Simple, Healthy Recipe

With busy days, the necessity for easy and healthy lunch recipes that will keep me fueled and going become quite the necessity. I want to begin to share more of my lifestyle on the blog, and with that comes some of my go-to recipes. This particular recipe has been a favorite of mine for quite awhile. It is gluten free, paleo, whole 30 -- you name it, and it is probably absolutely acceptable for the diet (unless you're vegan or vegetarian, which in that case, you'll rarely see a meatless recipe from this carnivore!). 

My ingredients are so simple -- I mean really, who can't put together a 5 ingredient salad?

1) handful of blueberries

2) 1/2 small avocado

3) 4 oz rotisserie chicken (no skin)

4) 1 medium hard-boiled egg

5) 2 cups+ romaine lettuce (or spinach)

This meal (according to My Fitness Pal) is packed with 38 grams of protein, 17 grams of fat (most of which is good fats), and 15 grams of carbs with around 350 calories. I don't even use dressing because the blueberries and avocado add such great flavor that it isn't needed!

You could always add any veggies or berries to this salad that you like, and for a few added calories, bacon is a pretty great addition to this salad as well.

Do you have any requests of posts that you would like to see? Feel free to leave me a comment or send me an email with requests! Also, don't forget to follow along on Bloglovin and Instagram (ps, I have a Starbucks Giveaway happening on Instagram currently!).

God Bless!

Hannah

Workout Apparel Essentials

As a fitness professional, it's safe to say that I live in fitness clothing more than I do in regular clothing (which is crazy with how much I love fashion, I know!). Today I want to share with you some of my favorite pieces of clothing that I live in on a daily basis.

1) BCG Seamless Cami Bra

So far, this is the only sports bra I can find that isn't racer-back and actually provides decent support. I have a lot of issues with muscle spasms in my upper back/neck, so I try to stay away from racer-back sports bras because they pull on those muscles even more. If you're looking for a sports bra that isn't racer-back and still works great, then you've got to try this one. You can find it here.

2) Nike Pro Capri Pant

These are my favorite! They are incredibly comfortable, and the waist band on them is even really comfortable. They move with me no matter what sort of crazy workout I'm doing, and they have lasted through numerous workouts since I bought them last fall. You can find them here.

3) New Balance Minimus

I have finally found the shoe to end all searches for a great shoe for cross-training (my classes are considered cross-training). This shoe makes it feel like I'm not wearing shoes! It's super light, it moves with me, and it has a wide toe-box to make plenty of room for my feet to move! It's perfect for the side-to-side movements, and I seriously love it for everything (except running), and even everyday wear is great with these! If you are doing any sort of workout with lateral movements or plyometrics, you've got to check these out! You can find them here.

I hope these tips on workout apparel help you to feel more comfortable and confident when you hit the gym so that you can reach your fitness goals! Don't forget to email me with any questions about fitness, I can finally say I have an actual degree in Exercise Science (I got my diploma in the mail the other day!).

Last night was my last class to teach at UREC (U of A's recreation department). It was sad to say good-bye, but I think I've finally come to terms with the fact that it is time to move on to the next adventure in my life, and I know for a fact that God has a great plan in store for me through Physical Therapy! However, I couldn't leave UREC without taking a picture with my final INSANITY class last night!

God Bless!

Hannah

Lower Body Exercise Circuit

Today I wanted to bring my readers a video to help them with their fitness goals. The three exercises that I have demonstrated above are three of my staple exercises that I use in my group fitness classes to work the lower body. Many variations can be done on these exercises, and weights can be added as you advance. Excuse the quality of the video, I am new to this and learning!

I hope these exercises are helpful! Happy Hump Day!

God Bless!

Hannah

Healthy Pancakes, for When You Just Can't Kick the Craving!

I've recently seen several recipes for an oatmeal pancake, and I decided to develop my own recipe of oatmeal pancakes. Somehow I happened to nail it first try (that's actually a first for my recipe experiments!), and I'm excited to share this recipe with you!

Healthy Oat Pancakes (serves 4)

• 2.5 cups Oats
• 1.5 cups Water
• 1.5 cups Milk
• 3 tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• 1 teaspoon Almond Extract
• Stevia to taste (optional)

As you can see, I used a gluten free version of quick cooking oats. You can use any oats that you wish. I also opted for skim milk to make them healthier, but again, any milk will work. Same thing with the oil. I used olive oil for the good fats that it provides, but you can use any type of oil that you have on hand. I did not include stevia in my pancakes, but if you have a strong sweet tooth, then I would suggest adding a couple packets.

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix them up. Pour the mixture into a blender and blend until smooth (takes only a minute or two). Pour your mixture back into your bowl.

The rest is easy, just like cooking a normal pancake! I used one ladle full of batter per pancake, and this allows for about 3 pancakes per serving (depending on your ladle size). 

Once your pancakes are done, top them with whatever you choose, and eat up! I've already made them twice now, and the first time I topped them with a little dollop of fat free cream cheese, blueberries, and sprinkles (I'm obsessed with these). The second time I only used sprinkles to save on the calories, and I actually think I like them better plain! 

Nutrition Facts:

• 361 Calories per serving
• 14.5 grams fat
• 44.9 grams carbohydrates
• 12.1 grams protein

The biggest thing to remember with these is that if you used olive or coconut oil, then the fats included are good fats! These carbohydrates are whole grains that will keep you fueled all morning, and having 12.1 grams of protein in pancakes is great! 

Just a side note: they will have a stickier texture since oats are the grain used instead of flour, so keep that in mind! Also, if you store leftover batter in the fridge overnight (like I generally do), it will thicken overnight and get sticky. Don't get worried. Your pancakes will still turn out perfectly! 

Have a great Thursday!

God Bless!

Hannah

Fast Facts Friday: You Did Not Eat That

I've recently came across an account on Instagram called "You did not eat that" (check it out here). The basic idea of this account is that it calls out people who use junk food (like ice cream, donuts, macarons, etc.) as props to get more likes on their photos, particularly in the blogging world. If you've spent any time on Instagram going through some bloggers photos, then you know what I mean. Honestly, I applaud the person behind this account (who remains anonymous). I think it's about time someone calls people out, because it's causing a problem for the rest of the women in our society. So, why is it so wrong?

1) Basically, it's wrong because it's false. The struggle to lose weight or feel satisfied with body image is a real struggle for almost every single woman on this earth. Think it's not true? Think again. The problem with our society is that it does not matter how far we get in our weight loss/health journey, we always want to be better, therefore we are never satisfied. Our culture feeds us the lie that we must be smaller to be pretty, which is honestly just a giant load of crap to put it plainly. So when a tiny girl in a bikini gets in a picture that has a giant hamburger that looks like it's about to be devoured, obviously there's something wrong with the picture. It's telling us that she ate the hamburger, but by looking at her, you know she really did not eat that giant 1,000 calorie hamburger. It makes it look like you can eat a hamburger and look like her, when in reality, that's nearly impossible to do. So when someone trying to lose weight comes along and sees that picture and actually believes that the girl ate the hamburger, she'll get down on herself because she'll either eat it too thinking it won't affect her, or she'll wonder what's wrong with her that she can't eat that way and look like that girl in the picture. See the problem?

When you look at the picture above, you really see the problem, and you can especially see just how ridiculous it looks. We all know it's fake. Stop trying to fool people.

Again, a bit irrational to believe this. However, I'm sure she got tons of likes on her photo, because after all, it is cute, it just probably isn't quite accurate. (photo creds to "you did not eat that" on Instagram). I mean, notice how there are no actual bites taken out of either donut. 

Oh look, another dessert with no actual bite taken out of it. Seems to be pretty common (photo cred to "You did not eat that" on Instagram). 

If you want to read an interview with the owner of the "You did not eat that" account (which I highly recommend), you can read it here. 

2) So, why did I feel the need to make a post about this? I like to look at weight loss in a Biblical way. The Bible talks about how your body is a temple of God. If I'm stuffing my body with things that are bad for me, then I'm not honoring God with my body. If I'm not working out and trying to stay in shape so that I can do any labor intensive activity that God wants me to do, then I'm not honoring God with my body. However, if I am working out, eating healthy, and taking care of my body, then I am honoring God with my body, and nothing else matters. We are created in His image, and we are made in the exact way that God intended for us to be. If I'm following God's commands and honoring Him with my body and yet I still hate my body, then ultimately I am hating God, because He made me. Everything that God made He said was good, and that includes man and woman, meaning you and I. You are good and so am I, so why don't we all stop bashing each other with false pictures of bad food that misleads people and makes them feel bad about themselves? I would rather see a skinnier girl than me eating a salad than a cookie in a photo, because then it makes sense to me why she's small! Plus, if you are being healthy, then that's something to share with others! Bottomline, don't be fake! If you're a health nut and drink green smoothies for breakfast (totally guilty over here, I made an Instagram post on Tuesday about my breakfast smoothie), don't pretend to eat a donut. Simple.

3) On another note, if you post a photo and you actually did eat that cookie, maybe you should add a disclaimer if you're one to not eat hardly anything else in the day because of that one cookie. That's the other side of this problem. Some girls that are smaller simply eat only junk food, and just small amounts of it, and nothing else. First of all, that is not healthy. You size does not measure your health, and the sooner you figure that out, the better off you will be (literally, because healthy people will live longer). So, again, the basic idea here is that you do not want to be misleading. Most people view a cookie as dessert, but if that one cookie was actually your entire lunch, then maybe you should re-think making that post to Instagram that will make people believe things that aren't true. 

Now I don't want to seem like I am hating the people that make these posts, because more than likely they are NOT aware of the issues that may be rising from these photos. I simply want, along with the owner of the Instagram account "You did not eat that," to raise awareness of what the outcome of these photos might be.  I believe that people are ultimately good at heart, and so if they really understand what these photos cause, I believe they wouldn't happen anymore, or at least I like to think that would be the case.

What do you think about these photos? How do you feel about the messages they send? I hope everyone has a great weekend, and don't forget to follow me on GFC and Bloglovin! (plus, did you see that cool new facebook tab on the right!? You should definitely like my page!)

God Bless!

Hannah

Fast Facts Friday: Sticking to that Workout

One of the hardest things to do when you start a workout program is stick to it. I know that sounds crazy, but it's true. Before you know it, you'll start making excuses for why you can't workout today: I'm too busy, I'm too tired, and so on. Well, here's a few fact facts to help you stick to your goals.

1) Make Yourself Accountable

If you're having trouble working out, make yourself accountable to someone. You could join a group exercise class, start working out with a friend, or just have someone that is willing to ask that hard question each day of: "did you workout today?" We all want to look successful to others, which means that nobody wants to come up short with their accountability partner, which means you will get that workout in!

2) Schedule Your Workout

Just like you schedule meetings, schedule your workouts. Don't say "oh I'll fit it in somewhere". Instead, say "Today I have carved out an hour at this time of day for my workout". When you do this, you have no excuse for not having time, and you're much more likely to follow through.

3) Write Down Your Goals

Writing down your goals can be one of the best ways to stick to them. It's simple, but when you see them in writing, you're way more likely to follow through on them. Run at 6 am? Write yourself a note on your mirror and leave it there. You'll see it every night before you go to bed, and it will remind you that you're going to be running at 6 am!

4) Do What You Love

One of the best ways to stick to your workout is to simply find a workout that you love. Do you love swimming? Running? Dancing? Zumba? Racquetball? Basketball? Whatever you love doing that gets you up and moving is what you are going to stick with. Same as with a job, if you love what you are doing, it doesn't feel like work.

Have a great weekend! I'll be back in the U.S. on Sunday!!

God Bless!

Hannah

Fast Facts Friday: Lies about Losing Weight

As a fitness professional, I have people come to me everyday asking me questions about how they can exercise to lose weight. If there is one question that can get me on my soapbox, that is the one. There are so many lies out there that people believe when it comes to exercising to lose weight, and those lies will keep you from seeing success! Today, I am going to correct some of those lies.

1) If I lift weights, I will get bulky!

This might be the biggest load of crap I have ever heard. Getting bulky is roughly 75% what you eat, and 99% of the general population does not eat to get bulky, so really, just forget that lie even exists. You will not get bulky from lifting weights! In fact, it helps you slim down!

Lifting weights and gaining lean muscle boosts your metabolism. This metabolism boost will help you to burn more calories and fat, further whittling away that extra fat on your body. Don't be afraid of the weights! They help you lose weight!

Now, when it comes to how much weight to lift, you also cannot be afraid to lift heavy. Seriously. The groceries that you carry into your house weigh more than that five pound dumbbell that you are doing bicep curls with, so just stop it, it's not helping. Step into the next level of training and pick up a heavier weight! If you can complete 10 repetitions at a weight without struggling to finish the 10th repetition, then it's time to add more weight. Trust me, you are stronger than you think.

Out of the two pictures above, I would much rather be the girl on the left. She is fit and healthy. The girl on the right is not healthy. Some girls eat normally and are just naturally thin, but most girls that look like this are not eating properly, and this can lead to multiple health complications. Seriously, being fit and healthy is way prettier than being skinny.

2) If I workout, then I can eat more.

Just don't even go there. Really. If you want to lose weight, but every time you get a workout in, you are heading out to eat some of that white queso (yea I know it's good), then you are defeating the purpose of working out. There's this great saying that says: "you are what you eat," and that's no joke. If you shovel down some cheese dip, you're going to carry that fatty cheese dip around with you.

Nutrition is far more important in your weight management than working out. Working out is very important and should never be overlooked, but abs are made in the kitchen. Ps, if you want in on a little secret, it does not matter how few calories you are eating if they are not nutritious calories. You could eat 1200 calories of cupcakes per day, but that is not going to help you lose weight. You will be missing vital nutrients that your body needs, plus you'll be starving from eating only empty calories and that is not good either.

3) But I have to eat 1200 calories per day...

Let me start by asking a question. Are you a number? Do you want to be labelled by a number? Are you a drone that does the same thing as every other person on this planet? I'll go ahead and answer those questions for you: NO!

While 1200 calories may be a good estimate for some people, this number is NOT the right daily calorie intake for everyone. Eating too few calories can halt weight loss because your body will enter starvation mode and store your food as fat. Your best option is to talk to your doctor to see what is best for you when it comes to calorie intake. It depends on exercise, how active you are during the day, how fast your metabolism is, and how much weight you have to lose. My best advice here is to talk to your doctor before doing anything drastic so that you do not halt your weight loss!

Questions? Feel free to comment or email me with them! Don't forget to follow me on Facebook, GFC, and Bloglovin!

God Bless!
Hannah

Squattin All May Long

It's almost summer, and that means it's time to get ready for swimsuit season! For the entire month of May, I will be hosting a squat challenge. The calendar above provides a day by day guide for the squat challenge on each day of May. So, how does the challenge work?

1. Be sure to follow Sweeter than Serenity on Facebook (Sweeter than Serenity), Instagram (@hanner_janner), and Twitter (@hanner_janner) for daily updates on the Squattin All May Long challenge
2. Send an email to hannahmarieanderson11@gmail.com to let me know you are participating
3. On the last day, be sure to email me again letting me know that you completed the challenge
4. All participants that complete the challenge will be entered into a drawing to win a grab bag of health and fitness goodies

That's all there is to it! Be sure to save this calendar to follow along on the challenge! Remember, the challenge starts tomorrow! Also, don't forget to follow me on GFC and Bloglovin!

God Bless!
Hannah

Fast Facts Friday

It's time for Fast Facts Friday! This week I'll be answering two questions that I received! Remember, if you have a question, feel free to comment, email, facebook, or any other social media message me with it!

1) What is your favorite exercise, and why?

As a Beachbody Insanity instructor, my favorite exercise of course comes from Insanity. There are many challenging exercises in Insanity, but my favorite is the Diamond Jumps. I love them because when I first started doing Insanity about three and a half years ago, I literally just stared at my tv and watched them do it and thought to myself, "are they crazy!? They expect me to do that!?" I slowly got better at them, and I could do 4 or 5 in the 30 second bouts. Now, I can make it the whole 30 seconds doing them non-stop, which took a really long time to accomplish! Diamond Jumps just make me feel strong and in-shape, so I love them!

2) What is your favorite fashion trend currently?

Oh my goodness, I cannot get enough of all things nautical. Just wait for the next few weeks, I have so many nautical outfits that I can't wait to share! From anchors to sailboats to navy and red stripes, it's just so fun and makes me feel happy to wear! J.Crew Factory has so many items to satisfy that nautical look! Which one is your favorite?

Nautical Looks with J.Crew Factory by hannahanderson-1 featuring a stretch skirt

I would love it if you would follow me on Facebook, GFC, and Bloglovin! Have a great weekend!

God Bless!
Hannah 

P.S. - There's still a few days left on my Simple Addiction Giveaway!

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Eat This, Not That

 

As a fitness instructor, I really like to make sure I am taking care of my body in any and all ways that I can. If there's one thing that really makes me mad about trying to be healthy, it's all the misleading labels on food products out there. Just because it says "low fat" doesn't mean it's healthy, because low fat can sometimes mean more sugar, and that totally defeats the purpose of trying to make the healthy choice in the first place!

Introducing: Eat This, Not That (yes roll your eyes, you've heard it a thousand times, but have you really ever scrutinized the nutrition labels on the foods you're eating?)

1) Your Yogurt

 

First of all, if you're not eating greek yogurt, then you should probably go ahead and make that change first. Greek yogurt has so much more protein than regular yogurt, meaning it is going to keep you feeling full longer. 

If you've already moved on to greek yogurt, then congratulations, that is step one to finding healthy yogurt. However, now it's time to read those nutrition labels and get the most out of those calories that you are consuming. Check out the labels above. The one on the top is Dannon Lite & Fit Strawberry Greek Yogurt, and the one on the bottom is Chobani Strawberry Greek Yogurt. A couple things to notice:

1.  The Dannon Lite & Fit yogurt has significantly fewer calories than the Chobani yogurt
2. The total grams of fat is the same, and Chobani has just slightly more grams of protein than Dannon Lite & Fit
3. Here's the big one: look at the sugar. Dannon Lite & Fit has just 7 grams of sugar, while Chobani has 19 grams of sugar!! That means there are more carbs in the Chobani (20) in comparison to the Dannon Lite & Fit (9). 

For carbohydrates, there are about 4 Calories per gram, meaning that there are 44 extra calories from carbohydrates in the Chobani than in the Dannon Lite & Fit, and 36 of which are from sugar! If you ask me, I think the clear winner on greek yogurt is Dannon Lite & Fit.

 2) Your Afternoon Snack

 

One of my favorite afternoon snacks is popcorn, but I have to be careful with it, because popcorn can pack quite a bit of extra fat depending on how you flavor it. Above are two nutrition labels, the one on the top is Orville Redenbacher's Smart Pop Kettle Korn, and the one on the bottom is Act II Butter popcorn. Here are the main things to look at:

1. Total Calories: 100 compared to 170, so clearly there is something extra in the Butter popcorn!
2. Carbohydrates are similar, and so is protein
3. Look at the total fat. The kettle korn has just 2 grams of fat, while the butter popcorn has 11 grams of fat. 

 Since fat is about 9 Calories per gram, that is 18 Calories in the kettle korn compared to 99 Calories in the butter popcorn. To me, the clear winner here is the Orville Redenbacher's Smart Pop Kettle Korn (and it's tasty!).

3) What's in that Guacamole?

 

People say guacamole and think either one of two things: 

1. That's healthy!
2. That has lots of fat in it.

Honestly, both are true. It is very healthy because of all the good fats in it, but at the same time, everything in moderation because of the amount of fat! Here's the real kicker though, are you really eating guacamole made from avocados?

The one on the top is Wholly Guacamole, and the one on the bottom is Deans Guacamole Dip. As you can see, Wholly Guacamole has very simple, normal ingredients, as guacamole should. Now let's look at Dean's. First of all, why is there coconut oil in guacamole?? Not that it's a bad thing to eat, but it's guacamole we're eating here. Second of all, the main ingredient of guacamole is avocados, yet the label clearly says: "less than 2% of: avocado....". Um, what? Isn't this guacamole dip? Clearly, my winner is Wholly Guacamole because of the simple ingredients. If I can't pronounce the name of an ingredient, then I probably shouldn't be consuming it.

I tend to get on a soapbox when it comes to eating healthy, so I'll go ahead and put it on pause for now. If you have any questions for me, I would love to answer them! Also, don't forget about my Simple Addiction giveaway!

I would love it if you would follow me! Just click "join this site" on the right! :)

God Bless!
Hannah


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Not Your Average Push-Up

Push-ups are one of the best exercises for your body. They work your entire body, and work on both strength and stability. You can alter a push-up in a number of ways to mix things up, and above is a variation of the push-up called the "side push-up." With side push-ups, from the waist up you are set exactly the same way as a normal push-up. From the waist down, however, your legs and feet are turned to the side in the same way as an oblique plank. This isolates one side of your chest and work the obliques. Try doing ten on one side, and then ten on the other side. To modify this move, simply bend the knee of the bottom leg and let the shin rest on the floor, similar to push-ups from the knees. 

Sunday night one of my fellow group exercise instructors/best friends came to my group exercise class! She was my lovely photographer of these push-up pictures, and in return for taking them, I'm giving her a feature on the blog!

Meet Taylor! She's been one of my best friends for a few years, and we are both crazy about exercise and healthy lifestyles! She's a Cotton Physiology Graduate student here at the University of Arkansas (I know nothing about it, so don't even ask, haha!), and we met our freshman year in the honors dorm on campus! She's crazy random and one of the most loyal friends I've ever had! My life just wouldn't be as colorful without her!

Questions? Feel free to leave me a comment or send me an email! Don't forget to follow along!

God Bless!

Hannah

Healthy Starts at the Toes

When on a journey of health, there is more to be considered than just what food you are putting in your mouth or what exercise you are going to do that day. Being healthy encompasses all aspects of our bodies, not just the number on the scale. You could be a size two but not be healthy if you are enduring pain in your legs while running or back spasms when you try to sit down. As I like to say, being healthy starts at the toes, because even the toes have to be healthy for you to be completely healthy.

When I started running long distance about a year and a half ago, I knew that I was going to need good shoes to run in. Most people recognize that in order to keep your feet, knees, back, etc. healthy while running long distances, you have to be fitted for shoes by a professional that can check for over and under pronation of the feet. What most people don't recognize, however, is that what shoes they wear while they do cross-training, such as circuit training (Insanity, P90X, T25, etc.) is just as important. When you are jumping around or moving side to side, this is hard on your feet if you are wearing a shoe made for running, because running shoes are made for a forward movement, not for a side to side movement.

For high impact circuit training, I recommend minimalist shoes. Many companies recommend minimalist shoes for wearing at all times, but I especially recommend it for jumping and lateral movements. The heavy padding in many shoes cause unnatural landings and movements of the foot, which can lead to a variety of foot problems. There are many companies that provide minimalist shoes, including New Balance, Merrell, Brooks, Vibram, and many more. All of them are designed differently, so the goal is to find the one that fits you to where you can spread out your toes inside the shoe comfortably (if you have wide feet like me, then you have to be picky about finding the perfect wide shoes) and that has as close to a zero drop (like going barefoot) as possible. I personally wear the New Balance Minimus. It is very close to zero drop and it has a very wide toe box that fits my wide feet very comfortably (my toes are happy in them).

Questions? Feel free to leave me a comment and I'll be happy to answer them! And don't forget to follow my blog to read more about healthy lifestyles by clicking "Join this Site" on the right!

God Bless!

Hannah