Nutrition- Hibiscus is the new Pomegranate!

Hibiscus is the New Pomegranate!

If you know us at Phoenix Foraging Rolls, you know we are always reading and researching information about foods.  We aren't happy just to leave a great product as is, there is always more to know and possible improvements. We have been hearing from a lot of you that you munch on the UnPellet mix when you are feeding your parrot!  That's great because many parrot owners say they feed their birds healthier foods than they eat themselves. So many of our ingredients are considered to be "super foods."  We must have a lot of Super Parrots out there as customers!  So here is the latest.  It's about hibiscus, which is in the UnPellet mix and in the Kaipen (soon to be renamed with a new wrapper) rolls.  Here is a link to an article telling about the health benefits of hibiscus and a recipe for humans to have fish with a hibiscus cream sauce!  

http://www.jdate.com/jmag/2010/07/not-just-a-pretty-face/?eid=email-jdmydFhb1art10%3Cbr

Nutrition- Alternatives to Teflon

Alternatives to Teflon

Most parrot owners have heard that teflon can be lethal to birds if it overheats. So most of us do not use teflon in the home. What are the alternatives?  Here is an article that discusses some:
http://www.ewg.org/healthyhometips/dangersofteflon?utm_source=hhtengage&utm_medium=email&utm_content=first-link&utm_campaign=fund

The problem, however, with cast iron is that new research has shown a link between iron and copper that has accumulated in people and some of the chronic diseases.  The recommendation is that people over 50 (and it may be younger for men) should not be taking copper and iron supplements. So check your multi-vitamins if you are taking them.  Cast iron cookware DOES add iron to your food, especially if the food is acidic.  Here is an article about that:
http://www.pyroenergen.com/articles/cast-iron.htm

So that leaves us with stainless steel for cooking on the stove top and glass or ceramic for the oven.  Perhaps new alternatives to the teflon non-stick cookware will be shown to be safe. But for now, I'd stick with the old standbys, stainless and glass.  After all, think how long teflon was in use until its dangers became known!

Nutrition- Does Your Parrot Have a Sweet "Tooth?"

Does Your Parrot Have a Sweet "Tooth?"

 What about fats and salt?
      Years ago an Indian man named Shailesh had a vegetarian restaurant here in town in which you got a serving of nutrition philosophy along with your food, both on the menu and when Shailesh would stop by your table to chat.  He said something to me once that I have found to be very true from what I observe of people's eating habits and I think it would apply to our parrots, too.  
     Shailesh said that we evolved to crave sweet foods as well as those with high fat and salt content. That was because our ancient ancestors rarely got foods like that so when they did find some fruit (which was much less sweet than today's fruit), killed an animal or found some nuts for fat, or found some mineral deposits with salt, they ate a lot of it because they didn't get it very often.  
     Now foods that are high in sugars of various kinds, fats of various kinds and salt are abundant.  In fact, unless you never buy any prepared or packaged foods, it's hard to buy food without them.  The industry around these foods is huge.  If you are interested in a scary article about the lobbying power of Monsanto, read this article on how they have renamed aspartame and got labeling requirements removed, despite the studies that show it has numerous health risks. 
     So what about our parrots? Well, first of all, if  you really must feed your parrots junk food, be very careful about how much you give them.  Having your parrots at the table with you or eating in front of the TV, may feel like good companionship, but it's an unhealthy habit for your birds.  The less the better of human foods unless it is something fresh that you know is good for parrots.  Watch the prepared foods.  As the article above shows, lots of things can be hidden in labeling.
     It makes sense that parrots probably crave sweet, salty and high fat foods, too.  Some of the larger parrots are designed to eat high quanitites of nuts. But learn about your particular species because many species should not be having lots of nuts and seeds.  What about salt and sugar. If you feed pellets or other prepared treats, even if they are natural and organic, read the labels.  Many of the natural, organic foods say they have no sugar but then they have blackstrap molasses (or sometimes other sweeteners) in them.  Molasses is made from cane sugar, but it has other minerals in it and the sugar content is lower (Read Wikipedia article here.) So this probably makes it more appealing to the birds, but is it good for them?  We don't really know how much sugar they would have in a natural diet in the wild.  Just watch what you give them and try not to feed too much with any added ingredients like this.  Another reason, is that often sweeteners, salt, and fats/oils are added to make foods more appealing that really don't have much flavor otherwise. So if you feed your parrot a healthy natural diet, they will not be used to having these sorts of additives.  If they have been eating a lot of it, you may have to gradually wean them off of them.  

Nutrition- Additives to Pellets

Additives to pellets and natural alternatives by guest author Leslie Rivera

(In response to someone being told that a well known brand of pellets didn't have artificial coloring, Leslie wrote this analysis of their ingredients.  We have not mentioned the brand of pellets, as it probably applies to many of them.)
I am shocked that X brand pellets told you or anyone else that their pellets do not contain artificial coloring.  The ingredients clearly state that they do.  There's no possible way to get that kind of bright color in a processed pellet without adding color.  Either way, they DO have artificial coloring and preservatives, as well as mineral and vitamin supplements.  I won't argue that many parrots do just fine on a pelleted diet.  Even some ekkies do ok on them... however, I must argue the point that all pellets are the same.  They are definitely not the same! 

I'm not a naturalist or fanatic about having all organic or whatever but I believe in providing the best possible diet for my family as well as my pets.  And when it comes to pet food, there is a very wide range of quality.  You can't even compare the mineral and vitamin supplements in pet food to human grade b/c they're usually not close in quality.  "Feed grade" food additives are generally low-quality... not to mention that many are chemically sythesized or derived from non-food sources.  All you have to do is look at the ingredients and do your homework.  But back to brand X...

I wanted to outline the ingredients in their Eclectus pellet that would be of concern to me, personally, which is about all of additives - I'll also highlight the food sources for each one (ekkie-safe foods, anyway).  This is only my opinion so I don't wish to start a debate... just wanted to put it out there.  Everyone has to make their own educated decision.    Below you'll find notes on each ingredient in X brand Eclectus blend in the order found on the bag.

To start, the (processed) food-source ingredients in X brand Eclectus are: Corn, Oat Groats, Soy Concentrate, Corn Gluten Meal, Wheat, Fructose, Soya Oil, Coconut Oil, Raisins, Coconut, Papaya, Apricot, Banana, Sweet Potato, Pineapple, Apple, Spinach, Broccoli, Carrots, Dates.

Following are the additives:

Calcium Carbonate - Dietary supplement, source of calcium.  **Natural sources of calcium: blackstrap molasses, Swiss chard, yogurt, kale, basil, thyme, cinnamon, peppermint leaves, romaine lettuce, celery, broccoli, sesame seeds, cabbage, summer squash, green beans, tofu, Brussel sprouts, oranges, asparagus, Oregano, rosemary, parsley, kelp.

Dicalcium Phosphate - Dietary supplement, source of calcium and phosphate.  **Natural sources of phosphorus: nuts, eggs, whole grains.

Choline Chloride - Dietary supplement derived from ethylene oxide, hydrochloric acid, trimethylamine.  I won't even go into those chemicals...  **Natural sources of choline: soybeans, eggs, peanuts, cauliflower, potatoes, lentils, oats, sesame and flax seeds.

DL Methionine - Amino acid supplement (typically given to dogs to lower the pH of urine so it doesn't kill grass).  **Natural sources of methionine: sesame seeds, Brazil nuts, oats, peanuts, chickpeas, corn, almonds, pinto beans, lentils, brown rice.

Vitamin E Supplement - self-explanatory.   **Natural sources of Vit E: mustard greens, chard, sunflower seeds, turnip greens, almonds, spinach.

Ascorbic Acid - a synthesized form of Vitamin C (80% of the world's supply comes from China).  **Natural sources of Vit C: parsley, brocoli, bell pepper, strawberries, oranges, papaya, cauliflower, kale, mustard greens, brussels sprouts.

Ferric Sulfate - Iron supplement.  **Natural sources of Iron: cherries, eggs, most leafy greens, soybeans, lentils, blackstrap molasses, quinoa, variety of beans, potato, just to name a few.

D-Biotin - Dietary supplement in the B-complex family.  **Natural sources of biotin: Swiss chard, Romaine, tomatoes, carrots, almonds, eggs, cauliflower, cabbage, cucumber, raspberries, strawberries, oats, walnuts.

Yucca Schidigera Extract - Added to animal feed to lower ammonia gases in animal waste.  In poultry feed, increases performance of stock = more eggs.  I'm not quite sure why parrots would need this????

Zinc Oxide - An inorganic compound.  Supplement.  **Natural sources of zinc: soybeans, spinach, sunflower seeds, eggs, wholegrain flour.

Manganese Oxide - An inorganic compound, derived from the metal form of manganese in the Earth's crust.  **Natural sources of manganese: mustard greens, kale, chard, raspberries, pineapple, romaine, collard greens.

Niacinamide - Dietary supplement in the B-complex family.  **Natural sources of niacin (B3): almonds, barley, brown rice, buckwheat, pine nuts, red chili peppers, sesame seeds, split peas, sunflower seeds, wild rice, whole wheat.

Vitamin B12 Supplement - Dietary supplement.  **Natural sources of B12: brown rice, rye, whole wheat, leafy vegetables, eggs.

BHT (as a Preservative) - butylated hydroxytoluene, used in foods to preserve fats.  The oxidative characteristics and/or metabolites of BHA and BHT may contribute to carcinogenicity or tumorigenicity. (http://chemistry.about.com/od/foodcookingchemistry/a/bha-bht-preservatives.htm)

Copper Sulfate - Dietary supplement for copper.  A trace mineral additive in poultry and swine feed.  **Natural sources of copper:  turnip greens, blackstrap molasses, whole grains, beans, nuts, potatoes, dark leafy greens.

Calcium Iodate - Dietary supplement for iodine.  **Natural sources of iodine: yogurt, eggs, strawberries, asparagus, soybeans, spinach, summer squash, Swiss chard, turnip greens.

Beta Carotene - Widely available in fresh foods: sweet potatoes, spinach, kale, turnip greens, winter squash, collard greens...

Vitamin A Supplement - Dietary supplement.  **Natural sources are primarily animal but it is found in eggs.  Precursors to vitamin A (carotenoids) can be attained through carrot, sweet potato, spinach, kale, collard greens, tomatoes.

Calcium Pantothenate - Dietary supplement for vitamin B5.  **Natural sources of B5: cauliflower, brocoli, turnip greens, sunflower seeds.

Sodium Selenite - Dietary supplement for selenium.  **Natural sources of selenium: Brazil nuts, eggs, wheat germ. It's also found in many vegetables but levels are dependent on the amount in the soil they were grown in.

Folic Acid - a.k.a. vitamin B9.  **Natural sources of folate: romaine, spinach, asparagus, turnip and mustard greens, parsley, collard greens, brocoli, cauliflower, beets, lentils.

Riboflavin - a.k.a. vitamin B2.  **Natural sources of riboflavin are largely meat but can be attained via dark, leafy greens and while grains.

Pyridoxine Hydrochloride - Dietary supplement for vitamin B6.  **Natural sources of B6: bell peppers, turnip greens, spinach, cauliflower, asparagus, brocoli, Brussels sprouts.

Thiamine Mononitrate - Dietary supplement for vitamin B1.  **Natural sources of B1-thiamine: asparagus, romaine, spinach, sunflower seeds, green peas, tomato, Brussels sprouts.

Menadione Dimethylpyrimidinol Bisulfite - synthetic form of Vitamin K3.  The U.S. FDA does not allow sale of K3 in it's menadione form.  There is controversy over K3 in pet foods.  I won't go into that here but you can find more onilne (http://www.petfoodindustry.com/Columns/Ingredient_Issues/2372.html)
**Natural sources of K: dark, leafy greens, green beans, asparagus, brocoli.

Vitamin D3 Supplement - Too much D3 can cause calcification in the kidneys and proventriculus of birds.  Vitamin D is necessary for the absorption of Calcium.  **Natural sources of Vit D: THE SUN!    Eggs also have some vit D.  Other sources are meat.

Cobalt Sulfate - This has been widely banned in non-industrial and non-veterinarian purposes.  There are health risks associated with it.  It is still added to animal feed as a trace mineral to aid in B12 production, however B12 is available in foods that our ekkies commonly eat.
 I probably got carried away but it was interesting to me to really look at all the different additives that are not plant or animal-derived... instead they're synthesized chemically, etc... and really, how healthy can that be for us or our pets in the long run???  There are a lot of common denominators in all the natural sources I listed above.  If our Eclectus are being fed a variety of healthy foods, they should have no problem getting all of the nutrients they need!  In cases where they aren't offered or won't eat enough fresh foods to stay healthy, I can see the role that a GOOD pellet would play.  But I think in most cases, people who are diligent about their ekkie diets will have happy and healthy fiddies without the artificial food additives found in X Brand and many others!  Sadly, there are still many parrot owners who just assume pellets are enough so that's all their birds get.
I hope this was insightful to at least some of you... if you've even read this far!!  LOL!!
Leslie

Nutrition- Nutritive Herbs

Nutritive herbs are a class of plants that can be considered to be herbs but have a positive effect for anyone. They are high in minerals and vitamins, are alkalinizing foods, and have a preventive effect on health as well as healing properties.  Alfalfa, which we have written about in the past, is an example. It comes from an Arabic word meaning "mother of all foods."  Some other examples are dandelion leaf, nettles, rose hips, banana, barley leaf, apple, asparagus, banana, barley grass, bee pollen, bilberry, broccoli, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, grapefruit, hibiscus, lemon, oatstraw, onion, orange, papaya, pineapple, red clover, spirulina, stevia, kelp, and wheat grass.

Nutrition- Tony Silva on Parrot Diet

Guest author Tony Silva, author of several books on parrots, on diet

I have been observing parrots in the wild during more than 30 years. I have often had the items they were eating examined for a nutritional essay. Based on this information and more than 35 years' as an aviculturist, I will give you my perception.

Most South American parrots, but especially macaws and excluding Amazons and some Pionus; African Greys; and Indonesian cockatoos require fat in the diet. I would say macaws require more fat than most species, as they fed on palm seeds which are oil rich. Amazons feed often on fibrous items which are protein rich but low in fat. Most Australian species have evolved to survive on low fat diets.

Feeding a nutritious diet is key. I have kept many species solely on pellets but production waned slowly. When fruits and other items were added to the pelleted diet, production increased. Pellets are good but not one is based on actual research of parrots in the wild and even if they were, diet varies often within species in the genus, meaning that one may feed on a totally different diet than the other. Gold-capped and Jenday Conures are similar but wild Jendays feed more on pods than Gold-caps, which prefer more fruit, flowers and buds. If you collect a weeks supply of food from the wild and lump them, it quickly becomes apparent that Jendays eat more protein than Gold-caps. I suggest feeding a diet that is balanced and which contains fruits, vegetables and living cells (sprouts, for example-- wild parrots eat a lot of 'living' foods whether it be growing buds or shoots or green pods). Macaws should have fat supplement their diet.

Whatever you feed, bear in mind that some parrots in captivity become sedentary. Amazons can easily become overweight. Mine get very little food and yet they maintain their body weight.

Lentils, small peas and many other items sprout easily. Be cautious in hot climates, which can induce bacterial growth very quickly-- once the birds begin to chew and bite the food, growth stops and fermentation begins. Feed these early in the morning and remove the unwanted items after a few hours; feed then your pellets or seeds. Supplement with greens and fruit if you can. Don't focus on cultivated fruits but look for natural foods, such as Chinaberry and others which grow wild.

Nutrition- Quinoa

Is Quinoa a Superfood?
Quinoa has had a lot of attention lately.  Why is this?

 Although used as a grain, quinoa does not come from a grass like our common grains.  Both the leaves and seeds of the quinoa plant can be eaten. What we get in the store are the seeds. They should be carefully washed as the coating contains saponins, which have a bitter taste and can cause allergies.

Quinoa was considered to be sacred by the ancient civilizations of South America.  It is high in protein and has a good amino acid balance.  It also contains antioxidants and is a rich source of Vitamin Bs.  We use quinoa in several of our products and sell it in our Black Pack.  Quinoa is most commonly sold in its white variety but comes in white, red, and black.   

To read further about quinoa, click here.