i cook for my dog.

today, i slaved in the kitchen preparing meals for the furriest member of our family, princess jasmyn.  

the princess joined us in January 2001 when she was just 8 weeks old :)  in the beginning, we fed her processed commercial dog "food" (kibble) and her first year was filled with never ending rashes and ear infections.  her old vet would constantly prescribe antibiotic drugs and ointments and even talked us into putting her under general anesthesia to get her ears cleaned when she had a really bad ear infection! when i think about it now, his horrible treatment really pisses me off!!!  anywho...

after a year of watching her suffer and not having confidence in her first veterinarian, i decided to take matters into my own hands.  i found a new vet (Dr Lissa Kam at Ohana Veterinary Hospital -- she's awesome!) and conducted extensive research online (gotta love the www) to figure out how to remedy her health problems.  this is when i discovered Dr Ihor Basko, a holistic veterinarian based in Kauai. Dr Basko is the BEST and i can honestly say that it was the best $500 (i think that's what it cost us although really, his recommendations were priceless) we have ever spent. 

prior to seeing Dr Basko, jasmyn was eating human-grade chicken breast and rice as we thought this would be better than kibble.  after a thorough examination and blood work, Dr Basko recommended a major dietary overhaul.  he concocted an individualized meal plan for her and advised us on all foods to avoid (including flour, rice, wheat, corn, chicken, and many more).  he also gave us a shampoo recipe to help her with her skin.  within one week of making these changes, her skin cleared up and she never had another ear infection for years!  we are sooooo thankful for Dr Basko!

the princess eats her special stew twice a day.  her daily snacks consist of fresh fruits and vegetables.  her favorites are carrots, raw sweet potato, romaine lettuce and papayas.  i also give her boiled eggs.  the ONLY processed foods that she eats are string cheese and soft serve ice cream from Dairy Queen on special occasions.  she hasn't touched a dog biscuit or treat in about 8 or 9  years! 

btw, when we stopped giving jasmyn processed food, we also stopped using topical flea poisons medicines as they are very taxing on the liver.  i never felt right putting the medicine on her back after reading the special warning label for humans on the package (why is it okay to apply it to your pet's skin but not your own?!!).  right now, we really don't use anything special for fleas and ticks...i think the garlic and ginger in her food helps repel them.  from time to time, if i suspect a flea infestation in the neighborhood, i'll spray her coat with an all-natural essential oil spray.

this is how i make the princess' special stew:

Step 1 - Add cubed pork, celery, garlic and ginger to a pot of boiling water.  Cook on low for 30 minutes.  I only use fresh island pork, free of hormones and all that other bad stuff.

Step 2 - Add sweet potato, ground pork, millet, and pork liver.  Cook for 30 minutes.

Step 3 - Add veggies.  I always use broccoli and bok choy and sometimes add spinach. Heat on low for 1 hour.

Voila!  The finished product.

Lastly, portion into 1/2 cup containers and freeze.  A huge pot will usually feed her for about one month.

Now if only the mister and I ate as healthy as the dog :)

hump & pump

1:12 pm --- yesssssss! 36 hours later, my left boob is doing the happy dance because the clog has finally passed!  now to figure out how to make this never, ever, ever, ever happen again.

need to clear a clogged duct?  just HUMP!

1.  H   Heat - apply heat for 3-5 minutes prior to pumping and throughout the day.  i put rice in a sock and microwave it for 60 seconds and use it as a hot compress.  some people say a hot shower works, too, but i've never been able to clear a duct in the shower.  the theory behind applying heat is that you want to melt the fat plug (breastmilk is fatty...the fat is what solidifies and forms the plug).

2.  U   UNDO YOUR BRA - extra pressure on the ducts tend to cause clogging so undo that bra!  

3.  M   MASSAGE - start from the outside of your boob and work your way towards the nipple.  push down on the clogged area as HARD AS YOU CAN so the plug has enough pressure behind it to move down the duct.  it will hurt like a mutha but you really need to do this or the plug won't move.

4.  P   PUMP, PUMP, PUMP - pump at least every 2 hours to express as much milk as you can and empty the boob. the more milk that is expressed, the more bacteria that is washed out and the less chance of you getting mastitis.  massage and apply heat while you pump.  it takes some coordination to do all these things at the same time but it's absolutely necessary. 

how will you know when the plug has cleared?  sometimes you hear a 'pop' followed by a high-powered spray of milk.  your boob will also feel soft again.  i've read that others actually see a string of solidified milk come out or little bits of milk that look like sand grains.  i'm yet to witness either.

btw, milk sprays are definitely the cutest thing about pumping breastmilk.  someone must have a video on youtube that shows this heheheh.

  

a blog/boob update & the inverted mister

dear loyal readers (all three of you)...

i really did have great intentions to blog regularly...until my boobs decided to protest their neglect.  in the past few weeks, my milk supply has dwindled and let-downs (the transfer of milk down the ducts) are harder to come by.  the boobs are not happy when i simply connect them and let the pump do its thang thang.  and they totally sent me the message that they want some tlc when i awoke with a friggen clogged duct!!!  

clogged ducts SUCK.  they hurt.  they're scary.  and if they're not cleared, they have the potential of turning into mastitis (google it if you don't know what i'm talking about). so, whereas my initial plan was to blog while i pump, i have returned to the status quo of giving my boobs my undivided attention (okay, okay...i have been playing a little bit of words with friends in between the massages and compression) and now have to make blogging part of my daily routine. *gasp* it's already february 1 and i promise to blog "regularly" -- maybe every other day? 

anyhoo, meet the mister.  he's an interesting fella with all kinds of toys and gadgets. his latest buy...an inverter machine.  yes, he is hanging upside down and says it makes his body feel "so good" and "uncompressed."  i don't dare go on this machine for fear that i will break something.
 
the hubby and i looooove board games.  we played Life the other night.  that's my green car and my friends, Mimi & Diana in the front seat.  congrats, you two!  wishing you a lifetime of love and happiness! 

okay, gotta go because guess what?!  I HAVE ANOTHER F$#!#% clogged duct.  bye bye, words with friends.  it was nice knowing you, too.