Haha, thanks guys... I just didn't want to sound like I was saying I knew what I was talking about and that you were wrong, like I was some arrogant noobie. I definitely
don't know what I'm talking about, lol - there's a lot of contradictory advice and information out there, and I'm just
beginning to try to sort through it all.
I did join that list you mentioned, omega, and I'm in the process of reading through as much of the archives as I can. It was because of that list actually that I found a site with an article that I thought seemed really pretty well written, and explained a lot - and that's where I got the idea that kibble+raw was a bad idea. The link to the site is
here, and this is the couple of sentences I read about acidity and enzymes and whatnot. I guess it's more of an argument against kibble altogether, and now that I look back at it, I can't remember where I read that the stomach "anticipates" anything, just that it is changed (somehow) by what the dog has been eating. Too much info crammed into my head, so much of it contradictory, it's just hard to keep track of it all... Anyways, here's what I read:
"Actually, a very simple metabolic principal helps clarify the issue of mixing starches and proteins. Gastric pH needs to be acidic (low pH) to facilitate protein enzymes necessary to digest protein, and needs to be alkaline (high pH) to facilitate starch enzymes necessary to digest starches. Gastric juices can not be both at the same time. If starches and proteins are eaten together, neither one will be fully digested ... A carnivore's digestive system is by its very nature highly acidic in a healthy animal...
"...When a carnivore's digestive system acidity is reduced enough with plant matter, the simple carbohydrates (e.g. grains) cause a spike of blood sugar and a surge of insulin. The resulting rush of insulin stores the blood sugar away, and a few hours later, blood sugar is lower than it was before eating. The body effectively thinks it has run out of fuel, but the insulin is still high enough to prevent burning fat. Thus back to hunger, and a vicious circle ripe for obesity."
I hope it's ok to post this little quote since I've cited where it came from (
here). If it isn't, let me know or just delete it.
I'll definitely have to go bug Ann (Wylie's mom) when I get the chance... this is all quite confusing.
Thank you :-)
Lauren & Nikko