This post is sponsored by FitFluential on behalf of NOW Foods.
It was a fun and fact-filled two days with a group of other health and fitness influencers. Of course, we naturally had fit a group workout into the festivities and headed over to Lifetime Fitness for a specially developed HIIT workout that targeted 9 body parts to promote Target’s awesome athletic line called “C9.” That serious sweat session was followed by a bit of relaxing yoga and a delicious post-workout smoothie made with nourishing NOW products. 
My excitement is bubbling over from seeing with my own eyes how NOW products are made from start to finish and meeting with company executives including Jim Emme (CEO) and Dan Richard (son of founder). Oh, and by the way, please feel free to take a virtual tour of the Midwest Operations Facility yourself! 
Not only did I get a chance to tour the facilities, but also got to participate in some fun and educational sessions including a presentation by the lovely Dr. Wendy Bazilian on Food Tribes (more about this in an upcoming post) and impact these different diet choices (like Gluten-free, Paleo, Vegan, etc) have on athletic performance. It was also fun to partake in a DIY session where we made our own Aromatherapy Bath Soak and also Exercise Equipment Cleaning Spray using very versatile and pesticide/herbicide free Now Essential Oils. So, to recap my amazing experience, I want to share with you three awesome things I learned about this honest, totally-transparent and quality-focused company that started out way-back-when in 1968 as a simple health food store. Also, make sure to read through to the end, they are generously sponsoring an enormous giveaway of products for one lucky reader to win! 1) NOW Foods makes and sells nearly everything on my shopping list! Seriously, I think this company makes almost everything I need to support my healthy living . . . except fresh fruit and vegetables. Not only does Now Foods make a vast array of vitamins, supplements and sports nutrition products (how I first found them), but they also have an impressive selection of personal care and wellness items, essential oils, healthy foods and even natural pet care products! Even though this large company produces so many different items, each individual product is very thoughtfully and carefully made — it’s as if each came from a single-focus boutique operation. There is just that much passion among the employees at this company that has been recognized as one of the “101Best & Brightest” to work in the nation!
Over here to the left, a couple of the protein powders that started my love affair with NOW Foods. Oh, and their food lines is amazing and so many of their products, from BetterStevia™ (it really is better) to gourmet, small-batch Ellyndale Foods™ to , are the foundation for many of my healthy recipes on the blog including my Kiwi, Apricot and Feta Salad with Hemp Honey Dressing (I used their organic hemp seeds and avocado oil for this yummy summer dish). 
Also, the Living Now™ line up is has a nice variety of tasty, junk-free products that make it easier and more convenient to keep a gluten-free diet. 
We also had an interesting and informative “oil tasting” led by the adorable and talented Executive Chef in their corporate test kitchen. Apparently, there is a proper way to appreciate the flavor of oils (think wine tasting) and I slurped in little bits of various oils one at a time, from pumpkin seed and almond to olive and sesame, and let them slowly wash over my tongue! At the end of this taste-test, I have very moist lips as a whipped up a homemade berry salad dressing using the macadamia nut oil. We also made to-go salads for our travel home that day and packed our jars from a rainbow array of produce, nuts and healthy grains – of course, I went straight to the Organic Tri-Colored Quinoa from NOW Real Food™ , one of my favorites ( because, when meat isn’t on the menu, this near-celebrity-status seed offers a complete amino acid chain). 
2) NOW products are a blessing for my body and budget Now Foods products are both affordable AND high-quality — gasp, I know! These two factors are important to so many of us trying to live, role model and share our passion for the “fit life.” It’s such a common assumption in the natural health food and supplement industry that the more expensive, the better — not so! In fact, many times (not always), an expensive product is actually quite cheap in quality and just jacked up with a big marketing budget. But NOW Foods never tries to trick you into thinking that you’re getting something you’re not. They don’t waste money (which is ultimately your $) on overkill advertising because they are confident that their products always stand up to the test – literally!
My reaction at the hotel to my bags full of NOW products! High quality AND affordable, whoohoo!
Just one example, I can get NOW Whey Protein Isolate for double the amount for half the price (okay, that’s a generalization, but the point is it’s a very good deal) as many other brands I’ve tried – plus the macros are spot on in my opinion, as opposed to many of the other protein powder options out there. Same goes for product after product in their collection of hundreds (if not thousands) of different items. NOW also maintains a highly efficient, low-error operations facility that helps keep costs down. And, because NOW is privately-owned, they don’t have to jack up prices to please profit-margin focused shareholders – actually, NOW wants to please YOU, even if that means a little less moola in their own pockets 3) NOW Tests to be the Best
Learning some of the high-tech testing that goes on at the $40M lab at NOW.
So what did I just mean when I just said in #2 that “products always stand up to the test”? I mean that NOW is highly committed to quality and bringing you the cleanest, safest products. Their 263,000 square foot facility is widely regarded as one of the most scientifically-advanced in the natural products industry. The $40+ million lab of this privately-owned company is simply amazing and is nearly unmatched both nationally and world-wide. I could tell from the giddy grins on the otherwise serious chemists, bio-scientists and other laboratory professionals’ faces that the NOW lab was THE place to be. 
Not only does NOW test the quality of their finished products, but they also monitor and maintain quality all through the entire manufacturing process which starts with product development and receiving raw ingredients from vendors and ends with storing in appropriate thermostatically-controlled environments and shipping out from a precision-inspired, highly-streamlined warehouse. They also keep samples from each batch of products for a lengthy six years to ensure that if there ever is a problem, they can identify and correct immediately. I really appreciate that NOW is very transparent about the make-up of their natural products, ingredient lists and macros for nearly everything on their website. Plus, with all this testing I’ve described – I am 100% confident I’m getting what’s sold. Plus, they stand by their products if there ever is a rare, rare, rare exception. The overwhelming majority of NOW products certified organic and non-GMO, those few that aren’t are always in the pipeline to meet those standards as soon as viable in the ingredient sourcing process. Feel free to read more about the Must Use Ingredients and Must NEVER Use Ingredients. Join the twitter chat on June 16th (9PM EST) to learn get into the conversation — follow @NOWfoodsand #NOWgetfit 
Enter my giveaway for a huge haul of NOW products, the same two huge bags of items they sent me home with! It’s so much stuff, I can’t even describe it all – but it’s a bit of everything (probably $200+ at least) and you won’t be disappointed! USA only! Thank you FitFulFocus.com for the photo of loot, because I was so excited to try everything that I forgot to snap a pic! Don’t miss #NOWGetFit Twitter Party 6/16 9pm EST w/ me @NowFoods and @Fitfluential #ad a Rafflecopter giveaway
WHAAAAT! This is such an awesoem giveaway! I definitely need a new humidifier and I looooove their essential oils!
I would love to try any of their products you can bake with, like cacao nibs, maca powder, and coconut oil.
I LOVED meeting you. That was such a fun trip!
So fun to meet you to in real life to xoxo 🙂
the oils look awesome
I totally want to try their quinoa spaghetti! All the other brands I’ve found contain corn – a no-no for my gluten free kids – so this sounds delicious!
The plant based protein powder is what I want.
I would love to try the pea protein!
I’d like to try the Raw Energy Nut Mix
I’d like to get more essential oils.
I would love to try the cacao nibs!
Would love to try the Effer-C™ Orange Packets.
I would love to try the liquid coconut oil most!
I would like to try raw Cacao Nibs.
I would love to try their avocado oil.
I would like to try the pea protein powder in vanilla toffee.
I want to try the cacao nibs
I want to try the cacao nibs
I’d love to try their stevia in both liquid and powder.
Goodness, so many amazing products! Also, loving that pose that you’re doing on the powder, lol! I would really love to try the CLA Extreme® – 180 Softgels and the Hyaluronic Acid Firming Serum – 1 fl. oz.!
I would love to try the Pea Protein Dutch Chocolate and the Dried Pineapple Rings!
I would love to try the Tru-Food Vegan Natural Berry Flavor – 2.2 lbs. I also want to try the Hemp Seed Hearts, Organic – 8 oz.
the instatnt energy b12 packets
I have used some of the NOW supplements in the past and I am excited to try the protein powder!
I would like to try the bee pollen.
Jennifer I want that tee! Can you do something about that for me? I would love to try the plant protein complex. Among many other things.
I would love to try the Sugarless Sugar! Sweet treats are my weakness so cutting out sugar has been difficult for me.
I’d love to try any of the multivitamins or protein powders.
I’d love to try the Crunch Clusters– Cashew!
I would love to try the Aloe Vera 10,000 mg soft gels from NOW Foods as well as their Liquid Coconut Cooking Oil.
stevia and protein powder are always good options!
This was such a fun trip, and it was so nice to meet you over breakfast! I love that picture of you on the protein powders!
I would love to try the Go with the Flow™ Tea – and the Green Coffee Diet Support
So many good products!!! I would buy products for the top of my smoothies. I like the NOW Real Food® Shredded Coconut, Dried Tropical Fruit Dices and Dry Roasted and Salted Macadamia Nuts
I would like to try the Vitamin C-500 Complex – Vegetarian 100 Tablets.
I would like to try the Crunchy Clusters Cashew
I would like to get Now Foods’ Sunflower Seeds, Certified Organic, Raw, Unsalted – 16 oz.
I would love to try the Peace, Love & Flowers Essential Oil Blend
~Essential Oils~ …I love Patchouli and orange oils and never thought about mixing them up with ylangylang….good luck to everyone
I would love to try the Peace, Love & Flowers Essential Oil Blend
~Essential Oils~ …I love Patchouli and orange oils and never thought about mixing them up with ylangylang….good luck to everyone
oopps …I put my email address in where it need my name….:-)
Would love to try the Natural Progesterone Liposomal Skin Cream.
I would like to try the Ultra Omega 3-D and the Berry Full Shampoo.
I would love to try their sugarless sugar!!
I’d like to try their Raw Almonds and Raw Cashews!
i love to try their beef gelatin
I would love to try their Honey-Roasted Pecans.
Wow! So many products I would like to try but especially their essential oils…I’m kinda addicted to essential oils. 🙂 Thank you.
One of the items I would like to try is the Dried Tropical Fruit Dices.
I would love to try their diffuser and essentials oils
I’d love to try the Jasmine Oil.
I would love to try the Cajun sesame sticks snack! I love ANYTHING cajun!!!
I would like to try their Faux Wood diffuser. I’m also a little curious about the quinoa macaroni.
I’ve been looking for a good stevia. That’s what I would try.
I would love to try the BetterStevia® Cinnamon Vanilla. I love flavored, sweet coffee but don’t like all of the bad things that go with it.
I would like to try the 2 in 1 correcting eye cream!
I’d like to try the Cacao Nibs, Raw (Organic) – 8 oz.
I would enjoy the Honey-Roasted Pecans.
I would love to try their Instant Energy B-12 (2,000 mcg of B-12 per packet)
Feeling groovy tea, & the lemongrass pure oil
I like the anti-aging face creams like the hylauric acid
What a great selection of products! I’d love to try their organic raw cacao nibs and sprinkle them over my granola yogurt parfaits!
I want to try the Atlas cedar oil
I would like to try the Whey Protein Natural Vanilla .
I would love to try the Apple Cider Vinegar 450 mg – 180 Capsules & the Thyroid Energy Veg Capsules.
Antioxidants
I’d like to try the vitamin E cream and the shredded organic coconut.
I would love to try the liquid coconut oil
All your products sound great. Love the taste of Cinnamon so I would have to go with your products that have to do with it.
wow I love NOW products
disregard previous comment, I didnt put my name. I love NOW products
I’d like to try AlphaSorb-C™ 500 – 90 Veg Capsules
The raw energy nut mix looks goog
Good
I would like to try the Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Love that shirt!
Thanks Jen!
I like the T-Lean product for energy and good health. Truth is I would like to try a lot of your plant based products.
I’m impressed by the selection but I think I’m most intrigued by their pet supplements. I have an aging cat and I want to keep her happy and healthy for many more years to come.
I want to try everything muahahaha! on a serious note i wouldn’t mind trying the quinoa noodles
Raw Energy Nut Mix would be a great snack at our house.
Wow! What a selection! I’m especially interested in the teas! I looked around that section and I see that they have an Ojibwa tea! What a coincidence! I’m Ojibway. 🙂 Really there is so much to see at their site, I need to bookmark it.
I’d love to try the Chocolate Fudge Brownie Mix, Organic, Gluten-Free.
I’d love to try the sugarless sugar or the protein powders! Thanks for this amazing giveaway!
I WOULD LIKE TO TRY THE
7-KETO® LeanGels™ 100 mg – 60 Softgels 🙂
I would love to try the digestive enzymes and probiotics. I have GERD and am dependent on medication but would love to see if I could get my digestive system functioning properly again and get off the meds.
I’d love to get some digestive enzymes and probiotics. Also some lotions! Thanks for the giveaway!
Nutri-Shave Natural Shave Cream would be nice to try.
I would like to try the organic raw cacao nibs
I’d love to try their organic nuts and Kick Back™ Tea.
T-Lean™ Extreme sounds promising and Id love to try it
Would love to try their aloe soothing gel as well as maybe some shea lotions and other body care items! – Emily Ann Benzing
THE ULTIMATE ENERGY SPORTS SUPPLEMENT MIX
I was sold as soon as I saw the honey roasted pecans.
id love to try: http://www.nowfoods.com/Thyroid-Energy-180-Veg-Capsules.htm
thx ;0 <3!!!!!!!!!!!
All that running exposed to the sun has given rise to sun spots on my face which I’d love to get rid of using the Dark Spot Serum.
Some of this definitely looks interesting to try. I don’t think I will tell my husband until he actually easts it though.
Raw nuts and their oils look great too!
Raw Energy Nut Mix
I would like to try the Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Mix, Gluten-Free
and the Flax Seed Meal, Certified Organic – 22 oz.
I want to try the raw cacao nibs. I can think of so many uses
i would like to try the Crunchy Clusters™ Almond –
I would like to try the organic golden berries, I had never heard of them before
The Garlic Sesame Sticks sound good.
I would love to try their long lasting deodorant stick! The nut mix would be amazing as well!
I would love to try the essential oils!
I would love to try the BetterStevia liquid extract in hazelnut!
I would love to try the Essential Oils!!
I would love to try the Now Foods Jasmine Oil and Rose Absolute Oil.
I’d like to try the Real Food Roasted, Salted Pistachios.
I would like to try the Organic, Virgin Coconut Oil, the Crystallized Ginger Dices, and the Honey Roasted Pecans.
Would love to try the kidney cleanse
I would get one of the probiotics like he cranberry, manoose, and probiotics combination
I would like the protein. It sounds like it’s high quality and clean,
The bee pollen looks like something I can use a lot.
I would LOVE to try the Cajun Sesame Sticks! Along with a lot of other products on the website!
I’d love to try your whole wheat sesame sticks and your potassium citrate supplement.
I would love to try the L-OptiZinc 30 mg – 100 Veg Capsules and the Colloidal Minerals 32-oz. from NOW Foods.
Too many great things to choose from! The Organic Raw Cacao Nibs would be awesome though.
I would love the essential oils diffuser.
Aloe Vera Concentrate – 4 oz. is something I would love to try out.
I like Stevia, so I’d like to try their Stevia. I’d try the pea protein too!!
THE ULTIMATE ENERGY SPORTS SUPPLEMENT MIX Im always looking for new ways to up my game in the gym.
I would like to try the Liquid Iron 18 mg.
I love NOW Foods products! I would love to try the Nutri-Shave™ Natural Shave Cream.
I would like to try the Cajun Sesame Sticks and Crunchy Clusters™ Cran-Blueberry.
Cajun sesame sticks looks super yummy!
I would like to try the raw cacao nibs.
Thanks for the chance to win!
would love to win these great prizes thanks so much
I would like to try the Brain Elevate™ – 120 Veg Capsules. It could help with my memory.
Looks like they have a decent selection of protein, plant based specifically.
I would LOVE to try all of the nuts, specifically the cashews! Im a huge nut fantatic and those look amazing!
Would love to try Cocoa Butter Lotion and Joint Support Cream !
I want to try the essential oils
I would love to try Cacao Nibs, Raw (Organic) – 8 oz.
I am on a low carb diet so I would love to try your almond flour and agave nectar for baking!
I think i would try the oils…i have never bought them before
I’d like to try the Dried Papaya Spears.
I would love the Lemon Oil (Certified Organic)
I would love to try the Avocado Oil
I would like to try the NOW® Dermal Soothing Cream
I would love to try the organic raw cacao nibs and many other items
I haven’t been without the orange oil in about 20 years.
I’d like to try the Raw Energy Nut Mix and the oils
coconut infusion or plant protein powder
I’d like to try the BetterStevia sugar substitute
I would love to try their Eve™ Women’s Multiple Vitamin – 180 Softgels!
I would like to try their EcoGreen Multi Vitamin-I like that it is iron free.
I would love to try their sandalwood and balsam oils.
I want to try NOW Foods Berry Full Shampoo and Conditioner to volumize my hair!
I would love to try NOW Fit & Tone Protein, LipoTrim and Super Enzymes.
Nice Contest- Hope to try some of your products.
Where has this brand been all of my life!? I would love to try the alternative flours as well as Cacao nibs and the almond crunchy clusters 😛
I’d like to try the Super Enzymes.
I would love to try the quinoa! Its one of my new favorites
I would like to try the methyl folate.
Cocoa Butter – 6.5 oz.is the product I haved to try.
I would love to try the Cacao Nibs, Raw (Organic)! Thanks for an awesome giveaway!
i would love the Cheer Up Buttercup! Oil Blend – 1 fl. oz. for my new diffuser!
I’d like to try the Garlic Sesame Sticks.
I would like to try the Wrinkle Rescue™ – 60 Capsules
Would love to try the Lemongrass Oil – 1 oz.!!
I want to try the raw cacao nibs
I would like to try the Crunchy Clusters Almond from Now Foods. I see lots of great foods available on their website.
Would love to try the lemongrass oil.
I’d love to try the Now Foods Branched Chain Amino Acid Powder. The one I use currently is made by BSN. Love to see if this one is better!
instant energy b12 packets
Would definitely like to try the dried papaya spears.
I would love to try the coconut oil! I have never had it, but I really want to add it to my diet! Fantastic Prize! Thanks so much for the opportunity!
NOW Foods is amazing and I’ve used their Jojoba and Coconut Oils before. Very good and high quality. I would love to try NOW’s Organic Raw Cacao Nibs.
I ould love to try the Rose Hip Seed Oil and the Clarify & Illuminate Cleanser
I’d like to try the Soybeans, Roasted, Unsalted.
I’d like to try their Gluten-Free Ancient Grains
I didnt know NOW foods made protien powder! I want to try it.
Any of the foods, trying to eat healthier.
I’d love to try the raw cacao nibs.
I would love to try the Marcona Almonds! They look great – that’s my favorite healthy snack.
Whey Protein Natural Vanilla would be my item of choice.
To be honest with you I would love to try all the products.
I would love to try the Cacao Nibs, Raw (Organic)
would love to try any of the NOW Real Herbal teas!
I would love to try the dried papaya spears. That can’t be found in my supermarket and they are so good for digestion.
organic raw cacao nibs!
I would like to try the Marcona Almonds
I would love to try everything, but I would start with the thyroid energy capsules. Thanks for the giveaway and keep up the good works.
I’d really like to try their essential oils and the bamboo diffuser, the cooking oils and sugarless sugar.
I would like to try the Argan Oil for my hair!
I want to try the Hair, Skin & Nails – 90 Capsules.
yay
some of the healthy snack products – maybe Cajun Sesame Sticks to start !!
I would like to try Cholesterol Pro. This would be a more natural approach to lowering my cholesterol.
I would love to try now foods honey roasted pecans!
I’d like to try the Cajun Sesame Sticks, and also the Coconut Flour.
I really would enjoy trying out the dried fruit products.
Id like to get the raw cacao nibs. So yummy!
I would love to try the Premium Whey Protein (Vanilla).
I would like to try coconut oil.
crunchy clusters cran-blueberry.
I would like the try the gluten free baking and pancake mixes!
I would love to try their supplements and their skin care oils.
I’d love to try the essential oils but even more I want to try the Almonds Roasted & Salted.
I would love to try the Marcona Almonds
I would like to try the raw cacao nubs.
I would like to try the Super Enzymes and the Pumpkin Seed Oil.
We would like to try their Organic Oat Bran i.e. homemade breads, cookies, etc.
I’d like to try the organic maple syrup and the royal jelly.
I’d like to try lots of their stuff but especially their Liver Caps, I bet it beats eating liver!
I would like to try Essential Oils the most of all products on the web site.
Hello! I’ve been reading your website for a long time now
and finally got the bravery to go ahead and give you a shout out
from Atascocita Tx! Just wanted to mention keep up the great job!
Will you be announcing a winner on the Rafflecopter entry form?
Thanks for the reminder (and thanks for entering) — I was waiting on her acceptance of the prize and forgot to go back and do that! Have a great weekend!
https://Storify.com/onionyak8/formula-do-carne-funciona-leo-araujo-esclarece