🏁NKO Club | Vol. 14 Clear Eyes, Full Hearts...

01 Wellness Spotlight

NEW YEARS PRESSURE: TAKE IT OFF!

As a kickoff to 2025, I’m sharing some of the most impactful lessons I’ve experienced that I’m taking into the new year. The first being the importance of allowing yourself to EXIST without the pressure of constantly becoming “better” than yesterday. Look, I am all for seeking out your best self and setting goals for achievement but I have learned the dark side of ambition that comes with self judgement and unrealistic expectations that rob us of our humanity.

We aren’t an algorithm or some AI software…our greatest strength is in our emotional variance, in our humanity. This year, let’s practice being KIND to ourselves, accepting that not every single day is a PR, and that our greatest wins lie within the presence of accepting who we are. Setting goals matters so long as we honor the little wins along the way.

*sends a huge hug through your email *

kendalltoole

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ORGANIZE & STRATEGIZE:

The days between xmas and the New Year can be incredibly anxiety-inducing…in some ways it now reminds me of COVID lockdown times where every day blended into the next and my mind would race constantly. Well, Alex and I thought of a way to get the chaos out of the brain and down onto paper (or actually, the WALL). Did you know there is ACTUAL SCIENCE to back the power of writing down your goals? Individuals who commit their goals to paper are 33-42% more likely to achieve them compared to those who merely conceptualize their goals.

SO if writing down goals is so powerful, how do we not feel OVERWHELMED by the size of them? Below is an image I shared on my weekly AMA to the community on IG where we take the BIG GOAL and find a way to create actionable and manageable little steps daily. The trick is to narrow down the goal to what little actions can happen daily.

03 Nutrition

High-Protein Spicy Vodka

White Beans aka Canellini Beans are a staple in Italian cooking and I’m excited to bring them

🍝HIGH-PROTEIN SPICY VODKA

Ingredients

• 1 lb Barilla Protein Plus fusilli boil and drained

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• 2 tbsp butter

• ½ white onion diced

• 1 Calabrian chili pepper finely minced or 1/2 Tbs Chili Paste

• 4 garlic cloves

• ¼ cup tomato paste

• ¼ cup vodka

• 1/2 cup cream

• 1/2 cup reserved pasta water

• ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese

• 1/4 cup Pecorino cheese

• 1/2 can Canellini Beans (rinsed and strained)

• splash of Chicken Broth

• salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Season a large pot with olive oil and butter on medium heat. Add the onion. Season with a generous pinch of salt and cook for 5 minutes, cook until onions are softened and translucent.

2. Add the Calabrian chili peppers and garlic and cook for 2 minutes, until fragrant.Add the tomato paste mix to combine with the other ingredients, cook the tomato paste for approximately 5-7 minutes, letting the tomato paste brown on the bottom of the pan. If the pan is drying up, add a little more olive oil.

3. Add the vodka into the pan, and scrape up all golden brown bits from the bottom. Mix all of the ingredients together.

4. Transfer the mixture into a blender and add the rinsed and drained cannellini beans until completely pureed.

5. Add the mixture back to the pan. Adjust the heat to low and add the half & half. Stir until combined and let it simmer on low heat.

6. Boil your pasta in salted water and cook to box instructions. Reserve a cup of pasta water to the side before straining.

7. Add the cooked pasta, 1 cup pasta water and shredded Parmesan to the sauce and stir together. Keep the heat on low while all combines. Taste to make sure the levels are salt are to your liking. If you want the sauce to be thinner, add more pasta water small bit by bit. Enjoy immediately w/ extra cheese and some raw olive oil on top!

04 NKO CLUB SOCIAL MEDIA:

2025 is going to be a HUGE year for NKO Club and to share a hint of the energy we are creating I HIGHLY encourage you to follow us @nkoclub for some special inspiration from iconic figures we look up to, quotes to keep you in the fight, and SPECIAL announcements and community features I KNOW you’ll be excited about.

05 NKO CLUB SPOTLIGHT : Heidi Schaler

Heidi is TRULY an example of the passion, the grit and the power that NKO Club is all about. Taking life’s challenging and hits even before entering an amateur fight for charity (fighting LIVE take some MAJOR courage ya’ll) and wanting to pour into others within her community…Heidi we are FANS of YOU!! Give her a follow and connect on all things boxing and if you are looking for a boxing trainer in the Colorado area!! Way to go Heidi, continue to STAY IN THE FIGHT.

WANT TO NOMINATE SOMEONE FOR THE SPOTLIGHT?

Follow @NKOclub on IG and fill out this NKO Club Nomination form to submit a friend and fellow club member for their rightful place in the spotlight!