Homemade Kodiak Cakes Protein Pancake Mix

Are you a pancake person or a waffle person?

Waffles are definitely more fun, but I’m a pancake girl through and through. I love the texture of baked goods, and breakfast is hands down my favorite meal of the day.

However, I do NOT love the heavy, weighed down feeling and energy crash I get after eating traditional sugar and carb-laden pancakes. While the Tone It Up protein pancake recipe is a great healthy alternative to satisfy pancake cravings, sometimes it’s not enough and using only brown rice protein powder as a dry ingredient can produce a weird texture. I’ve compromised by making my own protein pancake recipe with the addition of oat flour, but it takes a lot of time in the morning to make a single serving pancake.

Kodiak Cakes pancake mix has been taking over the healthy living scene lately, and I must admit I was intrigued by the concept and convenience of an all natural, whole foods boxed mix. I was THISCLOSE to picking up a box at Target last week, but then I looked at the ingredients list and realized that I already had everything at home! So I decided to save $5 and come up with my own homemade protein pancake mix. And then I proceeded to spend way more than $5 on other Target impulse buys, obviously.

The result: fantastic! Now I can make a larger batch of pancake mix, store it in a Tupperware, and scoop out a single serving whenever I’m in the mood for pancakes for breakfast. I know exactly what ingredients are in my pancakes and they taste amazing. Plus the combination of healthy whole grains, protein, fiber, and healthy fats when I top my pancake with almond butter keeps me full and energized all morning!

Don’t be intimidated by the concept of making your own food. It’s easier than it sounds and friendlier for your grocery budget. Which obviously means you can save your money for other impulse buys...

Homemade Kodiak Cakes Protein Pancake Mix

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients for Pancake Mix

+ ½ c oat flour (grind oatmeal in a blender or food processor)
+ ½ whole wheat flour
+ 5 scoops brown rice protein powder (I use Sunwarrior or Perfect Fit)
+ 1 tsp baking soda
+ ¼ tsp salt
+ 2 tsp cinnamon

Add all ingredients to a tupperware or canister and shake to combine! You can double or triple the recipe to make a larger batch, I imagine the dry mix would keep in your pantry for several weeks.

Directions

For each serving, combine:

+ 1 egg
+ ¼ c milk
+ ½ c pancake mix
+ optional: ½ mashed banana
+ optional: ¼ tsp vanilla extract

Feel free to multiply the ingredients to make multiple servings, to store in the freezer for later or share!

Preheat a skillet until a drop of water sizzles. Coat pan with cooking spray, and pour in your batter to make one giant pancake. You can also make multiple smaller pancakes if you want. Be creative and have fun!

Ready to flip!

Turn heat to medium low, and cook for 3-5 minutes or until bubbles form and the edges look set. Gently flip pancake, cook an additional 2 minutes, and serve!

Perfection! You need to use a big spatula if you're making one giant pancake.

My favorite toppings

+ Plain Greek yogurt sweetened with stevia
+ Fresh fruit, or microwaved frozen berries
+ Almond butter or peanut butter
+ Pure maple syrup

Enjoy!

xo Anna

My first year as a Beachbody coach

Yesterday marked my official one year anniversary with Beachbody coaching! I spent most of the day thinking, writing, and reflecting on how far I’ve come, and it was amazing. My friend/Beachbody sponsor Deidre sent me a surprise bouquet of the most gorgeous flowers I’ve ever received, I cried a lot, I made a raw and vulnerable video and posted it on YouTube (who am I?? Coaching has made me so brave haha), and I hosted a virtual “Happy Hour Birthday Party” and popped some bubbly with my coaches to celebrate!

Today I have an emotional and physical hangover….apparently two glasses of $5 Aldi bubbly will give you a headache, and opening up all your raw emotions and blasting them to the internet will make you want to run and hide under a blanket. But I’m really passionate about sharing my story and experiences, as uncomfortably messy and real as it is, because I know that I have the capacity to inspire other women who connect with me and THAT is the greatest gift I’ve received from Beachbody coaching. That realization that I can be ME, I don’t need to hide or conform to expectations, and I’m good enough just as I am.

I’m so excited and relieved to have this first year behind me because I really struggle with feeling like a “beginner” and all the overwhelm that comes with starting something new. When you sign up as a coach, they tell you that no matter how frustrating or discouraging it gets, just keep going and commit to giving it at least a year before you give up. Now I understand why! It really does take a full year of consistent hard work to build a foundation for your business and also start to form a bigger picture vision. Like any small business, it takes 2-3 years to start to really launch off the ground, so I’m really looking forward to seeing what I can accomplish now that I’ve gained some momentum!

Today I wanted to share a more personal post to reflect on the journey so far because oh my gosh you guys, EVERYTHING has changed for me since last February. Plus I get the feeling that my friends and family have no idea what I’m doing with my life, haha. So here is a sneak peek into my story!

The Backstory

I’ve always been a high achiever, a rule follower, a teachers’ pet and always knew how to “work the system” to make other people happy. I basked in outside validation, in good grades and recognition, and I measured my sense of success and self worth by my achievements and external factors. I always assumed that I had to follow the traditional model of “success” and that I needed to find a career that fit into society’s definitions, because no one told me there was any other way. As a result, I’ve spent my lifetime struggling to find my “path,” my purpose in life, comparing myself to others, and being intimidated by people who seem to have it all figured out. I never even realized the magnitude of the self-imposed pressure, anxiety, and stress I've been placing on myself up until recently. I never realized how much I was holding myself back because I've been looking for a career path and something the world could offer me, instead of looking inward at who I truly am and what I have to offer the world.

I've never been able to feel fulfilled or satisfied at what I've accomplished, because it hasn't been a reflection of what I really want. Even though I was working really hard, I didn’t ever stop to think about what truly made me happy deep down because I’ve trained myself to believe that it’s selfish to put yourself first. I was the oldest child, the babysitter, the caretaker, the people pleaser, but it turns out that years of suppressing what I WANT, convincing myself that my dreams aren’t realistic or worth anything, resulted in a lot of pent up resentment, bitterness, anxiety, and mood swings that ended up negatively affecting my job performance and relationships. NOT COOL!

February 2014

Last February I finally hit a wall. It was the Polar Vortex, I was not happy with my career path, I was feeling “gross” about my body because of all the wine and comfort food I was consuming to numb myself from aforementioned issues, and overall I was turning into this bitter and resentful version of myself that I didn’t even recognize. Basically, I was playing victim to my life and it was really scary. It’s terrifying to face the fact that life isn’t what you want it to be, and that you aren’t the person you know you can be, so I knew that something had to change.

Since late 2013 I'd been growing an active community on my health and fitness Instagram account and loved being part of the Tone It Up community there. I was projecting a positive outlook on life and I knew I had influence on other women who followed me, but I needed something more. I needed something for ME! My friend Deidre was a Beachbody coach and told me about this new fitness program she was excited about, the 21 Day Fix. She knew I’d love it and she saw a lot of potential in me so she encouraged me to take a chance at coaching!  All I knew is that I wasn't happy and needed to make a change. All I wanted was to be able to inspire other women to take the first step towards believing they were worth more too. So after weeks of internal debate and obsessive Googling to make sure Beachbody wasn’t some sort of scam or pyramid scheme, I knew deep down that this was it. I’ve learned to trust the quiet voice of my intuition when it leads me toward a certain opportunity, so I took the plunge and signed up to coach as soon as I ordered the 21 Day Fix. From the minute I hit the “enroll” button I immediately felt a massive shift very deep down inside of me, which always signals that I made the right choice! Have you ever listened to or felt your intuition? It’s so freaking powerful.    

p.s. The 21 Day Fix works ;)

I was on my way, but I had a lot of work to do!

Where I am now

One year of intensive personal development, goal setting, hard work, literally blood sweat and tears, reaching out of my comfort zone, digging deep to truly connect with other women and their stories by opening up and sharing mine, and many vulnerability hangovers later, I've helped almost 150 women gain confidence and strength through my Inspire Joy Bootcamps, and I've built a thriving team of 74 beautiful and passionate coaches who share my vision. I've made lifelong friendships with women who feel like sisters, pushed my body to my limits, healed my negative food obsessions, overcome fear and self doubt to quit my "safe" job and take a chance on my dreams of leaving a bigger impact on the world.

I'm finally learning to live my life based on my values and priorities, instead of chasing goals and external achievements, and I workout and eat healthy to reward my body because I respect it, not because I want to change or punish it. I’m learning to say YES to my deepest and craziest dreams and desires, and learning that if I respect the deep internal pull that makes my soul ache, it doesn’t seem crazy at all. Once you start opening up and declaring your dreams and intentions to the world, the fear melts away and opportunities start to appear out of seemingly nowhere.

What I really want is to use my creativity, skills, and talents to make a bigger impact in the lives of women.

I'm realizing that it all started in grade school when I opened "Anna's Studio," my creative fake mail order company, and started writing a novel in 4th grade. When did I lose sight of the things that used to bring me so much joy and inspiration? When did I let the world start convincing me that I needed to change and be “better” in order to fit in and succeed? I want to reconnect with the little girl who was excited to share her gifts with the world, who never worried or second-guessed that what she had to offer was worthy. For two decades I've been suppressing my creativity and need for self expression because I haven’t had the courage to believe in myself, and I never thought I’d be able to make a living by simply being myself and sharing my gifts. Well, I’ve finally realized and embraced that my external circumstances are never going to change the way I fundamentally feel, and I’ve gotten to a place where I am so freaking happy to be ME! Imperfections and all.

It all started with making a CHOICE. I decided that I was worth more, and I started believing that I was already good enough. I’ve stopped striving for external validation, stopped being so hard on myself, and surrendered to who I already am with compassion and love.

Is it easy? No. Is it all sunshine and rainbows? Hahahahhaha. It's freaking hard and overwhelming to shift your sense of identity. I struggle with my doubts and fears every single day, but every single day I'm slowly digging deeper to my core purpose and as a result, the doubts and fears have less and less of an influence.

My "Why"

I want to help other women believe in themselves too. I want to help them overcome their inner blocks and realize that nothing is out of reach if you start seeking joy in the present moment, and let your heart and intuition lead you from within. It all starts with self confidence and self respect, and the easiest way to redefine your relationship with yourself is to start treating your body right with healthy food and consistent workouts. Once you prioritize your wellbeing, you start to feel strong, powerful, and in control, and the whole world begins to open up before you.

The best part is that it's not just an empty belief or a dream--I am literally watching women have these breakthroughs. I'm facilitating these life changing internal and external transformations every single day before my eyes. Knowing that I have the power to actually MAKE A DIFFERENCE is so mindblowing and keeps me motivated when I get discouraged. 

I believe that everyone deserves to be able to make a living by sharing their unique gifts and talents with the world, and I believe we all have the capacity to change lives and make a bigger difference if we stop holding ourselves back and settling for safety and security. I used to be afraid of being idealistic and naive, but now I’m seeing it happen before my eyes so I can honestly say that it’s possible. I’m changing lives, I’m supporting myself, and instead of searching the internet for a job description that meshes with what I have to offer and then feeling pressured to prove I’m “good enough” and mold to fit other peoples’ expectations, I’m creating a custom-tailored job description that perfectly reflects my unique knowledge, skills, and abilities and is designed BY ME to give me the greatest joy and impact. Don’t ignore your dreams, and don’t ever convince yourself that you’ll “never” be able to do XYZ because if I can do it, anyone can. It’s hard, it’s messy, it takes courage and so much hard work and it’s definitely not for everyone, but if there’s a tiny little voice deep down inside, you better start listening to it.

“I don’t know where I’m going from here, but I promise it won’t be boring”

— David Bowie

I don’t know exactly where I’m going simply because the future is NEVER in our control, but that’s ok and my big picture is getting more and more clear as I allow myself to dream bigger and bigger. I’m letting my heart and my inner sense of purpose lead me, and I’m trusting that the details will work themselves out because God has a master plan. I used to let fear of the unknown paralyze me and weigh me down, but now I see the freedom and joy in the infinite possibility of the future. Never settle, never give up, and be willing to do the work, because it’s worth it. Beachbody coaching has given me the framework to make all this happen, and I will always be grateful for that freezing dark night in February 2014 when I hit a tipping point and made a choice to believe in myself.

It's been an extremely personal journey, but I wouldn't have made it this far without my family, friends, random strangers on the internet, and my Inspire Joy team. Thank you SO MUCH for supporting me and believing in me too.

xo Anna

Beachbody does not guarantee any level of success or income from the Team Beachbody Coach Opportunity. Each Coach's income depends on his or her own efforts, diligence, and skill. See our Statement of Independent Coach Earnings located at https://images.beachbody.com/coach-office/downloads/statement_of_independent_coach_earnings.pdf for the most recent information on our Coaches' actual incomes.

5 Ways to Beat the Winter Funk

Late winter in Chicago.

Is there a more desolation-inducing sentence than that? I don’t want to be overdramatic, but we are experiencing a record breakingly cold February. The piles of snow and ice on the sidewalks and roads have cemented into solid rock. We haven’t had significant fresh snow in a while, so there’s nothing to cover the dirt and dog pee that are turning the white drifts into black and yellow arctic boulders… yeah it’s pretty grim.

It seems like everyone I talk to has been dealing with the winter funk. You know, the lack of motivation and energy, the “I don’t give a shit” attitude that sets in when your body is chronically deprived of sunshine and warmth. Unfortunately the only way out of the winter funk is to power through and wait for spring!

The “blahs” vs the “blues”

I like to call this lack of energy the winter “blahs,” and the blahs aren’t necessarily related to or affected by your overall mood. They’re more of a mojo and lack of groove thing, not a sadness or depression. The winter blues relate to seasonal affective disorder and actual depression, and if you are legitimately depressed to the point that it’s affecting your relationships, job performance, and confidence then I encourage you to find someone (ideally a professionally trained someone) to talk to!

This is actually the first winter that I can remember NOT dealing with winter blues! I hit a wall this time last year and decided to start making positive changes in my life, and over the past year those changes have given me a new level of confidence, self-assurance, and fulfillment and my anxiety and mood swings have mostly evened out. However, I’ve DEFINITELY been dealing with the blahs this month! I’m not necessarily sad, but I’ve been struggling with energy and motivation big time.

As of last week, I felt myself slowly emerging from the blahs and I am almost afraid to say this (knock on wood) but I think I’ve regained my mojo! Here are some of the ways I’ve helped myself beat the winter funk.

1. Embrace the funk!

You can’t resist it, or you’ll only feel worse. You know, that “hate yourself because you hate yourself” downward spiral? Acknowledge your emotions and energy levels, and don’t try to force yourself to tackle ambitious projects or new habits that you don’t HAVE to do. They can wait for spring! Maintain your life/family/work responsibilities, but this isn’t the time to be an overachiever. That new workout program or passion project will wait for you. Have faith that your energy will return, and that the world will get lighter and warmer soon. In the meantime enjoy hibernation mode! After all, we’re mammals and we’re biologically designed to go into a period of rest and downtime in the winter. Don’t fight nature! Surrender, accept your energy levels, take a nap or have a dance party depending on what time of day it is, and just do what you can, even if it means letting people down to unplug and embrace your inner hermit tendencies.

This podcast episode from Being Boss on staying motivated and happy really helped me shift my mentality and surrender to the funk.

This podcast on motivation and energy on demand from The Chalene Show will make you feel amazing and drag you out of your lethargy in a positive and comfortable way if you need to function at a higher level.

2. Treat yourself right with the trifecta of wellness: rest + healthy food + exercise!

Rest
If your body is craving rest, then respect yourself and prioritize sleep. This is SO important! Set an “unplug” time every evening and honor it. Disengage from screens, social media, work, and slow your body and mind down with a hot shower or bath and some reading in bed before an early bedtime. Sleep as much as you can. We can’t always control the time of day we have to wake up, but we can decide when to go to bed, so if you’re struggling to wake up in the mornings or have an unhealthy relationship with the snooze button, take back control and add more hours of sleep on the other side!

Healthy food
Just because it’s hibernation time doesn’t mean we get a free pass to eat all the unhealthy comfort food we might be craving. It’s so important to do everything you can to boost and maintain your energy levels naturally. For me, this means Vitamin D, lots of water and herbal tea, and lots and lots of veggies and whole foods.

Challenge yourself to eat a giant salad everyday for lunch instead of a sandwich and chips. Salads don’t have to be cold...here are some great warm salad recipes. Prep a big batch of veggies, whole grains, and lean proteins at the beginning of the week and portion them into tupperwares so you can grab and go in the morning.

I also love to roast a huge batch of veggies and eat them for dinner or an afternoon snack. Chop a variety of dense veggies, root veggies are my fave (carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes, squash, onions), drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and bake at 400* for 45 minutes, stirring a couple times.

You can find lots of healthy comfort food in my recipe archives!

Exercise
It’s also extremely important to make sure that you’re moving your body at least a little bit every single day. I KNOW it’s hard to motivate yourself to change into workout clothes and hit the gym when it’s freezing, dark, and all you wanna do is curl up under a banket with a glass of wine and Netflix when you get home, trust me it sucks and I get it, but working out is SO FREAKING IMPORTANT. This is the only thing that I recommend forcing. Just do it. You don’t have to be ambitious or go to the gym, even a 10 minute circuit will get your heart rate up and the endorphins flowing!

Here are some of my favorite free at-home workout YouTube channels.

You can find more of my best fitness tips over here.

3. Show gratitude.

When you start to feel sorry for yourself, the easiest and fastest way to snap out of it is to remind yourself of all the blessings you have! Make a list of three specific and detailed things you’re grateful for every day. Get out of your own head and drag yourself out of that pity party.

4. Reach out to your tribe. Call a friend, talk to your grandma.

Remind yourself that you aren’t alone, and there is a world full of people who love you outside of your own little bubble. Catch up with your best friend or call your grandma and tell her you love her. Your grandma is a great resource for snapping you back to reality. Mine lived through the Great Depression, WWII, lost her husband and daughter, and single handedly raised three kids while running a farm in Iowa. She is one of my biggest inspirations and when I am feeling sorry for myself she reminds me what’s up and can snap me out of it like woah ;) I love you Grammy!

5. Do something creative.

Even if it’s hard to muster the motivation, I’ve discovered that if you do something passively creative just to keep your hands busy, your mind will calm down too and you’ll be able to relax into the funk and just enjoy your downtime. Bonus points for engaging your mind while you engage your hands.

My personal suggestions:

• Listen to fun or calming music + bake or cook something delicious
• Listen to a podcast + clean the apartment
• Watch Netflix + knit (I taught myself how to knit via YouTube!)

If you’re suffering from the late winter funk, try one or two of these suggestions and see if you feel a difference! Don’t try to implement them all at once, just add one new habit at a time to build a sustainable routine. After a few weeks I predict you’ll feel magically re-energized and back in your groove, just in time for spring! We'll get through this together.

Are you feeling the blah’s? Do you have any tips to add? Share them in the comments!

xo Anna

p.s. If you live anywhere where the average temperature is above freezing, please refrain from rubbing it in. Thanks :)