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Appetites and Adventures

#NOWGetFit: A NOW Foods Immersion and GIVEAWAY!

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Have you guys been on Instagram lately?

That’s a rhetorical question.

Last week my feed was filled with peeks inside my trip to the NOW Foods headquarters in a Chicago suburb.  I was one of 7 lucky FitFluential bloggers that spend 2 days immersed in NOW, getting an insider look at the company and their passion for providing high-quality, affordable products.

But first, schwag:

NOW Foods Giveaway

At the end of this post, there is an opportunity for YOU to win ALL of these goodies too. It’s filled with supplements, gluten free-pasta, sugar-free sweetener, and even an oil diffuser!

After checking in, we were treated to a private dinner at Glen Prairie with NOW’s CEO, Jim Emme.  I was lucky enough to sit right next to him while we dined.

Dinner at Glen Prairie in Chicago at the NOW Food Immersion.

I spent years in consulting, meeting with leaders of various companies and hearing all about their problems.  I’m pretty jaded with corporate America, to say the least.  Jim is NOT that guy.  I’ve never met a more genuine leader, or one who cares so much about the people that work for him. It’s amazing how he – and everyone I met – are truly committed to providing high quality supplements and healthy ingredients to people that are actually AFFORDABLE.

More fun facts about Jim:

  • He is tall.  Like really tall… maybe 6’3?!
  • He plays basketball twice a week, does Crossfit and follows a paleo diet (he did not have a brownie).
  • He meets with any employee that is about to be let go to see if there’s a personal issue that might be impacting performance.
  • He started at NOW as a plant manager.
  • He can milk a goat.

The food at dinner was excellent.  I had the Golden Beet Arugula Salad with goat cheese toasts, followed by pan-seared Skuna Bay Salmon with sautéed snap peas, fingerling potatoes, and orange beurre blanc.  Homemade gluten-free brownie for dessert with french vanilla ice cream.  Pretty sure I’m the only girl that finished hers, but mah gainz and all… mwhahaha!  There was also red wine involved.

After dinner we went right to bed because there was a 6 AM fitness class the next day.  Central time.  Which means I got up at 3:15 PT.  Soooooo tired.  Suzy was there for me to capture the moment.  (She is amazing, btw.  Another perk to this trip was meeting or reuniting with friends!)

https://www.instagram.com/p/BGMbHk1mjal/

The workout turned out to be a HIIT session at Life Time Fitness.  It was a tough 45 minute workout (I felt like a total wuss with my stupid ACL), and I was actually GLAD to end it with 15 mins of yoga.  I almost fell asleep.

I woke up rallied in time for a group picture.

NOW Foods Immersion workout

The NOW crew never let us go hungry!  We fueled up before the workout with various energy bites (click each for recipe) – French Vanilla Coconut, Cashew Butter & Berries, and Pom-Berry Nut.

Post-workout we were gifted with a protein shakes in the coolest blender bottle I’ve ever seen.  It had a separate compartment for powder on the bottom and two compartments for pills on the top.

NOW Foods Energy bites

We had breakfast looking out on the golf course of the hotel before returning to our rooms to shower for the day’s activities.

First up was a private plant tour.  We were given a short presentation about the company before donning some super-sexy hair nets, glasses, and lab coats for the tour.

It was great to learn so much about NOW.  I’d purchased a few of their products in the past, but never put much thought into the particular brand.  Over and over again I realized how much care is put into each one of the nearly 1,500 high quality, natural, and affordable products ranging from vitamins and supplements to hair and skincare products to snacks and olive oils.  I had no idea that 75% of their supplements are non-GMO!  That’s really really hard to do when you’re sourcing so many ingredients from around the world.

NOW Foods plant tour

Now Foods is a family owned company, founded in in 1968.  You can tell that each employee is treated like family – everyone was smiling and waving at us as we walked through the plant!

As we walked through the plant, we saw firsthand that NOW Foods doesn’t just test the final product for quality, they test each individual ingredient that goes into a product.

Our definition of value is the best quality product at best possible price.” – Jim Emme, CEO

There was so much high-tech equipment in there… it was like nerd heaven!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BGMxNiPGjWl/

After the plant tour, we were off to their headquarters for lunch and a wellness presentation by NOW Spokesperson, Dr. Wendy Bazilian.  When I saw that the lunch was catered by Whole Foods, I was over the moon happy.  You guys know how I feel about Whole Foods. 😉

Wendy’s presentation was fantastic.  She talked about Food Tribes, which was a new concept to me.  A Food Tribe is a social group connected by a common set of beliefs that shape their food and lifestyle choices.  Makes total sense, right? 

Lunch at NOW Foods catered by Whole Foods

I was really interested in the research she shared on gluten-free diets and performance.  People often go gluten-free because they think for some reason it’s healthier, but that’s not necessarily the case (allergies and sensitivities aside).  There are studies testing athletic performance that determined there is no benefit to going gluten-free if you don’t truly have a medical reason.

Next up was a DIY Post-Workout Bath Tea and a gym equipment spray led by Tina Tews, Personal Care International Sales Assistant.  That bath tea smells so good with the lavander and chamomile – my luggage smelled fantastic when I got home.  NOW Foods Bath Tea

Lastly, we were off to the test kitchen for a NOW® Natural Foods Overview by Dave Rosenberg, Foods Brand Director and an Ellyndale Foodsâ„¢ premium oil tasting led by Suzy Singh, R&D Chef.  FYI – all of their food products are non-GMO.

Chef Suzy is basically living my dream.  After a stint in Neural Engineering (NOT part of my dream… holy mother of smart), she decided to follow her passion and go back to school at Le Cordon Bleu to be a chef. She was on season 2 of MasterChef, finishing in the top 5.  Then she went on to have a successful samosa food truck, the first South Asian food truck in Chicago.  She missed the science side of the world, which is what led her to R&D for NOW Foods.  Isn’t that an amazing story?!

NOW Foods R&D Chef Suzy Singh

On to the oil tasting, lead by Chef Suzy herself.

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know that I love wine.  In, fact, Vegas and I just took a level two certification.  It was really cool to learn that you taste oils much like you taste wine.  You give it a swirl to let the air in, smell it, and suck it through your teeth, holding it on our tongue to get the full effect.

NOW Foods oil tasting

They were all really good, but the coconut infusions were my favorite.  I wanted to roll around in the butter infusion and the garlic… well, I could have eaten enough of it to scare off a family of vampires.

I was so sad when it was time to leave.  Always thoughtful, the NOW crew had a make your own salad in a jar bar set up for us.  We got to use the oils we just tasted to make our own salad dressing too.  Wouldn’t this be a fun party idea?

NOW Foods DIY salad in a jar bar

https://www.instagram.com/p/BGNJ4asGjWC/

It was great to meet so many new friends, and to reunite with friends I haven’t seen in a while (like the marvelous Katie!).  And KELLY OLEXA!  I finally got to meet FitFluential’s leader and she is every bit as amazing as she comes across online.  You can fluff my hair any time, friend.

Special thanks to Alana, NOW’s Senior Public Relations Specialist.  She was the force behind organizing this amazing event.  She even memorized our bios and greeted us by name as we arrived!

[Tweet “Check out this amazing 2-day immersion @nowfoods! #giveaway”]

Giveaway

Whew.  That was a lot.  Thanks for sticking with me.  NOW (<– see what I did there?) it’s Giveaway time!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don’t miss the Fitfluential Twitter chat on Thursday, June 16 2016 at 9pm ET!  All the bloggers that attended will be there chatting and using the hashtag #NOWGetFit.  Come say hi!

Check out NOW Foods on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.  They’ll be showing a video from our time there!

This post is sponsored by FitFluential on behalf of NOW Foods.


***

I got home and crashed hard… but only after following the trail of notes and peanut M&Ms that Vegas left for me. <3

What NOW brands products do you use?

Did you know how to taste oil properly?

Comments

  5. I love NOW products. And now even more so after reading this post. I use a ton of them…MCT oil, shave cream, various supplements, etc. I probably have no clue how to properly taste oils. I want to have a make-your-own-salad party after seeing this. That would be a fun wedding thing, huh?

    • That would be awesome at a wedding! I hate when the pre-made salads at events get all soggy from the dressing.

    • Thanks! It’s getting there – jumping, going downhill, and side to side movement is uncomfortable, but at the 3 month mark it *should* be ok…

  8. This seems like an awesome experience. I have used a few of there vitamins but now I want to try more of there products like there pro towns and oils!

  10. Sounds like a really amazing trip- so cool to see the inner workings of a company! I do not know how to taste oil properly but I’m looking forward to tasting some at an Italian vineyard in a couple weeks- teach me your ways!

  12. What a super fun trip that was for you! I love the NOW lavender oil.. I use it in my diffuser. I would love to try the coconut infused oils… and quinoa macaroni, because pasta.

    🙂

  15. Looks like it was an amazing trip! Tasting the oils must have been so fun. There’s a cool spot near me in Brooklyn that is just all different infused oils and vinegars and it’s so fun to go in and taste all the different combinations.

    • We have a few spots like that here too. Now I want togo in them and practice my fancy new tasting skills. 😉

  16. I always finish dessert.

    my FAVORITE Now product? really? hmmm, of all the things in my kitchen right now – I use their turmeric bromelain, 5HTP and more aminos than I can count, maca powder, plant protein… I’ll choose their spirulina as my favorite because it is the last thing I used today. ha! I’d love to try the liquid coconut oil…

    me me ME, pick ME.

  17. I currently don’t use any NOW products lol but I have in the past & now will use more haha!! And I have done oil tasting. It was olive oil & it was interesting. Looks like an amazing trip! So jealous!

    • I legit thought I didn’t… then I looked around and I have several NOW supplements. Those oils though… that’s going to be a game changer!

  19. This is the first time I have even heard about NOW foods—I’m very impressed! The quinoa macaroni sounds absolutely delicious! The coconut infusions sound like they would be a lot of fun! Thank you so much for sharing and helping me learn about such new and healthy options!

    • Thanks! I’m really excited to try the pasta and oils too. I need an Italian night!

  22. I’ve heard a lot of great things about NOW foods! Whoever wins the giveaway will be lucky! Thanks for sharing about your trip! Sounds like a lot of fun!

    • Really?! Tell him I said hi! And ask him to tell you about the time he milked a goat. 😉

  24. they took my balls… bitter. Kidding. I love it! and wish I could have gone. But quick question. What did the trail of m&m’s lead to? ahem.. wink wink

    • Mwhahahaha! It’s all fun and game until someone takes yer balls.

      There was actually a green M&M on the bed. But Vegas was at a ball game, so I passed right out! 😉

  28. I’m so glad that you had a good time! NOW is one of the only supplement companies I will buy from. In fact, over 75% of my supplements have that classic orange, purple, and white logo! 🙂 They truly are a great company, and I think it’s so great you got to go to such a cool company HQ! 🙂

    • That’s so great to hear! I’m a little embarrassed I didn’t pay much attention to the source of my supplements before… but I will now! (Hee hee… now…)

  29. The trip looks like SO MUCH FUN!!! Loved checking out your recap lady!

    I totally want to try NOW Foods quinoa macaroni. I’ve been all about unconventional pasta lately, and my favorite so far has been a chickpea one from a company I met at Natural Products Expo.

    • I’ll let you know how it is! I want to try the chickpea. I have done black bean a few times and liked it. Definitely not like “real” pasta though.

  31. I’ve heard nothing but great things about NOW. This looks amazing….since I’m prediabetic love to try the sugar free sweeteners.

    • I’m excited to try them too! They say they’re not as bitter on the end as regular Stevia.

  35. I looooove this brand! I haven’t tried many of these products though..they are not at the store I typically buy their other products but have been dying to try them! I’m not quite sure I could pick just one of their products because from what I use, they’re all pretty dang amazing and can’t go wrong!:) I would absolutely love to win this!

    • I’m sorry you didn’t win! I definitely recommend trying out more of their products though – if you see that infused coconut oil GRAB IT! 😉

  36. I have been trying to incorporate more plant based protein into my diet so I’d love to try the NOW brand! Looks like such a fun trip!

    • Protein powder is a great way to get a boost! I like to make a protein smoothie bowl post-workout in this summer heat!

  42. That looks like so much fun! I hope to get to go to an event like that someday! 😛

    I’d love to try their macadamia nut oil! (Totally not being influenced by being in Hawai’i or anything…)

  43. Awesome recap and it was so nice meeting you! It really makes such a difference connecting with people in person every once in a while compared to just online. Nothing like face-to-face interaction, especially with such amazing and inspiring individuals!

    • Thank you!!! It was great meeting you too, and I totally agree on the face-to-face. I wish we could do it more often!

  45. Do you and your girl want to adopt a grown, quickly aging old lady? It was amazing to get to know you. Love all of your interesting stories– what a beautiful person you are Laura. Love your confidence, humor and powerful by laid back energy. Wrapping my arms around you!

    • Sure! The more the merrier. 😉

      You are too kind. I love talking with you. You always blow me away! I wish we were a little closer, but let’s do get together again sooner rather than later.

  46. My friend made me download snap chat again. I saw all the behind the scenes of this trip. The menus for meals looks friggin’ bomb!! I would be most excited about meeting fellow bloggers though. It’s awesome to meet the faces behind the words – which is what we plan on FINALLY doing next week yo!

    • YAY!!! I refuse to get snap chat… I have too many things to keep up with already! But you can snap our adventures and show me all the reasons I should stop resisting. LOL!

  47. That is a lot of swag. I haven’t tried any of these products but some look really good.
    I don’t know how to taste oil properly and sometimes shy away from different varieties.

  52. That sounds like such a neat experience. I haven’t tried any of the oils. I believe I’ve used some supplements before. I don’t know that i have any of these products currently. Lucky you for this opportunity! Looks like fun!

  57. Loved your recap! This looks like such a fun trip. Can I choose the cashew butter & berry balls as my product I want to try? 🙂

  59. I would love to try their essential oils! I use some of their vitamins already!

  61. Now that’s some swag! I love reading about your experience and your behind the scenes sneak peek! TOO MUCH FUN!

  62. I love their Avocado Oil! Also, well, I love all their oils… I use them all the time while cooking

  63. I’d like to try the dark chocolate stevia from Better Stevia, or Now Foods’ vanilla toffee pea protein or the toffee caramel fudge whey protein!

  64. I really want to try the oil diffuser! I’ve heard so many good things about them. The supplements would also really come in handy.

  68. How did I miss this? I love your face getting up at 3:15 PT. I might have not even looked goofy. I might have just been a monster. That oil tasting looks seriously so good, although I think I might get the flavors mixed up after trying a bunch. It was fun seeing all the gals’ salads on Instagram after they finished. NOW is so much of a bigger company than I realized, and I NOW have a bigger appreciation for them! Ok, and that study to going gluten free if you don’t have to is really interesting. I think we often think things because of popular advertising without doing the actual research. I would really love to try that Quinoa macaroni, because I’m all about trying new pastas.

    • Thanks for following along! NOW is way bigger than I realized too. And YES on the gluten-free thing… for some reason people associate it with “healthy” and that’s not the case!

  69. Oh, for some reason your Instagram link is broken, but I’m going to go find you on Instagram! 🙂

  72. I have heard great things about NOW’s sugarless sugar… I’d love to try it!

  76. I love ALL Now products! They are such a trustable brand with quality products! I have a bunch in my house, from creatine for helping my workouts to vegan and whey protein to even bulk nuts and seeds! I especially love their fiber products such as xanthan and guar gum and organic psyllium husk! I’m really hoping to try some of the giveaway products too!

    • Ah! It’s good to hear you’re such a fan. after touring the facility, I’m definitely going to be making an effort to try more of their products. You’re right – it’s fantastic to have a brand you can trust!

  77. I’ve always been a fan of Now’s sweet almond oil- but everything here looks like so much fun- quinoa pasta? Yes, please.

    • They had those fruit things out as snacks – they are like crack. In a delicious way. 🙂

  81. I do believe you and I are in the same FOOD TRIBE. HA! We are just in the same LIFE TRIBE in general.
    I saw a bunch of photos of this NOW FOODS exploration and the thing tha tpopped out the most to me was the AMAZING salmon they served you! LMFAO – god I am so addicted to that shit, it’s stupid.

    Oh and Jim ain’t that tall – Landon (fiance) is 6’6″! LMFAO!

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  1. […] served it over the gluten-free quinoa pasta I got at the NOW Foods immersion – Vegas actually LIKED it!  We’ve experimented with a few brands, but this is the […]

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