Tuesday, March 21, 2006

Pressure!


I conducted a little experiment today: using a portable monitor, I measured my blood pressure at 3.00pm and after the show finished at 4.00pm. 202 over 120 and 193 over 128. Which is not good. Normal is...120 over 80. Don't ask me what those numbers actually mean. Well, actually, I can tell you what they mean: they mean, lose weight, stop drinking triple shot lattes, especially the ones with Calvados on the side. Also Mike's chocolate muffins. Salty things like...all my favourites. Bacon. Pickled herring. Smoked fish. And cheese. In my heart of hearts (and I come from a classic West of Scotland family with a history of stroke and heart disease) I know the cheese has always been a big problem. I mean, just passing Mellis the Magical Cheesemonger (there's one in Aberdeen, just down from the Beeb)is an exercise in temptation-avoidance. Did I mention my high cholestorol? Ah, but that's treated with daily statins'n'aspirins. Sort of.
Interestingly, those blood pressure readings also revealed that my heartbeat was normal in the fairly stressful circumstances of broadcasting to a national and international audience. I clutch at such small mercies...jings. Cake and coffee, anyone? Packet of smoky bacon crisps? With mayonnaise dip? Oh, please yersels...

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