How is your week going so far? I’m really excited for the Fall… My MBA classes started back yesterday and I still can’t believe how fast summer went by!
Anyway, lets talk about food? I love Banana Bread but this recipe specially is to die for! I used the Kodiak Cakes “PROTEIN PACKED – Cinnamon Oat” mix instead of regular wheat flour, and it definitely HIT THE SPOT! The banana bread turned out super moist and tasty!
Whisk the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt, and set aside.
In a different bowl, beat eggs, coconut oil, honey, greek yogurt and vanilla extract until well blended. Stir in the smashed bananas, Kodiak Cakes mix and chopped walnuts.
Pour batter into 9×5 inch greased loaf pan, sprinkle with some dark chocolate chips and some chopped walnuts. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until it passes the “toothpick test”. Cool for 10 minutes, slice and ENJOY with a cup of coffee!
Sheina’s tip: I like putting my banana bread slices in the toaster and then topping it with PB. Simply THE BEST!!!
How is your week going so far? Mine has been pretty good, very busy! I don’t know about you, but I still can’t believe it is already August!
As you know, I LOVE getting my exercise done in the morning before work (between 5:00/6:00 am). In my opinion it is the best way to start the day! However, a lot people think I’m crazy and I often hear “how do you do it?” or ” Oh, I wish I could wake up in the morning too”.
So today I decided to share a few personal tips that really work for me when comes to morning workouts!
4 Tips For You To Start Working Out in the Morning
1- Plan your day: I try as much as possible to organize my day the night before… I mean lunch bag/snacks (meal prep MODE ON) ready, workout clothes and work outfit picked out, and anything that can help your morning routine before hitting the gym ( specially if you go to work right after). If you struggle in the getting stuff done in the morning, this is definitely one tip that will make your life MUCH EASIER.
2- Give yourself enough time to wake up: I personally like to set my alarm o’clock for at least 30 mim before I plan to start my workout. So for example, when I start at 6:00, I set up my alarm for 5:25-5:30 ish. That gives me enough time to change, get ready, eat a quick pre-workout snack (which most the times I eat a banana or few dates), and drive to the gym (which takes less than 10 minutes). Then by the time I start my warm-up, I AM ACTUALLY AWAKE and ready to roll!!!
3- Find a “gym buddy”: This is a game changer. Since mornings workouts are more challeging, having someone to hold you accountable is a huge motivation!
I personally have a “gym buddy” and I love it. Sometimes we text each other at before going to bed with messages like “see you tomorrow” and in the mornings with a simple “good morning” just to make sure we are both awake. Knowing that someone will be at the gym with to encourage you is definitely a great motivation to get out the bed!
4- Set up goals and don’t give up: I know, I know… getting up at 5:30 in the morning is not always fun and exciting. I struggle sometimes too and I would be lying if I said it is always easy to leave my comfy warm bed. However, like everything in life, we need to set up our goals, be persistent, and allow our body to adapt to the new routine! It won’t be easy and the you might want to give up on the first week of waking up early, but I PROMISE you that after you get used to exercising early you will never want to go back to late evenings workout!
Today I want to share with you a quick, easy, and delicious recipe that helps me A LOT when I am craving something sweet!
This HIGH-PROTEIN pancake is a great option for breakfast or even a afternoon snack and can be topped with almost anything… fruits, nuts butter, honey, dark chocolate chips, and so on.
HIGH-PROTEIN PANCAKES
Ingredients:
3 egg whites
10g GLUTEN FREE oats
1 scoop (16g) vanilla protein powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp Coconut oil
Natural peanut butter (optional)
Strawberries or preferred fruit
Directions: In a mixer or mixing bowl, mix the egg whites, oats, cinnamon, and protein powder. Heat a frying pan on low heat with coconut oil and once it get extremely hot, pour your pancake batter onto it. When you start to see bubbles, remove cover, flip the pancakes, and cover again for approximately 1 minute until both sides are golden brown!
Let your creativity go wild when choosing your toppings.. For this one I used strawberries, natural peanut butter, and honey . Soooo good!
Today’s post is about food and farming! I am going to share with you a little bit about the 1st 2017 influencer event “Fun, Fearless, Food” by GBS Influence in partnership with CommomGround and Shining Stars Catering.
PS: be ready for some delicious food pics!
First, we were welcomed with fresh appetizzers by Shining Stars Catering, which by the way had the most gorgeous vegetable platter i’ve ever seen! Then we enjoyed a delicious “farm to table” dinner. The food was incredibly tasty. We had grilled chicken with cranberry-walnut salad and mini quiches. I was amazed with the quality and freshness of everything. I would highly recommend their services to anyone!
Besides all the amazing food, Shining Stars Catering is also passionate about sustainability and have the “green” mindset for their business. They use 100% recyclable and biodegradable eco plating and flatware for the Drop Offs, recycle 100% of their packing, paper, and plastics, they grow their own herbs, purchase from local growers as much as possible, and so much more!
Deborah Williams, Executive Chef and owner of Shining Stars Catering.
After the food blast, we had a awesome conversation about farming and food with two representatives from CommomGround. For those who don’t know, CommomGround is a volunteer group funded by moms and farmers from the corn and soybean checkoff programs. Their main goal is to educate people about the food they grow, how they are produced, and mostly important, they teach/encourage the consumers to make fearless and smarter food choices before bringing food to their houses. Isn’t that awesome?!
Skype conference call with one of the CommomGround farmers.
During our conversation, they shared personal experiences, talked about their daily activities at the farm, and answered lots of questions. They also gave us two real life scenarios with questions like “what features do you look for as indications or quality or nutrition?”, or ” what qualities are you seeking out in the meats you choose?” and I though it was great because I never really took time to think about these little details when grocery shopping.
I learned so much during our conversation. These women love what they do and more importantly, they do it with passion (they even got teary eyed when talking about their family and farm life).
Thank you GBS Influence for hosting such a great event!
Few weeks ago, more exactly on April 22nd, I had the pleasure to be part of the second INDULGE KC event, founded by Sarah Buchanan (the BEST cycling instructor). The INDULGE is the perfect combination of inspirational speeches, workouts, healthy foods, and positive vibes. The goal is to create a day where woman come together to put themselves first, define their own balance, and feel like BADASS BABE WARRIORS.
To me, INDULGE was more than just a fitness event. It was a day full of inspiring and positive words that encouraged me to believe in my dreams (even more), and to have the strengths to pursue them.
INDULGE KC 2017
The event was held at the Freight House Fitness (one of coolest boot camp space I’ve seen) and we were welcome with healthy treats from Unbakery Juicery including their delicious protein balls, Rawxies bars, and warm coffee.
The event started with few words from REbel,a student driven, peer education and prevention program that focus on helping people with body image issues. LOVE yourself, LOVE your body. That was the main message of the speech. We discussed how the society and social media are negatively affecting people and making them believe they are not good enough.
But, by the end of the speech I realized that WE ARE ENOUGH! We just need to create a “positivity bubble” around by accepting compliments and learning to saying THANK YOU, complimenting people not only based on their appearance, focusing on our internal well being, and the most important one, saying something good about ourselves everyday!
Sarah Buchanan
The next speaker was the event creator, Sarah Buchanan. She is a woman with a strong personality. I first talked Sarah through Instagram DM, but when we first met I could already fell her “good energy”. I loved her message! She talked about passion, going after our dreams, and doing what makes you happy. If someone says you can’t do something, then ask yourself “WHY NOT?”. We need to set our goals, take action, and achieve them no matter what other people might think of it! Prove to yourself you are capable of anything you set your mind to do. Thanks for the great message Sarah 🙂
Diana Davis
Next we heard from Diana Davis, a Kansas city marathon runner and Lululemon’s store manager. Her message was great. She spoke about life goals, the importance of writing them down, and a few steps we need to take to accomplish them. My favorite part of her speech was when she asked us to close our eyes and visualize our lives in the next 3-5 years. Then we wrote down how we felt in that situation, who was around us, and what surprised us the most about our vision. It was a simple exercise, but it helped me realize where I want to be with my life and the steps I need to take reach my happiness.
Hailee Bland-Walsh
Towards the end we heard from Hailee Bland-Walsh. She is the owner and founder of City Gym, a former professional soccer player, and motivational speaker. It was one of the most inspiring speeches I’ve heard. She started off with a very strong statement, “BALANCE IS BULL SHIT”. What? I’ve always said that balance is everything! But then, I started to understand her message. Hailee explained that when you have passion for something or a project you really want to achieve, you CAN NOT have balance. To be successful and to reach your dreams, you have to put all you have into it until you reach them. As she said, to have balance you have to be perfect, and that is impossible. I loved her message. She made me rethink about my actions and what and who deserves my time and love.
Besides all the motivational words, we also had outdoor boxing workout by Title Boxing Club, boot camp circuit by Freight House Fitness, and finished with an yoga+ stretching class by Power Life Yoga. Also the INDULGE staff took the time, reached out to our emergency contacts, and ask them to write what they admire about us. Then, during Shavasana, the INDULGE staff read all the love messages out loud to us. What a perfect ending!
I had a blast, and I am so glad I was able to attend it ( my weekend trip got cancelled 2 days before the event).
Eu sei que faz tempo que não apareço por aqui na versão Português então por isso vim aqui compartilhar uma receitinha deliciosa que fiz semana passado e foi maior sucesso lá em casa!
Pra quem não sabe, as energy balls são literalmente “bolinhas de energia” e são super populares aqui nos EUA (tem em quase todos os cafés/restaurantes naturais). Elas são uma delícia e é uma ótima opção de pré-treino ou lanchinhos dependendo do seu plano alimentar!
Por gostar tanto resolvi inventar a minha própria receita de “energy ball” com os meus ingredientes favoritos. E já aviso que os amantes de pasta de amendoim vão adorar!!
ENERGY BALLS de pasta de amendoim e chocolate
Ingredientes
60g de tâmaras (+- 9 unidades)
6 col. de pasta de amendoim natural
1 xic. de aveia em flocos
1/4 xic. de farinha de linhaça
1 scoop de whey de baunilha
60g de chips de chocolate amargo (eu uso o 60% cacau)
1 col. de sopa de mel
Modo de preparo: Triture as tâmaras, pasta de amendoim e o mel em um mixer e reserve. Aos poucos adicione os outros ingredientes e misture até formar uma massa homogênea. Leve ao refrigerador por 1 hora e forme pequenas “energy balls”. ** Rende 16 bolinhas.
I really enjoyed the rainy weekend as I got to spend some quality time with my hubby. On Saturday we did the Factory Tour at the Roasterie in Kansas City downtown and made homemade pizza for dinner (LOVE “off meals”). Sunday morning we went to church, then after lunch we talked to our family from Brazil, and just relaxed the rest of the day!
Brazilian style pizza: nutella, white chocoate and strawberries…So good!
Did you do anything fun? Hope you had a great weekend too!
Now changing subjects, as you all know, I am not very disciplined when it comes to skin care and just few months ago I had my first skin treatment at Bare Med Spa (the Hydrafacial treatment).
After doing the Hydrafacial, the Bare Med Spa esthetician recommend me the Dermaplane treatment and I have done it twice already. I absolutely LOVED the hairless feel and smoothness of my skin afterwards.
Bare-faced selfie after my first Dermaplane procedure.
A little bit about the DERMAPLANE TREATMENT
Dermaplane is a procedure that removes the dead epidermal cells of your skin and all the “tiny” facial hairs as well. The results are immediately: healthier looking and smoother skin. The procedure takes around 30 minutes and is totally PAINLESS. I know some of you think it is painful because of the blade used to scrap off the dead skin, however, it is NOT. At the Bare Med Spa, the Dermaplane procedure is a very relaxing experience as they finish up the section with a very refreshing moisturizing mask combined with a facial steam to hydrate the new facial skin.
During the procedure.
Moisturizing mask.
All the dead cells and facial hair removed after the Dermaplane section.
SPRAY TAN
Also, as probably saw on my Instagram, I recently did my first Spray Tan EVER at Bare Med Spa. At the first section I asked her to go easy on the color because I was honestly a little afraid to turn orange lol. However, like always, they did an AWESOME job. I loved my skin color afterwards and how natural it looked. And besides, it is much healthier to our skin than doing tanning beds. And of course I got a little addicted to it and went for one more spray tan section a week later. On my second time I asked Lindsey make me look tanner and she did awesome, I literally felt I was in Brazil and had just came back from the beach! It makes me so excited for summer 🙂
I loved my Sunday… I got to spend some quality time with my American family and friends, we had a delicious “country style” lunch with a homemade cheesecake and easter cupcakes for dessert, played outside games, died eggs, and enjoyed the beautiful and peaceful day out in the country!
I do believe that being healthy is living with BALANCE and that we need to treat ourselves sometimes WITHOUT NEUROSES… I enjoyed every bit of that homemade cheesecake with a strong and warn Brazilian coffee, which was worth every single calorie!!
And to help us to get back to our healthy eating routine, today I am going to share with you a LOW CARB pancake recipe for a delicious breakfast or even snack.
LOW CARB PANCAKE
Ingredients:
3 eggs whites
10g flaxseeds flour
cinnamon to taste
Coconut oil
Natural peanut butter
Red berries or any fruit of your preference
First, whisk the egg whites until they become frothy. Now add the flaxseed flour and cinnamon, and whisk the egg whites for few more seconds. Transfer the mixture to an coconut sprayed skillet in medium heat and flip the pancake until both sides turn to a golden color. Lastly, spread peanut butter on the pancake and top it with the red berries.
TIP: serve it warm and enjoy with a freshly brewed cup of coffee!
Please let me know if you try the recipe and feel free to tag me in your pics on Instagram (@sheinafernandes). I will love to see how they turn out 🙂
My week has been great and going at full swing. Spring break is over and now I am back to my master’s classes. Today I want to share these two recipes that I love and are so easy to make! I don’t know about you guys, but I like to change it up from time to time, I get tired of having scrambled eggs almost everyday so I tried these recipes in the past few weeks.
They are delicious, a healthier choice and can be made in no time! What else do we need, right?
BAKED SCRAMBLED EGGS
Ingredients:
5 egg whites
5 eggs
1/4 cup skim milk
2 slices 97% fat free Canadian bacon (chopped)
1 cup baby spinach
chopped bell peppers (optional)
1/2 tomato (chopped)
1/2 onion (chopped)
1/2 cup low fat sherred cheese
In a medium bow, beat the eggs, egg whites and skim milk, when done set aside. Add the remaining ingredients, mix it well and transfer to a coconut oil greased pan. Place the pan in a preheated oven at 400F for around 20min and ENJOY. TIP: It can be served as breakfast with fruits and toast or even as lunch/dinner with a side o salad.
EGG and SPINACH BREAKFAST WRAP
Ingredients:
1 whole wheat tortilla wrap
2 boiled egg whites (chopped)
1 boiled egg (chopped)
2 tbsp cottage cheese
Baby spinach to taste
Pink salt to season
In a bowl mix the egg, egg whites, cottage cheese and salt until it turns to a thick paste. Now, warm up the tortilla wrap in the microwave or on the stove-top, top it with the egg paste and add the spinach. Roll it tightly and ENJOY!
Hope you are having a great week and enjoyed the snow days we had in KC. This weather is just crazy! But I think the cold season is over and I am so excited for a REAL Summer! Aren’t you?
But anyway, today I want to share with you about my first section of Cryotherapy at Bare Med Spa last week. I had never heard about it before while living in Brazil, so when I saw that they offered it at Bare Med Spa I was really excited to freeze… haha!
I know some of you are probably thinking… But what is Cryotherapy?
Cryotherapy Treatment
Cryotherapy is a treatment that you basically go inside of a big freezer for 2 to 3 min. where they use liquid nitrogen sprayed into the air to bring the temperature down (the duration of each section depends on your body resistance). This treatment is very common among professional athletes and people who have high muscle impact because of the fast and effective results it offers.
Some benefits of the Cryotherapy Treatment:
It reduces muscle pain and soreness
Speeds up recovery
Help to improve joints function
Increase the collagen production
Helps to reduce cellulite
Can burn up to 800 depending of the time and body metabolism
How does it work?
First, Tracy asked me to take off my clothes and wear a robe. Then I wore gloves, socks up to my knees and a special shoe. After I was properly dressed, I went inside of the big tube leaving my head out of the icy area, took the robe off and literally FROZE for 3 minutes. So for you to have an idea, my skin temperature was around 32 F after I was done.
I need to say that the short freeze was SUPER WORTH IT. My muscles felt so relaxed afterwards and to be honest, it is NOT bad at all. It goes by really fast and when you start to feel the “ice burn”, it is time to step off the tube. So, don’t be scared… The Bare Med staff are super nice and they will always make sure you feel as more comfortable as possible.
I sure wish I had that years ago when I played college volleyball. Back then, we had to stay more than 10 minutes in the ice bath after EVERY practice during preseason, NOT FUN.. hahaha!
