Warm or Cool Energy Pet? Achieve Balance with Food Ying & Yang

Food energetics and rotational feeding is a very real thing when it comes to optimizing your pet's health. 

If your pet is miserable in the heat or lethargic and achy in the winter months, there is a growing belief among pet parents that simply changing their pet’s diet is incredibly effective at soothing their internal systems. The practice of 'the energetics of food', meaning feeding their “hot” energy pets with cooling foods and vice versa. Now, before you start to think this is a bunch of crystal waving, bohemian talk, take a moment to review what we're sharing and see if this doesn't make a great deal of sense. 

How Do I Determine My Dog’s Energy?

Food energetics, which dates back to our ancestors, connects food choices to achieving balance to the 'ying and yang' energy in the body. Because each animal protein creates a heating, cooling or neutral sensation as it’s integrated into the body, they’re chosen specifically to target and temper the life energy. This concept can be applied to our pets by identifying their level of life energy and then selecting foods that generate heating energy or cooling energy.

Warm-Energy Dogs

A dog with warm energy is just as it suggests — their internal core can naturally run hot; does your little buddy feel hot to the touch even when they're 100% healthy? Warm-energy dogs are said to have specific personality traits, such as being over-active, high-strung and even irritable, with a tendency to develop medical conditions related to inflammation (like achy joints). With the theory of food energetics, an animal's warm energy is associated with yin deficiency and can be counterbalanced by consuming cooling foods.

Signs of warm-energy dogs:

• Inflamed and irritated skin conditions such as hot spots
• Digestion problems such as upset stomach
• Excessive panting, even in situations where it’s warranted (not exercising, not excessively warm)
• Prefers maintaining their space, tolerating only brief snuggle sessions
• Constantly seeking opportunities to cool off — such as laying on a hard floor or in front of a fan

Cool-Energy Dogs 

Cool energy is associated with a yang deficiency in food energetics. Dogs with cool energy are constantly seeking warmth and rest. Though their ultra chilled out, couch potato behavior make them cozy TV and work-from-home companions, these dogs often suffer from issues associated with slow digestion.

Signs of a cool-energy dog:

• Prefers warm spots to nap, whether it’s in front of a heat vent or a sunny spot
• Tolerates or even enjoys being covered with a blanket
• Prone to fatigue, especially in cooler and colder weather
• Poor appetite, rarely drinks water
• More likely to develop constipation vs. other forms of GI issues
• Susceptible to viruses, yeasts, bacteria infections and pathogens

Once you have determined whether your pet is a warm energy or cold energy canine, you can start to find foods to aid their health. Warming meats are believed to bring some much-needed spark and ignition to the system of a cool-energy dog. At the same time, warming foods for a warm dog adds fuel to the fire, which is a why neutral or cooling meats are the optimal choices.

Pet owners that focus on feeding their dog cooling proteins (ideally a prey diet like Ancestral Raw Nutrition) — and opt-out from the standard grain dog food formula, starts yielding positive change, particularly when the weather is hot. The theory is cooling foods have anti-inflammatory properties on the body, which can bring brief relief to itchy skin, hot spots and other hot-weather skin conditions, while also healing their gut with food that's is instinctual and natural. 

To address a warm energy dog's needs, try serving these cooling proteins, along with neutral meats and notice the changes you see in your pet.

Cooling & Neutral Meats

• Beef
• Bison
• Pork
• Salmon
• Duck
• Rabbit

Warming Foods for Dogs

If your pooch could use a boost to spark his or her energy, hot and warming foods can ignite a fire in their system, activating their get-up-and-go. Choosing to raise their activity level on a chilly day, they can get their blood circulating and warm those chilly ears and paws. Begin with warming meats and observe your pet for changes in their digestive health and energy level. If they need a bit more, upgrade to a blend of one of the hot meats listed.

Warming & Hot Meats

• Chicken
• Pheasant
• Turkey
• Lamb
• Venison

Making the Yin & Yang a Part of Their Everyday

The energetic / prey-based, raw diet can help your dog feel better in their skin beyond measure. By applying the principles of food energetics to meet your dog’s needs as they shift over time, you will be able to notice if they are feeling sluggish and need a kick of energy by simply spooning in some raw lamb with their chicken and carb or veggie bowl. If your pup becomes irritable and itchy in the heat wave, serving up a “cooling” 100% raw, grain-free diet featuring fish, rabbit or duck can get them feeling better right away. 

Feeding Ancestral Raw Nutrition as a way of working food energetics into your dog’s day-to-day needs is effortless for you — while going easy on their internal system. Our full range of 100% pure and natural proteins ensures you’ll find the perfect diet combination that brings harmony to your dog’s every day.

Be sure to subscribe today and rest easy knowing your furry best friend has their energy-balancing raw food arriving at your door when you want - and you save money too!

Until we connect again, remember... let them run wild!