I know we tend to say, do not feed your sugar gliders with pineapple. Why? Firstly, the one thing about pineapple after we eat a few pieces if that our tongue will have this sandpaper feeling. Then it is acidic, beneficial coz acidic fruits are normally high in Vitamin C. Now that’s a plus factor for pineapples. But people generally do not understand that good things in small amounts is good for you.

The pineapple has a protein-digesting enzymes (called cysteine proteinases). This enzyme helps in digestion, very good for clearig the gut. It also helps in digesting fur and the hard exo-skeleton of insects that they sometimes ingest. Pineapple and papaya has this enzyme and that’s why when we want to, say, tenderize meat naturally, we extract some of the juices and marinade the meat in it. For papaya, it is normally found in young green papaya. I personally love the taste of the sweet juicy exotic pineapple than the bland funny tasting crunchy young green papaya. So I bet gliders prefer the ripe sweet pineapple than the bland tasting unripe green papaya. Studies have shown that when people are given pineapple after a meal, their digestion improves greatly.

Then it also has bromeline, which helps in reducing inflammation and swelling, which is why it is an important supplement for people who are suffering from joint problems. Even Dr Jenny advices feeding pineapple when a glider is suffering from digestion problems, joint problems. It helps.

Because of the high Vitamin C it has, it is a great antioxidant protection and immune support fruit. This is vital because it defends the body from free radicals and studies show that health improves greatly when antioxidant fruits are introduced to a diet.

One of the benefits of pineapple is that it helps to build healthy bones. Pineapples are rich in manganese, a trace mineral that is needed for your body to build bone and connective tissues. Just one cup of pineapple provides 73% of the daily recommended amount of manganese. The benefits of pineapple can effect the growth of bones in young people and the strengthening of bones in older people.

Pineapple is an excellent source the trace mineral manganese, which is an essential cofactor in a number of enzymes important in energy production and antioxidant defenses. For example, the key oxidative enzyme superoxide dismutase, which disarms free radicals produced within the mitochondria (the energy production factories within our cells), requires manganese. In addition to manganese, pineapple is a good source of thiamin, a B vitamin that acts as a cofactor in enzymatic reactions central to energy production. It also protect against Macular Degeneration.

 How about the calcium and phosphorus ratio? It can vary depending on the variety of pineapple, but on average, it is 1:1. So follow up with a fruit that is rich in calcium to avoid too much calcium lost.

This is why my GliderSLURP! flavour, Tropical Pick has pineapple included, just a bit is added to give that benefial enzyme for digestion and antioxidants. Just Google for Pineapple benefits to know more. I suggest if possible, we should let our gliders have a little pineapple once a week, be it fresh, frozen or in juice form but I generally say fresh is the best.

I decided to do a post on cranberry juice today, just coz someone googled my blog and used key words like cranberry juice for gliders.

Is it safe? Should we give our gliders cranberry juice?

I read a health article in the newspaper last weekend and it stated that cranberries are loaded with antioxidants and it can flush out toxins from our bodies. It is a beneficial fruit and drink. It may taste sour and some gliders do not enjoy the taste, but it is good stuff for both us and our gliders. Let me share my findings.

Dr. Starr cited studies at other major universities, from Harvard to Cornell to Rutgers, on the goodness of cranberries. “Researchers have demonstrated that this tiny berry is packed with health benefits. We have evidence showing that cranberries block the adhesion of certain harmful bacteria to cells, which promotes urinary tract health, and may also help prevent stomach ulcers and gum disease.

According to studies, cranberries helps with urinary tract infection (UTI) and gum problems. The cranberry has this enzyme called proanthocyanidins that prevents harmful bacteria from sticking on the urinary tract wall. It flushes out toxins and bacteria. Many drink cranberry juice as a prevention to UTI but it may help curing as well. You won’t see instant improvements and be cured after a few drinks, it will take tim as once a glider has UTI, their urinary tract is inflamed, swollen and it takes time and anti-biotics to heal the infection.

The enzymes also helps clean teeth! Strange but true. It flushes out bacteria from the gums. Since we can’t brush our glider’s teeth, we should give them some cranberry juice to help with dental care.

This small berry is really like…. the superfood of all foods. Apparently studies were made and they happen to found that cranberries can lower the risk of getting cancer as well as heart disease. More studies are still going on for the anti-cancer properties but the antioxidant components, called polyphenols, and bioflavonoids may help to reduce the risk of heart disease. It kinda
reduces bad cholesterol so it helps the arteries to function better and it can prevent heart attacks and such.

Now, after reading this, don’t just go and get some cheap brand at the supermarket. You actually get all these benefits from fresh or pure cranberry juice. So your best bet would be Cold Storage or Bangsar Grocers at Bangsar Village or any organic store. If you happen to know of a place that gets a good amount of imported stuff, then go over and look for cranberry juice that has no added preservatives and no added sugar or colouring or flavouring.

How to feed? Gliders like sweet fruits and juices. They would rarely drink cranberry juice on their own. So mix it with some apple juice or a pinch of brown sugar. For glider that have UTI, they should drink half a teaspoon of cranberry juice daily but you still have to get medical treatment. Why? UTI again, an infection where the bladded and urinary tract has been infected by bacteria, causing inflamation and swelling. So antibiotics is needed to fight the infection while cranberry juice flushes out the toxins and bacteria.