Tip: Signing up for our Autoship program will save you both time and money.

Challenging economic times make it harder to balance getting premium products for your family while also saving your wallet. We know how it is, which is why we spoke to our very own employee-owners to share money saving tips they’ve learned from personal experience as well as from our customers. Now you won’t have to sacrifice quality - ever again.

Sign Up For Autoship

One of the best ways to save money at Life’s Abundance is by using our Autoship program. You get discounted pricing when you add products to your Autoship, it’s absolutely free to enroll and has no minimum order requirement. It’s a loyalty discount program with big benefits.

You’ll never again have to make a late night run to the store when you’re running low on pet food, supplements or personal care items. Just choose how often you’d like your products shipped out and we’ll do the rest.

Saving both money and time? Everyone knows that’s a win-win.

Double Up Your Order

If you’re already enrolled in our Autoship program, you’re one step ahead. But did you know that you can save even more money by doubling your order? For example, if you order a bag of pet food today, you’ll pay $8.85 for shipping. But, if you order two bags today, you’ll still pay the same shipping rate. This way you can double up your Autoship order and schedule it to ship out less frequently - saving you on shipping.

This strategy will cut your shipping costs in half, and you’ll still receive the discounted Autoship pricing. Remember, your Autoship frequency can be set as far out as 4 months apart.

Special Insider tip: You may be thinking - “I don’t need two large bags of food, plus they’ll go bad.” Just check out our blog on how to store pet food, and you’ll be able to keep your furry friends’ kibble fresh for longer.

As an extra perk, by doing this, you’re helping out the environment by cutting down on your deliveries, reducing carbon emissions, and your packaging, saving trees.

Fill Up The Box

If you already trust the quality of one of our products, try other products from our people and pet lines. Make it easier on yourself by adding on to your already existing shipment - with supplements, skin care, pet treats or cleaning supplies. This way, you’re buying from a single source and it saves you money on shipping too! And, since you’ll be making the most of it and adding multiple products into the same package, this is a greener option for the environment.

Tip: Fill up your existing order by trying other products from our people and pet lines.

Skip “Oh Shoot” Day

Have you ever had that moment where it’s pup’s mealtime or you’re making your morning protein smoothie and you’re down to that last scoop in the bag - and you haven’t placed your order yet? “Oh shoot.” We’ve all been there, which is why it is important that you never wait until the last minute to ship your order since overnight shipping is super expensive. Even then, it still might take two days depending on the time of day you purchase. It’s better to have a week or two of extra product than pay extra at the very last minute.

Special Insider tip: If you can’t log into your account to ship your order, just find your last Autoship confirmation or tracking number email and reply to it with “SHIP NOW” and we will take care of the rest! Just make sure your credit card number is up to date. Easy peasy.

Don’t Give Up Quality And Safety

As we’ve mentioned before, you never want to give up quality or safety just to save a few extra bucks. After all, good health starts with good nutrition, and what would a trip to the doctor or vet cost you in time, money, and worry?

You do everything you can to keep your family healthy, and you also know it’s important to focus on the quality, and overall safety of the products they consume. That’s why here at Life’s Abundance, as an added layer of quality assurance, we’ve developed a unique recall system so advanced that when you purchase a product, we know what you received, all the way down to the lot number. We’ve never had a recall in over 20 years, but if there is ever an issue, our proactive communications system allows us to reach thousands of people by phone in just one hour, ensuring that all affected customers are contacted quickly. You would also hear from us by email and even through the mail. Without this direct outreach, most consumers would never hear about a recall.

We hope these tips help you while you’re buying products from Life’s Abundance. Happy Shopping and Happy Savings!

Have some Life’s Abundance money-saving tips of your own? Share them in the comments below!

If you found this interesting, check out these related stories:

Can You Claim Pets On A Tax Return?

Tips For Waste Free Skin Care

If the dog days of summer call out for anything (aside from a fully functioning central air system) it’s a bright, cool, refreshing beverage. And should that beverage also replenish your body’s supply of minerals and antioxidants, so much the better!

Our culinary team has concocted what we hope will instantly become your new favorite beverage from your first thirst-quenching gulp. It's bright as the noon-day beach, bursting with a snappy, sweet flavor and brimming with the nutrients that summer bodies crave, thanks to our fabulously nourishing Minerals & Antioxidants Drink Mix.

Best of all, it's a simple recipe, one you can mix to perfection in mere moments. In fact, we're willing to wager that your taste buds will tingle with anticipation just reading over our recipe! Get ready to wow your friends and family when you serve this drink at your next summer cookout.

Without any further ado, say "hello" to our brand new summer apéritif, Cherry Lime Refresher.

INGREDIENTS

• 12 fresh cherries, pitted
• 1 lime
• 1/4 cup cranberry juice
• 3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 1 scoop Life’s Abundance Minerals & Antioxidants
• ice
• Club soda or lemon-lime soda

DIRECTIONS

In a shaker bottle, muddle the cherries. Add cranberry juice, lime juice and ice. Cover and shake for 30 seconds. Strain into a tall glass, then stir in Minerals & Antioxidants. Slowly fill the remainder of glass with the club soda or lemon-lime soda. Stir. Serve with a garnish of lime.

We are proud to announce that Life’s Abundance is a 2019 Forbes Small Giants winner! This award is bestowed annually to 25 privately held companies that exemplify their commitment to choosing greatness over growth. Each of these companies provides stellar service to customers, offers employees fulfilling, rewarding work and is a vital member of its community. Below is the write-up in May’s edition of Forbes Magazine.

Life’s Abundance has been making and selling healthy pet food (and other products) since 1999, and it’s never had a product recalled, a record that makes CEO Lester Thornhill, a native Trinidadian, proud. It relies on customers to market its products, as in multilevel marketing, but with a crucial difference: There are no quotas, and no one is required to buy or sell anything. That not only means a lot of repeat customers but also lets the company keep its goods out of big-box stores and Amazon, which is a matter of principle, Thornhill says, enabling Life's Abundance to manufacture in small batches and guarantee freshness and quality.

“We are deeply honored to be a part of the Small Giants Community, an inspiring group of purpose-driven business leaders,” says Lester Thornhill, CEO of Life’s Abundance. “This award holds particular meaning to us because it celebrates our commitment to making an impact beyond our balance sheet, whether it’s creating products for the well-being of you and your pets, selecting sustainable business practices, or contributing to charitable organizations.”

The Small Giants Community is open to businesses that are eager to grow and make profits, but only while upholding their culture and purpose. Once a year, 250 like-minded leaders get together for a three-day conference loaded with vivacious speakers and social events centered on how to keep great companies strong. At the summit, the 25 Best Small Companies who were named in Forbes are honored. We were so thrilled to be a part of the celebration this year!

Looking for a fun way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo? Try our signature vegetarian burger! With a lot fewer calories that a regular beef burger, it's actually brimming with the health-promoting power of our special ingredient, Greens Blend. 

As listed, makes approximately three large or four medium-size burgers. Or, divvy it up into six mini patties and serve as sliders! If you're making it for friends and family, you're going to need to double it, because these burgers are the bomb.

Ingredients

• 1 15 oz. can black beans
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 4 Tbsp. yellow onion, minced
• ¼ tsp. white pepper
• ¼ tsp. cumin
• ½ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. chili powder
• 1 egg
• ½ scoop Life’s Abundance Greens Blend
• 1-2 Tbsp. avocado oil

Directions

Drain most of the liquid from the black beans, but do not rinse the beans. Pour beans into a medium-size bowl and roughly mash with a fork. Not every single bean needs to be mashed, just the majority. Add flour, onion, white pepper, salt, chili powder, egg and Greens Blend. Mix well with your hands until all ingredients are fully combined. Form into 3-4 burgers, remembering that black bean burgers do not shrink in size like regular burgers. So the size you start with will be the finished size.

Pre-heat a large skillet over medium-high and add 1-2 tablespoons of avocado or coconut oil. Place burgers into the skillet and cook for about 5 minutes on each side until slightly browned.

Serve your delicious black bean burgers on a bun (or slider roll if you've made mini burgers). Or, for an even healthier alternative, avoid the bread altogether and wrap your veggie burgers in a crispy butterhead lettuce leaves (either Bibb or Boston).

All that's left to do is add your favorite burger toppings and tuck in!

A lot of folks don’t realize it, but as companion animals grow older, their nutritional needs often change. As their caretakers, we owe it to them to provide the best we can, based on their current nutritional requirements. The truth is, when it comes to senior dogs, appropriate, targeted nourishment can make a real difference in terms of longevity and long-term happiness. More...

When I was a kid, I hated mushrooms. HATED them! My mother, determined to get me to partake, would chop them up into bits and mix them in with ground beef stirred into spaghetti sauce. When she went to put the dinner plates away, she’d find a tiny pile of minced up mushrooms on the edge of my plate. Yes, I was stubborn. But Mom had the right idea ... mushrooms are potent little powerhouses of nutrition.

In terms of how humans use mushrooms, they can be broadly divided into three categories: those we eat, those that might kill you, and those with medicinal properties. It's this last category that we're most interested in today. Civilizations going back thousands of years recognized the power of mushrooms in certain disease processes, and veterinarians are also looking for ways these compounds can help our canine companions suffering from cancer. 

Hemangiosarcoma is an aggressive cancer found almost exclusively in dogs, and one we see far too often in the clinic. One of the most insidious cancers due to its rapid growth, this sarcoma (connective tissue tumors) is found in the lining of blood vessels. While surgery and chemotherapy may delay the spread of the disease, it very rarely cures the cancer. Even with proactive treatment, fewer than 10% of dogs with this cancer are alive one year after the initial diagnosis. These therapies are invasive, expensive, and cause significant discomfort in and of themselves, so many pet parents do not pursue them.

A group of researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine investigated the effects of Coriolus versicolor, often referred to as turkey tail. It’s a mushroom commonly used in Chinese medicine, where it's regarded to have anti-tumor properties. Rather than using the whole mushroom, they used an extract of the bioactive agent and administered it to dogs with hemangiosarcoma ... and the effects surprised everyone.

In this study, 15 dogs with naturally occurring hemangiosarcoma were given standardized extracts of the turkey tail mushroom rather than the traditional US medical treatment (surgery plus chemotherapy). To the amazement and delight of the researchers, all 15 dogs showed significant improvement: it took longer for the cancer to spread, and overall survival time was increased. Dogs treated with surgery have a median survival of 19-86 days. However, in this study, dogs receiving the highest dose of mushroom extract had a median survival of 199 days! No, it wasn’t a cure, but more than doubling the time you have left without the need for surgery or chemotherapy, that is definitely worth celebrating!

While researchers have a general idea of how mushroom extracts work, the exact mechanisms have yet to be identified. The active agent in turkey tail, PSP, boosts the body’s own cancer-fighting abilities by improving the function of the immune system. Compare this to a traditional chemotherapy treatment, where a toxic agent kills both cancer cells and normal cells. As you might imagine, treatment with the mushroom extract is much better tolerated in patients than chemotherapy. In fact, in the Pennsylvania study, researchers found no evidence of adverse side effects!

In Japan, turkey tail has been used extensively as a treatment for many types of cancers, including gastric, breast, lung and colorectal cancer. And it’s not just this mushroom! Over 100 species of mushroom are used as adjunct cancer treatments in Japan and China.

There’s a reason you haven’t heard of it as much in the States. Here, mushroom extracts are classified as a supplement and not a drug, thus they are not regulated or approved by the FDA. It is, however, still available and the research is popping up all over the place. It’s on the radar of established treatment institutes such as Memorial Sloan Kettering. Keep in mind that all of this is a brand new avenue of research with much left to learn about why mushrooms might have a positive effect. Bottom line, don't rush out to buy something you don't understand, but rather have a conversation with your doctor before trying anything new.

While the veterinary studies are few and far between, mushroom extracts are promising enough that many veterinary oncologists are already starting to incorporate them into their treatment regimens. Although they are considered fairly safe, it’s always best to consult with your veterinarian before starting any new supplement. In addition to making sure it won’t interact with other treatments your dog is receiving, your veterinarian will be able to recommend a brand she trusts to provide a reliable, active dose of the extract. Not all supplements are produced with the same quality control standards.

The bottom line is that this is definitely an avenue that warrants further investigation. In fact, the study was so successful, the manufacturer of the PSP supplement plans to study its effects on human cancers, too! 

Dr. Jessica Vogelsang, DVM

Sources

^{https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/cam/patient/mushrooms-pdq}

^{https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2012/384301/}

^{https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/compound-derived-mushroom-lengthens-survival-time-dogs-cancer-penn-vet-study-finds}

Spring has a way of breathing energy back into your life. So why not take some of that kinetic potential and pour it into a fun activity? Perhaps even something you can do with your companion animal that could actually improve your health? 

Sure, you could go to the park and play fetch. Or play Frisbee. But if you're looking for something different but still a healthy activity, check out our fun ways to exercise with your pet below!

Pup Pilates

In the last 20 years, millions of Americans have tried pilates, the art of controlled movements. As an exercise regimen, pilates can help improve balance, tone muscles and bring practitioners a sense of peace. For a new twist, try doing exercises while holding your pets! While cradling your puppy or small dog (sorry Newfoundland moms and dads) while doing squats, lunges, lunges with side to side twists and bridge pulses with your little buddy on your belly. Of course, this is only something you should do if your dog (or cat) is calm enough. A wriggly pupper might throw off your sense of balance, so exercise some caution.

Agility Training

The great thing about agility training is that it not only provides exercise for both you and your dog, it can forge a closer connection between you, too! And it doesn't have to take place in a pre-approved or professional facility. As long as there's plenty of room to move around, you can set up your own little endurance challenges. If you have a small dog, a long hallway can afford sufficient space to set up an obstacle course (think plastic cups rather than pylons and wooden dowels on stacks of books as hurdles). The only limits are your imagination!

Yoga with Your Cat

We know what you're going to say after reading this headline ... "yoga to be kitten me!" But, no, we're completely serious. Just like with Pup Pilates, only docile cats should join you for resistance training. After the customary warm-up, some compatible moves you can do with your cat are the prayer position, the Lion King pose (remember when Simba was held aloft for the admiration of the Animal Kingdom? it's based on that), the Crescent Warrior (or in this case, Purrier) and Vinyasa to downward dog (yes, we do admit the irony of doing that pose with your cat). Even if you don't hold your cat, their close proximity can add both peaceful and playful moments to your practice. Some people just enjoy the happy purring of their kitties while working through their yoga routine. Who knows, that constant sound might even help you reach a higher state of peace!

Low-Resistance Strength Training

If you're more old school and would prefer to rekindle a weight-training routine, but you can't lift the same amounts you used to, strength training with your pets is an option! Before you laugh, just recall that it did wonders for Milo of Croton, a 6th Century Greek wrestler who lifted a calf every day until it was a fully grown bull (or so they say). But we're not shooting for anything remotely that superhuman. Try push ups with your cat on your back, the kitty press, puppy squats, lateral raises (again, think Lion King) and cat curls. And, of course, in between reps, be sure to take time for scritches, boops and copious pets.

So Many More Options ...

If none of these sound appealing because you're looking for something a little more strenuous or you just want to get away from your house, check out our video tutorials on all sorts of outdoorsy activities and exercising you can do with your dog, including jogging, biking, swimming, hiking and camping.

Do you have a special activity you like to do with your companion animals? Share your exercise tips in the comments section below!

Nothing says “Spring has sprung” like a joyfully light angel food cake topped with freshly harvested berries. It’s the perfect excuse to go out and find a farmer’s market and relish in the springtime air and take in the sights of nature’s wonder ... maybe even meet some new people from your town!

Our culinary team has whipped this smashing spring dessert that might just be your new favorite healthy treat! What’s so amazing is that it’s packed with nutrients, thanks to our incredibly nourishing Minerals & Antioxidants Drink Mix.

Best of all, this cake recipe is easy as pie. Perhaps even easier!

Ingredients

• 1 pkg. (16 oz.) angel food cake mix
• 2 scoops Minerals & Antioxidants (Cherry or Tropical Fruit Flavor)
• Whipped cream to top (optional)
• 2 cups raspberries & sliced strawberries to garnish (optional)

Directions

Add dry Minerals & Antioxidants mix to water called for in cake mix directions. Using this water mixture, prepare cake batter as directed on package, and bake. Once out of the oven, invert pan, cool cake completely and gently remove cake from pan.

Top cake with whipped topping. Garnish with berries.

You know how it goes. Your doctor tells you that overall, you’re pretty healthy, but your bad cholesterol is creeping up and your good cholesterol isn’t where it should be. You already live a heart-healthy lifestyle by eating well, exercising and minimizing stress. What more can you do? If you’re anything like us, you look for answers anywhere you can ...

The Discovery

… like the internet. Wine is good for the heart! It says so right there on Instagram, next to that photo of a smiling, fit, bikini-clad influencer hoisting a glass of pinot noir. She looks healthy AND happy. Clearly this is something you must investigate further.

The Deep Dive

You Google “why is wine good for your heart,” and you are not disappointed in the results. “Antioxidants in red wine called polyphenols may help protect the lining of blood vessels in your heart,” says the Mayo Clinic. “Resveratrol might be a key ingredient in red wine that helps prevent damage to blood vessels, reduces low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol) and prevents blood clots. Some research shows that resveratrol could be linked to a lower risk of inflammation and blood clotting, which can lead to heart disease. But other studies found no benefits from resveratrol in preventing heart disease.”

You choose to ignore that last sentence and create a game plan. Better health starts now.

The Field Test

A friend agrees to meet you at a local wine bar. It’s happy hour, and you’ve never been happier to embark on a new wellness regime. Two glasses of cabernet in, you’re feeling awfully good about your commitment to yourself. “Polyphenols are red compound modifiers that help your blood vessels,” you offer knowingly between sips. “Reservanoid fights blood clotting in flamingoes.”

You settle your tab, leave a generous tip and call a cab. You are warm. Content. Your body is thanking you already.

The Letdown

It’s 6 a.m., and you’ve woken up with a splitting headache. Your mouth feels like the sticky side of masking tape. And it dawns on you ... perhaps I've made an unfortunate mistake.

The Lesson

You remember the old advice: “Know your limits.” You acknowledge that perhaps three (okay, four) glasses of red wine falls well outside your limit. After you’ve guzzled two cups of strong coffee and a giant glass of water, you settle back in front of your computer. This time, you actually finish the article you glossed over before and read, “Neither the American Heart Association nor the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute recommends that you start drinking alcohol just to prevent heart disease.” Furthermore, they advise, “If you already drink red wine, do so in moderation."

So what does that mean exactly for healthy adults? We're so glad you asked.

• Up to one drink a day for women of all ages.
• Up to one drink a day for men older than age 65.
• Up to two drinks a day for men age 65 and younger. The limit for men is higher because men generally weigh more and have more of an enzyme that metabolizes alcohol than women do.

Fine. FINE. You realize that as fun as a glass of pinot can be, you really might be better off finding a hangover-free source of antioxidants. And maybe on the way home from work, you'll also buy some grapes.

Reference:

www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/in-depth/red-wine/art-20048281

As far as problems go, they don't come much larger than the threats posed by global climate change. And yet, instead of engaging in a meaningful debate about the best solution to the problem, we seem to be stuck in a cycle where many remain resistant to the mere idea of tackling the issues we face. Why is it that? Sociologists have an answer to this conundrum that makes perfect sense. Because the problem is so monumental, and the potential devastation too frightening, it almost seems inevitable, as something impossible to fix. But, what if the solution is much simpler than we're expecting? Not only simple but completely doable? And, icing on the cake, what if the fix was something that pretty much everyone views as positive?

In mid-February, a Swiss researcher named Thomas Crowther presented his research findings at the Science Transcending Boundaries Conference, this year's Annual Meeting of the AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science). Until very recently, the prevailing wisdom was that a widescale adoption of wind turbines and a mass conversion of diets from meat-eating to vegetarian would have the greatest impacts on the planet's environment. But after Dr. Crowther presented the results of his amazing research project, we now know that a worldwide tree-planting "spree" would have the greatest impact on our planet's environment. That's right, simply by increasing the number of trees worldwide from three trillion to four trillion, we could cancel out more than a decade of greenhouse emissions right away! According to Crowther, trees should now be viewed as “our most powerful weapon in the fight against climate change."

Could restoring the health of our planet be as simple as planting one trillion trees? The longer answer is that a combination of ending destructive farming practices and replenishing our planet's biodiversity through forestation really could be the turning point in our ecological crisis. In a very real sense, planting seedling trees is the first step in a proactive solution to most of our climate problems. On the micro-level, we can help lift people out of poverty, while on the macro-level, we could make great strides towards reversing the proliferation of carbon in the atmosphere.

As part of our Evergreen commitment (Life’s Abundance has been certified as an Evergreen company by the Tugboat Institute), we make decisions based not just on profit, but on long-term sustainability and on being a good steward of the environment. When we launched our line of premium skin-care products, we wanted to do something above and beyond our typical commitment to creating a better world. A reflection of our natural philosophy, we entered into a partnership with Trees for the Future. Every time a customer purchases one of our skin-care products, we make a corresponding commitment to further fund this green initiative by planting a tree.

Trees for the Future (TREES) is an international development non-profit that meets a triple bottom line through their tree-planting mission: poverty alleviation, hunger eradication and healing the environment. In addition to planting trees, they train farmers to manage "forest gardens" in order to sustainably feed their families and raise their incomes by as much as four times! And because they utilize sophisticated algorithms and tracking software, our trees are planted are used in areas where they can have the greatest impact. At present, they have trained at-risk peoples in six countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, including Cameroon, Guinea, Kenya, Senegal, Tanzania and Uganda. Since they were founded in 1989, TREES has planted over 150 million trees!

According to John Leary, executive director of TREES, "Our planet loses 50 soccer fields worth of trees every minute, and much of this deforestation is occurring in the developing tropics where hundreds of millions of families depend on trees for their survival. Once the trees are cleared, most subsistence farmers in the developing world use destructive farming techniques – including both slash-and-burn and modern agriculture – that inhibit the growth of anything but one or a few temporary crops." Leary's belief is that restoring agricultural lands with a diverse combination of trees and crops is the answer to a whole host of pressing global problems, including: desertification; diminishing access to potable water; hunger and poverty; forced migrations; and, of course, climate change itself.

As a corporate sponsor, you can visit our very own TREES web page to view our current count of tree seedlings planted to date. So far, we've planted an amazing 46,000 trees! To put our participation in perspective, if every registered business in the US were to plant the same number of trees, the trillion number goal would be met with an extra 288 billion on top of it!

The thing that stands out for most people is the idea of planting trees is appealing. Pretty much everyone who has ever planted a tree thinks of it as a positive experience. Anyone can do it. They improve urban environments. They absorb carbon dioxide and generate oxygen. As far as ecosystems go, planting more trees is always a good thing.

Best of all, it would appear people are enthusiastic about Crowther's bold proposal. The UN has already changed the name of their tree-planting initiative to the Trillion Tree Campaign!

So, if you've ever felt like you can't make a difference, now you know you can! We encourage all our readers to visit trees.org and trilliontreecampaign.org and find out more about these initiatives. And, if you're looking for something a little more local, make planting tree seedlings into a regular fun family outing.

For more on the science and the solution, check out these informative links!

^{https://aaas.confex.com/aaas/2019/meetingapp.cgi/Paper/23744}

^{https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/forests-climate-change-co2-greenhouse-gases-trillion-trees-global-warming-a8782071.html}

^{https://eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-02/ez-pcc021119.php}

^{https://www.wearesalt.org/stopping-the-sixth-extinction-habitat-creation/}

^{https://futurism.com/planting-trillions-trees-cancel-co2-emissions/}

^{http://trees.org/app/uploads/2018/03/One-Shot-Meltwater-Email-PR.pdf}