Woke up this morning to find the scratchy throat I’d been ignoring has not just miraculously disappeared overnight, so as much as I’m fueling for muscle recovery, I’m now fueling to fight off a potential cold. I suspect Tuesday’s run in the damp cold air caught up with me, so today’s meals are pulling double duty.
I was low on a few breakfast ingredients so I took a walk to Sainsbury’s to grab some avocados and extra veg for the refeed. They were out of frozen mushrooms, so I pivoted to frozen Mediterranean vegetables instead.
I sautéed the veg with spinach and an avocado in oil, then poured my usual 3-egg omelette mix over the top to create something more like a frittata. Topped with some grated vintage cheddar for flavor and served alongside three Heck chicken sausages, it was a lot of food, but I felt like my body absolutely needed it after last night’s exhausting swim and the accumulated fatigue as well as low electrolytes from the rest of the week’s exercise and fasting.
While it might look like a massive plate of food, and a lot of fat and calories, there is a bit of a method to my frittata madness.
My breakfast frittata already gave me a head start on extra vitamin C for that scratchy throat, with red peppers, cherry tomatoes and spinach. Later, I’m planning a berry smoothie with strawberries for an extra hit of antioxidants, and dinner will be heavy on the broccoli and spinach. If I’m going to keep my “machine” in tip top condition, I need to make sure the maintenance includes the immune system, too!
Here’s the estimated nutritional load:
- The “Good” Fats: Loading up on the avocado and oil wasn’t just for the calories. After a 36-hour fast, these healthy fats are exactly what I need to signal to my brain that the “famine” is over. It helps me stay satiated so I don’t spend the rest of the day thinking about food! For diabetics, healthy fats are our friend.
- The Muscle Repair: Between the eggs, the chicken sausages, and the cheese, I made sure to get a heavy hit of protein. My muscles were definitely feeling the strain after that “running on fumes” swim last night, so this is the building block they need to start recovery.
- The Salt Factor: I didn’t hold back on the vintage cheddar, and even added a pinch of salt to my omelette mix – and for good reason. Despite suffering from hypertension, after this week’s exercise and fasting, the salt content helps me reset my electrolytes. It’s quite likely why I experienced lightheadedness after my swim last night.
- The Immune Support: I also treated this meal as a preemptive strike against that scratchy throat. By choosing the Mediterranean veg mix, I’ve packed in red peppers and cherry tomatoes which, alongside the spinach, provide a massive hit of Vitamin C and antioxidants. It’s about giving my immune system the resources it needs to fight off whatever bug is trying to take hold while my defenses are temporarily lowered from the week’s efforts.
It feels good to have some fuel back in the system. Now, I’m going to take it easy for the rest of the afternoon – physically anyway, since I have some work to do – and let my body do its own work of recovering!
I may need to grab a herb tea with fresh lemon juice to keep myself hydrated.
Leave a Reply