Happy, Healthy Hive + Buzz on #Zarbees Vitamin Drink Mix

Posted on August 24, 2015 by Jennifer FIsher

This is my hive. A husband of almost 25 years and three teenage boys – can you believe it?!

Even though my children aren’t babies anymore, their health and well-being (as well as my own) is still my number one priority. The busy schedules I help them juggle which includes academics, sports and music combined with my own overloaded agenda of work, athletic endeavors and domestic duties don’t allow for any downtime – let alone spare time for an of us being sick!

Zarbee's Naturals keeps me healthy and well and ready to workout!

Zarbee’s Naturals helps keep me healthy, well and ready to workout!

But, being so busy can make you sick, or at least leave you feeling fatigued and run down. Since I am mindful about the foods I offer my family and personally keep a primarily clean diet, it makes sense that I’ve always been wary of overusing over-the-counter medications. I’d rather take natural, preventative measures that rely on popping pills at every ache or sniffle.

That’s why I was excited to discover Zarbee’s Naturals, a product line of delicious vitamin drink mixes created by Dr. Zak Zarbock. When Dr. Zarbock, a parent himself, couldn’t find effective, chemical-free solutions to keep the whole family healthy, he created his own products using handpicked natural, safe and wholesome ingredients. With Zarbee’s Naturals, it’s easy to find happiness in all that soothes!

Zarbee’s Naturals come in six tasty, all-natural flavors, specially formulated proprietary blends sweetened with honey and other wholesome ingredients – there are no drugs or alcohol of any kind and all products are gluten-free. Depending on the blend, Zarbee’s Naturals can be mixed with hot or cold water and is safe to use daily to help meet any nutritional gaps in your diet. You can find Zarbee’s Naturals exclusively at Target on the cough aisle – and now, through the end of September, their products are on sale for $4 off.

The Apple Spice flavored Zarbee’s Naturals Antioxidant Blend with Honey is so soothing before bed.

Antioxidant Support with Honey – Apple Spice: This high potency antioxidant formula contains essential vitamins, minerals and selenium and is sweetened with honey. Enjoy this blend hot.
Immune Support Drink Mix – Citrus Spice: This blend helps support a healthy immune system and features elderberry extract and dark honey. Packed with vitamins A, C, E, selenium and zinc, this mix is best served hot.
Invigorating Drink Mix – Lemon Ginger: Get a boost of energy with this blend featuring green tea, ginger, and guarana seed for natural alertness. Full of vitamins B2, B6 and B12, this mix can be enjoyed hot or cold.
Calming Drink Mix – Lemon Mint: Enjoy a bit of tranquility and calm with this blend brimming with chamomile and honey. Passion flower offers natural relaxation while the vitamin boost features A, C, D, E, and B-Complex. May be served hot or cold.
Multivitamin with Prebiotic – Orange: This blend helps to support a healthy digestive system and contains essential vitamins A, C, D, E, B1, B2 and more. Best served cold.
Multivitamin with Antioxidant – Mixed Berry: This antioxidant rich blend features 12 essential vitamins plus selenium to help support optimal health. Serve cold.

I’m drinking Zarbee’s Naturals on a daily basis to help keep me well, rocking through my workouts and ready to take care of my family. When I’m feeling great, it’s just easier to keep my family feeling great! And, speaking of keeping a family feeling great – I’ve put together this care package to send to my oldest son who just left for college. I think the Invigorating blend will be great for all those study sessions and the Immune Support blend will keep his body’s defenses up during a naturally stressful transition time. Remember to come back on September 10th to check out my follow up post about Zarbee’s Naturals and how awesome it is to shop at Target — first pump, thumbs up, agreed?! #DrinkForYourself #Zarbees #madetomatter

When I take care of ME, my whole hive stays happy! #DrinkForYourself @zarbees Immune Support Mixes #ad

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Have you found ways to simplify or lower the stress of the family’s back-to-school schedule? Do you find your “hive” getting sick or catching colds easier during the fall season – what are your natural remedies? Please share in the comments – XOXO, Jennifer

This post was sponsored by Zarbee’s Naturals via Sverve. However, all editorial content reflects my own honest opinion about the products.

Immunity Boosting Yoga Poses and Vitamins #AirborneHealth

Posted on April 14, 2015 by Jennifer FIsher

This post is sponsored by Airborne®. I have been compensated with free product but the opinions are mine.

You may already be familiar with Airborne®, it’s the brain child of an inventive teacher who was looking for a way to support her immune system. She worked in collaboration with nutrition experts and herbalists to develop an immune system supplement that has become very popular with all types of people in all types of situations.

Well, I was super excited to find out that Airborne recently launched a new product called Airborne® Everyday Immune Support Plus Multivitamin , a new product that is designed to provide immune support 365 days a year. This Multi Vitamin gives you everything you’d expect in a quality, comprehensive multi-vitamin plus the perks of our Airborne proprietary blend of immune support. These vitamin supplements come in three forms – chewable, easy-to-swallow pills and delicious gummies. I’m a fan of the assorted fruit-flavored gummies – who doesn’t want to take a tasty gummy in the name of health?! I’m giving away three bottles of the gummy variety – just enter at the bottom of the post.

As an athlete and busy mom, I’m always looking for a way to support my immune system. A poor diet, lack of sleep, stress and even over-training are just some of the strains on your immune system. Training too little isn’t great for performance nor is training too much – I always found the latter ironic! But it’s a good reason to slow down and take care of yourself! One way I take care of myself is by taking Airborne® Everyday Immune Support Plus Multivitamins – I get all the daily vitamins I need to supplement my diet along with a little immune system support.

I also think yoga is a great way to relieve stress and thus boost immunity – many of the poses open up the heart and stimulate other organs in a way that can benefit your immune system. Here is a routine of 6 yoga poses you can do to relax and improve your immunity and overall health in the process. Now, I’m not an expert yogi by any means, just a runner and busy mom who likes to use yoga as a resource in her tool kit for healthy living – so if you see a tight-looking hamstrings or a stiff back, I’m still a work in progress! And, if you have any questions or concerns, please contact your doctor or a fitness professional before starting a new workout routine.

Half Wheel Pose – Push hips up as far as possible.
Headstand –Both tripod or forearm balance works. Hold for no more than 10 breaths.
Headstand Modification – Try this variation if you are still learning the headstand.
Camel – Use yoga blocks if too difficult to reach hands to floor or heels.
Plow – Roll back as far as possible. If toes won’t touch floor, rest them on block or chair.
Child – Relax! I like to turn head to each side for several breaths.

To enter giveaway for three bottles of Airborne® Everyday Immune Support Plus Multivitamins, please use the rafflecopter app below:

How do you relieve stress and stay well during your busiest days of the week?

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Healthy Bones for Handstands, Marathons and More #BeActiv

Posted on February 5, 2015 by Jennifer FIsher

TheFitFork BeActive Handstsand

Can you believe we are already a month into 2015?! If you’ve already set some goals for the New Year, take a few minutes to check in and see if you’re on track. No goals yet? No worries, it’s never too late to state your intentions for living a healthier, happier, more productive and ACTIVE life. Don’t know where to start? I’ll take the first step down the path by sharing some of my non-negotiable goals for living well —- Eat Clean, Drink Water, Move More, Stress Less and Sleep Better.

Healthy Living Inspiration

When I rattle off this list it amazes me how interwoven these intentions are – each one affecting the outcome of other. For example, I know when I’m having a lot of stress and don’t sleep well, I also don’t eat well. Or, when I’m not drinking enough water, my head doesn’t feel clear and my body doesn’t want to perform. I know I won’t attain perfection every day. . . make that ANY day – but I having this list in my head will keep me from taking too many rabbit trails and falling off a cliff.

Viactiv Calcium Chews an Gummies - TheFitFork.com

One tool in helping me reach my goals to #BeActiv is to supplement my clean-eating diet in any areas were there may be a deficit. Even though I eat dairy products and do plenty of weight-bearing exercise, getting enough calcium is a biggie with me — especially since I’m getting older, have had a stress fracture in the past, and my own mother has been diagnosed with osteopenia. While it’s important to get vitamins and minerals from real food sources, sometimes an extra boost is required. That’s why I take Viactiv Calcium Chews and Gummies– to ensure that I’m getting the recommended amount of daily calcium for bone health based on my age. I was so surprised to find out that 70% of adult women aren’t getting enough calcium – and teen girls are even worse off with 85% in a deficit.

Viactiv knows that being active means different things for different people, and my journey isn’t yours. For example, I want to “Move More” and #BeActive – for me, that means learning some new yoga poses, stepping it up in CrossFit and having fun running. You may be interested in gardening, taking hikes or entering a triathlon.

Keep your bones strong for what YOU want to do! Viactiv has a several products to help you meet your daily calcium intake. Viactiv Calcium Soft Chews have been my favorite for a while, these individually-wrapped calcium supplements provide 100% of the daily calcium requirement for most women and also include vitamins V & D. Available in milk chocolate, caramel and sugar-free milk chocolate flavors, these chewy tabs are a tasty way supplement your healthy diet and bone strengthening exercises.

Viactiv Gummies are another great option for calcium supplementation – these gluten-free, dairy-free gummies come in assorted fruit flavors. Two gummies offer 100% of the daily value of calcium along with vitamin D, which helps the body better absorb calcium.

Enter the #BeActive with Viactiv sweepstakes at http://bit.ly/1E4Lytt through 2/26/2015 for achance to win retailer gift cards, wearable fitness technology and Viactiv products.

You can find Viactiv in stores like CVS, Rite Aid, Target, Walgreens and Walmart. For more information about Viactiv and to learn more about keeping bones strong, visit http://www.Viactiv.com #BeActiv

This is a product-provided, sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Viactiv . The opinions and text are all mine.

Improve Vision for Confident Night Driving (and Running) + #Giveaway

Posted on November 4, 2014 by Jennifer FIsher

Two rare things I look forward to in one weekend — a bowl full of candy (I shared) and sleeping in an extra hour thanks to the arrival of daylight savings time. However, it takes about a week to convince my body that it’s not going to bed too early or my stomach that I don’t really need another Snickers bar! Eventually, I adapt as we humans do – however, one pesky and potentially dangerous issue will still bother me all through the winter . . . and that is trouble with night driving.

With daylight continuing to shrink until the winter solstice paired with the clock being backed up an hour, I find myself doing more and more night driving – even just picking up the kiddos up from their sports and music practices is now done in the dark. To be honest, I don’t like driving at night. In low light, it’s hard to judge how far away objects really are (if I see them at all) and the glare from oncoming headlights can be blinding (or at a minimum, confusing) – these vision issues can (and have) affected my reaction time and I hate that feeling of driving “on edge,” white-knuckling the steering wheel. Thank goodness, I’ve never had a driving accident at night – however, statistics show that traffic death rates are three times greater at night than during daylight. Scary!

I recently discovered EyePromise, a line of natural eye health supplements featuring the nutrients zeaxanthin and lutein. These two ingredients are carotenoids that make up the macular pigment—the area of the eye responsible for protecting vision. While small amounts of zeaxanthin and lutein are found naturally in foods like leafy greens, corn, eggs and red, orange and yellow peppers, most of us would never eat enough to see improvements in eye health – that’s where the convenience of a scientifically proven product like EyePromise vizual EDGE™ comes in. I have to tell you, before finding out about EyePromise, I never even stopped to consider taking a pill to help improve my night vision. But, the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. I take a mutli-vitamin to fill in any gaps in my dailiy nutrition and I take supplements to help my sports performance and recovery, so why have I not been doing something proactive for my eyesight?

Driving and accidentally harming another person isn’t the only concern I have with my vision and being on the road at night. For good reason, I’m also worried about hurting myself (again) while running at night. What an awful fall I took almost exactly this time last year when I was out running at 9pm by myself, I split my chin open (requiring stitches) and gave myself a concussion – I was really lucky I didn’t break my jaw with the angle and force of the fall. Even though there were street lamps on and lots of bright stars overhead, I just didn’t see the unevenness between a pair of sidewalk pavers.

Gain Confidence #NightDriving *& Running with @eyepromise_ZV +#giveaway #ad

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On behalf of EyePromise, I am hosting a giveaway for Night Driving Confidence Kits – 3 of my readers will win one! Each kit, designed to make you feel more comfortable on the road and night, includes a car emergency tool/flashlight, headlight towel, EyePromise sport bag, coupon for EyePromise vizual EDGE and more! Simply enter through the Rafflecopter app below:

This post and giveaway is sponsored by EyePromise. While I have received compensation and products in exchange for my time, the review, opinions and editorial comments are completely my own.

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Should You Be Taking a Daily Multi-Vitamin? #Vitafusion® MultiVite Review

Posted on June 20, 2013 by Jennifer FIsher

Have you ever wondered if you should be taking a daily multi-vitamin supplement? If I close my eyes, I can still hear my mom calling out from the kitchen, “Kids, don’t forget to take your vitamins.” So, even though mom almost always served a well-balanced menu with lean meats and fresh produce (lots from our own backyard), I swallowed that morning pill like a good girl, gagging as it sometimes got stuck on the way down, but complying none the less. Ironically, I stopped taking a multivitamin in college and my early twenties, a period when my nutritional intake was . . . how shall I say . . . less than ideal.

Well, I’m back on multivitamins and have been for years. Any nutritionist you ask will say that eating a variety of fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains, lean proteins, and low-fat dairy products is the preferred way to get your daily dose of vitamins and nutrients to keep your body functioning at its best. However, even with the best intentions, it is not possible to “eat clean” all the time or even wolf down large enough portion sizes that would give you the complete Daily Recommended Value (DV) for every vitamin, mineral and trace nutrient you need. That’s why I think taking a daily multi-vitamin is like an insurance policy; an inexpensive and easy way to proactively safeguard your body against the expected wear and tear along with any unforeseen damage! As a competitive runner and CrossFit enthusiast, I rely on a daily multi-vitamin to help by body perform . . . and recover! A product I have really come to like is the Vitafusion® MultiVites, read on!

Modern Me: Vitamins keep me healthy and strong!

I will point out that I supplement with a few other vitamins, based on my life stage and activity level. A well-rounded daily dose like that found in the Vitafusion® MultiVites is a good place to start; however it is so important to educate yourself on what types of vitamins, minerals and trace nutrients YOU need, rather than just blindly swallowing (or chewing). For example, a pregnant woman has unique nutritional needs, starting in the first trimester, to ensure that the baby develops properly. Active and older women (and I’m putting myself in both categories) benefit from increased calcium, which can help prevent bone loss and fractures. Vegetarians also can benefit from taking extra calcium, iron, zinc, and vitamins B12 and D. Oh, there is so much more . . . it’s a huge topic!

So back to my favorite daily dose, Vitafusion® MultiVites. I originally stocked up on this product because I thought it would encourage my older kids to partake in their daily dose – and it worked! The company also makes a product portioned for younger children called L’il Critters. Because I was already familiar with the brand, I was more than happy to give them a review after being sent a complementary bottle. Featuring naturally-sourced colors and flavors like berry, peach and orange, taking these chewable gummy vitamins seems almost like a treat – you only get two per day, kids! For sure a great tasting alternative to hard-to-swallow pills (you don’t even need water); but the best part of Vitafusion® MultiVites is so much of the percent DV has been addressed to help fill in any gaps in my diet.

Vitafusion® MultiVites offers plenty of perks for the body, but here are a few of my favorite:

Provides 200 percent DV for vitamin D3 which is as much as 3 ounces of salmon
Provides 50 percent DV of antioxidant both vitamins C and A
Supports immune health
An excellent source of vitamins B12, B6, folic acid and pantothenic acid
Provides as much vitamin A as one cup of broccoli

Vitafusion® MultiVites are gluten-free and made in the USA. You can find them nationally at drug grocery and mass merchandise stores for about $11 for 150 count jar. Heads up, I get mine in a 250-ct jar at Sam’s Club and it’s a great deal – only a couple bucks more than the 150-ct container.

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The Fit Fork

Tag Archives: vitamins

Happy, Healthy Hive + Buzz on #Zarbees Vitamin Drink Mix

Immunity Boosting Yoga Poses and Vitamins #AirborneHealth

Healthy Bones for Handstands, Marathons and More #BeActiv

Improve Vision for Confident Night Driving (and Running) + #Giveaway

Should You Be Taking a Daily Multi-Vitamin? #Vitafusion® MultiVite Review