Making Your Multivitamin a More Big Part of the Day

I like the ideas suggested from this product because it’s a way to make you feel accomplished and it’s a good reminder to know whether you’ve taken your vitamin(s) for that particular day or not. It can relate to my regular routine since I already take a daily pill – why not just add another one? I think also it’s a way to make you feel almost “rewarded” that you’ve taken your daily supplements and can continue about your ways. The name I would come up with this new particular product form would be Strivergy . I like it because it’s putting STRIVE and ENERGY together which the words say for themselves. The supplements make you strive to feel and look well about yourself but also giving you energy in what are in the multivitamins themselves. They would come in a liquid or gummie-type form since I like those types better than others. I would also take a couple of options as mentioned on the idea form for ways to have them labeled. I like the fact of having a clear window on the side of the bottle showing how many multivitamins you have to take until having to re-fill but also showing you a reward of “congrats on 2 weeks of great nutrition!”. 

Other types of sayings you could have said are say little 'foods for thoughts' such as “you’ve reached your 2 week mark, pamper yourself to a massage” or “call an old friend who you haven’t spoken to for a while.” Even something to get you to buy the product again such as “you’re just one week away from having to re-fill, here’s $1 off your next purchase”. Now of course this is a lot of wording to put on a bottle, so perhaps you can log online or even have an app on your phone where you have like a rewards type of program as multiple places have, and it’ll show you how many points or weeks you’ve taken your vitamins and what the surprise may be. It’s a good incentive to get people to take their multivitamins and feel rewarded at the same time. It’s just the nature of the beast with our society that we need to feel something or gain something tangible to want to do a task and as they say “money talks”. So if you can accrue points for taking these particular vitamins and say get $2 off when having reached 100 points towards your next Strivergy batch or $3 off at 150 points towards your monthly rate at a gym, etc. just something that’s still related to health and wellness, but also exciting and fun too.  

I know with having taken these Strivergy supplements, it would make me feel better as a person knowing that - hey, I’m doing something good for myself physically, emotionally, that’s good for my body but also I am getting rewarded with these points that can get me things too. I think the only way this would change my multivitamin routine the fact that I’m taking it more often and more aggressive about taking it with the incentives involved. I don’t think it would change my outlook too, too much on One A Day but I could probably see myself not taking it as often since it’s just a tablet that I’m not a fan of. Doesn’t mean that I would completely rule them out but I could see myself slowly staying away – may still stick to the VitaCraves but just not the One A Day tablets.

A Tale of Two Multivitamins

One-A-Day:  Meet Judith, not Judy or Ju-Ju for short, she prefers to go by the name that was given to her at birth which is just simply...well, Judith. She’s 65 years old and lives in a small rural town where the closest gas station is about 15 miles up the road. She lives alone with her pet cat named Rumor who’s about 8 years old. She’s had him since she was a kitten and they have grown very fond of each other over the years. She treats him as if he’s her very own child, as she never had the chance to have any of her own. She lives a very simple life, now just having retired of being a teacher for almost 40 years she’s ready for a break. Despite not being as mobile as she used to, she still manages to take her multivitamins One-A-Day tablets. She has always preferred the “traditional” forms of the tablet and doesn't care for how they make the new-type of intake methods such as powdered mixtures, chewables or gummies. She’d rather just have a full glass of milk or meal and digest the pill in one sitting – call it a day.

She likes how the One-A-Day tablets tend to have a variety of supplements, especially for those who are older as herself. She used to take Centrum but since a lot of her friends and family take One-A-Day's, she thought she’d give it a shot. To keep herself busy now where she’s not working full-time and lives solo, she’ll go on simple walks either on her own or with neighbors around the block. Her great-niece bought her an iPod not too long ago to update her to the “real world of technology”. So she’ll listen to her classical music and some soft rock tunes while going on her walks. Judith recently joined a gym not too long either and though she doesn't work out nearly as much as she used to, she still will like to get some type of cardio and weight resistance training in as part of her routine. She’ll try to go at least 1-2 times a week, if she can get a friend to go with her that would be even better. Her eating habits are better than they used to be. She quit drinking not too long ago and used to be a hard core smoker. She’s been completely straight edge now for about 10 years and it’s definitely much easier now than it was in the beginning. All in all, she’s very cautious on her eating/drinking and dieting habits in general. 

Judith may have the occasional steak and fries, but only for special occasions if she’s meeting with family or friends, dining out or something. She tries not to splurge too much as she doesn't want to lose whatever figure she still has left. Her meals usually will start with a salad, especially for lunch and dinner. She’s never been a huge breakfast eater but she knows she has to have something to take her One-A-Day supplement with. So she may just have a piece of apple with some cheese or maybe a bowl of cereal. When her sister comes to town, they’ll go to this special diner the next town over where they used to go to as kids and that’s when Judith may want to splurge a bit and get her eggs, bacon, and pancakes. 

To pass time, Judith likes to sew and knit while watching her daytime talk or game shows on tv. She used like to watch the soaps before they took off All My Children – that was always her favorite. She hates the fact that reality tv has taken over cable so she pretty much shuts the tv off once Jeopardy is over at 8:00pm. Also on Thursday nights, she’ll attend Bingo at her local Baptist church down the street and meet a few of her friends there. It was something she used to like to do with her best friend – who was almost close to being her husband, but he had an unexpected accident about 15 years ago and she just couldn't break from that. She doesn't mind being single though as she has a lot of family that live close by and she’s a very sociable person. Plus her cat Rumor is VERY needy so he soaks up a lot of her time too. 

VitaCraves:  Mary-Jo, she likes to be called MJ so as not to confuse her with her mother or grandmother for that matter. Mary is after her mother and Jo is actually short for Josephine who is her grandmother. Her parents clearly decided to get creative - so in turn she likes to be called MJ and her friends think it’s pretty cool. She’s 25 years old and just a few years out of college living in a suburb outside the city, but not in the "sticks", so there is some civilization. She was never huge into taking her vitamins, used to hate taking the Flinstone chewables as a kid and since then she’s never been big into taking supplements. In college pretty much her supplements were consumed of food and alcohol J. Now that she’s “grown up”, she’s become more physically active, going to the gym regularly -  well about 2-3 times a week, and will take VitaCraves which her friends and doctor referred to her a few years ago. Ever since she was a kid, she’s LOVED gummie-worms and gummie-bears so she figured why not give these a shot and she likes them so much better than the chewable tablets. Her parents have tried to influence the Centrums for Women or the One-A-Day but she’s never been a huge fan of the pill as her stomach will get upset if she doesn't get to have a big meal. Whereas with the VitaCraves they’re so much easier to digest and you don’t necessarily have to have a meal to take them. She loves to go out with friends, especially to the bars and clubs, she’s sort of seeing someone but not sure how serious it is as it’s only been several months of dating.

They might meet up a couple times a week and he’s very active in the gym and church which influences her to do the same. They have similar music tastes too like R&B, Alternative, and Hip-Hop. Another form of exercise she knows that will make up for the gym is definitely going to the clubs and dancing. She loves to dance; even as a kid her parents would have her in ballet and jazz classes which were her favorite. During her downtime, she’ll read a book, watch tv, bowl/pool, mini golf or go to the movies. She’s a huge fan of Redbox especially and Netflix. MJ is definitely a busy person though, so it’s very rare she’ll have downtime to herself. Occasionally she’ll also go jogging with her pet dog, Scout who’s a Rottweiler. They’re of course known to be “rough around the edges” but he’s a very sweet dog and is very close to MJ. They’ll go jogging and sometimes her dad will tag along too – she still lives at home, which she’s desperately looking to move out in the next year or two. 

Unfortunately her job status isn't where she’d like to be, however. Who would've thought that being a Business major, would be so ‘vague’ in getting jobs this day in age?? Right now she’s just working part-time being an admin assistant for this architectural firm in the city. She doesn't have a car at the moment, so she takes the commuter rail and will get picked up/dropped off by family or sometimes friends that may be around. Her dieting is so-so. It has gotten a little better since college but still could improve. Because she doesn’t have much of a filter, she’ll be sure to take her VitaCraves and have at least one healthy item everyday that’s some color of the rainbow – whether an apple, orange, lemon in her water, whichever. She’s definitely a huge foodie though. MJ has a younger sister who’s very opposite of her and kind of does her own thing, but they’re closer now than they used to be when MJ was in school. Being just a few years apart you’d think they would be close and hang out all the time, but still they have their differences in what to do for fun. To gain some more income, MJ will also babysit and nanny from time to time which she’s done for years. It’s a good reminder for her on why she can wait to have children at this moment in her life <smiles>. They’re a good way to keep her active as well.

The person I would relate to the most is actually a little tough because though I’m closer in age to MJ, I feel that some of Judith’s qualities I may relate to more. I am similar in age to MJ and love to keep busy, eat my VitaCraves, am close to family, friends and a huge foodie. However, I also would play Bingo (if there was a church near me that hosted), and love cats. I used to have a Rottweiler in real life as a child, but right now I just have a cat and birds. I like my quiet nights of wining and dining as relates more to MJ and like my big breakfasts, which I guess can tie into both personalities. I remember back in the days of working part-time and I also babysit from time to time as well now – even being full-time just to make extra money. I’m also trying to move out as similar to MJ and am seeing someone who I’m in a serious relationship with. Poor Judith lost her love a while ago but still doesn't mean someone else wouldn't come into her life <smiles>. I’m a huge breakfast diner person like Judith - then again, I like big breakfasts in general. So all in all, I’m a tie between both lifestyles – oh and when it comes to music, I definitely am similar to MJ but surprisingly enough I used to like soft rock back in middle and high school which is a bit different some may think, haha.

Supplements, Today & Tomorrow

The current vitamins/multivitamins I currently take are a couple types. (although there are several that I may switch on and off from consuming, too - it really just depends on the day) The main one I take is the 1 A Day VitaCrave Gummies. If I do not take the gummies or if I've run out, then I may take the Equate One Daily Women's Health multivitamin/multimineral supplement. Sometimes I may not take either of the supplements during some days of the week, because I may forget. I know that it's healthy of course to get the vitamins in your diet during some portion of the day. Other types I've taken within the past several months, just not regularly are Finest Natural Vitamin C w/Rose Hips: Immune System Health, and CVS Vitamin E: Circulatory and Heart. These ones I do not take as often since they taste funny and are not as appealing to me as the gummie supplements.

I normally take these supplements in the form of a soft gummie or pill. The Vitamin E are soft gel tablets which make it easier to go down but they leave a not so good after taste. I use these particular forms because they seem to be more common from what I see from those around me and even in the stores on the shelves. I know that their are other ways to get your vitamin supplements by forms of liquids as an example but it's not something I've tried before. I wouldn't be opposed to trying it out, however. I feel that the benefits may be stronger in getting your vitamin supplements in a form of a pill as opposed to liquids because it's compacted. Because I do not know anyone personally who's used other forms, I cannot compare and see which would be better in general, but to me I would think the pill is better.

I like the form of the gummies as best to take because they are easier to consume and of course more fruiter in taste. They do not leave an after taste in your mouth and also with some vitamins, you have to make sure you have a FULL sized meal before taking it - where as with the gummis you do not necessarily need to have a full meal or some type of a pre-caution to take before consuming the pill. This is another reason why I prefer the gummies over the other multivitamin pills because sometimes I may not always have access or finding the time to eat a full sized meal before taking the pill and in turn it could upset my stomach or leave a bad state in my mouth.

When going on the shopping spree, I noticed that the vitamin/multivitamin supplements seem to promote more of the gummies or soft chews as opposed to the standard pill. Especially looking at the Flinstones vitamin supplements. Back in the day, they used to be more of like a chewable tablet in different colors and they weren't so good tasting - especially the grape flavored colors. Now they seem to promote more of the gummies and I can see how children - and adults for that matter - would enjoy those more. This aisle had a wide

selection of a specific brand called Spring Valley that had specific supplement bottles such as fish oil, Vitamin D, L-Lysine, and Vitamin E. Products that I saw that were appealing for people like me were the gummies, especially where I take those now. They taste better and are soft. They are easy to swallow and as mentioned before, you do not necessarily have to have a full sized meal to take them. 

Supplements that I found unappealing just by looking at the labels of bottles - and are pretty obvious are the supplements for MEN and the ones that are for women going through menopause. Since I have not reached that point in my life and I'm definitely not a man (smiles), these stood out the most as unappealing to me. However looking at ones that I could take and still didn't like were the Caltrate soft chews in vanilla flavor. I like vanilla but not so much I can see as a chewing vitamin supplement. The taste of the chew I feel would be kind of chalky and taste a bit murky. Also the Spring Valley calcium sugar free chews didn't seem appealing as I like things with sugar in general so I feel this would taste rather bland and leave an odd after taste. 

An interesting supplement I saw in the vitamin aisle were I.Caps which were basically eye supplements for better eye health. I never knew they had such a thing. Also I saw by Centrum they had round tablets that looked like little colored marbles, as opposed to a pill, gummie or soft chew. I was curious to see if it's like a hard candy that you need to suck on for a while, or if when you bite into it, it's soft in the middle or would have liquid. I noticed they had Emergen-C powder packets that you can put in water for vitamin C or enhancing the immune system. I thought they only had Emergen-C for sicknesses and knocking out the "common cold" from your body. That's the only time that I've taken it. This is something that I could see myself consider taking, especially where I've had exposure to this particular brand before - just for a different reason to use for my body. Some of the soft chews I could perhaps see myself taking, but they would have to be fruity. I'm not particularly interested in eating the ones that are more chocolate, vanilla, strawberry type flavored but if they was more like strawberry, watermelon, mango, etc. I feel they wouldn't taste as fake I suppose. 

Also in the vitamin/supplement aisle, I saw protein shakes, bars, muscle mixtures (which men predominately use), and also Nutri-System or specific dieting-weight loss products that I have used or may consider using in the future. I particular like Slim Fast and Special K. Nutri-System I heard can help but it's very expensive, so that somewhat deters me away as I wouldn't like to spend a lot of money if there were other products just as good, yet cheaper in price.

Looking around the store to see what ways can enhance nutritional needs are a lot of things: in a therapeutic sense, there are facial moisturizers and nail products that can be ways to pamper yourself and feel good emotionally and physically on your face, hands and nails. Thinking of food consumption, a lot of vegetables and less processed foods are important to take in and digest. Fiber is important which you can get from granola bars, cereals, and nutri-grain type bars. I nice marketing tool for better health that I saw was free sampling on the Yoplait Greek yogurt. One of the store staff members were scooping samples of this product, and I tried it and actually liked it. Considering I'm not big into Greek yogurt, this is a nice way to test a product and you may think of things differently if you can actually delve into it personally and right away while you're thinking about it - good marketing. I even got a $1 off coupon for this product which is something good to hold onto and will be kind of a reminder to buy this product. 

I saw in some outside aisles they had trail mixes, a lot of salads and fruits right when you walk in the store but outside most aisles there are a lot of things that aren't so good for you like cookies, chips, and even sugar cereals - which a lot of them tend to be at a child's level because they will want the parents to buy those as opposed to a Special K or say plain Cheerios that would be better. By the fruits section also, there are a couple of small aisles that have a lot of whole grain products that may be low fat, organic, whole wheat etc. I normally wouldn't go down these aisles but I would consider it and maybe buy a couple of things here and there but not all the time because they tend to be more expensive. In general, I try to eat whole grain or whole wheat bread for instance - may not be organic - but I definitely stay away from white bread if I can help it. Even as a child, my family would only buy wheat bread. 

Some new products/ideas of receiving your nutritional supplements are as follows: Instead of taking a daily vitamin, take one that’s by the week and it wouldn't be a big pill, it would be regular size and come in any form – tablet, chews, gummies, etc. Because taking it daily you could forget but by the week it may be easier to remember. Or perhaps every two weeks or once a month, take an injection of a vitamin supplement and you wouldn't have to take it by the mouth. This may be a stretch but perhaps even at a day spa or health fitness center, the steam rooms/saunas could have an enrichment of nutrients and vitamin supplements coming from them with the steam and the heat that encompasses the room. Lastly, you could perhaps having a specific type of fruit (and not just an orange for vitamin C), but a new piece of fruit that’s never been grown or thought of yet, and it would contain all the vitamin enrichment that you would need just by consuming it - so no pill, soft chew, etc. it’s just this one piece of fruit that you could have either daily or weekly to get your nutritional needs.