Healthy living has always been a struggle in my family. Having a family history of diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and cancer has always been a major concern of mine. Through regular exercise, eating on a regimen that fits my blood type, body type, and characteristics and being open to new healthy living experiences has made me and my family healthier in general! That’s why I was excited to pair up with NOW Foods to travel to Bloomingdale, Illinois, right outside of Chicago to see how they make their wellness, beauty, sports and food products*. Take a look at my awesome nutrition and health-filled time I had and how you could win a $500 NOW Foods prize pack to enjoy with your family.

*Please note: Dietary supplements are natural products that are not intended to treat, diagnose, cure or relieve the effects of diseases, ailments, etc..  Please consult a physician or health professional for your own dietary and health goals. 

NOW Foods #Giveaway for YOU and My Healthy Living Experience

The moment I got into my room I was greeted with the most amazing two bags of NOW Foods products! I was amazed… and you will get a chance to win your own products too! From snacks and quinoa cups to supplements and beauty products for the whole family… I could tell this was going to be an awesome event.

All of my products couldn’t even fit in the picture

Our First Night Starts Off with Meeting the CEO and an “Iron Chef’ Healthy Food Event

It was an exciting event because I got to meet other bloggers who were from all types of backgrounds and blog genres: healthy living, recipe creation, family and home lifestyle like Stagetecture.

The first night we all met to meet Jim Emme, CEO of NOW Foods and the recipe and development team to have an “Iron Chef” event! It was so much fun to see how their natural food products are perfect if you need:

• Their Living NOW products are certified gluten free, certified kosher, sugar-free ( as well as a better tasting stevia), pasta – tastes like wheat ( but is gluten free)- made without corn- better for those with wheat and corn intolerances.

Suzy Sing, Recipe and Development Chef made us a delicious dinner that was PURE comfort food but made with all NOW Foods healthy ingredients.

All images by Stagetecture.com

Healthy Living Starts with a Healthy Mind & Body

After a wonderful night, we all headed to bed because Friday was going to be a whirlwind of events.. like waking up to a 6:45 am yoga/pilates/cardio workout on the terrace overlooking this gorgeous golf course at Eaglewood Resort.

Our morning yoga and pilates was great! I was so sore for the next two days I could tell I used muscles I had never used in my regular workouts. Between the gorgeous sky, the cool, crisp air, and our Yoga Instructor – Vanessa Mackay’s pumping music, it was the perfect start to the day.

We Learned How to Make our Own NOW Beauty Recipes!

After our morning yoga, we learned how to make our own roll-on essential oil blends as well as hand foaming soap! These are great recipes if you like using essential oils or if you like giving beauty products as gifts. My personal favorite beauty product is the shea butter lotion. It smells like heaven and every time I put it on it lights up my mood. Healthy living isn’t only about eating and exercising, it’s also about making yourself feel good, right?

Here are a few healthy living notes I learned about the NOW Beauty Products:

• NOW Doesn’t test on animals, they only test on people. Their products are gluten free and they make sure all of their products are pure.
• They have products for kids, teens, and adults including kids mouthwash, toothpaste and
• Did you know your skin is the largest organ? Your skin can be exposed to over 200 chemicals on skin per day. WOW!

Next Stop: Touring the NOW Foods GMP Facility:

After the beauty products seminar, it was time to head back to our rooms to pack up and head to the NOW Foods plant tour. This was going to be good! Take a look at just some of the wellness supplements and sports nutrition supplements products they create at their plant.

We walked through the Bloomingdale plant to see how they make their supplements, powders, foods, beauty products and more. They actually make 1,400 high-quality, natural and affordable products. Isn’t that insanely awesome?

The picture on the bottom right of the image above are solid marble tables that ensure all of their weighing and testing are exact. My analytical/architectural nerd side found this fascinating.

NOW Foods offers Healthy Living Supplements, Beauty Products, and Natural Food Ingredients

My husband and I use to always get NOW Foods products at our local health food store, but never realized the wide array of products they truly have. Whether you are trying to find supplements to help you lose weight, gain muscle, replace vitamin deficiencies or help your overall mental well-being, there are products to assist with your goals.

It was truly a pleasure learning how the NOW Foods stands by their motto of “Living Happy, Living Health, Live NOW”. From the staff and the quality testing to the countless number of quality-assurance tested practices that go into every product, it was quite an amazing event. I encourage you to follow NOW Foods on their social channels below and visit their website to see how you can start living NOW.

Healthy Living Starts Here: Follow NOW Foods on their Social Channels

Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram accounts. All of their social channels are a great way to keep up to date on their latest products but to also get inspired on how others in the NOW Foods community from around the world are living healthier lives!

Here’s Your Chance to Win! Now Foods Giveaway – Product Pack valued at $500!

Note: Contest entrants are only eligible to win once per sweepstake, per household as part of a campaign sponsored by Influence Central

Official Rules for the NOW Foods Products Prize Pack:

1. Contest starts on Sunday, August 13th and ends at 12 am, Wednesday, August, 16th 2017.
2. Please follow the Rafflecopter directions below and enter as many times as you’d like, once a day, between the afore mentioned dates.
3. The winner will be announced on Stagetecture.com on Wednesday, August 16th.
4. The winner should live in the Continental United States and have a postal address, not P.O. Box address for NOW Foods to ship to.
5. The winner should contact me by using the Contact Form here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For more healthy living tips on Stagetecture, visit our wellness archives here.

Gluten Free Dessert: Mocha Brownies with Fresh Raspberries

Image via: Kraft Canada

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Yields: 12 servings

Ingredients

4 large egg whites

16 ounce (1 package) gluten free brownie mix

6 tablespoons canola oil

1 tablespoon instant coffee granules

Cooking spray

1 cup whipping cream

2 teaspoons instant coffee granules

½ teaspoon vanilla essence

¼ cup powdered sugar

½ cup chocolate syrup

1 ½ cups fresh raspberries

Procedure

Image via: 12 Tomatoes

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Beat egg whites using a mixer at high speed for one minute or until frothy. Stir in oil, brownie mix, and 1 tablespoon coffee granules. (batter should be thick)
3. Spread the batter in an 11* 7 inch ceramic or glass baking dish coated with cooking spray.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the edges comes out clean. (center will not be cooked at this moment but will continue to cook as brownies cooks.) Cool completely in a dish on wire rack. Cut into six squares, then again cut each square diagonally in half to create 12 triangles.
5. In a medium bowl, place cream, 2 teaspoons coffee granules, and vanilla essence. Beat using a mixer at a high speed until foamy. Add powdered sugar; beat again until soft peaks form.
6. Place brownie on a serving plate. Drizzle with chocolate syrup. Dollop with topping and sprinkle fresh raspberries.

Eliminating gluten from your diet does not mean sacrificing all the flavor. Try this delectable gluten free dessert recipe for sweet indulgence and let us know how it was.

Who doesn’t love the smell of fresh baked breads in their home especially banana bread? Bananas are a great source of potassium. This is a mineral that your body needs to operate normally. Potassium helps your muscles and nerves communicate properly. If you want to supplement your body with potassium, eating a banana is a great source.

To enhance your eating pleasure, try a gluten-free banana bread. This is a delicious recipe that you can easily make at any time of the day.

Fresh Baked Gluten-Free Banana Bread

Image via: Two Peas and their Pod

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Ingredients

• 1 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup chopped dates
• 4 large eggs
• 2 cups mashed, very ripe bananas (about 4)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups brown rice flour
• 1/2 cup sorghum flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Image via: Recipe Girl

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Pour 1 cup boiling water over dates in a small bowl. Let stand 10 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
2. Lightly beat eggs with a whisk in a large bowl. Whisk in bananas and next 3 ingredients until blended.
3. Stir together brown rice flour and next 4 ingredients in a small bowl. Gently stir flour mixture into egg mixture, stirring just until blended. Gently stir in melted butter, walnuts, and dates. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 9- x 5-inch loaf pan.
4. Bake at 350° for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pan to wire rack, and cool completely (about 1 hour).

Indulge yourself with the sweet taste and aroma of the gluten-free banana bread. This recipe is a great dessert or snack when you’re alone or with the whole family.

For more food recipes on Stagetecture, click here.

Delicious Gluten-Free Banana Bread

Image via: Dina’s Cucina

Ingredients

•     1 cup boiling water
•     1/2 cup chopped dates
•     4 large eggs
•     2 cups mashed, very ripe bananas (about 4)
•     3/4 cup granulated sugar
•     1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
•     1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•     1 1/2 cups brown rice flour
•     1/2 cup sorghum flour
•     1 teaspoon baking soda
•     1/2 teaspoon salt
•     1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
•     1/3 cup butter, melted
•     1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Image via: Southern Living

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Pour 1 cup boiling water over dates in a small bowl. Let stand 10 minutes. Drain and pat dry.
2. Lightly beat eggs with a whisk in a large bowl. Whisk in bananas and next 3 ingredients until blended.
3. Stir together brown rice flour and next 4 ingredients in a small bowl. Gently stir flour mixture into egg mixture, stirring just until blended. Gently stir in melted butter, walnuts, and dates. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 9- x 5-inch loaf pan.
4. Bake at 350° for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pan to wire rack, and cool completely (about 1 hour).

The whole procedure makes a 9-inch X 5-inch loaf of Gluten-Free Banana Bread. This should be a delicious treat for your loved ones. Take a bite on the first slice and savor its delicious taste.

For more brunch recipes on Stagetecture, click here.

Comfort food can calm your soul and ease those erratic nerves and I believe that pumpkin bread does just that. A slice of moist spiced pumpkin bread in the winter can do wonders to lift your spirit. The wonderful smell of freshly baked spiced pumpkin bread recipe will fill your home with the warmth of cozy winter days.

Here is a gluten free recipe that can be whipped up in no time.

Gluten Free Spiced Pumpkin Bread

Image via: Pinterest

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Ingredients:

210 grams gluten-free all-purpose flour mix
1 1/2 teaspoons psyllium husk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
100 grams oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Image via: Proof of the Pudding

Directions:

Preparing to bake. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9-by 5-inch loaf pan.

Whisk together the flour mix, psyllium husk, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.

Put the pumpkin puree into the bowl of a stand mixer. (You can also stir this by hand.) With the mixer running on low speed, add 1 egg. When it is fully incorporated into the puree, add the second egg. When it is incorporated, add the brown sugar and white sugar. When they have disappeared into the puree, add the oil and vanilla extract. Stir until combined.

With the mixer running, add the flour mixture, a bit at a time, until the flour is fully incorporated. Keep the mixer running on medium speed and let the batter grow airy.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Slide the loaf pan into the oven. Bake until the edges of the pumpkin bread are starting to come away from the edges of the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center of the pumpkin bread comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes.

Allow the bread to cool in the pan for 20 minutes then turn it out onto a cooling rack. Do not slice the pumpkin bread until it has cooled to room temperature.

Enjoy your gluten free spiced pumpkin bread recipe with hot coffee. Bake a few extras and gift them to people around you.

For more recipes on Stagetecture click here.

Happy Sunday! Is there any aroma better than smelling fresh waffles being made on Sunday morning? Today, try this breakfast recipe for homemade cinnamon banana waffles for your family. From the fresh bananas to spicy cinnamon garnish you will love this delicious way to start your Sunday. Thanks Southern Living for this yummy recipe.

Homemade Cinnamon Banana Waffles

Image via: Becky Luigart-Stayner

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Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup buckwheat flour
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups fat-free milk
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 large ripe banana, mashed
Cooking spray

Image via: Adventures in Feud

Directions:

1. Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours, flaxseed, and next 4 ingredients (through salt) in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk.

2. Combine milk, butter, and eggs, stirring with a whisk; add milk mixture to flour mixture, stirring until blended. Fold in mashed banana.

3. Preheat a waffle iron. Coat iron with cooking spray. Spoon about 1/4 cup batter per 4-inch waffle onto hot waffle iron, spreading batter to edges.

4. Cook 3 to 4 minutes or until steaming stops; repeat procedure with remaining batter.

For more breakfast recipes on Stagetecture, click here.

Happy Sunday! Who’s craving a scrumptious recipe for a moist coffee cake to enjoy this weekend? Today I feature a yummy recipe featuring ripe blueberries and tangy rhubarb for your family. Whether you want to make it now and freeze for a brunch you are having in a few weeks, or you want to make it today – delight your tastebuds with this tasty blueberry coffee cake.

Blueberry & Rhubarb Coffee Cake

Image via: Wolfermans

Ingredients

Crumb Topping

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup firm butter or margarine

Coffee Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 cup fresh or frozen (thawed and drained) chopped rhubarb

Vanilla Glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons hot water
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Image vie: A Cup of Jo

Directions

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Grease bottom and side of 9-inch springform pan or 9-inch square pan with shortening or cooking spray.

2. In small bowl, mix 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/3 cup flour and the cinnamon. Cut in butter, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through ingredients in opposite directions), until crumbly; set aside.

3. In large bowl, mix all coffee cake ingredients except blueberries and rhubarb; beat with spoon 30 seconds. Fold in blueberries and rhubarb. Spread in pan. Sprinkle with topping.

4. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cake (not fruit) comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan if desired.

5. In small bowl, mix all glaze ingredients until smooth and thin enough to drizzle. Drizzle glaze over warm coffee cake. Serve warm if desired.

For more food recipes on Stagetecture, click here.

Who doesn’t love the smell of fresh baking bread? Banana bread is a great source of potassium. It’s a great option for people who wanted to maintain a healthy lifestyle and it can be eaten anytime of the day.  The popularity of the banana bread is not only because of its nutrition but its delicious taste as well. It’s so hard to resist the sweet and soft texture of the banana bread.

But not all banana bread recipes can be considered guilt-free. Too much sweetener like the white sugar is not good when you’re on a diet. However, you can do something about this.

Image via: Cannella-vita

Check out this guilt-free banana bread recipe tips that you can do when baking:

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Choose natural sugar

Instead of white sugar, you can use unprocessed sugar as an alternative. This is far better than the white sugar without compromising the sweetness. Also, you can experiment with using honey or even molasses as sweeteners. You may not get the desired taste after a couple of tries but it will be all worth it after getting it right.

Put in yogurt or buttermilk

If you need some oil, try half yogurt, apple sauce or buttermilk. This should be a wonderful addition for your banana bread. But this may not work on other recipes other than banana bread which is a bit flexible. Swap half of the amount of your choice with the oil for better results.

Go nuts!

Just sprinkle your banana bread with nut crumbs and you’ll definitely go nuts about it! It’s like hemp seeds or flax. The nuts will provide you with protein, amino acid and fiber. These are essential nutrients that your body needs. Of course, nuts give a toasty crunch and nutty flavor of your usual banana bread.

Vegan Banana Bread Recipe

Image via: Sweet Little Details

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cups white granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
3/4 t. baking soda
3/4 t. salt
3/4 t. cinnamon
1/2 cup plain soy milk or almond milk
1 t. apple cider vinegar
2 cups mashed banana, from about 4 large very ripe bananas
1/4 cup canola oil
2 T. maple syrup
1 t. vanilla extract
Walnuts

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly oil a 9″x5″ loaf pan and set aside.

2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugars, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the soy milk and cider vinegar and let stand for 2 minutes. Add the mashed banana, canola oil, maple syrup, and vanilla extract, whisking until well combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, mixing until just combined. Fold in the walnuts if using and pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake for about 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean. Allow the bread to cool on a wire cooling rack for 20 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Choose being healthy without compromising the taste of your favorite banana bread. Take note of the tips and implement it in your next baking plan. These healthy tips are definitely worth a try.

For more recipes on Stagetecture, click here.

Looking for a little pick-me-up when getting ready for the morning, then create this delicious vegan banana bread protein bars recipe to start.  They will give you the energy and nutrition that we keep you going all day long and strong.  Just follow the recipe and enjoy!

 Vegan Banana Bread Protein Bars

Image via: Healthfully Me

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Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

1. 2/3 cup fo Gluten-Free Rolled Oats
2. ½ cup of Raw Buckwheat Groats, ground into flour
3. ¼ cup of Shredded Unsweetened Cococnut
4. 3 tablespoons of Chia Seeds
5. 3 tablespoons of Mini Dark Chocolate Chips
6. ¼ teaspoons of cinnamon
7. ¼ teaspoons of Fine Gran Sea Salt

Wet Ingredients

1. ¾ cup of Mashed Ripe Banana (about 2 small-medium)
2. ½ cup of Natural Smooth Peanut Butter
3. ¼ cup of Coconut Nectar Syrup (or brown rice syrup)
4. 1 teaspoon of Pure Vanilla Extract

Image via: Edible Perspective

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line an 8-inch square pan with 2 pieces of parchment paper, one going each way.  If you want the parchment to stay securely then spray the base of the pan with olive oil and repeat the process for the next paper to.
3. Add the raw buckwheat groats into a high-speed blender and blend on high until a fine flour forms.  Then whisk all dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl.
4. Mash the bananas until they are smooth, measure out the ¾ cup, then stir together the banana and all of the wet ingredients in a bowl.
5. Now, add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir well until the mixtures have combined.  AS a result the dough will be very sticky.
6. Scoop batter into prepared pan and place a piece of parchment paper on top of the batter and press it down to spread out the batter evenly.  You can also remove the paper and wet your hands lightly and spread it out that way.  Be sure to have lain out as even as possible.
7. Put the pan in the oven and bake for 22-26 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and the bread is firm to touch.  Let the pan completely cool (about an 1 hour) before removing and slicing the bars.
8. After the pan has cooled, using a knife begin cutting the mold into bars. Then eat!

For more healthy food ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Size will never be an issue when it comes to kitchenware. This is proven by the creations of Aran Goyoaga who showcases her beautiful small kitchen essentials for a sweet kitchen treat. Her creations feature stylish and inviting plates, spoon, fork and other kitchen essentials for an appetizing meal.

All images via

Interestingly, this collection is designed to cater small recipes. The collected works enhance whatever set of food choices you prepare. You can’t help but be amazed of these wonderful plates that you can avail of.

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Here are some exciting features of eating sweet treats in a small plate collection by Aran Goyoaga:

Small and simple

Being small and simple doesn’t mean you cannot have the elegance. In fact, the amazing creativity of the designer made it look so splendid and brilliant. Each creation provides a natural blend of style that adapts your menu. You can really feel a different satisfaction eating sweet treats in a small plate.

Diversity of style

The designer made sure that people from all walks of life will have something that they can be interested in. Although the size is definitely smaller than usual but the quality of style is far bigger than the other collections. You can have several choices of styles available to cater your main course or desserts.

High quality

Style is important and so with the quality of materials. The designer doesn’t only focused on the outside looks but more so in the durability of the collection. You can also appreciate the texture and surface finish of the small plates that go with sweet treats you have.

Get hold of this small plate concept by Aran Goyoaga and you will definitely have a delightful treat. Have a peek on this small plate suggestion and indulge yourself with a superb appetizing treat.

For more food ideas on Stagetecture, click here