supplement Archives - My Life: A Work in Progress

Review: Zeal Wellness Formula Drink

A friend of mine reached out to me recently about a product that she has incorporated into her life- the Zeal Wellness Formula. She asked if I’d be interested in trying some samples and reviewing them here.

Concentrated and powdered, Zeal Wellness Formula is a nutritional formula that can be mixed with water or juice. You can also blend it into a smoothie, if that’s more your style. The formula contains antioxidants, amino acids, herbs, and nutrients from whole food concentrates, as well as complex carbohydrates and polysaccharides to support your immune system.

There are 48 calories in a serving, and each serving includes 100 percent or more daily value of certain vitamins like A, C, and B12. It also contains different percentages of numerous other vitamins and minerals. The formula is sweetened with Stevia, and you can buy it both with or without guarana for extra energy.

Take a look at the Zeal Wellness Nutrition Facts for more info.

So what did I think?

I received a sample pack of 6 servings of Zeal in both Wild Berry and the Bold Grape flavors. The powder came inside little single-serving, recyclable bottles, and I just added the water. It’s also available in a big canister; just scoop out the serving you need for the day.

The grape flavor was tolerable, but I had to swig it down pretty quickly. Not my favorite. I actually liked the wild berry flavor, so I took my time drinking those bottles. The berry ones were more of a treat for me.

I did feel energized after drinking these, thanks to the guarana, so I forewent my morning coffee on the days I tried Zeal. It was nice to not have a coffee crash around lunch time!

As far as feeling a difference in my body, I didn’t notice anything, but perhaps I would over a longer period of time. However, I already have a very nutritious, clean diet and feed my body well, so I’m not sure Zeal would ever make a noticeable difference. BUT I do like to take a multi-vitamin, just to make sure I’m always getting the right nutrients. I hate swallowing pills…can’t stand it. So the Zeal Wellness Formula really appeals to me, because of that. I also like that I can buy a formula with guarana and basically kill two birds with one stone: my morning coffee and my daily vitamin. It’s definitely cheaper than my favorite Starbucks latte. =D

Zeal is sold through a multi-level marketing style company, like Mary Kay, Thirty-One, and Stella & Dot. You can buy through a consultant, or even become one yourself.

The most affordable way to purchase Zeal is by signing up to be a preferred customer. A canister (30-day supply) will cost you $59.95, about $2 a serving. There’s a 30-day guarantee on the wellness canister, if you’re a first-time customer. If for any reason, you’re unsatisfied, you will have to ship back the unused portion of your canister, but your purchase price will be refunded.

To look into purchasing Zeal Wellness, or one of their other health products, visit 8great.zealforlife.com.

Email Debbie at sunnyfly10 at gmail.com for more info on Zeal. Right now you can purchase a sample pack like mine for $15! Ask Debbie for the details.

Review: Gummy Cuties Echinacea + Vitamin C and Zinc

24 December, 2013 1 Comment

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

I’m a strong believer in the abilities of Echinacea, vitamin C, and zinc to boost your immune system before and during a cold. For years now, I’ve reached for the three when I’ve felt a cold coming on. Except for the very occasional strong bug, I rarely get sick, and if I do, I usually recover very quickly.

There are other factors, of course, but I do believe taking vitamins helps. Some people may disagree with me, but there is plenty of research showing that zinc does shorten the duration of a cold and reduce symptoms (if taken immediately). If taken in safe dosages, it’s certainly not going to be harmful, so why not?

When given the chance to review a bottle of Natural Dynamix’ Gummy Cuties vitamins, I immediately chose the Echinacea + Vitamin C and Zinc blend. They also have a multi-vitamin, an Omega-3 DHA/EPA, and a Calcium + Vitamin D blend.

I was tempted by the DHA vitamins, but figured that this time of year, the vitamins with zinc would be most beneficial for Baby J. When the bottle arrived it said these vitamins are for ages 4 and up, so I was a little disappointed. Most of the kids vitamins I’ve seen (all, until now, actually) are for ages 2 and up. I thought about giving these vitamins to Baby J anyway, because I think he could chew them fine, but then I realized the dosage might be designed for older children. So I’ve been eating them!

Here’s the nutritional info and the ingredients:

Amount/Serving	% Daily Value
Calories	15
Total Carbohydrate	4 g	1%
Sugars	3 g	**
Vitamin A	3334 IU	67%
Vitamin C (as Ascorbic Acid)	80 mg	133%
Vitamin E (as Vitamin E Acetate)	20 IU	17%
Zinc (as Zinc Sulfate Monohydrate)	2.5 mg	**
Echinacea (Echinacea Purpea) serial parts 1-4 extract	12.5 mg	**

*Percent Daily Values are based upon a 2,000 calorie diet
**Daily Value Not Established
Ingredients: Glucose Syrup, Sugar, Gelatin, Citric Acid, Lactic Acid, Colors Added (Black Carrot Juice Concentrate, Tumeric, Annatto), Natural Flavors, Fractioned Coconut Oil, beeswax

I was curious about the use of glucose syrup, so I did some research. In order to have the “gummy” texture, only certain types of sweeteners or sugars can be used. Natural Dynamix maintains they only use “real” sugar and no artificial sweeteners in their products. They do not use high fructose corn syrup. You can read more about their decision to use glucose syrup HERE. I know people fuss over sugar used in vitamins, but my toddler isn’t going to eat vitamins that aren’t sweetened. Vitamins don’t exactly taste good on their own. I’ve never been a fan of swallowing pills (terrible gag reflex), so I’d rather eat gummies. Also, our diets are already very low in sugar and processed foods, so I don’t have any problems with 3 grams of sugar in a daily serving.

By the way, these vitamins are Made in the USA and (according to the manufacturer) free of yeast, wheat, milk or dairy, egg, tree nuts, peanuts, shell-fish, gluten, artificial colors and flavors, salicylates, and preservatives.

I was happy to see that Natural Dynamix uses naturally derived things like carrot juice, tumeric, and annatto instead of artificial food coloring. A bottle retails for $14.99 and contains 30 servings (60 gummies).

So how do they taste? They definitely still have a “vitamin” taste to them, but the sugar makes them not too bad…I’d say more than bearable. I wouldn’t snack on them like candy, but they’re quite tasty for vitamins with a sweet and sour flavor.

Visit the Natural Dynamix website to see their Gummy Cuties, as well as adult vitamins and sports nutrition.

Note: I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.