By William Pollak, DVM

An ideal diet is the foundation of physical health and Viand is an ideal commercial pet food diet. However, for Viand to maximally nourish your pet, natural raw foods should also be given on a regular basis. Raw foods provide the enzymes, freshness, and unmodified intelligence for the animal's needs. In fact, in most cases, the more raw food the better. Ideally, 40% or more of raw food intake (including raw meat) will help your pet maximally shine and give added strength to the digestive system.

Enhanced vitality of life in animals on the natural raw meat diet is commonly reported by owners of pets who weren't even sick. The clarity in the eyes, the greater alertness, and settledness along with a greater physical compactness of conformation are all indicators of greater Wellness. A simple diet of raw meats, vegetables, and cooked grains along with Viand will form a stable foundation of health.

Giving a variety of foods maintains the flexibility that gives healthy immune responses to the ever-changing conditions of life. A truly healthy immune system functions silently. Giving the body the necessary raw materials is the first and most powerful step in preparing a fertile field for health to grow.

If a little is good, it doesn't mean that more is better. Overfeeding and over-concern with food in general can interfere with the expression of health. Leaving the table a little hungry (best if about one third of the stomach contains air) and taking at least one to two days a week of fasting (dog or cat and human), allows the body to balance and maximally distribute the greater Wellness throughout the organ systems. Animals actually look forward to the rest of the day (they know they can't stop themselves if food is placed in front of them). Always a little hungry, but never thirsty.

Multiple feedings per day in the adult is in most cases unnecessary. In the cat, leaving the food out is like walking around with a food bag hanging from your neck: Got a free moment, take a nosh. Every time you (or your pet) eat, your entire metabolism changes and there is a shift from purifying to assimilating. Taking care of business (eating) once or maybe twice a day with ideal foods is all that is necessary to nurture the physical system for the entire day. More frequent feedings strain the system by creating unnecessary metabolic shifting inconsistent with daily activities. Constant craving for food suggests food lacking in vitality (freshness, wholesomeness for the species), addictive agents, fillers or insufficient digestive fires (enzymes) to break down and assimilate available nutrients. Viand was designed from the beginning to be free of fillers and addictive agents. Supplementation with raw foods will compensate for any loss of vitality due to the necessary processing of Viand.

Feeding an ideal diet of fresh, wholesome, and varied foods with periodic fasting results in less disease and greater vitality. This physical health is the basis of maximum freedom and joy in life for ourselves and our pets.