount on branding and marketing then the actual product that they are selling.
Ingredient splitting is one practice that companies use to make their product appear more appealing to the consumer (you and me). Add that to a well-designed package and you think you think you are buying a quality food for your dog but its really just smoke and mirrors.
What is ingredient splitting?
Ingredient splitting is the misleading practice of dividing a more abundant (inferior) ingredient into smaller portions of similar items. In other words, it's a sneaky way to elevate a more desirable ingredient, like meat, to a higher spot on the ingredient list, while lowering the spot of a less desirable ingredient like rice or corn.
Obviously, if you glanced at both labels, you would choose the bag with chicken meal ranked number one, not realizing both bags contain exactly the same product.
Keeping this in mind, don't rely on packaging claims that meat is the first ingredient. The ingredients can be manipulated to change their order.
Don’t place excessive value on claims that meat is the first ingredient. Keep in mind, the ingredients can be manipulated to change their order.
What to Look for?
When reading a label, here are some suggestions to identify ingredient splitting:
Ingredients matter. Beautiful packaging is always appealing, but it's the ingredients that matter most. Always check the ingredient list.
Don’t put too much value in the first ingredient but look at the first 5 ingredients to determine the most abundant items in any dog food formula.
Look for evidence of ingredient splitting. Be skeptical when you find multiple versions of similar ingredients clustered together near the top of the list. For example, if you find corn meal, and corn flour included in the first 5 items of a recipe, you can be fairly certain the main ingredient in the food is not meat.
Some other examples to look for when ingredient splitting can occur:
Corn: Corn gluten meal, corn flour, and whole ground corn
Rice: whole rice, white rice, rice flour, and rice bran
Potatoes: dried potatoes, potato starch, potato protein, and potato flour
For reviews on many dog foods, visit the Dog Food Advisor site. They have over 5,700 reviews.
To find out more about healthy feeding, here are some of our previous posts:
