I made the pumpkin protein bites from yesterday’s post and they are delicious! I will definitely be making again 🎃

- 8 oz glass bottle/jar - 6–8 whole vanilla beans (about 1 oz by weight) - 8 oz (1 cup) 80-proof vodka or bourbon — enough to fully submerge the beans Split each vanilla bean lengthwise to expose the seeds, place them in the bottle, and cover completely with vodka. Seal tightly and store in a cool, dark place, giving it a shake every week or two. You can begin using it after about 8 weeks, but 6–12 months gives you a much richer vanilla extract. You can leave the beans in indefinitely and top it off with vodka as you use it. 🤩 Fun Fact: Beaver Anal secretions are used to make artificial vanilla flavoring and it can legally be called “natural flavoring.” 🦫 🤯 The more you know…

TAKING ACTION: ✅What is the biggest gain you see from taking rest days? Do you feel the benefits in both your mind and body? Share with us below! It’s been a full week of Steps 👟, and I think it’s the perfect time to slow down and discuss the importance of rest days. With all of our extra movement this month, I think this is an important message to drive home. None of it works without proper rest. Resting is as important as everything else. Here’s why ⬇️ 👉Muscle repair and growth: Muscles are broken down during exercise, but they GROW during rest. 👉Central nervous system recovery: Your central nervous system coordinates your muscles, and since high-intensity workouts stress it, it needs time to rest so it can do its job. 👉Glycogen replenishment: Intense exercise depletes glycogen stores, which are the body’s primary energy reserves. Rest days, paired with proper nutrition, allow glycogen stores to replenish. Speaking of central nervous system recovery, giving your central nervous system a break also benefits your overall mindset (and you know how I feel about mindset), since it plays a massive role in your mental attitude, emotional state, and cognitive patterns. Again, rest days are non-negotiable. In fact, they’re a huge part of the bigger picture here. Nothing else matters without proper rest. 💯 ________________________________________________________________________________________ ‼️ Don’t forget to share your personal referral link from inside Skool with friends and family & invite them to the community! You’ll receive a monthly recurring commission for each person who joins and stays active! 💗

TAKING ACTION: ✅Drop a sweaty Steptember Challenge selfie in the comments!! Earlier in the week, we discussed why it’s beneficial to eat foods that are in season, particularly produce that’s in season. I promised we’d talk about this more, so let’s dig into it a little more today! ⬇️ 🍎Higher Nutrient Content: Seasonal produce is typically harvested at peak ripeness, when nutrient levels, like vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, are highest. Non-seasonal produce, often harvested early for transport, may lose nutrients during storage or ripening off the plant. 🍎Better Flavor and Quality: In-season foods are fresher and tastier because they’re harvested at their optimal time and often travel shorter distances to market. 🍎Fewer Pesticides and Preservatives: Seasonal produce, especially from local sources, often requires fewer chemical interventions to grow or preserve, reducing your exposure to potential toxins. 🍎Supports Gut Health: Seasonal eating aligns with dietary diversity, which promotes a healthy gut microbiome. 🍎Environmental and Hormonal Alignment: Eating seasonally may align with your body’s needs based on environmental cues, like cooler fall weather increasing demand for calorie-dense, warming foods (e.g., sweet potatoes, squash). 🍎Cost-Effectiveness Encourages Healthy Choices: Seasonal produce is often cheaper and more abundant, making it easier to incorporate nutrient-rich foods into your diet. Refer back to Tuesday’s post for an extensive list of Fall seasonal produce to incorporate into your diet in September! 💗 __________________________________________________ ‼️ Just added and off topic: I have a dear friend who is currently walking through something very similar to what I once experienced. She is trying to safely leave an abusive marriage, and she and her daughter are facing very real concerns for their physical safety. Having lived through a similar situation, I understand the fear, uncertainty, and overwhelming emotional weight that comes with trying to start over. I also know what it feels like to leave without the financial resources you need. In my own experience, the financial burden and debt accumulated quickly while I was simply trying to survive and rebuild my life.

TAKING ACTION: ✅Share your weekly win below! Did you get more steps in? Crush your nutrition? Whatever you did well, tell me about it below! 🎉 It’s Friday, and not only that, it’s the first Friday of our STEPtember Challenge! Celebrating our wins is always fun, but there’s something special about the celebrations that come in when everyone is excited about a new challenge. 🎉 By now, you all should know just how important it is to celebrate your small wins. If it weren’t for your small ones, the big wins wouldn’t happen. If you really think about it, the small wins are the real MVPs, which means we should be thankful for each one—and celebrate each of them, as well! I encourage you to take a few minutes and think about what you’ve done well this week. Nothing is too small, friends. Every win counts. You don’t have to believe me. Believe the science. ⬇️ “Every small win gives your brain a spritz of dopamine, the feel-good neurochemical in your brain. Better yet, when we string together a continual series of small wins, you can increase the regular amount of dopamine being released into your brain for more constant joy and pleasure in your work, family, and hobbies.” —Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi