(I have no affiliation with CoolStance.  In fact, I had to send Hubby on a mission to find it while he was in Paso Robles… that is the closest place to get it around here – 6 hours away!)

INSULIN RESISTANT AND CUSHINGS?  What to feed…?  WHAT IS LOW NSC?: HAVE YOU TRIED COOLSTANCE?

Mama Tess has been fighting long-term founder (and the consequences) for almost a year now.

One of the constant battles is managing her IR (Insulin Resistance) as well as her Cushings.

She has both.  Not good.  But, manageable.

How?

Diet Diet Diet.

I think of her condition as being Diabetic and Cortisol overloaded.

Diet helps with all of that.

I know because I have an auto-immune disease that is complicated by sugars and cortisol.

Just like Mama Tess.  I am on Anti-inflammatories and a strict (ugh) diet.

 

WHAT THE DRS TOLD ME… COCONUTS… HMMMMM

Interestingly, I am on a diet created to help my body readjust from my auto-immune disease.

Basically, I’m not allowed to eat anything that a diabetic cannot eat. I also cannot ingest foods that exacerbate my condition – the same kinds of foods that are not good for Cushings (sugars, starch, root vegetables, tomatoes, eggs… certain other proteins and acidic fruits) are not good for me.

I’m on the same diet as Tess, except for humans.  No Sugars, Low NSC.

And.. do you know what my DRs are telling me to use to replace so much of what I’ve lost?

Coconuts.  Coconut oil, coconut milk, coconut creamer, coconut butter, coconut flour… everything that they make out of coconuts, I can and should eat.

And do you know what is in CoolStance?

Coconuts!

BUT HORSES AND HUMANS DON’T EAT THE SAME FOODS!

Yes, this is true.

But, the breakdown of sugars and cortisol do function similarly in both equines and humans.

IR Horses who eat too much sugar/carbs will get laminitis or founder.

Humans who are insulin resistant and eat too much sugar/carbs will get gout (and other things…).

Horses who have Cushings will develop fat pads. dull coats and bad feet – just like Cushings in humans.

Doctors of both species always recommend diet changes as well as medication.

You are what you eat…

Horses and humans have been eating too much sugar and starch for a long time… (IMHO).

How it came to be… Too many horses are fed high starch/high sugar feeds…

COCONUT COOLSTANCE VS. RENEW GOLD

OK, now many of you are going to say that Renew Gold (by Manna Pro) has CoolStance in it – so why not just use that?

Well, because Tess is so sensitive and we’ve been through so many issues, I’d rather keep it simple.  Renew Gold (which I do feed to my ponies) has rice bran and I feel that is too much starch/carbs for Tess.

CoolStance has one ingredient.  Coconuts.

COOLSTANCE – LOW NSC, LOW SUGAR, NO ALFALFA!

Another issue I have with Tess is that she cannot have alfalfa.  It just doesn’t work with her system.

Most Senior low carb/low sugar feeds are made with or from alfalfa.

Yikes.

While searching the internet for any feed that is guaranteed to be below 12% NSC and also not made with alfalfa, I came up with only one.

CoolStance.

(Yes, timothy and orchard hay comes in pelleted feeds.  However, just like bales of timothy and orchard, one cannot determine the NSC content without testing… it varies.  And, most manufacturers of these pellets say “low NSC” but they have no guarantees.)

CoolStance guarantees NSC below 12% and has no other ingredient than coconuts.

I took this from the CoolStance website.

ARE COCONUTS ENOUGH FOR MY HORSE?

Well, I am still going to give MT soaked beet pulp pellets and her soaked low NSC hay… but looking at this chart, I feel totally fine feeding this to her.

It is certainly worth a try.  Besides, she needs changes to keep her interested.  ;)

DO ANY OF YOU ALREADY FEED COOLSTANCE?  IF SO, PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!

HAND-BLOWN GLASS NECKLACE FOR MAMA TESS’ SURGERY FUND!

I did it again.  I fell in love with a piece because of its structure and vibrant color – instead of what would look good on me.

Yup.  The same wonderful peridot green that I love… This one is a hand-blown glass orb.  16″.  The orb is a bit smaller than a dime – very delicate and lovely.

It was so sweet and unusual, I had to have it.  But, the color is wrong for me and I never wear it…  So, it is time to gift someone else and help Mama Tess.

I paid $265 for this necklace.  I will happily sell it for MT @ $75.

  If you receive this post via email, click here to purchase!

 *If the link doesn’t work, that means the necklace has sold.  THANK YOU!!

THE STORY

This was another find created by a local artist at Planet Blue in Malibu…  I purchased this on a vacation trip during the most wonderful Springtime weather.  I was looking at the ocean when I bought this.  I still remember.

It is blown glass, with an antiqued sterling ornate bezel, an antiqued sterling chain and 5 little peridot rounds  –  two next to the ball, two near the clip and one at the tail.

Delicate and yummy.  I just loved it.