Go behind the scenes of a great health and nutrition company with this NOW Foods Immersion Recap! See what type of products they make and enter to win a massive goodie bag.
Welcome to another great Wild Workout Wednesday Link Up where Annmarie from The Fit Foodie Mama, Jen from Pretty Little Grub, Michelle at Fruition Fitness and I bring you workout ideas, motivation, inspiration and recipes to try. Join us each week by reading along, linking up and grab the button to proudly display on your blog/in your posts!
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Oh boy! Oh boy! I’m so excited to be sharing this post with you all.
If you follow me on Snapchat, (find me @fitfulfocus) you may have noticed me Snapping like crazy last Thursday/Friday. That’s because I was so excited to be in Bloomingdale, IL for the 24-hour #NOWGetFit immersion event with NOW Foods and a bunch of other fantastic healthy food and fitness bloggers.
Before I get into all the amazing things we did and learned, let me give you the 4-1-1 on NOW.
ABOUT NOW
NOW is a health and wellness brand dedicated to providing peeps with high-quality, natural and affordable products, from nutrient-rich foods and supplements to personal care and sports nutrition items. They also just started a new pet supplement line, which just gives me another reason to get a dog (cough*hint hint, Will*cough).
A NOW FOODS WELCOME
I touched down in Chicago and was met by a lovely driver and a few other bloggers, Laura (Sprint 2 The Table), Teresa (Eat Drink & Be Skinny) and Lisa (Run Wiki). It’s so amazing meeting other bloggers in person, and these ladies in particular where absolutely amazing – soooooo go check out their blogs!
Anywho, we were taken to the Hilton Indian Lakes hotel, which just so happens to be a Biggest Loser Resort Hotel (unfortunately, I did not see Jillian, Bob, Dolvett, or Jen despite my creepy stalking around – whomp whomp).
We were greeted by some lovely NOW folks, got some yummy snacks (the Honey Roasted Pecans are… mwah!) and headed to our rooms. Then, it was present time!
We each received an incredible goodie bag (actually 2 bags!) filled with NOW products. If you stick with me and keep reading, you can enter to win the exact same stash of goods that I received!
After geeking out over all my healthy new goodies and reconnecting with the always amazing Susie (from Suz Lyfe), it was time to head to dinner, where we got to meet NOW’s CEO Jim Emme.
He spoke with so much pride about the company and how they make it their goal to create the highest quality products at the best possible prices.
We then heard from Dan Richard, the son of NOW’s founder, Elwood Richard. I got to speak with him more at dinner and can just tell what great passion he has for the company. I love that NOW has stayed in the family; it makes the company feel relatable and personal.
After enjoying a delicious allergy-friendly dinner and chatter with Lindsey (from the I’ll Have Another podcast), we headed back to the hotel, and I hit the hay.
GETTING SWEATY
A 5:30am wake up call got me up and ready for a fit-blogger-tastic sweat sesh at Life Time Fitness. But first, snacks! The chefs at NOW made us some yummy cashew nut butter bites.
We arrived the gym and wowza! This gym is the nicest thing I’ve ever seen! It had a HUGE pool; there may have even been two; a spa, a café, several studios, and a mega-massive workout floor. I’ve never seen so many treadmills – and that’s only the part of they gym we saw! I was so taken by it that I didn’t even take pictures. #bloggerfail.
Anywho, we were lead through a HIIT Workout that left us all hot and sweaty.
After a quick breakfast and shower back the hotel, we were off to the NOW Operations Facility to learn all about how they take a product from development to shipment!
GETTING IMMERSED
To tour the plant, you have to wear some pretty Fit & Fashionable garb. Check out me and Heather (from Relentless Forward Commotion).
The NOW plant is pretty incredible. They really take care to do things to a T to make sure there isn’t cross-contamination of products or mistakes made in the packaging and shipping processes.
They also showed us a number of their labs where they work to develop and test new products. They have some pretty high-tech stuff, all of which helps them ensure they have the highest quality and the best tasting products around. In fact, 100% of NOW’s food products are non-GMO and 88% of their supplements are non-GMO Assured. You can learn more about their non-GMO commitment here.
We had a good chat about their Stevia (according to the other bloggers, it’s THE BEST) and what makes NOW’s so good. There is a ton of science and testing that goes into it that goes way over my head, but I am convinced to try it now!
After the plant tour, we headed to NOW’s corporate offices for lunch and a presentation by Dr. Wendy Bazilian about food tribes and sports performance.
Then it was time to play around with some NOW Solutions products, which is NOW’s personal care line (skincare, lotions, essential oils, etc).
We got to make a Soothing Bathtub Tea (to bathe with – not to drink!) and an all-natural Gym Cleansing Spray using simple ingredients and essential oils. The whole room smelled amazing afterwards!
Our last stop on the tour (and my favorite!) was the NOW Foods kitchen to learn about some of their food offerings, taste their oils and make little mason jar salads!
Of all the foods NOW offers, I’m the most excited about their Living Now line.
Everything in this line is gluten free and free of the top 8 allergens. ANNNNDDDD they’re gluten-free pasta is also corn-free! Do you know how hard it is to find a corn-free, gluten-free pasta? As someone with a corn and wheat allergy, let me tell you it’s harder than a Spartan Race.
We then got to taste a bunch of oils from NOW’s Ellyndale line. They’re all premium-grade cooking oils that are thoroughly tested for purity and taste. Chef Susie taught us how to taste oils. I had no idea that, like tasting wine, there is a certain way you are supposed to taste oils. It’s… interesting. I didn’t get a video of it, but I found this one on YouTube that explains it you’re curious.
I used the pumpkin seed oil to create a pumpkin oil vinaigrette for my mason jar salad. Top notch.
A few of us got to chatting with Chef Susie after the tasting, and again I was in awe of her passion. She loves to cook and create new food products, which is what she does for NOW. She lights up when she talks about her job and what you can do with all of the yummy products. Everyone that works at NOW seems to have such an honest passion for the company. It’s refreshing.
Before I knew it, the immersion had come to an end and I was on my way back to NYC. I have to give a BIG BIG thanks to the folks at NOW for hosting us and putting on such a fun event! I can’t wait to dig in to all my new NOW products! That Quinoa Macaroni is calling my name!
Head right on over here to learn more about NOW and chat with them on Thursday, June 16th at 9pm EST during the #NOWGetFit Twitter Party hosted by Fitfluential.
THE GIVEAWAY
Alrighty, now for the stuff I know you’ve been waiting for – the GIVEAWAY! Enter below to win ALL the same amazing things I received:
And of course, don’t forget about the other epically awesome giveaway that is almost coming to an end.
Last but not least – link up with us! Full link up rules right on over here!
Let’s Chat:
Have you ever heard of NOW?
Which line of their products are you the most interested in?
I am so glad that we got to hang out. It was magical and I made me so excited for Blogfest!
I wish I was going to Blogfest! 🙁 🙁
I keep seeing Now foods everywhere lately. Love the hair net! Thanks for the link up
Deborah @ Confessions of a mother runner recently posted…Reston Sprint Triathlon-Swim, Bike, Run, Fun
They’re a great company – lots of great vegetarian goodies!
Not gonna lie, kinda jealous. Looks like such an amazing time!!!
Annmarie recently posted…5 Ways To Stay Inspired On Your Long Run
I wish you’d been there!
What an amazing experience! They have so many products!
It was a blast!
That looked like such a great event! And this company seems to make everything.
Jen @ Pretty Little Grub recently posted…Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego Half-Marathon Recap
They really do! I can’t wait to try everything.
This looked like such a great and informative time. I loved seeing all of your snaps, felt like I was there 🙂
Ivanna recently posted…Squat + Push-Up Pyramid Workout
I wish you had been there in person 🙂
Seriously jealous! I love the mission of NOW foods and I love that they partner with all my favorite bloggers. Clearly, they are dedicated in all the right ways!
Wendy@Taking the Long Way Home recently posted…Steady As She Goes: Pacing Yourself to a Strong Finish
Woohoo! They definitely are!
LIVING NOW! What a great idea – will have to look for this for sure.
Elle recently posted…New Workout Gear – Tommie Copper Compression Leggings and Camisole
You’d love them!
I don’t know that here’s any one thing I’m most excited about; I’m open to it all!
Cassi recently posted…Standing Out
i’d love to try the oils
Sounds like a great experience. And wow, what a great lineup of products that you received! They definitely didn’t skimp!
Kathryn @ Dancing to Running recently posted…2016 Ringing in Hope Recap
Definitely not! SO many things – I don’t know where to start!
Their oils!! Love NOW foods. This looked like an amazing event!
It really was, and their oils are awesome!
This NOW Foods event sounds like it was so much fun! I love that they’re so transparent with the bloggers and their methods.
Ha! I have a bottle of NOW Stevia on my desk at work to add to my tea and coffee – it really IS the best!!
Everyone raves about it! I can’t wait to try it!
Looks like so much fun! All the products look awesome but probably the sugarless sugar!
Rachel recently posted…The Dedication and Motivation of a New Runner
holy moly, I’m overwhelmed just reading this! Looks like an amazing event and a great company. I’ve heard of them but it’s nice to read a bit more about them.
Mar @ Mar on the Run recently posted…Race Recap: Newport 10 Miler
They really do it all! It’s hard to summarize it in a post haha
I am interested in trying the pea protein powder, the vanilla toffee sound great.
This looks it was seriously so fun! Sounds like an amazing trip. I knew about a few of the NOW products, but I didn’t realize the did so much!
Jen recently posted…5 Ingredient Probiotic Rich Tuna and Avocado Lunch Bowl
They have all of the good stuff! haha
This looks like a fab weekend! LOVE the pic with the hairnets 😉
Kimberly Hatting recently posted…Dam to Dam 2016!
It was such a blast!
I have never heard of NOW before reading about this blogger tour. It looks like such a great company. Love how many different cooking oils they have – they sound incredibly yummy.
Jenn recently posted…wednesday word: consistent
They are so yummy!
the mocha protein powder looks really good!
I’m excited for that one!
I want to try their supplements for recovery.
I’m most excited about the quinoa macaroni.
Me, too! I’m trying it tonight. I’ll let you know how it is 🙂
I have used the NOW supplements in the past, and I would love to try the protein powder!
Lindsey recently posted…Deluxe Hydration Run Belt | Review
I’m most excited to try the Quinoa Macaroni for a healthier mac & cheese!
That’s exactly what I’ll be making with it! Good luck!
I’ve used NOW essential oils for a few years but had no idea they had so many products! What a neat experience to see it all up close like that.
It was really neat, and now I’m a total fan of the company!
Looks amazing!! I love NOW Foods and am headed there next month too!!! I can’t wait, great giveaway too!
Toni recently posted…On The Mend Plus Tips On What Not To Do When Injured
WOOHOO!! I hope you have a blast!
What a fun trip. Have you tried the Jovial products? They are made in CT and have a great gluten free food line with really good pasta from rice and water only.
Kate @ Kate Lives Healthy recently posted…WIAW #103
I haven’t, but I will certainly be looking into them now. Thanks!
So jealous that you got to go to the NOW headquarters and spend time with fellow bloggers. Sounds like a good time!
It was such much fun! Wish you’d been there!
I really want to try the pumpkin seed oil.
The pumpkin seed oil is so delicious! Good luck!
It was sooooooo good to see you! I’m glad we got to share a car. It was such a whirlwind couple of days! I was totally creeping on the Biggest Loser space too though. LOL!
Hope to see you again soon! xo
It was such a blast! Let’s go back and stay at the Biggest Loser part of the resort! haha I hope you had fun at the beer olympics afterward!
I met NOW at a blogging conference a couple of years ago. They have great products.
They’re such a great company.
All the goodies look so good! I saw these on your snapchat and thought it was cool you got to see the factory!
Patty @ Reach Your Peak recently posted…31 Running Tips For Runners Of All Levels
It was so fun! They do an immersion every year. You should go next year!
I am excited about the paleo products
Paleo for the win! Good luck!
I’d like to try the Quinoa Macaroni
I love NOW products! Just can’t beat the quality and price point. Affordable and healthy? DOUBLE WIN.
Yes! Preach! haha