The News At Home
The beeping sound of the microwave announcing popcorn is ready, is Tori’s cue to leap in the air with excitement. She knows that Morley will share so she scampers beside him, never taking her eyes off the popcorn bag.

Tori’s routine went amuck the other day when a large truck was backing up on our street. The beeping sound it made as it warned of its direction was remarkably similar to the microwave. Tori’s ears perked up, she ran to the window and then to the microwave. Her nose sniffed the kitchen air, and detected that there was no popcorn in the vicinity. Clearly, something was wrong here. Racing back to the window, she barked at the beeping truck, raced back to the kitchen, and so it went until the truck went away. Morley came home soon after this excitement. He was greeted by bouncing Tori who led him directly to the kitchen. I’m pretty sure she was issuing orders for him to put popcorn in the microwave.

What’s New at monicasegal.com
Vitamin C on sale

We are discontinuing our vitamin C crystals. This high quality, buffered vitamin C powder, made in Canada, is available in 200 gram bottles, and we have a very limited supply. Currently priced below our cost at $6.95 per bottle, weÕre going to run out very quickly. Place your order now - before we run out and remove the product from our site.

We Are Greener Than Ever

We’ve been an earth-friendly company from the start, but there’s always room for improvement. Have you noticed that our packaging is less than pretty? Our boxes are made from recycled paper, and are considered ‘seconds’. While they are new, they are considered misprints by the companies that ordered them initially. It makes good sense to use these boxes because even if they became recycled paper, energy goes into the recycling process.

What are you doing with your empty supplement bottles? Yes, they can be recycled, but they can also be used to store things. We use some larger bottles to store elastic bands, paper clips, and even some pens. Our latest project involves giving these empty bottles to schools that offer an arts and crafts program for small children. Bottles have turned into puppets, dolls, toys, and crayon holders. Reusing, rather than recycling, is as green as it gets!

Fact of the Month
Conditionally essential amino acids

We have discussed amino acids in the past, and we know that essential amino acids are those that must come from food because the body is unable to produce them. Unessential amino acids are, in fact, needed by the body as well, but the body can manufacture them if essential amino acids are present in correct amounts. A conditionally essential amino acid is one that the body may need more of when certain circumstances arise. For example, glutamine is synthesized in the body from glutamic acid but sometimes the body needs more than it can manufacture. This occurs when tissue breakdown is sped up due to injury, infection, decreased appetite or starvation, and surgery.

Normally, glutamine is released as needed. The gastrointestinal tract is the site where glutamine is absorbed and used as fuel for certain cells. A compromise in GI tract function is what prompts many veterinarians to advise supplementation with L-Glutamine. This supplementation enhances proper gut immune function, decreases bacterial adhesion to some cells, and also decreases bacterial movement across the gut wall. Studies show that L-Glutamine supplementation increases the small bowel mucosal thickness, preserves the integrity, and even the height of villi ( finger-like projections on the surface of the small intestine that help absorb nutrients).

In addition, animals that go through endurance training have an increased state of tissue breakdown (catabolism), so they tend to benefit from L-Glutamine. Some dog owners report that their dog’s arthritis has been helped by L-Glutamine supplementation. Others provide anecdotal evidence that it helps dogs with liver problems.

Let’s Meet!

DogRead is a Yahoo! group that seminars with book authors, and I’ve been invited to be their guest for the month of October. We’ll be discussing my latest book “Optimal Nutrition”, so be sure to get your questions ready and meet me on DogRead October 1st.

Recently in Print

My article about dog food will be in the very popular magazine, Animal Wellness, in mid September.

Monica

“My dog’s not spoiled; I’m just well trained!.’
-- Author unknown