NEWSLETTERS

Isabella’s good friend, Mr. Findus, occasionally suffers from gastrointestinal distress. Like many aging cats, sometimes his bowels are sensitive. He’d be embarrassed if he knew that we were sharing this information, but from time to time loose stool or constipation makes him feel less like his normal self. When he’s down in the dumps because things aren’t moving quite right, there are a couple of easy home remedies that often ...
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Yoga is a many faceted discipline that can benefit people regardless of lifestyle or background. Most Westerners are already familiar with the variety of body shapes, or postures, one makes as part of an asana practice. The Sanskrit word asana, in its simplest translation, means seat. A yoga practice comprised only of moving through postures can be rewarding in its own right, but a truly developed yoga practice has so ...
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Natural Medicine for our Honored Veterans Veterans Day may have come and gone, but veterans and their care have been a major focus for me.  I served in the U.S. Army from 1966 through 1969.  I was drafted, volunteered for O.C.S. (officer candidate school), graduated from Artillery OCS, went to Pershing missile school and was stationed in Germany from 1967-69. I was honored to speak at NUNM’s Veterans Day luncheon ...
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At the recent AANP Convention at Snowbird in Utah, I was once again asked why Mountain Peak Nutritionals® doesn’t offer its products through distributors.  Just about every major supplement player has signed on with either Natural Partners or Emerson Ecologics.  I understand that companies want to get their supplement products out there and going through distributors does make sense on the surface, but if one examines the choice more carefully ...
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For many years now, I've been an avid consumer of probiotic supplements because of the noticeable improvement in digestion and gut health that I have experienced as a result. Recently, I’ve begun to explore the world of fermented foods in an attempt to bring my love of eating healthful, homemade food and the need for additional probiotics in my diet together in a holistic manner. While Americans don’t tend to ...
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You may already know that wheat grass is great for humans, but did you know that wheat grass can be a great staple for your pet’s diet too? While dogs are considered omnivores and cats carnivores, they’re both able to digest plants and utilize their nutrients. Additionally, wheat grass is not only good for dogs and cats, but also for rabbits, guinea pigs, and even birds and reptiles! Despite their ...
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For all you animal lovers out there, especially those who have kiddos, please remember not to leave any candy temptations laying around where Spot or Fluffy can get to them. Chocolate, xylitol, and sugar do not make for healthy pet treats and can be toxic to dogs and cats! Don't fall for those sweet, sad little faces trying to sucker you out of your fun size! Stick to giving doggie ...
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Ingredients: 2-3 sweet winter squash (butternut) 2T butter 1 large yellow sweet onion 4 sweet apples - peeled, cored, sliced or 3 cups applesauce 4-5 C veggie or chicken broth 3/4C dry white wine 2 T grated fresh ginger 1 t cinnamon 1t nutmeg Salt and pepper to taste Bake whole squash in pan with water @ 350°F 1 hr.  Let it cool -clean out seeds and scrap out sweet ...
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This month I really scared Jim and Karen! I have this habit of eating grass, especially in our neighbor’s yard. Well, I got really sick, almost like I was going to die. Within a few days I was feeling better with the help of natural remedies, chicken broth and rice. So now when we walk I’m not allowed to eat the neighbors’ grass because they might have fungus, bacteria, or ...
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When it comes to eating in a mindful and healthful manner, choosing local and seasonal produce is a wise decision. Unfortunately, many large grocery stores don’t typically offer much in the way of locally grown fruits and vegetables. A lot of the space in a typical produce isle is devoted to the typical standards that are grown in distant locations and spend a lot of time in transport. Many people ...
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While we know that no one likes to talk about rising costs and the consequential rise of prices passed on to customers, Mountain Peak Nutritionals has found that we can no longer avoid implementing new prices on many of our products. Please understand that our priority is to bring you condition specific formulas® crafted using ingredients of only the utmost highest quality available. We last raised our prices in January, ...
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As the newest member of Mountain Peak Nutritionals, I’d like to take an opportunity to introduce you to my fine furry friend, Mr. Findus. As you can see, one of his favorite pastimes includes growing the most glorious orange coat this side of the Mississippi. He also thoroughly enjoys belly rubs, rolling around in catnip, watching the birds through the window, and eating, eating, eating. I’m quite certain he likes ...
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We enjoy giving this delicious dressing as a gift during the Holiday season, but it can be made any time of year. Ingredients 1 C safflower oil 3 t lemon juice 2 T tamari 1/2 C chopped sweet onion 1/2 C chopped green pepper 1 stick celery chopped 1/4 C tahini 1 clove garlic (or to taste) dash of salt and white pepper Blend well and keep in the refrigerator ...
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Beginning a new year is a perfect time for reflection.  Looking back at significant experiences that brought us to the present moment can be a most therapeutic process. It allows us to see where we are now, how we arrived at this point in time and what plans we can formulate to get us to where we truly want to be. Often times creating a plan is met with resistance.  ...
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Issy has enjoyed a fun summer with three trips to the Manzanita beach.  Great fun was shared with family and her dog brothers. She has a new buddy, Chico, who is more than eager for her friendship.  The little guy in the picture being led by Luna (Karen and Jim’s granddaughter). Joshua (1 of 3 sons) is walking Cassius, and David (their oldest son) is walking Jack. Family gatherings are ...
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We’d like to welcome our newest member, Nicole, to the Mountain Peak Nutritionals team! Nicole graduated last summer from Portland State University with a B.S. in Environmental Science. She is excited about health and nutrition and spends much of her free time cooking, hiking, and practicing yoga. Michelle has taken another direction in her career and wishes everyone a heartfelt farewell, including those she worked beside at MPN since the ...
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Isabella’s favorite online reading is Dogster magazine, brimming with doggy news, health tips, and important advice for dog owners…check it out! http://www.dogster.com/  To be honest, Issy does not have much time for reading with so much happening outside in the yard this spring.  Squirrels race across the fence, and robins, bluejays, and crows dive in and out of the trees. Karen and Dr. Jim have begun working to prepare the ...
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Isabella had a fun holiday with her cousins Jack & Cassius, and more recently Cassius spent 10 days visiting her while his family vacationed.  Ours is a big family of pets here and we often find ourselves telling stories of their shenanigans, what new trouble they’ve been up to, and how they inevitably brighten our days.  The MPN family lost two dear pets in 2013, as the year came to ...
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If your holiday was anything like my holiday, you’ve been inundated with sweetness.  It’s January 7th and I am still nibbling from a variety of leftover holiday cookies, chocolate gifts and doggy-bag desserts, not to mention the glasses of wine, eggnog and seasonal lattes that carry us through the holidays.  The combination of 1) being too busy to exercise and 2) eating too many treats for the month of holidays, ...
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My new favorite treat is ZUKE’s, a nutritious soft superfood dog treat with vitamins and minerals made in Durango, Colorado...where MPN was established! Zuke's treats are soft & chewy, made with all of my favorite flavors: pumpkin, carrot, sweet potato, butternut squash, apricot and peanut butter, to name a few.  This company donates a portion of every sale to The Dog & Cat Cancer Fund (www.dccfund.org).  I am telling all ...
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Molasses Cookies seem just perfect for this time of year; spicy sweet with a hint of the merriment to come.  This recipe comes to me round-about via a friend's Facebook page where I learned that his grandfather lives in the house once owned by the famous mystery & horror writer, Shirley Jackson.   She is best known for the short story The Lottery (1948), which suggests a secret, sinister underside to ...
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Summer means car rides to the lake, to Dairy Queen, to anyplace you can cool off! Everyone loves a fun ride in the car.  But when it comes to running errands around town, please leave your doggy at home.  The general rule of thumb is that an outside temperature of 70 degrees means an inside-the-car temperature of at least 90 degrees, which is much too hot for your family hound. And ...
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In naturopathic medicine, we are taught to treat the whole person. This is a basic foundation in naturopathic philosophy. NDs will give in-depth attention to a patient's mental, emotional and physical states.  Traditional Western medicine tends to take for granted the relationship between the mind/body relationship while Eastern medicine and its philosophy embraces this connection. Mind/body medicine is an approach to healing that sees the mind, comprised of our thoughts, emotional ...
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Isabella recommends this article from Dogster magazine, reminding owners how to monitor doggy play, which may look worse than it is.  We dogs have an aggressive way of liking each other at times, but once in awhile it is necessary for our moms and dads to step in and fend off any possible conflicts.  Here are some helpful tips from a dog trainer: http://www.dogster.com/lifestyle/dog-training-tips-6-signs-healthy-play?utm_source=Sters+Newsletter+Subscribers&utm_campaign=bbe92bf7ce-01232013_Dogster_newsletter&utm_medium=email Winter is a great time to ...
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Dr. Rick Marinelli passed away at home on January 22,nd 2013. Rick was an incredible soul that brought such abundance to the healing table.  He followed a spiritual path that resulted in a deep awareness and centeredness, which made him the great father, husband, teacher and mentor that we will remember fondly. A memorial service was held on February 16th at the Wonder Ballroom in Portland to celebrate Rick’s life.  ...
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The Mayan calendar has completed its cycle.  Completion brings on a new set of opportunities.  Now is the time to create the results we truly want.  Greatness exists in all of us and our work is to draw out that greatness from within ourselves.  We all aspire to succeed.  What habits might we be practicing that hold us back from manifesting our dreams? We tend to put limits on ourselves, ...
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I’d like to introduce you to my two brothers, Jack and Cassius.  I am so happy that they both live in Portland so we get to play together often. Jack lives with David, Jim and Karen’s oldest son. Jack has a beautiful golden tan coat, and a wrinkled forehead. Jack loves to play ball.  In fact, he is so obsessed that David won’t allow Jack to have a ball at ...
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 Both known and unknown toxins can be found hiding in our houses and yards. In 2011, the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC) in Urbana, IL, fielded more than 165,900 phone calls about pets exposed to poisonous substances. Visit our poison app on Facebook. 1. Prescription Human Medications --Almost 25,000 calls last year were about human prescription medications. Pets, especially dogs, are notorious for ingesting any dropped pill. Cardiac and ...
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1. The following can be toxic to pets: Chocolate, raisins, grapes, macadamia nuts, garlic, onion, alcohol, caffeinated beverages, bread dough, and sugar-free candy and gum containing the artificial sweetener xylitol. 2. Even a pet-safe treat can cause stomach upset if it is new to your pet. Offer only one of these at a time…ideally, a few days apart to better monitor the effects. If your pet becomes ill after eating ...
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In a previous newsletter I discussed sugars and the major role they play in obesity and diabetes.  Since then I’ve been reading more about the epidemic growth of diabetes and the connection in eating meat.  Recent research confirms a link to Type 2 diabetes from traces of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and pesticides found in factory-farmed meat and fish. Most of us are aware of the cancer risks from PCBs and ...
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Titles we recommend for you and your favorite canine to read together as the nights grow dark earlier and chairs are scooched closer to the hearth. Oh, and we do love a biscuit while we listen. The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein (HarperCollins) "A tale of Enzo, a family dog named after Enzo Ferrari the race car champion, and the life of his human family, how ...
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Combine: 2-2/3 c brown sugar or honey 2/3 c butter 4 eggs 1 lb pumpkin 2/3 c water Sift together: 3-1/2 c pastry flour 1/2 tsp baking powder 2 tsp salt 1 Tblsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp cloves Chop: 2/3 c walnuts or pecans 2/3 c dates Mix all ingredients. Grease 2 loaf pans. Bake at 350 for 1-1/4 hr ...
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Pets love summer too! We love the outdoors and having fun with our families, but we can get into a bit of trouble in all of the excitement. You can help us have a fun, safe summer by heeding these reminders. Issy’s Pet Safety Tips for Summer Remember we need extra water in the warmer weather. Fresh, cool water, inside and outside, thank you! We might need a little help ...
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As summer temperatures soar we send this reminder for the proper storing and preserving of MPN Formulas. Quality assurance is a fact of life at Mountain Peak Nutritionals. Our formulas are created using only the highest quality of raw materials for maximum results. No preservatives are used in the process of making MPN formulas, which means they must be stored in a cool, dry location---no windowsills, sunny countertops or dashboards ...
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You may not yet know about our company mascot Isabella, a.k.a. Issy. She is a very rambunctious and well-loved one-year-old English Cream Golden Retriever. Issy keeps us smiling and reminds us with her frayed rope or another favorite chew toy to stop and play several times a day. When she is not busy chasing squirrels up the oak tree, or chewing sticks under the hammock, she is indoors with us ...
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