Assignment #5: Making Your Multivitamin a More Noticeable Part of you Day

1) I do like the idea of positive reinforcement and encouragement in taking vitamins daily. All the ideas are good and positive in remembering to take your vitamins or remember that you are running low. Out of all the ideas I like the 3rd one, a vitamin in each slot so you can look at it and make sure you have to take it for the day or check to see if you already have taken it. In the past I have had this same issue trying to remember if I took my pills before bed and then I either skip because I am worried I will take too much. I also like the flip magnet idea, but it could get confusing if I have missed a day and then I would wonder where I was in my cycle. The bottle idea is good for remembering to buy new pills and nice for giving verbal encouragement, but for a strong minded person it is just silly and childish and does not really let you know or make you remember to take your vitamin.

2) The idea of being reminded to take my vitamins is important in my life. I am always on the go with work, coming home at different hours or being on the go or going on field trips. Having an option to carry something around with me or have it placed somewhere near something that is a routine for me would be very handy and would remind me to take my vitamins as well as make sure I have not taken too many or not any for that day.

3) So the idea for these bottle and containers are great, but I feel I need something more technologically advanced. How about designing an app on your smartphone that shows you what you have taken for the day and how it is improving your body and health? It could also set up a daily alarm for you to be reminded to take your vitamin or the app can send a pop up on your phone to remind you to take it. It could also be programmed so you can remember to take your vitamins with you on work trips or journeys. I would like to also have the app have graphs and workout routines that you can programme so that you can monitor your health and workout routines so it can tell you if you might need a boost or extra amount of powder or vitamin in your body to help you through your day. Great for reminding you during the day or in the morning to take your vitamins. You could also have messages sent to you or pop up telling you how great you are doing taking your vitamins. Finally you could also have some kind of reward incentives for taking your vitamins 7 days in a row, maybe put into an online sweepstakes or perhaps a few bottle of vitamins if you take them for 3 months in a row. Or it could be a personal reward that lets you eat your favorite desert after doing it for 30 days, the sky is limitless! I would call this app Remind-a-day or Healthy daily living app.

4) I believe by using my new app and taking my vitamins daily I would see an improvement physically in my health as well as getting the most of of my nutrients. By making sure I am getting the right amount at the right time, I would see more muscle growth as well as more energy, instead of sporadic bursts of energy I would see a good level of energy at the right times of the day and not just in bursts. This way I can control when I want my extra amounts of energy.

5) It would make me happy and it would give me me more peace of mind knowing that I am getting the best out of my vitamins and not just taking them and hoping that they will work.

6) My routine would change for good in a good way in that it would allow me to take my vitamins at the correct times of the day and the correct amount. It would allow me to make sure my times are correct during my workouts and that I am getting the right amount of energy at the correct times I need it during the day but setting the app to tell me when I need to take my vitamins depending on when I will be working out or having days when I need more energy.

7) It would make me think more highly of the one a day brand if they came up with this app and that they really cared about me using their product correctly. It would also let me think that they are a brand that is changing with the times and becoming more technologically advanced in helping their customers get the best out of their brand by helping them with their routine in taking the vitamins. It would make me think that they understand my daily struggle to take vitamins at the right time and in the right amount and would also that they understand that the world is changing and that we need to embrace technology to help us out when it comes to taking daily vitamins.

That is it for me! Thanks for having me take part!

Assignment #4: Tale of Two Multivitamins

The character One a day Tablet Form

Name: Mr Neville One A Day
Age: 78
Hair: White and combed to one side
Facial features: A stiff upper lip with a curly moustache and beard
Personality: Grumpy and stiff
Body type: Old and wrinkly
Activities: Walking, listening to the radio, complaining
Job: Retired, Former brigadier in the British Army
Family: Divorced

Mr Neville One a day is an elderly gentleman who is tough and finds the changes in life hard to swallow. He continues to persistently walk around life in pain but finds it hard to change his daily schedule which is rigid and persistent right up until the last detail. Each day he continues to go through the same routine, waking up, walking to the post office, complaining about the weather, going to the same restaurant and ordering the same meal, walking back home, complaining on the way home how his knees always hurt, but refuses any kind of medical help. Cooks dinner at the same time each night using very bland food materials with no flavor and puts no milk in his tea. He turns on the radio because the cable is full of stupid people and listens to his show at night and sits next to the fireplace burning the one log a day that he is allowed to burn. He goes to bed at night and takes his one glass of water out of the tap and sits in his bed reading a book entitled, the joy of atonal music score composition whilst listening on his record player to organ solos of the 1930's. He is a gentleman who does not want to change his lifestyle and would rather suffer in abject poverty then being helped. Always ready to moan about life to people and his ever suffering health issues which he refuses to take better medication for because he believes there is nothing better then a spoon full of cod liver oil because that's what we used back in the day!

The Character Vita Craves Fruit Flavored gummies

Name: Mr James Vita Crave
Age: 24
Hair: Dark and spiky
Facial Features: Well groomed
Body Type: Athletic
Personality: Happy and Upbeat
Activities: Anything athletic, volunteering, extreme sports.
Job: Internet website designer for top fashion firm
Family: Long term girlfriend, about to propose. Comes from large family.

Mr James is a young and up coming wiz in the fashion business especially on the internet when it comes to promoting new and fresh ideas. A man who is always flexible and willing to help out others who are in need. This man will always encourage you to live your dreams and to encourage others to try new and exciting things, even if there is a risk attached to it. A typical day would be a run in the morning, then off to work in a hybrid vehicle or using a bike to get around the city. Work would consist of consulting with new designs with fashion and incorperating it into the online market where new buyers can see the ideas. All ideas are vibrant and colorful and exciting and up coming new ideas. Lunch is always a different restaurant that is ethnic or new in town. Home time means checking out a local museum or new cafe downtown for lunch, or meeting up with friends and socialising and talking about the new and latest designs and technology. Going home would be sat watching the news on the new HD TV Followed by a new exciting show. Going to bed is forced because you can't get much done sleeping, but excited about the next day. This guy loves people and loves meeting new people and hearing and trying new ideas in life. A real joy to be around, a colorful character and you do not get fed up with him on a daily basis!

Assignment #3: Supplements, Today & Tomorrow

Before

1-2

I currently use the powder energy drink supplements Emergen C. These are great for the morning as you just pour it into your drink, in my case orange juice, and it gives you energy throughout the morning into lunch. It is easy to use at home and to pour into a drink. It is also easy to take on the go if I wanted to as it comes in simple thin packets that tear open and go into the drink.

I also use the muscle gain formula muscle milk for help with my excercise and muscle building strength program I am currently using. It is easy to use and tastes good for after my workout. I find it is great at giving me more protein for daily use and helps build muscle repair and growth.

I also use the 1 a day vitacraves gummys for men. Good for health, easy to swallow and taste good. These are really good for using on the go or even at home before bed or in the morning. I use these because they are easy to take and swallow with a drink or chew if I so desire and also give me extra vitamins that help me with my daily diet.

3

I am taking several different forms from above and use them depending on how long my day is or how fast I am moving in the morning. Sometimes I use the gummys if I just want to chew on something or want something in my mouth, or if I am in a rush. I use the liquid and powder ones if I have more time and want to use them in my drinks so I can enjoy the taste and not have to rush off anywhere. I have not stopped taking them, I stopped the energy powder for a while but that was only because I forgot I had them and started using them again a few days ago when I found them in my kitchen cabinet.

The Shopping Trip

4

I went to my local Target and initially I was surprised by the amount of different stypes of vitamins and the forms they were sold in. They had an entire aisle dedicated to it and also a children's section that was very colorful. Everything was neatly arranged and made product types easy to find.

4b

Here are pictures of products and sections of the vitamin section that I like.

The packaging makes this look delicious and is also in flavors that I really like. It is also in a form that is pleasant to eat and can be carried around easily and eaten on the go or in the office. It  can also be part of a lunchtime meal along with other food as well.

This is a product I actually use right now. It is easy to use and tastes great with your drink. I love the packaging, it is really bright and just makes you happy looking at it. The colors also represent the flavor it comes in. Really easy to spot but difficult to get to on the bottom shelf if you were an older person and I think this would be something an older person might want to use as its not in pill form which they find hard to use sometimes and the powder gives them an advantage.

I really like the different colors on top of the bottle caps and also on the labels. This shows the different types of tablets and oils. They are all arranged neatly and stand out as a product on the shelf. I also like how everything is listed on the bottle, the ingredients and the health benefits.

I love taking gummys when I just want something in my mouth. I love the packaging, showing the flavor of the fruit and it lists great facts about what you are getting in the amount of vegetables and fruits inside it.

I love the clear plastic bottle so you can see what is inside and what you are getting. These are again one of my favorite forms to take, easy to chew or swallow and taste great. The label looks colorful and it looks like an exciting product.

I love this section, how it is arranged and has so many different forms to take when it comes to weight gain. The products are arranged neatly and look part of the group and there is plenty of information there to tell you all about it.

4c

Here are some pictures and section I did not like

This brand looked very plain and boring. I was not even sure what kind of form it was until I shook it and heard the pills. It is also the most expensive of all the available products in the aisle. The different colors are arranged on the lids and arrows but everything else looks very bland.

The Boxes on the top shelves confused me as they are different products but look too similar together. The packaging looks boring and the form gives me the impression it would not taste good. The bottom shelf looks much more promising withe the colors and the information listed on the front and back about what is on offer.

These products are all the same and look too regimental and not like a fun brand or try. They all look like medicine that your would take for a cough.

4d 

To be honest I do not really see any new forms that I have not seen or tried before here. If anything I think the nutrition bars that are made to look like snacks are the closest thing that might possibly different. If anything I was disappointed not to see any new and exciting products in this aisle that could be taken in different form.

4e

The newest forms would be the snack protein bars that I saw. Although not really new in my mind as I have seen them before, they look more professional and tasty then ones I have tried in the past and I believe this would enhance my life and workout experiences being able to eat healthy snacks that look good and taste good and are easy to store and take on the go.

5

I saw a few things in the grocery section of the store but nothing anywhere else

I saw the above sign at the entrance of the grocery aisle and I thought this looked like something that was interesting and would be good for my health. I walked through the aisles and found the product hanging on the shelf. I only saw the snacks and not the drinks anywhere.

I am not 100% exactly what these are, it looks like some kind of health food or drink for children. The packaging looks really nice and healthy and the Gruber logo is very clear to see.

I saw these healthy cereals at the entrance of the store and they came across as a good product as well as a good price.

After

6

Please see above for my blogging experiance

7

I have been thinking about a product that maybe involves chewing gum. A product that releases health nutrients into the body whilst chewing the product. You could use different falvors as well as different types of nutrients. This would be very helpful if you were in the gym working out and putting a product into your body that was good for you.

What about a product that you can put on your skin and then it releases nutrients and vitamins into your blood stream, almost like the patch to quit smoking. This could be worn throughout the day or during a workout that slowly puts nutrients in your body and makes you feel better and gives you more energy.

How about a product like chewing tobacco that can be chewed and placed under the tougne or mouth. This would release nutrients into the body as well as keeping the body hydrated thoughout the day. Good for daily use or workouts as well.

Thanks for reading this assignment, I am exhausted but really enjoyed it!

Assignment #2 Experiences Scavenger Hunt - Extra Things

Day 4

I was on the internet during work and was on Amazon.Com and I am not sure why I ended up on the page I did but I came across a section of the site that offered vitamin supplements so I decided to take a look at a couple of them and came across one that peaked my interest. I liked the look of the package as it was colorful and had some good information on it.

I believe this product would be good for me as it is a natural product and would give me some extra energy that I have been struggling with lately.

My emotions made me feel happy and excited that I could get a product that would help me with my energy needs. Also the helpful info on the label made me feel confident that it would be a product that was safe as well as one that was natural and good for me.

The old way would leave me with less energy and make me feel down and sometimes depressed that I was tired and could not keep up with my work load. I am sure this product would help me with all of the above but especially help me with my energy needs throughout the day and help me work on a more productive level.

                                     

I am moving to a new place next week and I was packing up my kitchen when I came across a product that I had used in the past and had forgotten about. It was some energy packets that you pour into a glass of fluid. I always put it in orange juice and this always tasted nice. I am actually surprised I have not used these more often, I put them in the cupboard and forgot about them.

This product helped me with my energy needs in the morning and helped me get through a long commute to DC as well as get me through to lunch time when I could eat and gain more energy. The package also looks great as it is colorful and also lists lots of great health benefits on the package.

It made me feel happy and more upbeat about my day knowing that I would be less tired. It also gave me hope that I would be able to get through the day at a better pace as well.

The old way would leave me tired in the morning and not alert on the morning commute. It would also leave me slowing down in the morning during work. The new way of taking these certainly helped me to get through my day even better.

That is it for Day 4!

Assignment #2 Experiences Scavenger Hunt

Day 2

A few weeks ago I noticed that some brand new water coolers had been brought into the workplace as an alternative to the soda machines. The water coolers had been brought in as alternatives to keep the work force in our office hydrated but also give an alternative to healthy products that were not sodas and also a way to save money buying sodas and having free water that was not out of a tap but a branded type of water that was a natural produce. (Deer Park)

This product has now enhanced my work production by keeping me hydrated and drinking something that has natural nutrients in it in the form a spring water. The taste of it is very cold and cool and tastes natural and makes me feel hydrated and feel refreshed and keeps my mind awake during work.

My emotions made me feel good and refreshed as I made my body feel much more relaxed and alert. Mentally it made me feel better and more productive at work and physically I can feel that my skin is feeling and looking better after partaking in drinking more water and that my kidneys are feeling better as water is being replaced by unnatural products. It also made me feel better socially as people could see that I was drinking in a more healthy way and looking after my body.

The old way of not having water coolers at work has already improved my day by giving me more energy and keeping me more alert and hydrated, By buying and drinking sodas I have been more energized and also saved money by using the free water coolers. This way of using this product certainly has helped me in my work style and it has been important to give me the chance to change the way I look after my body during work times and keep me focused during the day.

I was talking to a friend at work and we were talking about our own bowl movements and health issues related to it, especially since I suffer from hemorrhoids. He pulled out a bag of pills and told me that one of these a day would improve my colon health and enable me to go to the toilet on a more frequent basis. I asked him what the pills were and he told me they were probiotics - pills that were full of good bacteria to counter the bad bacteria in my colon.

Curious I tried one today and by the end of the day I was feeling better and the food I had eaten had made my stomach and digestive system improve during the day (and the next day as well)

This made my emotions feel much better and happy. There was nothing worse then going around the office and being in the car or metro and feeling heavy or having an upset stomach or just feeling bad down there. The pill certainly made me feel better even after a short time and made me feel happier.

The old way was not getting enough fibre or good bacteria into my diet and the new added probiotic pills made me feel much better during the day. It also made me more aware of my diet and to make an improvement into my intake of fibre and general diet during the day.

Day 3

I was reading a men's magazine and noticed a recipe and article for home cooking at the back of the magazine. The article talked about how good the benefits of cooking at home from scratch and eating healthy meals were. I took a look at the recipe and thought to myself that this would be a great time to try this out and see how beneficial cooking a healthy homemade meal would be. I have not tried it yet but I believe looking at the healthy ingredients that this will enhance my meal time. I also read an interesting article on how healthy and good kiwi fruits were, I should try this someday soon.

Reading the product has not enhanced me yet as I have not tried it but it has inspired me to go home and try to cook a meal from scratch and follow the easy to read instructions. It also made me think about other fruits that might be good for me but that are not as common to see in supermarkets.

The article made me feel good about trying to cook something from scratch. It made me feel inspired to attempt to try something and I believe by walking around the supermarket I will also see other items to add or try that would be healthy and improve my diet.

The old way of life would have seen me eat a fast food meal and not try something new and different and healthy. I am sure there will be trials and errors in cooking a brand new meal using ingredients that I have never used but I am sure that this will be a good thing. I also believe that by not reading this article I would not have looked and tried for new fruits like the kiwi fruit.

I was in another part of our office today and I noticed one of my colleagues was snacking on some kind of seed snack. I asked her about it and she told me that it was good healthy snacks for anyone to eat as it was high in nutrients and also gluten free, as she suffered from gluten allergies. I asked if it was OK if I took a picture of both packets and also asked her how it made her feel and also if I could try it.

The product was a little dry to eat but still tasted nice. It made me feel good about myself when I tried it as it was healthy and was different from the candy jar that I had in my office. I asked her how it made her feel and she told me that it was good that she was trying to maintain her hunger and weight through sensible healthy snacking as well as making sure she kept away from gluten so she could not feel sick.

I believe if I tried this product and replaced it with my candy snacks that it would improve my health and my diet. Snacking on candy throughout the office period is never a good idea and just does not improve my health, so by using a healthier product I could keep my mind and body alert and in good shape and make sure my appetite was not ruined for the next meal time. I do not have a gluten allergy but this product certainly would help anyone who has these issues and would replace a damaging product with one that sustained someone with gluten allergies health.

On my way home I dropped into Starbucks. I looked around hoping there was going to be some kind of advertising for healthier drinks or snacks but could not find any sadly. However I was drawn to the notice board and saw an advert for Zumba classes. I had heard of these classes but never knew much about it and as I read the advert it seemed that this type of exercise would be good for the mind, body and spirit in general, making me a fitter person.

I could see this product making me more fitter and healthier, and would also be good for my joints. I have knee issues and this did not seem that too much of an intense workout but one based on a lot of stretching, something that I have had issues with in the past.

I believe this would make me a lot more happy and healthy by taking part in these classes. Not only would it be good for my physical health, but I could see that it might be good socially to be around like minded people who are trying to lose weight and keep in shape.

I believe replacing this with not exercising would obviously be a good thing for my health. Also replacing or enhancing it with some of the more vigorous sports I play would be good for my knees and joints and would improve my overall body mass index and health. As I get older I need to find more exercise classes that will allow me to not be so physical and also improve my body and mind as well.

Me, Myself and I

1. Hello!

My name is Matt and I live in Fredericksburg VA and work in Washington DC as a Music teacher, musician and theater and film actor. I moved to the US 7 years ago from the UK . I love working with kids in music and theater and also love teaching kids how to act and be part of films. I love sports and play and watch soccer in my spare time. Church is also important to me and I love being a part of my congregation and teaching our kids about the bible through interactive dramas.

Here I am leading praise and worship at church

Here I am playing a character and teaching children about the bible at camp.

2. Life Philosophy

My life is based on the teachings of Jesus and I like to help those who are in need and those who are poor. I also treat others the way I would want to be treated just as the bible says "Treat each other as you would want to be treated yourself" Luke 6:31. 

I also like to take each day as a new day and not to waste a single minute of it and take advantage of every situation that is presented to me - "Seize the day!"

3.Healthy Living

I grew up as a child being fed on good healthy food. My father grew vegetables and fruits from the garden and my mother cooked them each day. I would say growing up I was given a very healthy start with nutrition and lifestyle. We took walked every weekend and exercised on a regular basis at school to keep in shape.

Today Life has changed since I moved to America. The convenience of fast food and a faster lifestyle, or slower when it comes to DC traffic, has forced me to eat unhealthy at times. Being unable to grow my own food hampers me as well as I have to shop around for good deals that are healthy and not too expensive. I attempt each day to eat healthy and to make time to cook food from scratch as well as supplement my diet with vitamins and other nutritional snacks. I understand the importance of eating healthy and balancing my diet so I can keep in shape and stay away from the doctor.

4. Healthy Choices

Some of the easier choices are cooking my own food or cooking it and freezing it for days so that I can eat food that has been made rather than just visit a fast food joint. I used a crock pot quite a bit as well as continuing to cook traditional meals from England such as the roast dinner. (see below)

Traditional Roast Dinner, Vegetables are steamed and roasted to keep goodness in.

The hardest choices is to exercise on a regular basis. Working in DC means 3-4 hours a day are sat in a car and when I get home I am tired and not interested in getting out to the gym. During the summer this becomes easier as I work at a summer camp and stay active with the kids. However then the diet becomes worse as we rely on our chefs at camp to provide mass food production which is not healthy. We did change this so that a salad bar was introduced and we could eat better alongside the other meals and have a choice.

Our salad bar at camp

5. Balancing good goals for my health is hard when I am constantly on the go or working for a few months at a summer camp., However it does feel good when I do not eat out and cook. It is nice to see myself save money on cooking at home and it is nice to feel good about myself when I pass on greasy food at camp. I have had some health issues regarding my intestines and have had to add more fibre into my diet and since I have done this I have felt much better about myself in general. I have also added more water into my diet and cut out sugary drinks which makes you feel less dehydrated. Another thing that I have to be careful of is working on film sets there is so much food and loads of snacks and I have to be careful of what I eat whilst waiting for hours just to get on set. One thing I am glad is I do not smoke or drink alcohol which is a big help. I used to when I was younger and the fun aspect of it was great but seeing my body and mind get worse because of it was not good and so giving it up was a great decision and one I do not regret.

I hope you have enjoyed day 1 of my blog.