In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
Re: diet sheets from Italian doctors, my partner was given the standard "expectant mum" weekly diet plan on our first visit to the gynaecologist. Her immediate response was to ask when she was supposed to do anything [I]other[/I] than eat or prepare meals.
We were also interested to see that a glass of wine was "prescribed" to be taken with every evening meal. :eerr:
As far as animal diets are concerned, one of the things that bugs me here is seeing how people feed cats pasta. Even The Vegetarian Society and some hardcore vegans in the UK accept that cats are carnivores and, unlike omnivorous dogs, they will not do well if their diet is not either mainly meat or carefully supplemented with nutrients they normally get from meat. Italian cats will no doubt eat pasta if it's the only thing on offer and it will make them feel full, but in nutritional terms it will do them about as much good as you or me eating a plateful of grass.
Al
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
[quote=AllanMason;82205]Re: diet sheets from Italian doctors, my partner was given the standard "expectant mum" weekly diet plan on our first visit to the gynaecologist. Her immediate response was to ask when she was supposed to do anything [I]other[/I] than eat or prepare meals.
We were also interested to see that a glass of wine was "prescribed" to be taken with every evening meal. :eerr:
As far as animal diets are concerned, one of the things that bugs me here is seeing how people feed cats pasta. Even The Vegetarian Society and some hardcore vegans in the UK accept that cats are carnivores and, unlike omnivorous dogs, they will not do well if their diet is not either mainly meat or carefully supplemented with nutrients they normally get from meat. Italian cats will no doubt eat pasta if it's the only thing on offer and it will make them feel full, but in nutritional terms it will do them about as much good as you or me eating a plateful of grass.
Al[/quote]
A small glass of wine, particularly with the evening meal, is prescribed by many doctors in most mediterranean countries as part of a healthy diet. Wine - again a small glass... say 125 ml - is also served in many hospitals to convalescent people. Again, a small glass of wine every day appears in many recommended diets for diabetics....
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
Yes alcohol lowers blood sugar levels.
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
Not sure though good if you are taking medication for diabetes.
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
Ah more importantly - [url=http://diabetes.webmd.com/news/20071002/red-wine-compound-may-curb-diabetes]Red Wine Compound May Curb Diabetes[/url]
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
[quote=Gala Placidia;82209]A small glass of wine, particularly with the evening meal, is prescribed by many doctors in most mediterranean countries as part of a healthy diet. Wine - again a small glass... say 125 ml - is also served in many hospitals to convalescent people. Again, a small glass of wine every day appears in many recommended diets for diabetics....[/quote]
Sorry, guess I should have been more explicit.
My partner is pregnant and current medical opinion (at least in some non-Mediterranean countries) is that nobody knows the minimum level of alcohol consumption that will result in damage to a developing baby. Therefore, some health experts (for example, the Royal College of Physicians and the UK Department of Health) recommend that pregnant women avoid alcohol completely. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the UK Food Standards Agency recommends a limit of one or two units of alcohol, once or twice per week.
If my partner had followed the diet recommended by her gynaecologist, she would have exceeded that limit by a significant margin, so it appears that Italian medics think they know better on this issue.
Do we believe them and my partner think that her being free to have a drink is more important than our child's health? :nah:
Al
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
Congratulations Allan and partner. Best wishes for mini mason.
No risks are acceptable when considering a new life. However human beings are reasonably robust, and I am sure you will do the best you can for the baby.
My pup is a cross between an Abruzzi shepherd and a red setter. Once he is grown he will be the size if a small horse, so making sure he has the right diet is quite important. I will also be training him to make sure he is sociable and not a danger to people.
In the past I worked in HM Prisons and I know that research there, states that diet is most important and a good diet can reduce aggression significantly.
If diet can actually help achieve what I am after, a confident, sociable, obedient, happy and healthy dog, then I’m all for it!
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
Allan, I agree with Nielo. If there is any doubt it is advisable to refrain from drinking wine, even in minimal amounts, during pregnancy and I have heard about some of the objections raised. On the other hand, I know ladies who have been recommended small amounts of wine or port for several medical reasons during pregnancy.... but I would stay away from it. I guess that there are other supplements which can do the same job without putting the baby at risk.
Congratulations and best wishes!
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
Nielo, this is exactly the kind of dog we have, extremely nice and non-aggressive. It is not necessary to cook every day for the dog. You can make those casseroles once or twice a week and freeze it in portions, according to size. I reheat them in the microwave adding some "sugo" or stock. Also, this kind of food helps me to keep her weight under control. I think that the dried food tends to cause weight gain. I have a friend who has this problem with her dog and she is considering a change in the way she feeds her pet.
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
Hi Allan,
Just thought I'd add my Best wishes.
Sprat
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
Yes I echo Pilchard's sentiments. All good wishes and happiness.Allan
In reply to A newbie all over again! by Annec
I was told that a glass of wine with dinner would be fine by my Dr when I lived in Australia .
With regard to the animals diets the vets (like all true Italians ) consider food in tins as not very good , so if its not good for you it carnt be good for your animals ,however I have to agree with the post about pasta and cats , the cats would be much better with a tin than left over pasta .
Nielo, our little dog, "Tequila", a Shih-Tzu and Terrier cross about 10 years of age, has been eating that sort of diet for years and she is in perfect health. We only have to take her to the vet for her vaccinations and worming, etc., her weight is perfect and she is never sick. She travels with us to and from Italy and we have never had a problem with her.
It is obviously easier to open a tin or a packet, but our dog has never liked them. Perhaps the fact that she was an abandoned dog originally, means that she lived for quite a while on leftovers; however, there is nothing wrong with preparing food for your dog. Just more work for the owner.
I make some special casseroles for her, chicken or fish with rice and vegetables and pasta or couscous with meat and also vegetables. And I always add some tomato puree or vegetable puree or home-made stock (without salt), or even olive oil, so that the food is moist and tempting. Carrots and chicory are very good for them and some commercial brands incorporate them in their pet foods.
What I do not do is to give her our own food, so that she does not start pestering us when we go to a restaurant. She just sits quietly under the table and she knows that it is our food and not hers. Besides, spices or salt are not very good for the dogs. For a special treat she likes a small piece of apple or pear, but I also buy her some vitamin biscuits or special commercial treats.
P.S.: Careful with the milk... it can cause problems to some dogs.