I donated blood recently.  Platelets actually. Took a while, but it was interesting.

Gross, right?

To get started, she took my blood pressure. 110/90. Low Systole, high diastole.

Ugh.

The thing is, she wasn’t even going to tell me what it is, i asked them she told me. I guess the 90 diastole isn’t THAT bad.

Now, if memory serves, this is not the first time I’ve heard that, though I haven’t had my BP taken in almost two years. I can’t recall when I’ve heard that.  A large portion of my adult life my BP has been great or even low.

Physical appearance-wise, this is deceiving. I’m relatively lean, muscular, even starting to see some abs. But lately, my cardio exercise has been nil. I try to keep my diet cheap primarily, but not always healthy:

Taco Bell has a good dollar menu. I eat a lot of soup, lots of pb & j, cereal, bagels, fruity greek yogurt, burgers occasionally with fries, pizza, pasta, eggs, the occasionally bag of chips with salsa, the occasionally homemade chili or tacos/fajitas. The very infrequent block of cheese over a few days span. Plus I like my beer. Probably at least 5 bottles a week on average, usually all in the same session.

And lately more dessert than normal.

Crap.

Mona has a degree in nutrition and is paleo and read me the riot act.

(Of course she got mad when I huffed at her.  I explained it’s not personal, it’s a confronting conversation so I’m allowed to huff.)

She’s against foods with lots of chemicals so I have to start eating plain greek yogurt with Stevia  (which I already use in my coffee).

No more Taco Bell (yes yes I shouldn’t need to be told that.)

Soup with low sodium (or homemade.  It’s the chemicals she’s concerned with.)

Minimal starchy carbs, so buhbye bagels and bread, for the most part.

Eggs are fine. Apparently they’re healthier than we’re led to believe.

And start cardio again. That’s my least favorite exercise, but it pays in the end.

My income situation as it currently is, eating healthy may be difficult. Seems like it’s always more expensive. We’ll see.

And I recently re-stocked my food and I can’t waste money. So I’ll go through that first.

And today I’ll start running again.

And I need to find a job. That stress can’t be good on my BP. I had a few good interviews this week.  We’ll see.

Mona’s concerned. Says she has a vested interest in me now. Wants to keep me around for as long as she “has need of me,” which she says in a cutesy was, meaning a long time.

My dad died at the age I’m at right now. He was an awful smoker but I’m sure a terrible eater too. I was young.

Time for a shift.