Sweet Potatoes vs. Yams

What is the difference between sweet potatoes and yams?

Although yams and sweet potatoes are both angiosperms (flowering plants), they are not related botanically.

Yams are a monocot (a plant having one embryonic seed leaf) and from the Dioscoreaceae or Yam family.

Sweet Potatoes, often called ‘yams’, are a dicot (a plant having two embryonic seed leaves) and are from the Convolvulacea or morning glory family.

Yams
Yams are closely related to lilies and grasses. Native to Africa and Asia, yams vary in size from that of a small potato to a record 130 pounds (as of 1999). There are over 600 varieties of yams and 95% of these crops are grown in Africa. Compared to sweet potatoes, yams are starchier and drier.
Yams are a good source of Vitamin B6, which is needed by the body to break down a substance called homocysteine, which can directly damage blood vessel walls. Yams are a good source of potassium, a mineral that helps to control blood pressure.

Sweet Potatoes
The many varieties of sweet potatoes (Ipomoea batatas) are members of the morning glory family, Convolvulacea. The skin color can range from white to yellow, red, purple or brown. The flesh also ranges in color from white to yellow, orange, or orange-red. Sweet potato varieties are classified as either ‘firm’ or ‘soft’. When cooked, those in the ‘firm’ category remain firm, while ‘soft’ varieties become soft and moist. It is the ‘soft’ varieties that are often labeled as yams in the United States.

Sweet potatoes are packed with massive amounts of vitamin A, a nutrient considered critical in maintaining proper eye health. The sweet potato contains several other vitamins and minerals in amounts not found in the lowly yam. Compared to yams, sweet potatoes contain significantly higher amounts of calcium, iron, and vitamin E, and they twice as much protein per serving.

Why the confusion?
In the United States, firm varieties of sweet potatoes were produced before soft varieties. When soft varieties were first grown commercially, there was a need to differentiate between the two. African slaves had already been calling the ‘soft’ sweet potatoes ‘yams’ because they resembled the yams in Africa. Thus, ‘soft’ sweet potatoes were referred to as ‘yams’ to distinguish them from the ‘firm’ varieties.

Today the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires labels with the term ‘yam’ to be accompanied by the term ‘sweet potato.’ Unless you specifically search for yams, which are usually found in an international market, you are probably eating sweet potatoes!

Reference: http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/sweetpotato.html

Traveling with your pet

Traveling with your pet
With the holidays here we are all considering what to do with our pets when we go out of town. Whether we are boarding our pets, hiring pet sitters to come to or stay at our house, having family watch our pet or otherwise, there are things we can do to make our pets more comfortable and happy while we're gone.
Supplementation: No one wants to drug their pet with prescription sedatives during travel or times of stress. Fortunately there are herbal calming supplements available for your pets. If you would like something to help your pet relax consider Pet Essences remedies (such as Anxiety/Fear, Travel, Loneliness/Home Alone, etc), Happy Tails Sleepytime Tonic, Naturvet Quiet Moments or Animals Apawthecary Tranquility Blend.
Other recommendations:
-Sleep- in a t-shirt or with a pet blanket (like West Paws Big Sky Blanket) so your smell gets onto the blanket, then let your pet sleep with it while you are gone.
- Chew Bones- Get some long lasting chew bones to distract your dog while you are away. Long term bones like Ostrich Femurs, Bully Stix, Sarge bones, Bare Bones stuffed with Wysong Organic Peanut Butter or yogurt is a good way to help pass the time away while you are gone. Chew bones are only recommended for dogs that are responsible chewers and won't swallow large chunks of bones when left unattended.
-Intelligence Toys- Tug-a-Jugs, Planet Dog Orbees and Orbos and Kongs can all be filled with treats that your dog must learn to get out. They are extremely durable toys that are hard to chew up (a couple of them are even guaranteed) and you can customize the flavor to your dogs desires. Laser toys are also good for pets to chase and burn some energy on. They can't catch and destroy a laser light but it makes for lots of fun. Lasers should only be used under adult supervision, as they can cause eye damage if pointed directly in the eye.
-Spray- Naturvet Quiet Moments sprays are good for calming cats and dogs in kennels, rooms and other strange situations.
-Catnip- Catnip is calming for dogs and cats. A couple of strategically placed catnip toys or a little bit of catnip in the food can help your pet sleep and relax.
-Aromatherapy- Lavender aromatherapy and other herbs can be very calming to your pet during times of high stress.
-Sometimes separation is the best treatment for stress. If your pet stresses easily, sometimes the best thing you can do is give them a little space. Don't reinforce bad behavior by trying to soothe an over-reactive dog or cat. Simply let them know that you're there for them but leave them alone... give them a chew bone or toy and a calming supplement and take them OUT of the stressful situation, even if that means taking them on a walk or putting them in a kennel.
Our next newsletter will have more tips about how to help your pet cope with children, travel and decorations during the holidays.