Quinoa – A Super Food for Your Dog
by Dr. Janice Elenbaas

Quinoa has a history dating back to the Incas, over 5,000 years ago. Like many “ancient grains,” it disappeared in 1532 with the arrival of the Spanish. The Inca culture was destroyed and quinoa fields were burned. Only small amounts survived in the mountains of Peru. In the 1970s, a renewed interest in this superfood began.

This plant is unique. The leaves can be eaten like spinach (they are in the same family), and the seeds used as a grain. So, technically, quinoa is a seed. It is also gluten free and chock-full of nutrients that are good for all of us, including our dogs!

I am always happy to find a food that helps fight inflammation. Because quinoa is a good source of antioxidants such as flavinoids and quercetin, as well as omega-3 fatty acids, it helps fight free radicals to keep the skin, joints, and organs healthy.

Other benefits include:

• improving kidney function
• preventing cognitive decline
• good for the cardiovascular system
• being a complex carbohydrate, it keeps blood sugars even, digests slowly to prevent spikes in insulin
• good source of energy
• low in calories
• contains prebiotics to feed healthy bacteria in the gut
• rich in vitamins and minerals
• high in insoluble fibre to regulate bowel movements

One surprising advantage to adding quinoa to your diet and your dog’s is the high level of amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein and enzymes. They are also needed to produce hormones and neurotransmitters.

Dogs and people produce about half of these amino acids, the other half are called “essential,” meaning that the body cannot make them and they need to be supplied by a healthy, balanced diet.

Dogs can digest proteins from meat, eggs, and dairy very efficiently. But most plant proteins are insufficient in specific amino acids. People need nine of these essential amino acids and dogs need 10. That’s why quinoa is wonderful for dogs when combined with meats. It boosts the protein content of the food fed and is easily digested.

Our dog food company—Lucky Dog Cuisine—uses NorQuin Quinoa in our pork recipe. NorQuin is a Canadian company that has been growing this ancient “grain” for over 25 years. Their product is NON-GMO. We chose this company because they use sustainable farming methods and have source traceability.

Quinoa contains saponins, naturally occurring chemicals that protect the plants from insects. No pesticides are needed. These saponins are washed away to prevent any digestive upsets. NorQuin takes care of that for us.

We are proud to feed our canine family a diet rich in whole foods. With one in two dogs being diagnosed with cancer and obesity on the rise, it is comforting to know we are doing the best we can to give our beloved companions a fighting chance for a long and healthy life!

Dr. Janice Elenbaas is a graduate of the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College. Her philosophy of helping the body to heal itself is reflected in her lifelong interest in whole food nutrition for both people and animals. She is co-founder of Lucky Dog Cuisine, an online dog food company that was born out of her lifestyle of healthy habits and a love of animals. You can reach the company on their toll-free number 1-800-530-5305, or (647) 705-9807, or visit www.luckydogcuisine.ca, where you can get information and place an order. For information on Northern Quinoa, see the display ad on page 21 of the 27.5 January/February issue of the WHOLifE Journal.