Kibbles and Bits, Mice and Pigs
When my friend's dog was nine years old, the pet showed signs of advancing age. She couldn't jump in the truck like she used to. Since she couldn't participate in outdoor family activities any more, she had to be left behind. Being sedentary, she started gaining weight. This dog had only eaten Kibbles and Bits for her entire life. She didn't like any other dog food. However, my friend thought a change of dog food might help her dog better endure advancing age and keep the dog's weight down.
My friend went to a store to look at a more expensive dog food, Science Diet, which is highly nutritious. Because it was twice the cost of K and B, my friend was hesitating to buy it. A clerk, noticing her indecision, touted the benefits of Science Diet. The clerk said Kibbles and Bits was addictive because of the sugary content.
My friend bought some Science Diet to try. Her dog wouldn't eat it. Deprived of Kibbles and Bits, the dog did go through withdrawal--noticeably shaking. My friend had to slowly wean her off of Kibbles and Bits so the dog wouldn't starve to death. She mixed the two dog foods--gradually increasing the nutritious one and decreasing K and B. The dog is on straight Science Diet now and still very much dislikes it. However, the dog is a bundle of energy now. She obviously feels much better. Her coat is shiney. She can jump in the truck again!
A local doctor told me about a study done with mice that showed a gut-brain connection. According to him, mice fed on a diet very much like that of the average American, were put in a pool of water with no way to get out. This produced anxiety in the mice and they "freaked out." When mice who had been on a regimen that included probiotics ( beneficial gut flora) were put in a pool of water with no way to get out, they remained calm. They swam around looking for a way out. A third group of mice were put on a regimen of probiotics and then vagotomized (severing of the vagus nerve which is a connection between gut and brain.)
These mice were put in a pool of water with no way out. They also "freaked out" in the same manner as the first group of mice.
Quoting from the study, "Accumulating clinical evidence suggests that probiotics can modulate the stress response and improve mood and anxiety symptoms in patients with chronic fatigue and irritable bowel syndrome." Admittedly this is a layperson's explanation of the study which can be found in PNAS, Sept.20, 2011, vol. 108, no. 38.
Now for the Pigs. Actually this is a story about humans--about a father with a desperate desire to save his children. Anthony Stephan's wife suffered from bipolar disorder which ultimately led to her suicide. A year later, two of Anthony's children were diagnosed with Bipolar I, the most severe form of the illness. This meant a future of hospitalizations, medications, and possible early death for both of them. Anthony began a search for a way to change this grim forecast. He searched medical journals, books, anything he could find. He prayed ceaselessly, "hoping God would hear his cries and have mercy on his broken family."
His answer came when he met David Hardy who had been an animal feed formulator for 20 years. When he heard Anthony's story, he said the behavior of Anthony's son sounded like a pig with ear-and-tail-biting syndrome. Hardy knew that some farmers had successfully eliminated this syndrome with nutritional supplementation. Anthony and David worked with scientists and manufacturers to create a version of this supplementation for human consumption. By using this supplement, called EMPower, Anthony's children recovered and resumed healthy lives. Since that time EMPower has helped thousands of people with mental illness. It also has helped alleviate migraines, seizures, dementia, hyperlipidemia, diabetic neuropathy, anemias, ADHD, ALS. Giving EMPower to rats is showing regrowth of brain cells. Many studies done on humans prove its remarkable effectiveness.
This supplement has mended the broken health of one of my family members and been helpful to others. It has been and is an answer to my prayers. We have purchased it for many years now. Even though it has been quite expensive, it has been worth every penny. Recently, a friend told me that EMPower could now be purchased for significantly less cost through a new company. Because this blog is not a sales venue, you can go to my website: https://wellonyourway.myqsciences.com to purchase and read my three other posts about Empower to learn more.
My stories about dogs, pigs and mice emphasis the importance of good nutrition (and probiotics) to our well being and health. Quality makes a difference. The balance and ratios of the nutrients is vitally important, especially for deficiencies related to mental illness. While you need to be informed about any supplement you take, this is especially true when you are using EMPower. Know that much help, support and information is available.
