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Janee Sanders | Wellness & Lifestyle

@janeelivinglean

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Move well. Eat well. Live well.
✨Healthy habits • Real food • Active living
128 lbs⬇️ • Building a healthier life
📩Contactjaneeleesanders@gmail

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Whole-Wheat, NO ADDED SUGAR Chocolate Chip Banana Bread! 🍌🍫

A better-for-you twist on a classic favorite! Made with whole grains, ripe bananas, and no conventional added sugar. Perfect for breakfast, a snack, or a little sweet treat! 🤎

Ingredients:

🍌 454 g mashed ripe bananas
🧈 113 g unsalted butter
🤎 ½ cup brown sugar substitute
🍯 ¼ cup honey substitute
🥚 2 eggs
🌾 226 g whole-wheat pastry flour
🍫 ½ cup no-sugar-added chocolate chips
✨ 1 tsp vanilla extract
✨ ¾ tsp baking soda
✨ ¾ tsp salt

Directions:

1️⃣ Cream butter and brown sugar substitute.

2️⃣ Mix in vanilla, mashed bananas, honey substitute, and eggs.

3️⃣ Add dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

4️⃣ Fold in chocolate chips and pour into a greased loaf pan.

5️⃣ Let batter rest for 10 minutes.

6️⃣ Bake at 325°F for 55–65 minutes in a glass loaf pan.

7️⃣ Cool, slice, and enjoy!

📌 Save this recipe for your next baking day!

#bananabreadrecipe #healthytreats #wellnessjourney #noaddedsugar #healthybananabread taken in Columbia, Maryland by @janeelivinglean

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4 hours ago

Lowering my cholesterol, one intentional choice at a time!

One thing I’m learning on this health journey is that eating anti-inflammatory and eating to lower cholesterol aren’t always the same thing.

After following up with my doctor and getting my bloodwork done, I’m making it a priority to lower my LDL (bad cholesterol) and total cholesterol through a combination of lifestyle changes AND medication.

Yes, I’m taking a statin, and no, that doesn’t mean I’m giving up on improving my health naturally. 💊🌱

Here’s what I’m focusing on:

🥣 More soluble fiber: Oat bran, barley, beans, lentils, apples, and flaxseed to help lower LDL.

🫒 Healthier fats: Prioritizing olive oil, avocado, nuts, and seeds while reducing saturated fats.

🫘 More plant-based proteins: Incorporating more beans, lentils, and other fiber-rich foods.

🐟 Heart-healthy proteins: Eating more fatty fish and lean proteins.

🏋🏽‍♀️ Consistent movement: Continuing my strength training, running, and daily walks.

🥗 Anti-inflammatory eating: Building meals around whole foods that support my gut, metabolic, and cardiovascular health.

⚖️ Sustainable weight loss: Focusing on long-term health rather than quick fixes.

My goal isn’t to replace my medication with food. It’s to give my body every opportunity to improve through nutrition, movement, and the medical support I need.

Because sometimes taking care of yourself means changing your habits AND taking the medication. Both can be true. ❤️

I’m sharing this journey because I know I’m not the only one trying to improve my health from the inside out.

Are you working on lowering your cholesterol, too? What’s one change you’ve made?

#hearthealth #loweringcholesterol #highfiber #wellnessjourney #cholesterolawareness taken in Columbia, Maryland by @janeelivinglean

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8 hours ago

Who said salads need lettuce?! 👀🌱

This Mediterranean Pea & Chickpea Salad is one of my favorite ways to switch up meal prep while keeping things simple, colorful, and nutritious!

✨ MEDITERRANEAN PEA & CHICKPEA SALAD

🥒 Ingredients:
* 1 lb (454 g) green peas, thawed
* 1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
* 1 English cucumber, diced
* ½ cup black olives, sliced
* Cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)
* Fresh dill (optional)
* Pickled red onions for topping

🍋 Lemon-Tahini Dijon Dressing:
* 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
* 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
* 1½ tbsp red wine vinegar
* 2 tbsp tahini
* 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
* 1 tsp dried oregano
* ½ tsp black pepper
* ¼ tsp salt
* 1–3 tbsp water (to thin)

👩🏽‍🍳 Let’s Make It!

1️⃣ Thaw and drain your peas, then rinse and drain your chickpeas.

2️⃣ Dice your cucumber, slice your olives, and combine everything in a large bowl.

3️⃣ In a separate bowl, whisk together all your dressing ingredients until smooth and creamy. Add water until you reach your desired consistency.

4️⃣ Pour the dressing over your salad and toss until everything is evenly coated.

5️⃣ Refrigerate and top with pickled red onions when you’re ready to enjoy!

I’ve been focusing on incorporating more whole foods, fiber, protein, and plant diversity into my meals while following an anti-inflammatory eating pattern. And recipes like this make it so much easier!

Save this recipe for your next meal prep! 📌

#antiinflammatory #peasalad #highfiber #nolettucesalad #healthyrecipes by @janeelivinglean

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a day ago

Apparently, avoiding something doesn’t make it go away. Who knew? 😂

A little life update because I’ve finally decided to stop putting off two things when it comes to my health: following up with my doctor and getting back on a GLP-1.

If you’ve been following my comeback journey, you know I’ve been open about regaining 55 pounds after bariatric surgery. And while I’ve been working on rebuilding my nutrition, fitness, and daily routines, I realized there were still some things I needed to address.

So I made the appointment, got my labs done, addressed some health concerns, and reconnected with my bariatric team.

And yes, I’m bringing a GLP-1 back into the picture.

For a while, I felt like I should be able to figure everything out on my own. But I’m learning that taking accountability for my health doesn’t mean I have to do everything without help.

The medication isn’t replacing the habits I’m building. It’s another tool in my toolbox.

This comeback isn’t just about losing the weight I regained. It’s about taking care of my health as a whole, even when that means having uncomfortable conversations, asking for help, and doing the things I’ve been avoiding.

Sometimes the next step in your wellness journey isn’t another workout or a new meal plan. Sometimes it’s making that doctor’s appointment you’ve been putting off.

We’re still moving well, eating well, and living well. Just with a little more support this time around. 💚

What’s one thing you’ve been putting off that you know would benefit your health or well-being?

#wellnessjourney #weightlossjourney #glp1 #vsgweightregain #hashimotos taken in Columbia, Maryland by @janeelivinglean

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a day ago

Fall in Maryland 🍂🍁🎃

#pumpkinpatch #familytime #fallthingstodo #mdcornmaze taken in The Maryland Corn Maze by @janeelivinglean

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14 days ago

Before you start your Winter Arc… make sure you’re building something you can actually live with. 💚

It’s October 1st, which means the timelines are about to be FULL of Winter Arc challenges.

90 days.
No excuses.
No cheat meals.
No missed workouts.
Locked in. 🔒

And listen…there’s nothing wrong with having big goals.

But what happens on January 1st?

I don’t want to spend the next three months being so obsessed with the result that I never build the routines that will help me keep it.

So my Winter Arc looks a little different.

I’m asking myself:

Can I be 1% better today?

Can I get my steps in more consistently?
Can I make one better choice with my nutrition?
Can I drink my water?
Can I prioritize sleep?
Can I strength train consistently instead of trying to work out every single day?
Can I create routines that still work when life gets busy?

Because I’m not trying to build a routine that gets me through December 31st.

I’m trying to build one that follows me into January…through those New Year’s resolutions…into spring…and right into those summer goals.

Your Winter Arc doesn’t have to be punishment for what you didn’t accomplish this summer.

It can simply be the season where you start becoming a little more consistent with the person you’re trying to become.

Stop trying to win the next 90 days. Build something you won’t need to start over from. 💚

Who’s entering their 1% better era with me?

#winterarc #winterarcchallenge #wellnessjourney #fitnessjourney #sustainablehabits taken in Columbia, Maryland by @janeelivinglean

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16 days ago

Simple anti-inflammatory meal prep for the week 🌱🍠

My goal right now is pretty simple: more whole foods, high protein, high fiber, and plenty of plant diversity—without making meal prep complicated.

This week I prepped:

🍗 Homemade turkey breakfast sausage
🇬🇷 Greek-style sheet-pan ground chicken
🧅 Homemade pickled red onions
🍠 Roasted sweet potatoes
🫛 Lettuce-less Mediterranean pea + chickpea salad
🍌 Whole-wheat chocolate chip banana bread for the family

Everything gives me pieces I can mix and match throughout the week instead of eating the exact same meal every single day.

I’m especially focused on building meals that help me reach my 50g daily fiber goal while keeping protein high and incorporating more anti-inflammatory, minimally processed foods.

Want the recipe for anything you saw in the Reel? Comment which one and I’ll share it!

#mealprep #antiinflammatorymeals #highfiber #highprotein #healthyeating taken in Columbia, Maryland by @janeelivinglean

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20 days ago

Welcome to Lunch Break Unfiltered 💚🍴 — where I show you what I packed for lunch on my health and wellness journey and then we talk about whatever is on my mind while I eat it.

And for Episode 1, we NEED to talk about the culture shock of going from working with grown adults in healthcare to teaching 7th & 8th graders.

Because apparently I was wildly unprepared for the number of negotiations, unsolicited legal counsel, emotional summits, and debates that can occur before lunchtime.

I thought I was changing careers to teach ELA.

Turns out I’m also a mediator, conflict-resolution specialist, motivational speaker, detective, and occasional courtroom judge.

But underneath all of the chaos, there’s something really refreshing about working with kids.

Watching their personalities develop. Seeing how their brains work. Finding the thing that finally gets them interested. Watching something click that they didn’t understand before. And getting to know these little humans while they’re still figuring out who they are.

Is it exhausting? Absolutely.

Is it entertaining? Every. Single. Day.

And honestly…I’m kind of loving this new chapter. 💚

Teachers, I need to know: what was YOUR biggest culture shock when you first started working with kids?

#teacherlife #middleschoolteacher #lunchmealideas #lunchbreak #lunchbreakunfiltered taken in Baltimore, Maryland by @janeelivinglean

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23 days ago

Introducing: Bell-to-Bell Bites 🔔💚

A new series where I’m showing you everything I pack to keep me fed, fueled, and hydrated from the first bell to the last.

Now that I’m working a Monday–Friday school schedule, one of the biggest things I’m learning is that I have to plan for the day I’m actually going to have.

That means packing enough food so I’m not starving by the time I get home, snacks for when hunger hits between meals, and enough water to keep hydration on my radar throughout the school day.

And because I’m still on my health and wellness journey, I’m packing with my goals in mind—protein, fiber, plant diversity, hydration, and foods I actually enjoy eating.

This isn’t about having a “perfect” lunchbox or copying exactly what I eat.

It’s about having a plan.

Because I already know what happens when I get busy, hungry, and have nothing prepared.

So welcome to Bell-to-Bell Bites—realistic school-day eats from a teacher rebuilding her routines one day at a time. 🔔💚

Teachers and 9-to-5 crew: what’s ONE thing you always make sure is in your work bag—food or drink?

#wieiad #teachermeals #wellnessjourney #healthyeating #belltobellbites taken in Baltimore, Maryland by @janeelivinglean

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24 days ago

Quick breakfast idea when you want something filling without spending forever in the kitchen

I threw together:
🥣 1 serving @good_culture cottage cheese
🍌 80g banana
🍯 1 serving honey substitute
🎃 ½ serving pumpkin seeds
🌱 ⅓ serving hemp seeds
✨ A dash of cinnamon

The result: 22g of protein + 21g of fiber 🙌🏽

It’s quick, satisfying, and an easy way to add a few more plant foods to your day for a little extra gut diversity. 🌱

Proof that breakfast doesn’t have to be complicated to pack in protein, fiber, and variety.

#highfiber #highprotein #breakfastidea #healthymeals #quickbreakfast taken in Columbia, Maryland by @janeelivinglean

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25 days ago

Sometimes taking care of yourself means being willing to change the life you built. 💚

After more than a decade in healthcare, I made the decision to step into a completely new career field: education.

Healthcare gave me so much. It shaped me professionally, taught me lessons I’ll carry forever, and was a huge part of my identity for years.

But I also had to be honest about what I wanted my life to look like moving forward.

The 12-hour shifts. Overnights. Inconsistent sleep. Missing evenings and weekends with my family. Trying to squeeze my health and fitness routines around a schedule that no longer worked for the life I wanted.

It was time for a change.

Now I’m stepping into education—something I’ve thought about pursuing for years—and figuring out what health, fitness, motherhood, marriage, and a Monday-through-Friday career look like together.

Will this schedule come with its own challenges? Absolutely. 😂

But I’m excited to build new routines around this season of my life instead of constantly trying to force old routines to fit.

And maybe that’s the millennial mid-30s lesson I’m learning:

You’re allowed to change your mind.
You’re allowed to outgrow a career.
You’re allowed to start over.
And you don’t have to hate your old life to know you’re ready for a new one.

Here’s to new classrooms, new routines, and choosing a life that supports the person I’m becoming. 💚

Any other millennials in their “wait…is this really what I want to do forever?” era? 😂 What career would you pursue if you weren’t afraid to start over?

#careerchange #middleschoolteacher #leavinghealthcare #wellnessjourney #millennial taken in Baltimore, Maryland by @janeelivinglean

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a month ago

I refuse to let losing weight make me afraid of food. 💚🍩

Since relaunching my wellness journey after regaining 55 pounds, I’ve caught myself getting so focused on doing everything “right” that something I’ve always loved—cooking—started feeling less creative and more like another thing I needed to perfect.

And I don’t want that.

I want to be mindful of what I eat. I want to nourish my body. I want to reach my goals.

But I also want to make the donuts.

I want to learn new cooking techniques, experiment with recipes, try new foods, and actually enjoy the process.

And getting to experience that with my girls makes it even better.

This cooking class with my oldest reminded me that wellness doesn’t have to exist at the expense of joy—and motherhood doesn’t mean every hobby I explore has to happen away from my children.

Some experiences can be for me AND for us.

I want my girls to see a version of wellness that includes nourishing your body, moving it, taking care of your health…and also laughing, learning, making memories, and enjoying really good food without guilt.

There’s room for all of it. 💚

Because this time around, I’m not just trying to build a smaller body. I’m trying to build a life that feels good to live.

What’s something you do purely because it brings you joy? Tell me below.

#wellnessjourney #hobbies #foodie #mommydaughterdate #cookingclasses taken in Baltimore Chef Shop by @janeelivinglean

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a month ago