The holidays are supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year. They can also be the most exhausting. Between gift shopping, traveling, hosting family and somehow remembering everything on your to-do list, even the merriest among us can start running out of steam.
That’s why this year I’m taking a more practical approach to holiday survival with small essentials that are easy to keep on hand when December gets hectic.
Neuro’s lineup of functional gum and mints fits that brief particularly well. Its Energy + Focus products pair natural caffeine with L-theanine, while the larger lineup includes options designed around different moments in your routine, from Memory & Focus to Sleep & Recharge. Neuro Energy & Focus Mints, for example, contain
40 milligrams of natural caffeine and 60 milligrams of L-theanine per piece along with vitamins B6 and B12. They’re also sugar-free and vegan, according to Neuro.
That makes the collection an interesting alternative to another coffee shop gift card and a potentially useful stocking stuffer for the perpetually busy people on your list.
Here are five Neuro products to know about for the holiday season.
1. Energy + Focus for marathon holiday shopping
Neuro Energy & Focus is the everyday pick I’d keep handy for those busy stretches. The standard mints have 40 milligrams of natural caffeine per piece plus 60 milligrams of L-theanine, along with vitamins B6 and B12. Neuro offers Energy & Focus in gum and mint formats, with multiple flavors available.
The real appeal during the holidays is convenience. A small pack can slip into your purse, coat pocket or carry-on, meaning you don’t necessarily have to hunt down a cup of coffee while running from one thing to the next.
Shop Energy + Focus
2. Extra Strength Energy + Focus for especially demanding days
Some festive days require a little more planning. Think early flights, a full workday followed by a holiday party or the annual push to finish everything before the out-of-office notification goes on.
That’s where Neuro Extra Strength Energy & Focus Mints stand apart from the original formula. Each mint contains 100 milligrams of natural caffeine and 60 milligrams of L-theanine, plus vitamins B6 and B12. Neuro lists the mints as vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free and aspartame-free.
Because 100 milligrams is substantially more caffeine than the standard Energy & Focus mint's 40 milligrams, checking your total caffeine intake from coffee, tea and other products is important before adding one to your routine.
See the stronger formula
3. Memory & Focus for the person juggling everything
The holidays demand an almost comical amount of mental multitasking, which makes Neuro’s Memory & Focus line one of the most intriguing additions to a holiday-survival kit.
Rather than positioning it as a miracle fix for holiday brain fog, I’d treat this one for what it is: an ultra-portable addition to a busy-day routine. The gum format makes it especially easy to stash alongside your wallet, keys and shopping list.
It also has solid gifting potential for college students, frequent travelers or that friend whose calendar somehow has no blank space in December.
Shop Memory & Focus
4. Sour Energy + Focus Mints for a stocking stuffer with personality
Neuro offers its Energy & Focus Mints in sour flavors including Sour Berry, Sour Apple, Sour Citrus and a Sour Variety Pack, alongside its more traditional peppermint, spearmint and wintergreen choices.
That immediately gives these a fun stocking-stuffer angle, particularly for the person who routinely reaches for sour candy. The sour flavors use the same convenient Energy & Focus format but make the experience feel a little more playful.
I'd toss a pack into a stocking, pair it with a travel tumbler or add it to a small Secret Santa bundle.
Pick a sour flavor
5. Sleep & Recharge for unwinding after the festivities
Neuro’s Sleep & Recharge products give the lineup a natural day-to-night story and make an especially thoughtful gift for frequent travelers or anyone whose normal routine tends to go out the window around the holidays.
This is one category where shoppers should pay close attention to individual formulas and serving directions. Some Neuro Sleep & Recharge products contain melatonin, including versions offered in different strengths, so read the specific product label before buying or using one. Neuro Sleep & Recharge products marketed with 1-milligram and 5-milligram melatonin formulas have been offered online.
Shop Sleep & Recharge
Why Neuro makes sense as a holiday survival essential
The gum and mints are small enough for stockings, handbags and carry-ons, while the assortment lets you personalize the gift instead of giving everyone the same thing. There’s standard Energy + Focus for the everyday multitasker, Extra Strength for shoppers seeking more caffeine and sour flavors for someone who wants something more fun.
The standard Energy & Focus formula is sugar-free, vegan and contains 40 milligrams of caffeine per piece. Extra Strength Energy & Focus raises that to 100 milligrams.
That difference matters. Check caffeine amounts before choosing a product for yourself or someone else, especially if coffee, tea, energy drinks or other caffeinated products are already part of the day.
Shop Neuro Gum and Mints
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 5 tiny Neuro essentials to help you survive the holiday season
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