Just keep swimming, just keep swimming...

Awww, you've gotta love Dory and Nemo! 

Happy Friday everyone, sun is out (here in Colchester anyway) and it's going to be a scorchio weekend apparently!

Double whammy today for me, gym session first followed by a swim... bring it on! 

~BREAKFAST~

Big hit of protein for my breakkie this morning, a lovely fluffy mushroom omelette today!

Made with 2 eggs whipped, with added egg white.  I spray a frying pan with a little fry light and saute the mushrooms, then simply pour the egg over and leave to cook.  When the base is done, I sprinkle over some low fat grated cheese and bung it under the grill, souffles up lovely!

Served with a dollop of good old tommy k and my protein shake, very filling and very scrummy!

~MID MORNING SNACK~

A re-appearance of my little pot of loveliness today, went shopping last night so got some more yogurts in, yay!  Added chia seeds again and it is sooooo good.  I also had one of my magical energy bars as was going to the gym earlier, 12ish, so lunch would have to wait until afterwards and I needed all the energy I could get!  Did the job :)

~LUNCH / AFTERNOON SNACK~

I went all japanese for my lunch/afternoon snack.  Picked up a bento box of sushi and a tub of edamame beans.

The bento box was fab, lots of different sushi titbits in it and an udon noodle and edamame bean salad, delish!  Not a huge fan of pre-packed sandwiches etc, but as my lovely friend Audrey who is the sushi queen lives in Scotland, and I can't make it myself (or haven't tried), this did the job!

I love edamame beans, I get these ones from waitrose and they come in their pods, slightly salted, and you just 'suck em out', so good.

Edamame beans are fresh soya beans, and hailed as one of the latest superfoods.  Their protein is a complete protein and they contain all the amino acids necessary for human health and are a natural source of antioxidants and isoflavins.  

Eating antioxidant-rich foods has been associated strengthening your immune system and with reducing your risk of cancer, hardening of the arteries and neurodegenerative diseases. Isoflavones are phytohormones that may help reduce prostate and breast cancer, diminish the risk of heart disease, lower blood pressure levels and ease menopausal symptoms.

Edamame are rich in vitamin B & C and one of the few natural sources of vitamin E.  They are a great source of fibre, and have anti-inflammatory properties.  A truly wonderful little bean!!!

~DINNER~

Well it is Friday, and the sun was shining, so my lovely husband and I went out for an early evening dinner, to a fab pub called The Anchor in a little village called Nayland, just outside Colchester, on the river.

This was our view from our table, so beautiful.  Whilst we were eating a couple of canooists meandered along, so idyllic!


It is a wonderful pub, (even more so as they have been known to forget to charge us for our drinks before!!), they have their own smokehouse and their own fields were they grow all the veg and salad they use.  And it is only about a 10  minute drive from our house, although   unfortunately not in walking distance :(


As a stater we both shared a bread platter, with gorgeous mixed olives (which Matt hates so I got to eat them all, result!), lovely sunblushed tomatoes (Matts fave but I made him share!!!), pesto and balsamic and olive oil dip.  A gorgeous treat.

The olives came with little slivers of garlic, teeny tiny little pickled onions and mixed peppers, absolutely delicious .


So for main, not only as an attempt to remain healthy but also because I absolutely adore fish, I chose the chargrilled sardines which came with crushed olive oil potatoes, mixed salad and a salsa verdi.

Beautiful and fresh tasting, ideal for a lovely summers evening.

However, I have to admit was very very jealous of Matt's haddock and chips!!  Yes, I did nick a chip ... or six, and yes, I did eat the big chunk of fish he couldn't manage ... would have been rude not to!!

So crispy, not at all greasy and the fish was so fresh, bloody gorgeous!

Am no longer a huge drinker, can't handle it and don't actually enjoy it either anymore.  But I did have two dry white wine and sodas, but you know what, I felt pished!!! :)

 ~EXERCISE~

As I have already said, today was a double whammy day.  I left work at 12 and went into the gym for an hour.  I mainly concentrated on lower body as I knew my arms would get a good workout swimming.  I really must make a note next week of the machines I use so I can share it with you and give you a better understanding of what I do.  However, one of my absolute favourites is one like this...

You sit on the seat (obviously) with your feet on the bottom plate tucked under the lower rollers and the upper roller adjusted to sit behind your shoulder blades.  You then cross your arms over your chest, and using your waist and stomach muscles, from push the upper roller back so you are almost laying flat , then bring it up again, in a controlled manner.  This works your back muscles, butt muscles and stomach muscles..... god I love it!!

I have it set on a load of 60kg and I do 5 sets of 20 at the minute.  Can really feel it working and can really see it working too!

I then followed the gym with a swim.  I don't push myself in the water on a Friday, I always aim for 60 lengths, and that's what I did, taking longer breaks at the end of each 10 lengths.  I find it a lot harder after being in the gym beforehand, starts off feeling like wading through mud, but then I soon get into the swing, or swim, of it and am nipping through the water again.  All I had in my head the whole time was 'just keep swimming, just keep swimming' from Finding Nemo!

Finished it off with a 10 minute session in the steam room, I do my stretches in therer so it really opens the muscles up, and then a 20 minute chillax in the jacuzzi .... absolute heaven and a great start to the weekend.

And on that note ... have a great weekend people!!
Thanks again for reading
Jo
xx