Selso Kirk from alex beauchamp on Vimeo.

One of the reasons I was most excited to return to Denmark was because my trip would fall during Easter. Despite the fact that I didn’t grow up in a religious household or belong to any Church (my father was French Catholic and my mum was Danish Lutheran – very different!), Easter was something that was always celebrated – all four days.

Coming to America, it was hard at first to adjust to not having a Good Friday and Easter Monday holiday, to not have the big family brunches and gatherings. To just have a huge cultural shift over what I think is a really lovely (and for some, meaningful) holiday.

My mum and I have been staying at my cousins house in the country where the weather has been unbeatable (clear blue skies and 20C/71F). Prep for brunch started days before; cook books were brought out, grocery trips were made, flowers were bought, cooking was done, candles were secured around. I was going to meet a lot of family for the first time and see others again.

The night before I was giddy as a school girl because, well, the last time I had had an easter like this I was a school girl!

But that night I got word that my cat, Grace, had suddenly taken ill. She was rushed to emergency and things didn’t look good: she had a brain tumor. Although physically in good shape she was neurologically gone. I had to think about what to do for her health and possibly death and it was one of the hardest things to do. I was up all night red-eyed, making plans, talking, sometimes just sitting in the darkness.

The next monring I woke up and the house was fluttering in anticipation for guests who would be coming at 11. It’s one of those times where you just have to put on a brave face and meet people where they are, not where you are.

As most Danish gatherings go, ours went on for five hours of eating (round one, round two, round three), dessert, lots of coffee, lots of stories and even some napping in between. There was lots of chat, chat, chat and it was good.

Some of the family is very religious (my cousin taught Bible study for 11 years) and some of the group are not. I am somewhere in-between. So thinking about the meaning of the day historically, and then the meaning of the day as it was happening now (being with family, enjoying the good, simple life), gave me a lot of things to think about. I wondered if I was being selfish for laughing with my family, for not grieving openly, for not telling everyone what was happening. If it was weird that when I looked at the yard, the people, the food, I felt happy for that instead of feeling sad every moment. It was uneasy to feel torn.

As the last of the guests were leaving, I got word that Grace had passed away in her sleep. The news was far from easy to take and had me devastated the rest of the night. The comforts came from earlier in the day and somehow of having her pass on Easter.

It reminded me of how just a week before my mum and I were at our family’s plot at the Selso Church (pictured above). Along side some other family are my mothers parents and we were there to do a little something for her mother who had recently passed away. What struck me was that how in the church yard, which was full of death, there was so much life. From all the birds singing, to the cows grazing on the other side of the wall to the trees just coming back to life from winter. There was this beautiful mixture of life and death. I suppose there always is.

I am often accused of not painting a ‘real’ picture of how things are (IE not sharing the dirt, the hardships, the details) but that’s because I think there are so many hard things to deal with that sometimes the best way to deal with and accept them is to find the good. I’m the sort that whole-heartedly believes that there is good to everything if you look for it (with the full understanding that sometimes this is very, very hard to do not just in the moment, but after a good deal of time has passed).

Easter ended up being that lesson for me; how do you deal with the wonderful right in front when the terrible is also happening? Celebrating and being with family beautiful, wonderful and happy and losing one of my most trusted companions was the most painful events ever.

But then, I think, that’s just a perfect surmise of life; the good with the bad. It happens every day, every moment. The trick perhaps to getting through it all, is to always acknowledge and be present through both so that you eventually get to just remembering all the good.

For that’s really the only way to get from one day to the next, and moment through moment.

When the vet told me Jack needed surgery as soon as possible, I was instantly overwhelmed and felt completely unprepared. Even though my vet was fantastic at explaining all my options, the fact he was going out of town next week combined with the genetic problems Jack had that would complicate his current situation (torn ACL) left me having to make a decision extraordinarily quick.

So on Monday I booked surgery for Wednesday, hoping that within a couple of days I could inform myself of not only the surgery (and if it could be avoided) but also any holistic and alternative treatments that could be done.

I have found it somewhat hard to find the information I was looking for and then when I did find it, I felt really overwhelmed and confused by it all. I’m a “simple approach” kind of girl but then when I started to see all these ideas, supplements, food diets, options I just didn’t know where to start. Luckily I received some really good advice/tips on here (thank you, so, so, much!) and found some really useful bits online.

So after a few days of it all, the following is what I’ve learned and am doing for Jack (and as a note, please check with your Vet before doing supplements or diet changes. I can’t say what will work for your pooch only what seems to be working for mine):

CHOOSING SURGERY:
When I was first told the cost of the surgery (between $2,500 – $6,000) I was floored. That alone was a lot to take in and had me questioning if he needed it and, if he did, what type (nylon band or TPLO).After a lot of research and talking to a couple of vets,I decided to go with the nylon band surgery route with Jack instead of just chiropractic care or the new orthopedic procedure of TPLO. My reason behind this was Jack’s size – he’s 55lbs (22.4kg), his age (2) and his activity level (moderate meaning we walk about 2 hours a day and he does “zoomies” where he runs like crazy for about 20min). He’s not a working dog, he doesn’t hike often, and he doesn’t really run for long periods of time. If he was, I would have perhaps chosen the TPLO route but I didn’t like the thought of a foreign object being inserted and part of his bone being chipped away. I had this done on my hip and the after surgery pain was the most intense and the healing was never quite right. I also heard of the plates popping out – especially since it gives dogs a sense of feeling better sooner and they try to do more. I felt the nylon band was a less intrusive surgery but would give stability to his knee, important since he has hip dysplasia and is a bigger sized dog.

Pre-Surgery Pain Relief:
I kept Jack on his bed for most of the day, massaged him a lot, spoke to him in happy tones, and made sure he had lots of water and ate. Although I was given Rimadyl and pain medication, I was very reluctant to use it and used it very sparingly for just one day. The reason is that I read a lot of negative information on Rimadyl and how it can also be dangerous before surgery (as it’s a blood thinner). I wanted to manage Jack’s Pain but not have him dopey. By massaging, rest and giving him Arnica, Jack was relaxed, calm but also alert – even wagging his tail in the evening. The trick was to just really watch Jack to see how he was. I kept notes on him in my notebook – like a nurse in a hospital – so I could tell when he was perking up or in pain, when I last gave him something.

POST SURGERY PAIN RELIEF:
Orthopedic surgery is the most painful surgery for an animal and almost all holistic information agreed that the day of and after surgery, pain medication is necessary. When I picked him up from the Vet he had been given a shot of pain killers which made him extraordinarily groggy and sleepy. Since he had had this for two days, tonight I’ll give him one last pill and then tomorrow start him on Arnica again.

I bought the Boirin Brand at Whole Foods which comes in little pellets of 6C. I give him 5 pellets in cottage cheese and this seems to work really well.

VITAMINS/FOOD:
Because I wanted to help him heal fast and strong, I have been researching a lot on vitamins and the raw food diet. I haven’t by any means perfected this and still find a lot of it confusing. I have found a holistic vet that I’ll meet with next week who can provide more direction (and chiropractic care) but in the mean time, here’s what I’m doing:

• Dog Feeding Info: this site gives a quick overview and lots of links to dog feeding and supplements. I have always given Jack EVO brand food because of it’s high protein count. I’m still using this but am now adding more raw foods to his diet. I went to Whole Foods and got liver, turkey legs, sardines, eggs, cottage cheese and yogurt to make up his breakfast and dinner. Your local butcher will likely give you the liver, heart and bones for free. I spoke with my butcher at Whole Foods and he tells me what day they’re getting a beef shipment in so I can call that day and ask them to set these aside for me. Like I said, I haven’t perfected this and am still learning so I’ll post more on the recipes once I get a routine down. The cottage cheese is great for giving him pills, however. Just pop them in and the dog won’t know! I have been spending a lot of time on this site to learn and also am now using the Complete Holistic Dog book as well.
• Supplements: I’m a huge believer in supplements but not in overdoing it. Omega oils are so important for joints/arthritis that getting this was my first priority as well as probiotics to counter all the antibiotics he’ll be on. I ordered Wholistic Canine Complete Joint Mobility from The Holistic Pet because it uses human-grade ingredients instead of synthetic and because it covers so many basis in one easy step. In addition, I chose 3V Caps Skin Formula for Med/Large Breeds (60 caps) which my vet suggested as it’s a good source of Omega-3 Fatty acids.
• Before surgery, I was giving him two different supplements: Pet Naturals Soft Chews Hip & Joint and Daily Best. Both are packed with lots of vitamins and are sugar free (great if you have a hyper dog) and I’ll resume giving these to Jack in about two months. Right now and for the next two months, he needs a high medicinal dosage of vitamins which is why I’m using the above. But Pet Naturals is a good compliment to your healthy pet if you don’t want to do the big vitamin route.

GEAR:

• BEDDING: Knowing that Jack would have surgery, I wanted to make his recovery as easy as possible. The priority was to find a good bed that would provide support, be organic, and have a washable cover. Until now, he’d been lying on a blanket but I didn’t want him having to bend far down or resting himself on the floor. The bed I chose was by Jax and Bones. Not only is their cover washable, but you can by the cover separately which is great if in the future you change decor and want to change the bedding. I chose a medium size square bed for Jack and let him sleep on it a few days before the surgery to get used to it. But really, he loved it the minute he laid on it. It’s so fluffy, so supportive and just all around comfortable that Jack was happy to lay there which was good since laying is what he has to do for the next two weeks! This bed is not cheap but I felt it was important to get one that really provided support and comfort. If he laid wrong on his knee, if he was cramped, if he plopped down and hit floor where cushioning had shifted, that would have prolonged healing or made things worse. I thought the benefits of this bed were worth the cost. Like I said, Jack slept happily on a blanket before and had it not been for the surgery, I wouldn’t have gone to this expense. But this was all part of the holistic healing experience.
• Petsafe Bottoms Up harness helps support Jack’s backside whilst walking. I put it on before surgery to practice and get him used to it. It’s a little tricky for me to use because I’m small (5″3) and he’s tall but it does provide relief to him for walking.
• Ruff Wear Grip Trex Boots: Jack’s whole leg is bandaged up to keep his stiches clean and prevent infection. It has to stay on for the next two weeks so keeping it clean is essential. Although Jack won’t be doing any walking and I’m using the harness, he does put his foot down a little and will be doing so more as he heals. I put one boot on his bandaged leg to keep the foot/bandage clean when he walks on the walkway outside (which is often wet from garden watering) and grass. A lot of people say they use them on dogs who have had surgery after to help them with support so I’ll have to see how it works out with all four!
• The Gulpy is something that has proven really useful. I use this all the time on walks & car travel but it’s come in especially handy for recovery. I can just flip it open and give him water lying down without him having to get up to get to a bowl.
• No Bite Collar: Those Elizabethan collars that are used to prevent pets from licking their wounds are awkward and uncomfortable. The No Bite collar is an easier, less intrusive way to keep pets from licking. Jack is really good about it but people recommend it for when you’re away, at night, and once the bandage comes off.
• Solvit UltraLite Bi-fold Pet Ramp: I haven’t tried this yet but I’m thinking about it. I don’t own a car, I have to rent to get him to and from places, so I’m not sure if it’s worth it for me but maybe since lifting him is hard.

BOOKS & SITES:

• Complete Holistic Dog Book: Home Health Care for Our Canine Companions was highly recommended to me and, having just received it today, I can see why. It provides so much information in a very easy to read and understand way. If you have a dog, you must have this book because it covers everything from nutrition to massage to surgery. A lot of things I’ve read in books seem overly complicated or don’t deliver it all. I’ve got Dr. Pitcarin’s book but I found it failed me in Jack situations. The Holistic Dog book is much, much better.
• Natural Health Dog Remedies site provides a quick overview on herbs
• Canine Vitamin Adviser: Gives you an idea of vitamins but I’d use this as a really loose guideline. It’s best to talk with a vet or holistic practitioner.
• Shared tips & advice on feeding a raw diet
• How to Massage Your Dog video: great video with clear, step by step instructions on how to massage
• How to give your dog a pill video
• Recovery from TPLO surgery information here, here and here.

While Jack was in surgery, I used that time to get everything together. I also used it to really clean house which meant scrubbing all my hardwood floors (using organic cleaner), washing all his bedding (I actually had to take his blanket to an organic cleaner for quick, overnight cleaning), making the entire flat calm and clutter free so he wouldn’t have trouble getting around and he’d have a safe, clean, quiet area to sleep (which is right behind my work desk and right beside my bed). I also took the time to get all the food ready, get the gear he needed and research about what to do with it all. This also helped me from spending the day worrying about his surgery!

This route is expensive but the way I look at it is that I’m giving him the best chance at a hopefully easier, quicker recover and that I’m building him up to hopefully prevent it from happening again or arthritis settling in too soon. It’s about balancing options with finances and making the best choices I can for both of us.

The best advice I’ve gotten from almost everyone is to just follow Jack’s lead. He’ll know when he can stand, when he’s hurting, when he’s feeling better so just to pay attention to that. In the meantime, I’m keeping him rested, calm, and taken care of whilst still looking for ways to help him heal (including looking into chiropractic care and hydrotherapy). So any additional tips or advice still appreciated!

UPDATE: One week later

Keeping a log of everything from potty breaks, to feedings, to breathing patterns to medicine has proven crucial. I highly recommend doing.

After 3 days I stopped giving him the pain meds and started to give him 30C of Arnica. He’s done so well on that that yesterday I gave him only one dose at night. If he’s restless, fussy or breathing heavy it’s a sign he’s in pain – this usually comes on now if he’s sleeping on the surgery side.

Carrying him up and down the stairs has been the hardest. Having the back harness is also crucial and helps whilst walking him and helping him with the bathroom.

He hasn’t wanted to eat any of his regular kibble food which I found is a really common thing after surgery. Luckily I’ve been doing the raw food – liver, canned salmon or sardines, eggs along with kibble. I put the Arnica in some cottage cheese, which he loves and gives him some nutrition as well.

He’s been drinking/eating fine but I’ve cut back on the amount of food but not too dramatically. He’s skinny and I fear him losing more weight.

He’s been a lot more alert over the past 3 days and last night he waved his tail high and proud outside! The hardwood floors have been really hard for him, though. When I pick up the leash he gets so excited, he slips. So trying to keep him calm is a challenge.

He gets lots of rest. I, however, have been a complete mess. The first 4 days were the hardest since he was up a lot and uncomfortable which means I was. The lifting is hard and really actually scary. Seeing him in discomfort and feeling helpless was the worst and not something I was prepared for. Knowing he has to be restricted for 3 more weeks is really overwhelming for me – we’re both going a bit stir crazy being at home.

This is definitley one of the harder things I’ve gone through and definitley for Jack.

Since I travel a lot and own both a cat and a dog, I’m often asked what happens to them. Do they travel, too?

Why yes they do!

I’m a huge believer that both pets and children can be great travellers if exposed early enough and done the right way. When I first got my cat Grace, I lived in a studio flat on a beautiful tree-lined street next door to a park. So I put her on a leash and took her out for daily walks just to expose her to different sounds and situations. And since I didn’t have a car, I’d have to take her to the vet on foot which I did by putting her in a large cage that I carried through the city streets – again so she could see everything and get used to noises. She actually seemed to enjoy the outings, especially since she is 100% an indoor cat. She can do long car trips and actually loves being in hotel rooms (she explores then cuddles in).

My dog Jack, however, was different. Spending the first 10 months of his life in a shelter, he had no idea about the outside world, being a dog, or how to walk (his back leg was gimped at first from sitting so much). The day I brought him home, he had no idea how to get into the car and I had no idea how to coax him in! I tried for about half an hour until one of the shelter people came over and helped me literally push him in. He was terrified of the car (sat curled up and panted heavily), terrified of people, terrified of going anywhere. And since I travelled a lot and wanted a walking companion, that would have to change.

I took him to AKC’s Canine Good Citizen classes at the Dog Boys Ranch in Austin TX. I also boarded him there a lot and had him do a lot of day visits just to get used to being social and having the training reinforced since the trainers also worked the ranch. I also took him on lots of day trips in the car to get him used to driving and I took him to shops (he has spent a great amount of time at Anthropologie!) and places that allowed pets to get him used to being around people. All of that along with a lot of patience, Jack has become an amazing traveller – a fabulous walker, happily gets into the car and even sticks his head out the window to boot!

Now that Jack is Canine Good Citizen certified and has had a lot of exposure, having him stay in hotels hasn’t been a problem. At first, he’d do quiet woofs when he heard people walking past the door but through training and lots of hotel rooms, he no longer does this. Bringing in his certificate to check in desks, I’ve had a lot of hotels forgo the “nightly pet charge” they sometimes give. Although I tend to stay either at Kimpton Hotels or Four Seasons – both of which are very pet friendly, have no surcharge and provide treats. But having him certified and knowing he’s a great traveller, I can stay at B&B’s or house rentals with ease.

Now, both pets have driven across country several times, have done lots of day trips, and have stayed in some of the most luxurious hotels around. So here’s what I take and do whilst travelling with them:

The trick with cats is to give them space and not make them feel confined. Cats are curious and if they can’t see what’s going on, they get even more nervous. I bought the most fantastic cat carrier – the Fold Away Pet Carrier. It’s huge, spacious, has a top and side door and folds down for easy storage. Grace can see out and she can stand up in it (she’s 15lbs!). When I stop, I open the top part of the cage so she can stretch and I can pet her. Makes us both happy.

Also, I always have The Mysterious Purr Pads on hand. I don’t know a cat yet that can resist them; they give a cat comfort. They fit nicely into the carrier (I put layer of paper towel under them in the carrier in case Grace has an accident whilst travelling. Easy clean up, then I just put in a new purr pad). Use them especially at a vet on the table as cats hate cold and those vet tables are always freezing and slippery. One of these (or a towel) will keep cats mellow. They also provide consistency, so when travelling Grace knows where to sleep when we get to a hotel (and it keeps hotel room furniture/bedding fur free).

For food, I use two Pet Travel Tainers from the Container Store. It’s an easy way to carry their food and comes with two dishes for food and water.

In the car, I use a blanket on the back seat for Jack and then when in the hotel, I bring it in. Again this helps with the consistency of him feeling at home but also protects bedding at hotels.

When on the road, I really monitor temperature. I’ve been doing a lot of driving between Los Angeles and San Francisco since September (six hours) where the average road temperate is over 100F. If the sun hits the window directly onto the pet, no amount of AC is really going to help. So I make sure to block windows with blankets or keep the cage out of the sun. I also try to leave early in the morning or late in the day to avoid mid day heat/sun.

I make sure pets have lots of water. The Gulpy is my favourite thing for Jack because he overheats so quickly and this provides me with an easy way to quickly give him water. I keep his in the fridge so it’s always cold (and helps cool him down).

Stopping at every rest stop is crucial not just for the pets, but also for me. It allows us all a chance to stretch, chill out, get water – even if it’s just a 5 minute stop. If your pet is prone to car sickness, this can really help. Also finding the straightest route will too. I once drove with Jack along Big Sur Highway 1 in California and two hours of twists and turns was just too much for this otherwise perfect traveller. I learned to avoid that stretch of road with him.

The Dog Lover’s Companion to California: The Inside Scoop on Where to Take Your Dog has been a huge life saver for travelling. You can find these books for your city or area but the California one was been my go to since I have been travelling it heaps. It has been accurate in describing dog parks (especially in finding off-leash parks whilst on the road), helping me find fun activities to do with my Jack (from riding trains to ferries) and has helped a lot with hotels in small places. I was doing a road trip in Northern California on a hot day and wanted to stop at a lake, which the book said had no dog friendly areas. A quick stop into Visitor Information and I discovered a newly opened dog beach so that Jack and I could take a swim. Since dog laws change quickly (dogs get banned from parks and then a new park opens up), local Visitor centres can be helpful as well.

And most important, I keep both pets tagged. I have my phone, email and city on both their tags plus with Jack, he has his shots tag so there’s never hesitation when he’s staying somewhere about him being vaccinated. Both pets are electronically tagged (Grace has a tattoo, Jack has a micro chip). Keep this info up to date so on the off chance your pet goes missing, you can get them home safe and sound.

A few days before Christmas I popped into the Humane Society to drop off a donation but I’m sure you can guess how that works; I did leave a donation but I also picked up a dog! It was simply love at first sight and on the way home I promised to do the best for him I could. So I bought the best bed (he has issues with his back legs due to spending 10months of his life in a little cage), the best toys, the best collar, but most importantly, the best food.

With the right t.l.c. the cold he had at the shelter went away, his spirits were good and he began to walk so much better. However, about two months later, I noticed that he had become hyper, had more puppy-like behavior, and would seem to tire so much faster after play. I thought perhaps this was because I was out of town for a week and all the training I had put in went out the door or that he was just becoming comfortable and showing his “true colours.”

Today I took him to a wonderful Doggie Daycare for an evaluation to see how he would be for boarding while I’m gone for the next couple of weeks (a side-note: it felt like dropping a child off for the first time at Kindergarten. Traumatized me more than I thought it would!).

Everyone ooh’d and ahh’d at how cute and sweet he is but when I picked him up, one of the handlers mentioned that he had far too many puppy qualities for a dog his age (now 12 months) and that he was just a little hyper. She asked what I fed him and when I told her, she said that a lot of dogs that come in on that diet seem to be hyper and listen less. They handed me information on understanding your pet’s diet and suggested I make some changes.

This made complete sense to me since, for the first month, his behaviour was great and then, when I ran out of food and had to pick up some generic Iams (the store where I bought the good food was closed), his behaviour changed.

I’ve seen how food can affect health (mental and physical) first hand as I have a severe food allergy to gluten as before being diagnosed a year ago with this allergy I was literally about a month away from being dead. Numerous things happen to my body and brain when I ingest gluten but one of them is that I almost instantly become hyper, angry, with a very short attention span. This goes away after a few hours when other physical symptoms take over as my body literally shuts down. There’s nothing that can make this better except to avoid gluten. So if food can change me like that, why not my dog?

There’s been so much information about food lately; organic, local, eating healthy, avoiding saturated fats and corn syrup etc. but it all relates to people. So even though I thought my dog needed really good food, I still didn’t really connect it as important as me needing good food. I figured a dog eats dead things in the year, I’m sure they’ll be OK with Iams!

But today I am changing my thoughts and giving him good, healthy food once again (California Natural), as well as some fruits and veggies to incorporate into the diet. For some, this might seem like extra money or effort but I think of the value of this and not the cost – same as with myself. It perhaps costs me more in money and time to eat organic, to eat healthy, to really read labels and avoid so many foods, but the upside is that I’m not sick, I don’t go to the doctors, I don’t have to worry about hospital bills or having brain fuzz or dying because my body has shut down. I don’t worry about weight or long-term problems because I take the time to invest in myself now and there’s value to that. Besides, I really think once you eat naturally, you can’t go back to overly sugared stuff.

I’ve noticed that when I talk about organic food a lot of people are put off. There seems to be an idea that it’s only for hippies or granola girls or for the very snobby food elite. It’s interesting that Whole Foods stock has been consistently dropping over the past four years because it’s too “posh” for the “alternative” people and not elite enough for the gourmands; mainstream is still shopping at Albertsons, not paying attention to the labels but to the prices. And while I understand having to manage your money on a budget, I don’t understand high fructose corn syrup in everything and food so far removed from nature that you forget how good natural is.

Megnut offers a lot of great information on food and in one post she blogged about Michael Pollan’s article The Age of Nutrition in the New York times with his points followed by her notes. And I share this with hopes that you’ll think of food in a new way if you haven’t already. Not only for yourself but for your pet. That you won’t think of “natural” as “weird” or “flooty snooty.” That you’ll see a value to eating things without antibiotics and hormones (this is especially important for women) and that if you or your pet have any kind of issues (from ADD to stomach upset) that instead of reaching for medication right away, you might just consider changing the diet and looking into that.

Here’s an excerpt from Megnut & Michael Pollan:

1. Eat food. Don’t eat anything your great-great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food.
Non-dairy creamer? You’re out. You too, breakfast-cereal bars.

2. Avoid even those food products that come bearing health claims.
Science keeps changing, so trying to follow fads won’t guarantee health. You have a better chance at health by just eating a well-balanced diet.

3. Especially avoid food products containing ingredients that are a) unfamiliar, b) unpronounceable c) more than five in number — or that contain high-fructose corn syrup.
All those signs point to food that’s been processed. More process = less nutrients and vitamins, never mind the environmental costs of producing the food.

4. Get out of the supermarket whenever possible.
Buy food at farmer’s markets and you can avoid the foods listed in #3 very easily.

5. Pay more, eat less.
Pay for that grass-fed beef, but reduce your over-all beef consumption and it’s not an exorbitant expense. Interesting figure from the article: “Americans spend, on average, less than 10 percent of their income on food, down from 24 percent in 1947, and less than the citizens of any other nation.”

6. Eat mostly plants, especially leaves.
You don’t have to turn into a bunny, but make sure you’re getting greens. They pack a nutritional wallop, but science still can’t tell you exactly what inside is so good.

7. Eat more like the French. Or the Japanese. Or the Italians. Or the Greeks. Confounding factors aside, people who eat according to the rules of a traditional food culture are generally healthier than we are.
You know, that whole Mediterranean diet, “French Women Don’t Get Fat” thing.

8. Cook. And if you can, plant a garden.
Duh. If you cook from scratch, it’s unlikely you’ll add ferrous sulfate or sodium tripoly-phosphate to your dinner. See #3 above.

9. Eat like an omnivore.
Variety is important, and we’ve been reducing the diversity in our diets over the years. Plus “biodiversity in the diet means less monoculture in the fields.”

I’d like to offer yet another perspective from the Gluten-Free Girl on food, eating well and how money ties into it all. It’s beautifully written with many great points about the costs and value to eating well.