Hey…Maybe Eating My Feelings Isn’t Such A Bad Idea..?
By Michael Daly, CHPHC, CCMT, CESMP.
Have you ever had one of those days… you know the tough workdays, bad date, traffic, family…you know just people, places and things not working the way you want? If you are like me then you have a saying: “I just need to get home, open a jar or bag of something and EAT MY FEELINGS!”
Unfortunately, most of the time the things I choose to eat like Doritos, Cereal and Peanut Butter only give me that instant gratification and in the end, do not help my body cope with stress at all. However, did you know there are foods according to Chinese Medicine that can help your body manage stress and the same goes for your Dog?
According to principles of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, every Dog has a specific Chinese Pattern associated to the four elements: Fire, Wood, Earth, Metal and Water. Fire Dogs are usually considered the “Life of the Party”, Wood the “General”, Earth the “Couch Potato, Stoner”, Metal “Your OCD Friend”, and Water the “Shy Violet”. As life happens with things like aging, external factors, and poor diet, these elements become out of balance.
From my 20 years’ experience in the animal field as a Veterinary Technician, Certified Canine Massage Therapist, and Holistic Pet Health Coach, the two most common elements I have seen are Fire and Wood. Fire is associated with the heart and Wood is associated with the liver and gallbladder. Fire are your Goldens, Labs, Aussies…those kinds that when you come home it’s like you’ve been gone for centuries?! Then, there are Wood Dogs, which are your Corgis, Pomeranians, Schnauzers…you know the kind that won’t deal with your crap? “Just get to feeding and walking me first and then I will listen to how your day went!”
When these two elements become out of balance their personalities can change, showing up as different forms of anxiety. The Fire element becomes overheated causing the Shen or spirit, which is housed in the heart, to want to escape. It then wanders to the mind. This, in turn causes your Fire Dog to show anxiety by worrying. Almost like that friend that likes to be the center of the party that suddenly needs people around them all the time. “What time are you coming home? Don’t leave me! What was that sound?”
When the Wood element becomes overheated, it affects the liver and gallbladder. It shows up in your Wood Dogs as that boss that starts to get so mad that you see them turning red in the face. You may even see it in the skin or eyes of your Wood Dog and then they explode. The general becomes that drill sergeant guy from Full Metal Jacket. “I SAID BED NOW! I SAID WALK NOW! DO NOT TOUCH ME! THIS ISNT HOW WE NORMALLY DO THIS!!! WHO IS THIS PERSON?!!!”
How can food help? When the elements are out of balance, we can use food to get them back in balance. For pets that are overheated there are cooling foods that can be used to bring down the heat. Proteins that are cooling are Pork, Whitefish, Turkey, Duck, and Rabbit. Fruits are also very cooling. Think about how watermelon is always great in the summer! I add fruit to my Dog Luna’s water to help keep her cool. Don’t forget! Grapes are ok! Like garlic, its dose dependent. A few grapes are not going to hurt. Vegetables like cucumbers, cabbage, and leafy greens are not only cooling but help that liver detoxify. Herbs like peppermint are great as well! You can almost look at food and get the feeling of it being cooling.
Now, is this a change that you will see an overnight response from? Sometimes, but usually it takes time. Remember functional medicine is an inside out job. It is based off deferred gratification NOT instant gratification. My favorite quote by Carrie Fisher is “Instant gratification takes too long!” What’s the difference? Instant gratification is a piece of scotch tape put on a crack that is about to get wider and wider before it explodes. It’s temporary. Deferred gratification is dealing with root cause. What is causing that crack?
How can we help that crack heal internally and by doing that we will, overtime, seal the crack. Let’s do that for our pets! I know personally, mine have done everything to help me heal mentally, physically, and spiritually and I vow to spend every day giving that back to them to the best of my ability!
Michael Daly is a Holistic Pet Health Coach, who has been working in the animal field for over 20 years. Reach out for a consult to help him guide you on learning more about your pets condition, diet, supplements and Chinese herbs. Mention this article and get $50 off your initial consult. https://pawsitive-wellness.com/
