Your Vitamins Your Way (Win!)

No two people’s diet, lifestyle or wellness goals are alike, so why should their vitamin regimens be? VTMN Packs is Canada’s premium vitamin subscription service providing personalized daily vitamin packs. The brand has made it easy and, dare we say, fun to take your vitamins by creating a monthly pack that is tailored to your body’s needs. We chatted with founder Laurie Cook about her unique service that can help yield better health and wellness for the new year! —Vita Daily

Hi Laurie! Please tell us a bit about yourself to start.

I am the Founder, CEO and pharmacist behind VTMN Packs! I have over 15 years experience in the industry. I’ve always loved building relationships with people. A lot of my education, training and work experience  centered around the traditional Western model of treating disease, but after some pretty transformative health changes in 2014, I developed a new appreciation for the importance of a holistic approach to health. Preventative, natural healthcare became my personal and professional focus, which naturally led me to vitamins. I am a mom of two amazing young daughters, Ava, 4, and Lucy, 1. They are the real driving force behind my desire to stay healthy and to lead by example. My favourite place to be alone is at the grocery store or in the kitchen. In another life, you’ll find me creating healthy alternative recipes for the whole family and teaching people how to make meal prepping fun and beautiful!

When and why did you launch VTMN Packs? What is unique about your offering?

VTMN Packs launched in December 2019. As with so many entrepreneurs, it was formed because of my own frustrations! I was an avid supplementer, but the process of buying, storing and remembering to take  my vitamins was work. I would regularly sit on my bathroom floor and fill up my little plastic pill box with my vitamins, but despite my best efforts, I would go  weeks without taking my supplements. Inevitably, I felt the effects – I lacked energy, my sleep wasn’t as restful and I would notice changes in my skin. It was during one of these times that I had one of those cliché “but there’s got to be a better way” moments.  After not being able to find a good Canadian solution, I  started VTMN Packs. While I had a job that I loved, the decision to leave and start VTMN Packs full time felt right, and work on getting things up and running started almost immediately. Like any new startup, we faced our share of challenges, pushed deadlines and curveballs. But my passion persevered and I am so happy to have been able to introduce this novel and convenient concept to the Canadian market. Being the first to market in Canada, we are able to provide a really unique offering. When you come to VTMN Packs you get a full service experience – we take a deep dive into your lifestyle and health goals and provide you with a recommendation of professional line quality supplements from recognized brands that have already earned your trust in the supplement space. Unlike some of the other health assessments out there, ours takes into account a wide variety of lifestyle factors and wellness goals, then scans for drug interactions and nutrient depletions. There is no one else offering this level of personalization and customization with the same focus on quality as we are. As a Canadian owned and operated and female founded organization, we are ready to be a household name and a go-to destination for all your vitamin and supplement needs. VTMN Packs was created not just to simplify my life and the lives of other Canadians struggling with staying on their regimens, but moreover it grew to be a platform to educate and provide access to high quality foundational vitamins and supplements.

How does the program work, and how have you made taking our vitamins fun?

Whether starting a supplement regimen is your first step on a wellness journey or the final touch on a “new you” project, we are here to support and encourage you.  When you come to our site, we suggest you take our Health Assessment which is designed to help address your unique needs, but if you already have a regimen that works for you, you can skip this step and build your own pack. Even if you have a regimen you love, take it for fun and see how it compares to what you are currently taking. You can always add or delete items before checking out. We also suggest re-taking the health assessment if your lifestyle or health goals change so that you can be sure you are always getting exactly what is right for you. Your month’s supply of daily dose packs come pre-loaded and coiled in one of our stylish and convenient dispenser boxes. We really aim to make it simple, fun and convenient by taking the hassle out of taking vitamins! It’s a beautiful package that you will proudly display on your counter as a friendly reminder to keep up with your routine to feel your best today and support you in the long term. 

What’s extra-special about your vitamins, quality wise? How do they go above and beyond to provide us with health benefits?

Working in a retail pharmacy, I recommended supplements all the time, but the thing is that traditionally, there isn’t a lot of training provided to pharmacists or physicians about supplements The more continuing education that I did, and the more I learned about vitamins and supplements, the more taken aback I was by the true difference in quality of ingredients and the amount of fillers between your traditional drugstore brands and professional line supplements. They say you get what you pay for, and I really think this holds true with vitamins. It is our mission as a company to make sure that we do all the research so our customers don’t have to, by focusing on thoughtfully curated products from brands you can trust. We have  spent countless hours dissecting each and every vitamin and supplement label to make sure we offer the best of what is available on the market today. We only carry supplements that are health Canada certified with NPN’s (Natural Product Numbers) and that are non-GMO, Canadian and free from as many allergens and fillers as possible including gluten, soy, wheat, eggs, dairy, yeast, citrus, preservatives, artificial flavors & sugar. We also prefer to source capsules when therapeutically appropriate, as tablets often have hard to digest binders and fillers. There are a lot of sceptics out there who believe that vitamins are ineffective, but I am quite certain that is because they simply aren’t taking the right ones. Our supplements will always have the most active or absorbable form of the vitamin, offered in the right dose at the right time. A real tangible example is Magnesium. It is an amazing supplement with a ton of health benefits, but you have to take the right kind, and not everyone knows that there is a difference. Many off the shelf supplements contain Magnesium oxide, carbonate, sulfate or gluconate which are all poorly absorbed. Magnesium bisglycinate on the other hand, has excellent bioavailability, and because it is absorbed elsewhere in the gut, it doesn’t have that lovely laxative effect you might experience from some other forms. We go into a lot of detail about each and every one of our supplements on our website, so it’s worth a visit there if you’re curious about vitamins!

Who are VTMN Packs for?

As a brand, we strongly believe in a food first approach to health, but in reality, no one eats perfect 100% of the time, and even if they do, the nutrient density of fresh foods is declining.  So really, VTMN Packs are for anyone who wants to focus on improving their health, but doesnt know where to get started. For those who are already actively taking vitamins, we simply provide a smarter way to supplement. Everyone can benefit from supplements, and our Health Assessment is designed to figure out exactly which ones you may need. Here’s what we know: Taking your vitamins regularly ensures you get the maximum benefit, and we make staying on top of your regimen easy with convenient daily packs! Managing your supplements is time consuming and we eliminate the hassle and ensure your packs arrive at your door every month. VTMN Packs are a really good solution for pregnant moms who need an easy way to take vitamins, busy moms, or anyone who enjoys the convenience of a set it and forget it subscription service.

Final, personal question: what’s in your daily VTMN Pack? 

As a busy mom of two young kids, my VTMN Packs have been an invaluable part of my daily routine! I love sharing what I take because I think it shows that you don’t need to take a ton of supplements to maintain your overall health! So here’s what I take:

• Vitamin D because, like ⅔ of Canadians, my levels aren’t optimal and this vitamin has so many health benefits
• Prenatal Multi because as a woman of child bearing age, this covers all my needs plus keeps me supported while I am still breastfeeding
• Omega 3 to help manage my stress, brain health, energy, and skin. I also don’t eat a ton of fish, so this provides useable forms of EPA and DHA that my body can’t easily convert from plant sources
• Probiotics to help strengthen my immunity and improve overall gut health
• Vitamin C to help absorb my iron, boost my immune health and improve my skin and nails
• Ashwagandha because as a busy mom of two and a new business owner, I can use all the stress management and adrenal support I can get. 
• Zinc for its important role in fortifying the immune system and to help with skin health.
• Iron because I have been deficient most of my adult life and this helps keep my levels where they need to be
• Magnesium for all the wonderful things it does including helping with sleep, relaxation, stress and supporting my hormones

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Win! A $100 VTMN Packs Gift Certificate!

Congratulations Sandra M. of Surrey, B.C., who will receive a $100 VTMN Packs GC!