NOW Foods Immersion Event and 50th Anniversary
Thank you to NOW® Foods for sponsoring this post as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central. All opinions are my own.
A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to fly out to Chicago with over 20 other influencers to celebrate the 50th Year Anniversary of NOW Foods with an Immersion Event.
I have been incorporating NOW products into my lifestyle this year, so I was really excited to go behind-the-scenes to learn more. I have been using their line of probiotics to help me with my IBS symptoms. In addition, I was excited to learn about their line of MCT oils, protein powders and sugar substitutes while I was there since I started the ketogenic diet this year, too.
On Thursday, we arrived at the Eaglewoods Resort & Spa in Itasca, IL. The resort was gorgeous! Jam-packed with its own golf course, three restaurants, a spa, indoor swimming pool and a 6-lane bowling alley– what more could you need? My room was spacious, clean and filled with gift bags from NOW Foods! I couldn’t wait to try all of the goodies.
To kick things off, we started our immersion event with a full-on Iron Chef Challenge!
Before our challenge, we got to mix and mingle with the CEO, Jim Emme and the VP of Global Sales and Marketing, Dan Richard. We also had the chance to learn all about the NOW line of natural foods from high quality oils and nuts to quinoa, coconut infusions, and more.
R&D Corporate Chef, Suzy Singh performed a quick demo for a delicious blueberry sauce recipe. Chef Suzy was a former Iron Chef contestant, so she also gave us some tips for our challenge. We were split into teams to create a holiday-inspired appetizer and mocktail using NOW products.
We created a delicious eggplant and artichoke bruschetta with goat cheese and Italian herbs for our appetizer. To go along with it, we made a very berry bubbly mocktail inspired by New Year’s Eve. Although we didn’t win, we had such a fun time creating recipes together!
We finished the day with a lovely dinner with all of the influencers and members from the NOW team. Towards the end of the dinner, Jim sat with us to answer our burning questions and share how NOW truly takes care of their team like family.
On Friday, we woke up bright and early for our day two activities. We met in the lobby to mentally prepare ourselves for our 6:45am kicking boxing class! I haven’t done kickboxing in so long, so I was pretty excited for it.
Before our class, we had the chance to try some products from the NOW Foods sports nutrition line, including their BCAAs which I added to my water. It helped keep me fueled during our workout. Our kickboxing instructor was so supportive and really kept us pushing through the moves. We completed our workout with some partner exercises and then grabbed a quick snack before heading to our next activity.
Next up was our DIY smoothie bar and sports nutrition demo. We learned about the NOW sports line with Bryan Morin who explained each product and how to incorporate them into our daily lives. Brian mentioned that their products are tested by a third-party to ensure that there are no contaminants, banned substances, or traces of anything that shouldn’t be there! This is so important for athletes who compete using NOW products and also important for me to know as a mom who uses these in her daily life.
For my smoothie, I created a keto-friendly smoothie. I blended together unsweetened almond milk, 1 huge frozen strawberry, NOW organic pea protein powder, almond butter, NOW organic MCT oil in vanilla hazelnut, hemp seeds and ice. It was delicious!
Finally, it was time for our much-anticipated NOW Foods plant tour! I was so excited to see first-hand what makes NOW stand out from the rest. We got a behind-the-scenes look at how the NOW products are made, visited different areas in the facility where lab testing happens and learned more about their equipment and production line.
We all looked so cute in our fancy coats, globes, hairnets, and googles.
Contrary to popular belief, the supplements industry is regulated. NOW goes above and beyond what is required to ensure it brings pure and effective natural products to market.
The plant is not only huge, it is incredibly clean! NOW’s quality control and assurance programs sets them apart and it’s what makes them a trusted brand. The plant tour gave me a better understanding of the extent NOW goes to ensure their products have amazing quality. This is so important to me when choosing products that I’m putting into my body every single day.
After the tour, we spent some time at the NOW corporate offices for lunch and created some beauty products of our own. We made a magnesium bath soak to help with our aching muscles after our kickboxing class! We also made a facial mist using some of the NOW essential oils which was so refreshing after the day’s activities.
Throughout our trip, Jim wanted us to keep in mind one simple question: “Do you trust us?” and after getting a first-hand look at the process of making NOW products, my answer is: YES.
Not many brands go through the trouble of getting their products tested by third parties to ensure their quality is up to par. When you choose NOW Foods, you can be certain that what you see on the label is what you get in the bottle. While I am not a professional athlete, it is still important to me as a mom and consumer that I can trust the products I purchase.
I am so happy I had the chance to connect with NOW on this trip and share my passion for health and wellness with other influencers who feel the same way. I am looking forward to continuing using NOW products and updating you all on my favorite products from NOW in the future!