Spa Week

Although chain vitamin stores carry products for a wide array of customers, the tendency to focus on bulking-up powders and "turbo" energy boosters has always made them seem masculine. But not any more: This spring, GNC launched WELLbeING, a line created especially to address the needs of active women. Comprised of over 25 products, the range includes vitamins, shakes, powders and protein bars to support everything from nutrition and workouts to detox, beauty and weight management. On the non-ingestible front, there are also three therapeutic bath soaks to soothe sore muscles.

Among our favorites are the be-Nourished snack bars—high in protein and fiber, low in fat and available in yummy flavors like Strawberry Peanut Crunch—as well as the be-Fulfilled meal-replacement shakes, which offer twice the weight loss and four times the cholesterol reduction of dieting alone. Best of all are the convenient Vitapaks, which contain 30 doses of custom-formulated vitamins that target specific issues. The be-Wholesome kit tackles health and beauty with vitamins for strong bones, increased joint flexibility and healthy hair, skin and nails. To support fitness nutrition, the be-Hot pack includes a thermogenic blend clinically proven to burn 12 times more calories before and after workouts, plus supplements to boost energy, metabolism and lean muscle tone.

For more on the new WELLbeING line, visit www.gnc.com.

--Sandra Ramani