Pet Food Brand is an Important Decision

See Beyond the Pet Food Hype

Watch out for clever marketing, touting ingredients that sound appealing to you but are not actually suited to the nutritional requirements of your dog or puppy.
The brand of food you feed your dog and puppy is probably one of the most critical decisions you can make as a dog parent. Because your dog will probably eat the same food every day, it’s his primary source of nutrition. Did you know that wholesome superior dog and puppy food can help foster a solid nutritional foundation?  This foundation will help sustain and ensure your dog's health over a long lifetime.

As a caring canine parent, it’s important that you see through marketing ploys designed to mislead you about the quality of ingredients and their intended dietary benefits.

Additionally, some famous and high-end brands use wheat and wheat glutens, corn and corn glutens, as well as artificial food colors and preservatives.

The Whole is Greater than the Sum of its Parts

While the top five ingredients of any given dog food provide consumers with insight into the nutritional priorities of a pet food maker, they don’t tell the entire story.

Every ingredient plays a critical part. The secret to superior pet food lies in the formula itself – not only in the ingredients, but also in the proportions of those ingredients to one another.

The significance of ratios cannot be understated. Pet food formulator, Dr. Jane Bicks, stresses the importance of synergism, or the interaction of ingredients, because the proper proportions help maximize the nutritional impact of a formula. As with any recipe, if you use the wrong ratios, you will get very different results.

With quality ingredients working synergistically with one another, you can be certain that you’re providing the very best for your companion animal.

With this information in mind, check a wholesome dog and puppy food that your dog will thank you for.  Check out Lifes Abundance for Large Breed Puppies and Lifes Abundance Dog Food for Adult Dogs. 

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Resolutions are for the Dogs -- and Cats
By Dr. Jevon D. Clark, D.V.M, Flathead Living, Winter 2011-12, Volume 4, Issue 4

I resolve to lose a little around the middle this year again.  Holiday, little sun, and cold weather tend to make all of us "blossom" in the winter.  But sorry, blaming the season is foolish.  This is an "us" problem.  Nutritionally unbalanced diets, too many treats, and far too little exercise all conspire to fatten up Garfield and Snoopy (and me!).  Pets no longer work for a living.  The don't spend their days searching for tonight's dinner.  Food arrives in a bowl or worse, come straight from our hands.  As a result, 45% of dogs and 58% of cats are overweight.

"So who cares if 'fluffy' is a little plump?  Well, as a veterinarian, I do.  The increased risks of diabetes, arthritis, and shortened life spans secondary to obesity have been well-documented in dogs and cats for years.  Pets that are the appropriate weight are much healthier throughout their life and they live significantly longer than overweight pets.

It is painfully simple for our pets to lose weight as it is for us.  In order to lose weight the energy used by the body must exceed the energy put into the body; decrease the calories and increase the exercise.  Sound familiar?

One of our favorite sayings in my practice is "Food is not love."  I'll let you in on a little secret.  There is an easy and inexpensive trick that everyone can do that will positively impact your pet's weight.  Don't feed your pet human food.  That's it, period.  Our food is incredibly calorie-dense.  One hot dog to a 20-pound dog is equivalent to a person consuming three entire hamburgers or two whole chocolate bars.  More shocking, one ounce of cheese to a 10-pound cat is equivalent to 3 1/2 hamburgers for a person!  Holy Creme Brule, Batman.  So, think twice next time before giving in to Fido with the one little bite of fillet.

Show me an overweight pet and I'll show you a person who doesn't get enough exercise.  It's no surpirse that your pets want to spend more time with you.  If you are sitting, they'll sit on you.  But, if you are active, they will be, too.  Nothing burns calories faster than spending 30 minutes walking your dog on a cold winter day. 

All right, so walking a cat is not really practical, but you can at least play with him in the house for 30 minutes.  Your pets will absolutely love the attention and you'll feel better, too.

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Todays Article was suggested by Lifes Abundance Weight Loss Food and GoFoods, Foods for Survival and Storage.

If you are looking for a nutritious and wholesome dog or cat food, please check out Life's Abundance Dog Food or Life's Abundance Cat Food

A Life's Abundance Dog Wins Best of Breed at Westminter

(This morning all field reps received an email from the Life's Abundance home office with good news, and I thought that I would share it with you.)

A Life’s Abundance Dog Wins Best of Breed at Westminster!

Dear Field Rep,

Along with people all over the globe, those of us here at Life’s Abundance monitored the Westminster Dog Show with keen interest. In fact, two of our very own Field Reps were affiliated with a dog competing alongside hundreds of others at this parade of canine excellence!

We weren’t disappointed. Tuesday night, the prized Mastiff, Seamus (full name, Beowulfs Bit O'Blarney) beat out 18 other Mastiffs to take a coveted Best of Breed prize. We couldn’t help but share big smiles as he grandly galloped around the show ring at Madison Square Garden … after all, he’s a Life’s Abundance dog! Susann Everett is his proud breeder and Traci A McKeown-Weaver is his thrilled pet parent.

If you missed the coverage on USA Network, don’t worry -- you can watch all of the highlights online. In fact, we’ve included the video link below, capturing Seamus’ big win. As you’ll see, the onlookers erupted in cheers when the judge included him in the top dogs, and then again when he clenched the Best of Breed award. It was a fitting, belated birthday surprise, as he just celebrated his third birthday on January 6th.

One of the oldest breeds and believed to be the father of other working breeds, Mastiffs are known for their protectiveness and gentleness, and Seamus is no exception.

In addition to running her Life’s Abundance business, Susann operates Beowulf Mastiffs Global, a nurturing breeding business. If Susann’s name is familiar to you, it might be because she was featured in January’s Reward & Recognition announcement, when she achieved 9-Star status for her tireless promotion of Life’s Abundance. Traci is in Susann’s downline and she signed up as a Field Rep in October of 2010.

We’re all awfully proud of Susann and Traci’s loveable Mastiff.

Kudos to you all!

The Life’s Abundance Team

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Click one of the following if you would like to know more about Lifes Abundance Dog Food or Life's Abundance Dog Food or Life's Abundance Dog Food

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Portly Pets

Portly Pets a Problem for Many Owners
Daily Inter Lake, Saturday, September 17, 2011

It's not just two legged animals that are having a problem with obesity.  According to recent reports, pets are heavier than ever.

A 2009 national survey of veterinarians by the Association for the Prevention of Pet Obesity found 45 percent of dogs and 58 percent of cats were overweight or obese.

Inactivity, too many snacks and poor diets are to blame for both pet and human obesity issues.  The health implication can be severe for everyone involved.

Overweight animals can have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, be at risk for heart attack or stroke, be at risk for skeletal problems, such as hip dysplasia, and low self-esteem, among other things.

The good news is some the same methods humans use to lose weight could be effective for pets, too.

1. Choose foods that list meat (protein) first.  Too many pet foods have replaced the majority of protein with high-carbohydrate ingredients such as corn and wheat.
2. Watch portion sizes.  Use the portion suggestions on the food as a guideline for feeding a pet.
3. Consider smaller, more frequent meals.  Instead of one large meal, feed a dog or cat three small meals a day.
4. Cut out nutritionally poor treats.  Replace fatty dog bones with crunch carrots or broccoli for better health.
5. Get moving.  Walking a pet is good for everyone involved.  Aim for 30 to 60 minutes of activity a day.  This will also improve joint flexibility.

Pets don't raid the refrigerator at night and often rely on their owners for exercise and care.  Poor habits on the part of pet owners could spell trouble for pets in terms of weight gain.

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Information about Lifes Abundance Weight Loss Dog Food
Information about Lifes Abundance Healthy Dog Treats
For Human Weight Loss visit the ShapeWay Diet Plan

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Dogs Do Better as Carnivores

We found the following article on the Internet and thought we would share it with you.

Dog Food Review – Life’s Abundance Dog Food
by Brigitte Smith / February 2, 2008 / www.healthierdogs.com/dog_food/dog-food-review-lifes-abundance-dog-food

Dogs really do function better as carnivores, and should always have plenty of meat protein in their diet. Meat protein provides the building blocks of good dog health.

Certainly, a small to moderate amount of carbohydrates can play a secondary role in a dog’s diet, dogs should be fed only highly digestible carbohydrates such as brown rice. Excessive and/or poorly digestible carbohydrates of the type found in cereal based dog foods that contain only small proportions of meat are not recommended.

Dogs are historically scavengers and of course, primarily meat eaters. In fact, a natural diet for dogs included bones, chunks of carcass, fish guts, animal guts and heads, together with rotten greens and fruits. In the pre-domesticated stage, dogs started to consume discarded human food, which continued until relatively recent times.

Have you ever wondered why many dogs love to go through your garbage can, and will more often than not eat any and everything in there if given the chance? Well look back in history, and you will discover your answer.

In fact, the major contributing factor in the domestication of dogs was their attraction to whatever food was available at human garbage dumps. Eventually, the tamer wolves that were the least threatened by human beings, over tens of thousands of years, became our companions and evolved into the various dog breeds we have today.

It stands to reason, therefore, that your dog’s digestive system is more suited to raw food coupled with some table scraps – natural dog food, than to most of the substandard rubbish that’s passed off as commercial dog food.

Life’s Abundance Dog Food – from Fresh!
But if you don’t fancy feeding your dog raw food, then at least ditch the commercial dog food and feed your loved companion a quality, premium dog food that has the healthy goodness of a home cooked meal. Life’s Abundance dog food is made using only fresh, human-quality ingredients such as premium all natural chicken and top quality catfish with the best fresh fruit such as tree ripened applies, vegetables like crisp fresh carrots, and select farm foods such as eggs.

Life’s Abundance dog food also contains a superior blend of vitamins, minerals, bacteria cultures that assist digestion, and antioxidants. There are no artificial flavors, colors, sugars, or chemical preservatives – common ingredients in most commercial dog foods.

Dr Jane Bicks is responsible for product formulation and development of Life’s Abundance dog food – and cat food. Dr Bicks is a highly respected and nationally recognized holistic veterinarian. She is the author of three national books on pet care and nutrition and has served on professional boards including the Cornell Feline Health Center.

Not all veterinarians have much idea on good nutrition for dogs, in fact most don’t. Conventional vets get most of their information from commercial pet food manufacturers. But if you’re fortunate enough to find a good holistic vet, you’re much more likely to learn the truth about healthy dog food.

Life’s Abundance Dog Food is Premium Dog Food!

Life’s Abundance dog food is a premium health food for your dog. Apart from the ingredients in the dog food you select, you should also be concerned about the cooking process used. Commercial pet foods are extruded at extremely high temperatures which effectively destroy any semblance of nutrition that may have been in the ingredients.

Life’s Abundance dog food, on the other hand, is cooked in small batches using an exclusive “fast-cook” process that uses less heat to gently lock in more of the natural goodness and fresh taste of real food.

And they even go a step further to ensure the nutritional quality of Life’s Abundance pet food with their revolutionary reclosable, oxygen resistant packaging that ensures all the flavor, vitamins and natural nutrients from Life’s Abundance remains. So no preservatives of any kind are necessary – natural dog food at its best. In fact, this food is said to be just as natural and deliciously wholesome as if you’d made it yourself.

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Life’s Abundance Dog Food

Riding Out the Recession with your Dog

Despite the struggling economy, sales of pet food have generally held strong as most pet owners remain committed to feeding and caring for their pets. According to the latest data, pet food and pet care supplies have risen 2% from 2008 to 2009 to a whopping $27.5 billion.

Since 1999, Lifes Abundance and HealthyPetNet have been gaining their share of the ever-growing, multi-billion dollar pet food market. Dog and cat owners are thankful to know about healthier alternatives and are eager to make a switch for better holistic and natural food. When people become educated about what's actually in their pet's food, they almost always switch to a healthier more nutritious food such as Lifes Abundance Cat Food and Lifes Abundance Dog Food.

There are 3 questions that will help you decide to start Lifes Abundance as an awesome homebased business opportunity:

1. Do you have a pet or know anyone who has a pet?

2. Do you know anyone with a pet who doesn’t feed them?

3. Do you know anyone with a pet who wants to feed them old, spoiled, non human quality products intentionally?

The answer is an easy astounding YES!  People want to do the best for their dogs and cats. They want to keep their best friend around for a very long time and it has been scientifically proven that people that feed their dogs with superior nutrition make less trips to the Vet.

Here's two more reasons to look into the Pet Food Business - most pet owners say that they take better care of their pets than they do themselves.

That being the case, do you see an opportunity here?

Here's a simple illustration. Imagine if more than 40 years ago a little known company such as Purina came to you and said, “If you will recommend our pet foods to every pet owner you meet, we will pay you for that sale and every sale thereafter residually and for life (just like royalties on a hit song or movie)”. Where would you be financially right now? That would be a revolutionary concept in pet food sales, right? Well, that is exactly what the Lifes Abundance Pet Food business can do for you.

Click on the following websites to learn more and to get started today:

Lifes Abundance Pet Food Business Opportunity or

HealthyPetNet Business Opportunity

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Vitamin E and Antioxidants

Vitamin E and Antioxidants
by Dr. Jane Bicks, HealthyPetNet Newsletter, May 2010 Online Issue

As a holistic veterinarian, I feel it is incredibly important to take the whole animal into consideration when it comes to nutrition. And, whenever practical, my preference is to provide nutrients, minerals and vitamins in their natural forms. In this post, I’d like to talk to you specifically about vitamin E, to review both the strengths and weaknesses of natural and synthetic forms.


Vitamin E is an incredibly complex and important nutrient that, among other things, functions as an antioxidant. Antioxidants are naturally occurring nutrients that promote health by slowing the destructive aging process of cells (a breakdown called “peroxidation”). In peroxidation, damaged molecules known as free radicals steal pieces from other cells, like fat, protein or DNA. The damage can spread, damaging and killing entire groups of cells. While peroxidation can be useful to destroy old cells or germs and parasites, when left unchecked, free radicals produced by peroxidation also damages healthy cells. Antioxidants can help to stem the tide of peroxidation, thus stabilizing free radicals.

Antioxidants like vitamin E are crucial to the health of companion animals of any age. They can improve the quality of the immune response and the effectiveness of vaccines in young pets, and help maintain a vital immune system in seniors.

Vitamin E occurs in one of two forms, either natural or synthetic. Natural vitamin E is a collection of eight chemically unique compounds that are derived from plants, including four tocopherols and four tocotrienols. More commonly used and less expensive, synthetic vitamin E is one compound – alpha-tocopherol.

For me, the choice of using natural or synthetic vitamin E in my formulas couldn’t be clearer, and neither could the evidence. The synthetic form of vitamin E is not as active or easily absorbed as the natural form of vitamin E. The molecular structure of vitamin E determines how well the body can utilize it. In human trials, researchers found that proteins in the liver specifically select the natural form of vitamin E and largely ignore the synthetic form. In a Japanese study, scientists found that it took three times the amount of synthetic vitamin E to equal the blood levels of natural vitamin E. In the U.S., researchers found that body tissues and blood retained far higher levels of natural vitamin E versus synthetic. In addition, synthetic alpha-tocopherol vitamin E has only half the vitamin activity of the natural alpha-tocopherol vitamin E.

Why is there such a difference between synthetic and natural forms of vitamin E? The key to understanding how the body absorbs these two types differently lies on the molecular level. The cellular structure of mammals more easily recognizes natural forms of vitamins. And cellular proteins and blood plasma bind to natural forms more readily than their synthetic counterparts. Unfortunately, synthetic vitamins are cheaper and, therefore, are more prevalent in many products on the market today.

So, how can you determine if the products you are using contain the synthetic or natural form of vitamin E? Simply check out the ingredient labels! Natural vitamin E is listed as a-tocopherol acetate, d-alpha tocopherol, d-alpha tocopheryl acetate or d-alpha tocopheryl succinate. Alternately, synthetic forms of vitamin E are labeled with a “dl-“ prefix.

References:
Kiyose C, et al. Biodiscrimination of alpha-tocopherol stereoisomers in humans after oral administration. Am J Clin Nutr 1997 (Mar); 65 (3): 785-9

Burton GW, et al. Human plasma and tissue alpha-tocopherol concentrations in response to supplementation with deuterated natural and synthetic vitamin E Am J Clin Nutr 1998; 67: 669-84

Traber MG, et al. Synthetic as compared with natural vitamin E is preferentially excreted as a-CEHC in human urine: studies using deuterated a-tocopheryl acetate FEBS Letters 1998 (Oct 16); 437: 145-8

Yu W, Jia L, Wang P, et al. In vitro and in vivo evaluation of anticancer actions of natural and synthetic vitamin E forms. Mol Nutr Food Res. 2008;52:447-456.

Blatt DH, Pryor WA, Mata JE, et al. Re-evaluation of the relative potency of synthetic and natural α-tocopherol: experimental and clinical observations. Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry. 2004;15:380-395.

Weiss WP, Hogan JS, and Wyatt DJ. Relative bioavailability of all-rac and RRR vitamin E based on neutrophil function and total α-tocopherol and isomer concentrations in periparturient dairy cows and their calves. J Dairy Sci. 2009;92:720-731.


Lauridsen C, Engel H, Jensen SK, et al. Lactating sows and suckling piglets preferentially incorporate RRR- over All-rac-α-tocopherol into milk, plasma and tissues. J Nutr. 2002;132:1258-1264.


Sen CK, Khanna S, and Roy S. Tocotrienols in health and disease: The other half of the natural vitamin E family. Molecular Aspects of Medicine. 2007;28-692-728.


Hayek MG, et al. Dietary vitamin E improves immune function in cats. In: Reinhart GA, Carey DP eds. Recent Advances in Canine and Feline Nutrition, Vol III: 2000 Iams Nutrition Symposium Proceedings. Wilmington, OH: Orange Frazer Press, 2000; 555-564.

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The author of this blog recommends Lifes Abundance Dog Food to help keep your dog healthy.  We believe that a healthy dog that is fed the proper nutrition makes less trips to the Vet.  Good nutrition pays off in the long run.

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