Your pet will always cherish any quality time you spend with them. 

Every January, New Year’s Resolutions are on many people’s minds. Maybe you plan on reading more, eating healthier, or spending more time with family, but what about our pets? Do our sweet fur babies even have their own resolutions for the new year? If cats and dogs could talk, here are some resolutions we think they’d declare along with some ideas on how we, their humans, can help them achieve them:

Eat Healthier

Lots of us pledge to lose weight or eat healthier when January rolls around. Why should our pets be any different? If your dog has packed on a few extra pounds over this last year, help them reach their goal of slimming down by feeding them our Adult Weight Loss food.

Exercise More

Ever been to the gym at the beginning of January? Every machine is taken, and every corner is full of people trying their best to ditch the ten pounds of cookies and cocktails they might have gained over the holidays. And while pet gyms aren’t a thing…yet, you can encourage more active and fit pets by engaging them in regular playtime and activity.

Laser pointers or feather wands are almost guaranteed to get cats motivated to jump around. For dogs, be sure to take them on multiple walks and play fetch with their favorite ball. All of these activities will help you and your pet bond, while also keeping them trim and fit.

Getting some exercise with your pet is a great way to keep them fit.

Level Up On Looks

There’s something about the start of the year that has us all wanting to look our best - whether that's with the help of a new jacket or a fresh haircut. If your pet is also looking for a fresh new ‘coat’ to show off on their next visit to the local dog park, you can help them out by keeping them looking clean and smelling fresh, with products like our Revitalizing Shampoo for dogs and cats.

Spend Time With the Ones You Love

At the heart of it all, people and pets alike want the chance to spend quality time with the ones they love the most. Because when it comes down to it, what’s the point of us or our pets having resolutions to slim down, tone up, or glam out if we don’t have anyone to share it with?

We’re the center of our pet’s universe, and more often than not, they’re the center of ours. So, carve out time to spend with them, whether it’s taking a long walk, playing with a favorite toy, or snuggling up on the couch together to watch a classic movie. We promise it’s time well spent that you’re both sure to cherish for years to come.

Happy New Year from Life’s Abundance!

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2020 has been quite the year and we’ve all been through this journey of ups and downs. The new year is finally here and you might be tempted to think of a long list of resolutions you want to accomplish. Maybe you want to start going to sleep earlier, make a workout plan, or save a certain amount of money. We get it - you may feel like you lost a lot of time and need to catch up on life. We’re here to tell you though, resolutions shouldn’t necessarily be your focus in the new year. Goal setting is a much more realistic way to reach where you are striving to be.

What is goal setting?

Goal setting is the process of defining exactly what your goals are and what steps you will take to achieve them. This ensures you have a solid plan in place with set deadlines. As you define these objectives, they should be attainable and tangible.

Why does goal setting work better than resolutions?

Resolutions are merely goals or habits you want to incorporate into your life without actually having a plan in place. This can make it extremely difficult to live out your resolutions in the new year. In fact, about 80 percent of resolutions fail before the end of February! This is usually because the resolutions set are huge goals that end up being very overwhelming, especially when you don’t have a deadline or clear plan set for yourself.

In saying this, goal setting is much more efficient in this way because even if you have a big, intimidating goal you want to reach, you can break it down into smaller ones. For example, if you are aiming to shed a bit of that holiday weight, it is better to take it little by little. Aim to lose a lesser amount of pounds each week rather than a higher amount of pounds in six months. Smaller goals are easier to obtain and you are much more likely to reach your target.

How can you incorporate this into your life?

It’s best to identify a few goals you want to achieve. Don’t overwhelm yourself with a bunch of things you want to get done this year. It’s okay to have a top two or three objectives and put all your energy into those few. On top of this, there is also something called setting “SMART” goals. This means your goals should be:

1. Specific - Stay away from generic goals like “eat healthier.” The more specific you are, the better it will be when you start planning.

2. Measurable - Measure your progress in terms of amounts, time passed, etc.

3. Attainable - Goals are meant to be achieved! They should not be so out of reach that you cannot attain them.

4. Relevant - Keep your goals aligned with your life. Make sure it helps you get where you want to be.

5. Time Bound - Set a deadline! It will only make it that more rewarding for you when you achieve it.


Now that you have your goals, it’s time to make a plan for each one. Write out the small steps within your large goal and make deadlines for those too. All that’s left to do is stick to your plan! Just remember that you can take advantage of goal setting at any time of the year, it isn’t only limited to each time the new year comes around.

Happy planning and Happy New Year!

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Let Go of Limiting Beliefs

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Our immediate way of life calls for quick results in almost everything we do. The general rule is “Gimmie a quick and effective hack and I’m there.” Those who lead way too busy lives don’t have time to research the latest and greatest on nutritional science. As a result, the big headlines are often very enticing, but the problem is that a lot of nutritional advice goes to extremes. So before you go all out on that “I really mean it this time, I have to lead a healthier life in 2018” resolution, check out these five not-so-healthy trends. Don’t worry, we’ll make it fast and simple!

#1 Extreme Dieting: It’s time to think of the word ‘diet’ as a noun. It’s something everyone has, not something you do, or can ‘be on.’ Severely limiting calories or following a strict plan consisting of only a few foods or even liquids in the hopes to lose weight is not a sustainable way to work your way to health. While you can lose weight following one of these plans, it often throws people into the bad habits of yo-yo dieting. Depriving your body from the adequate nutritional fuel it needs to run properly can have some pretty negative results like mood swings, lack of energy, brain fog, dull skin, slowed metabolism, constipation and bloating. Yuck! Making small, positive changes to your diet over time can help you lead a healthier lifestyle, and reach your health goals, without going to extremes.

#2 Gluten-Free Eating, Just Because: Over the past several years, “gluten-free” went from a medical recommendation to a health fad to, sometimes, a marketing ploy. The truth is, whether going gluten-free is a good choice for you depends on factors like how your individual body digests gluten and your lifestyle. Celiac disease is a serious autoimmune disorder where the ingestion of gluten leads to damage in the small intestine. There’s no doubt that those diagnosed with this disease as well as those with gluten sensitivities and wheat allergies should avoid foods that contain gluten. However, many health care professionals advise against a gluten-free diet unless it’s absolutely necessary because whole grains containing gluten like wheat, rye and barley are linked to reduced risks of diabetes, obesity and other chronic diseases. In other words, for healthy people, they’re healthy, and avoiding them can actually introduce more ingredients into your diet that you should actually be avoiding, like added sugar.

#3 Cutting Out Fats: Let’s finally put to bed the thought that eating fat makes you fat. The days of low-fat or reduced-fat are behind us. Often, the products that have the fat removed have other filler ingredients added, and are often higher in sugar! Fat doesn’t make you fat! Fats are satiating and help you feel more satisfied after a meal, meaning you need less to feel full. Healthy fats like omega-3s also offer so many benefits, like brain and heart health. Whole milk greek yogurt? We’re for it!

#4 Supplement Supersizing: Adding a good nutritional supplement to your diet is a positive move, but more is not necessarily better, especially when it comes to fat soluble vitamins such as vitamins A, D, E and K. Taking excess amounts of these vitamins can potentially lead to overaccumulation, toxicity and other negative side effects. As for water soluble vitamins? Any excess will simply be excreted in your urine. 

#5 All Raw, Vegan Diet: Adding raw fruits and vegetables to your daily diet is a smart move. However, adhering to this strict regimen can be risky because an all raw, vegan diet can often be lacking in important nutrients like vitamin B12, which can cause fatigue, constipation and appetite loss. It also often lacks calcium, an important nutrient for bone health, and vitamin D, a nutrient associated with many health-promoting benefits.

Okay, so this may not be exciting advice, but good common sense is really all that you need to make good choices when it comes to your diet. As we all know, any ‘quick fix’ diet or health trend is not the answer to better health. Focusing on real whole foods that are minimally processed, and incorporating lots of vegetables, fruit, lean proteins (and did we mention vegetables?!) into your diet can help you work your way to better health!

 Keri Glassman, MS.RD.CDN

It’s refreshing, right? The feeling of starting fresh in a new year, with an opportunity for self improvement and change.

Here’s a good tip for when you’re making New Year's goals and resolutions. It will help you stay focused on both short and long-term goals alike.

When defining what you want to achieve, keep it realistic, attainable and measurable.

However, no matter how doable your goal, it’s always nice to have that little extra bit of help and accountability when it comes to following through on your promises to yourself.

Everyone can agree that positive reinforcement is a great way to adopt new behaviors and leave bad habits in the dust. As we all know, there's no better feeling than feeling your best!

At Life's Abundance, we've assembled the most incredible positive-reinforcement pack. Think of it as your go-to bag for getting stuff done AND feeling great. This bundle pack includes everything you need to be your healthiest self in 2017 and you can get a 20% discount off the retail price until January 31, 2017! It includes the following six full-size supplements:

Chocolate or Vanilla Protein - A completely plant based, protein rich powder with amazing flavor that can be mixed with anything from water to your baked good recipes.

Cherry or Tropical Flavor Minerals & Antioxidants Mix - A healthy alternative to sugary sports drinks that provides you with nourishing minerals and antioxidants.

Greens Blend - Using this powder is an easy way to get all of your recommended greens in. It’s a non-GMO mix of raw, certified organic grasses and mushrooms with a subtle berry flavor, and a silky smooth texture.

Probiotic - This probiotic is a four-strain blend to help maintain an optimal microflora balance. Good gut health contributes greatly to your overall health.

Multivitamin - This is a natural capsule multivitamin with a focused approach to health. This means that it provides you with exactly the vitamins you need, while leaving out exactly what you don’t.

Fish Oil Capsules - These supplements are ultra concentrated with two to three times as much health promoting EPA and DHA as competing brands. Plus, they have a slightly citrusy flavor!

This pack is essential for making the positive changes you want to accomplish in the New Year. Positive reinforcements will not only help you achieve your goals, but also feel more energized and youthful at the same time!

Utilizing this pack is the perfect tool to start the momentum toward more confidence and focus on attaining your goals. As long as you remain committed, the strength of this positive feedback loop will only grow, enabling you to do more in 2017 than you maybe even thought possible.

So, let's all start the New Year with a big commitment to ourselves, and each other!

Keri Glassman MS.RD.CDN