Plant Appreciation Day ׀ Vegan4Dogs ׀ Vegan Dog Food

It's springtime! You are walking in the forest with your dog. All of a sudden, an incredibly lovely scent reaches your nose! You would like to have more of it and you keep following your nose. And there you see her - she beams at you and lets joy rise in you! How can you be so shamelessly beautiful?

So, what are you thinking about right now?

As versatile as they are, there is no limit to your imagination: Imagine a plant. And what do you do now? You gonna keep sniffing her? Maybe sing her a song? Or do you hug the tree next to her in gratitude? No matter what you feel like, please give her especially much attention and protection today. Unfortunately, not only animals but also many plant species are threatened by extinction. Old cultivated plants are increasingly being displaced by genetically modified species. Therefore, we may become aware of the following more often:

Plants...

Produce our vital oxygen
Are the origin of the food chain
They are one of the most important sources of energy.
Simply achieve amazing things

Photosynthesis is the oldest biochemical process in the world

It makes all our lives possible. Chlorophyll, also called leaf green, absorbs sunlight and converts this light energy into chemical energy with the help of ATP (adenosine triphosphate, universal energy carrier in living organisms). The plants emit one of our most important goods as a waste product: oxygen. In the process, they even convert pollutants from the air into oxygen. So be sure to find out which houseplants improve the air quality in your home (buzzword: NASA's Clean Air Study¹).

Also CO2 is absorbed from the air

Together with the chemical energy, it is transformed into glucose (simple sugar in carbohydrate metabolism), which gives energy to the plant. The plant in turn gives us energy in the form of fructose, cellulose and starch. Since plants need CO2 for their metabolism, they counteract climate change. The increased CO2 levels in the atmosphere could act as a kind of fertiliser and increase plant growth in the long run. The natural plant pigment chlorophyll is also a superfood. Do you and your dog eat a lot of green vegetables and herbs? Great! Then you take in many more vital and health-promoting nutrients such as vitamins, fibre, antioxidants and phytochemicals. The more colourful your plate and your darling's bowl, the better! There is also a medicinal plant for pretty much every ailment. Many grow right outside our door. Amazing how richly plants present us with gifts, isn't it? So what can you give back to them today? P.S. By the way, did you know that potato water is an excellent natural fertiliser?²

Sources

¹ https://www.designboom.com/technology/nasa-clean-air-study-plants-natural-filter-06-13-2021/

² https://utopia.de/ratgeber/nicht-wegschuetten-4-dinge-fuer-die-du-kartoffelwasser-nutzen-kannst/ https://praxistipps.focus.de/was-ist-photosynthese-einfach-erklaert_96958 https://utopia.de/ratgeber/gruenes-gemuese-darum-ist-es-besonders-gesund/ https://www.n-tv.de/wissen/CO2-kurbelt-Pflanzenwachstum-an-und-fuehrt-so-zu-weiterer-Kohlendioxid-Aufnahme-article23172348.html

Jamie Kolb