Sharing a delicious fall recipe for copycat Panera soup! This is dairy-free and SO delicious with a drizzle of olive oil and some roasted chickpeas on top. 

Hi friends! How’s the morning going so far? I hope you’re enjoying the day! I have a packed day with coaching appointments (YAY!) and excited to take a yoga class this morning. I hope you have a lovely day ahead.

Something that made me chuckle a bit recently: the Pilot said, “Ohhhh, soup season is here”

I was like… soup season is ALWAYS here.

I get what he’s saying. Some people like to enjoy warm and cozy bowls of soup during certain times of the year, like when it’s chillier outside. I’ve never fully understood because you can find me with a piping bowl of soup on a scorching summer day. Soup fan for life, no matter the weather or season.

I feel like soup is the PERFECT meal. It’s an easy way to get in a ton of nutrients, protein, it’s super satisfying, and there’s nothing like some fresh sourdough or cornbread dipped into soup or chili. I have quite a few recipes on the blog but was excited to make a version of Panera’s Autumn Soup. It’s dairy-free, the ingredients are so inexpensive, and it packs a ton of nutrients and fall flavor.

Let me know if you give it a try!

Panera Copycat Autumn Soup (dairy-free)

Ingredients:

Whole butternut squash

3-4 medium peeled, cooked sweet potatoes

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1 onion

4 carrots

1 carton of veggie broth

can of coconut milk

nutmeg

cinnamon

salt and pepper

Instructions:

Step 1

Cook the butternut squash. Cut it in half, remove the seeds, and place in the Instant Pot with 2 inches of water, and cook for 12 minutes on manual. Remove the squash, drain the Instant Pot, and set aside to cool slightly.

Step 2

Next, add the broth, onion, carrots, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and pepper to the Instant Pot. Cook for 12 minutes on manual.

Step 3

Do a quick release, and then stir in the butternut squash (if you use a spoon to scoop it out from the skin, it should come out easily), sweet potatoes, and coconut milk. Use an immersion blender to blend until smooth.

Step 4

Adjust seasonings as needed. Ours needed a bit more salt and cinnamon.

Step 5

Top with a

Hiiiii! Happy Friday! How was the week? I’m thankful that it was a short one.. I’m ready for the weekend already. We blasted right back into school, dance, and got to see Nate Bargatze last night. SO hilarious and good.

This weekend will be spent cleaning up the San Diego aftermath, and I’m looking forward to a couple of low-key days. We also start our community detox on Monday! It’s not too late to join in. You can get your kit here (7,14, or 21 days use FITNESSISTA10) and join our closed Facebook group here. Quite a few of us are doing a longer detox, so there will still be friends participating whenever you get your kit.

San Diego recap + Friday Faves

San Diego was the BEST. We enjoyed four days in one of our very favorite places and also enjoyed some new adventures. We experienced LEGOLAND for the first time, took the girls paddle boarding and kayaking (twice because they loved it so much!) and we found out P is not a fan of Melting Pot lol.

We got in on Friday afternoon and decided to spend the afternoon shopping at UTC, and then enjoyed dinner at Seasons 52. We haven’t been to one in years – I keep wishing Tucson will get one! – and it lived up to the fond memories. Of course, the girls loved the mini desserts.

We called it an earlier night, and the next day, we woke up and it was raining. It rarely rains in San Diego, despite June Gloom and

Hi hi! Happy weekend! What are you up to? We’re heading to San Diego for the long weekend and looking forward to some beach time, restaurants, and shopping. I hope you have a wonderful weekend ahead!

Thank you so much for all of the heartfelt and kind comments and emails after my last podcast episode. I’m so grateful for all of you and will absolutely keep you updated along the way.

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Summer Shape Up 2023 Winners!

Our team is continuously impressed by our LSF community. All the women in this community worked their butts off in this challenge and we are so proud of each and every one of you! You all finished this 6-Week Challenge strong which will help to create amazing habits that will last a lifetime. Thank you for pushing yourselves and our community to be the best we can be! 

We wanted to bring back the intensity with this challenge- in our workouts, our nutrition, our weekly prizes, and most importantly, our grand prize (a free trip for two to HAWAII)!! We brought back Accountability Groups to connect members with each other & lean on each other for support during the 6 week challenge. We introduced new videos in the MOVE app, all focused on specific areas of the body to really feel that burn. We also re-introduced weekly giveaways for our #teamlsf community who remain the most loyal and supportive fitness community to exist! 

Now it’s time to shout out our SSU23 winners! These inspiring women, not only have incredible transformation photos but the most heart warming stories!

6 WEEK TRANSFORMATION | GRAND PRIZE WINNER

Dara B. (dara_lsf_compassionatehouse) – Total pounds lost: 8

Dara’s story:

“I was so excited for this summer shape up cause it was lining up with me jumping into some new fitness goals. I have been working out pretty consistent, but I wasn’t seeing much change anymore. I was feeling like maybe I will never reach my goals.”

“We started the challenge the day I went to camp…I thought that was gonna be hard. I did pack lots of heathy snacks, and all my LSF nutrition went with me to help temptations go away. Then stared over on the 14 day shape up meal plan to just really detox and help my body after camp. It felt so good! Then for our beach trip a couple weeks ago I looked at the meal plan, and we pack the food for the menu that week.”

“My dad is like how much longer do you have to eat like this. Cause he loves his french fries… and not the sweet potatoes one. I would say “forever” then laugh. I said this is going to continue when the challenge is over. I want this to be a lifestyle. I had my mom and grandma doing the daily 10 every night and eating the meal plans. It was so awesome cause they are both trying to lose weight. It has been so awesome making progress as a family and seeing us get stronger physically but also mentally.”

“I liked accountability groups cause it made it less overwhelming. I would set time aside each day to go through the #teamlsf cause all those smiles and ugh faces lol motived me to keep going, and che

Sharing a roundup of some of my favorite functional stretches to add to your routine.

Hi friends! How are ya? I hope you had a great weekend! We had an amazing date night at Locale, I caught a hot yoga class, worked on Vitality (we start TODAY! last call!), and we met up with friends for dinner and drinks. I hope you had a lovely one, too!

For today, I wanted to chat a bit about functional stretching and share some of my faves. I know that stretching can be a fan fave, or something people loathe, but I think that it can be helpful to incorporate functional stretching (that makes sense for your activity level and lifestyle!) into your routine.

My favorite functional stretches

Why is functional stretching important?

Functional stretching, also known as dynamic stretching, involves moving your body through a range of motion to improve flexibility, mobility, and muscle activation. This type of stretching is different from static stretching, where you hold a position for an extended period. Functional stretching offers a range of benefits that are particularly relevant to physical activities and sports performance.

Here are some key benefits:

Improved Range of Motion:

Functional stretching involves dynamic movements that mimic the motions you’ll use during physical activities. This helps improve your joints’ range of motion in a way that’s relevant to your chosen sport or exercise.

Enhanced Flexibility:

Dynamic stretching helps increase the flexibility of your muscles and connective tissues by actively stretching and lengthening them through movement. This can contribute to better overall flexibility.Warm-Up for Activity: Functional stretching is often used as a warm-up before engaging in more intense physical activities. It gradually increases blood flow to your muscles, which helps prepare them for the demands of your workout or sports.

Activation of Muscles:

Dynamic stretching engages and activates the muscles you’re about to use. This can help improve muscle coordination and responsiveness, leading to better performance and reduced risk of injury.

Improved Blood Flow:

As you move through dynamic stretches, blood circulation to your muscles increases. This brings oxygen and nutrients to the tissues, enhancing their readiness for physical activity.

Injury Prevention:

Dynamic stretching with controlled movements and proper form helps improve joint stability and can reduce the risk of muscle strains and injuries during exercise. When you’re taking a muscle through the full and correct range of motion, it can help to prevent altered movement patterns, and imbalances that can lead to injury.

Neuromuscular Coordination:

Functional stretching promotes communication between